In my larger review of the best travel strollers, the Joolz Aer+ easily came out on top as the best option overall for most families and all types of travel. Read on for an in-depth review of this special stroller.
Lightweight, compact, simple to fold and sturdy enough to hit the pavement: The best travel strollers provide all of this and more to harried parents racing to catch a flight or heading out on a road trip. After researching the most popular travel strollers on the market and then rigorously testing 15 with my son over several months, I found that the Joolz Aer+ is the best travel stroller in every situation. With its lightweight 13.2-pound frame, seamless one-handed fold and smooth four-wheel suspension, the Joolz Aer+ easily outshined the competition.
The Joolz Aer+ is exceptionally light and compact and useable right from birth and onward, marking ... [+]
But it isn’t just the ease of use and sleek design that make this sustainably made stroller a winner. As I found in my testing, the Joolz Aer+ checks all the boxes in performance, construction, value, size and more. So if you’re on the hunt for a travel stroller that is likely the only one that you’ll ever need and one that’s ready to join your family vacation no matter what your day holds, the Joolz Aer+ is the one for you.
An Airplane-Friendly Travel Stroller That’s Exceedingly Light
As far as travel strollers go, the Joolz Aer+ is on par with some of the most lightweight options that have been around for years, like the ever-popular Babyzen YoYo2 (my pick for the best customizable travel stroller). The Joolz Aer+ is a mere 13.2 pounds, folds up to a compact 21 x 17.7 x 8.5 inches and maneuvers like a dream with just one hand. I tested pushing it one-handed while pulling a suitcase—and it was a cinch.
It’s both airplane-aisle friendly and overhead-bin compliant. This means you can wheel your baby through the airport and onto the plane with no problem. The stroller folds with one hand in 1 second and stands by itself when folded, which further helps to create a calm starting point for a potentially hectic airplane ride. It’s the simplicity of the fold (and the fact that it requires zero practice to master) that first made me think the Joolz had best-overall potential. Plus, it comes with a travel bag and comfortable carry strap to further simplify things. Once I started testing its performance, it became clear that this stroller stands above the competition.
The Joolz Aer+ was extra lightweight and easy to stroll over all types of terrain during testing.
A Smooth Ride Even Outside Of The Airport
The Joolz Aer+ provided the smoothest ride of all the travel strollers I tested—on every surface (brick, sidewalks, asphalt, gravel, crushed granite, grass and turf). This is important once you disembark at your destination. It navigated sharp turns without issue, felt comfortable to operate one-handed for long periods of time and didn’t get stuck once during the fold and unfold testing.
Dr. Betty Choi, a pediatrician and mother, told me: “While the lightest strollers will be easier to carry, the trade-off might be other features like storage space and seat comfort.” I agree and found this to be true among other strollers but was happy to discover this was not the case with the Joolz Aer+. Instead, this ultra-lightweight stroller doesn’t compromise performance and feels high-quality enough to be handed down to a sibling or friend. The four-wheel suspension provides a smooth, effortless ride that feels comparable to top-of-the-line full-size strollers. This means baby has a less bumpy ride, adding to their comfort.
The one-handed fold was simple and intuitive.
Thoughtful Features That Make Travel Easier
As mentioned, the fold and unfold process is extremely easy and works every time, which is essential during a lengthy trip when your arms are constantly full (with bags or children—or both). The handlebar is also at a comfortable height, even for tall parents (I’m 5 foot 8), and doesn’t require a strong grip for sturdy handling. The single brake operates well and doesn’t catch. The child safety straps and recline are easy to adjust even when a child is seated in the stroller. While the recline mechanism and safety belt aren’t as smooth as other options, like the Nuna TRVL’s magnetic closure and the Cybex Coya’s simple pull-adjustment recline, I still found it easy to tackle one-handed.
Moreover, the makers of the Joolz Aer+ packed in many thoughtful features that improved the overall experience of using it. The extended UPF 50+ canopy provides a shaded environment for your child, and the seat cushion is exceptionally padded for child comfort, as are the harness straps. The seat can be removed for hand-washing. The seat overall is a bit wider than others, too. This along with a comfortable footrest and an extra-long backrest to accommodate older and taller children provide additional points of comfort to kids. The seat reclines to 33 degrees (0 degrees is flat), allowing for napping. And the relatively spacious undercarriage basket fits a diaper bag, which is not always the case with travel strollers. Parents also have the option to add on a car seat via an adapter, and the stroller comes with a 10-year transferable warranty, solidifying it as an option to be used for many years.
Given the smoothness of the ride, the ease of the fold and compact size as well as all the additional perks, the Joolz Aer+ is easily positioned well for daily use as well as travel.
The best travel strollers overall demonstrated versatility along with lightweight frames and easy, ... [+]
How Does The Joolz Aer+ Compare To Other Travel Strollers?
When tested against 14 of the best travel strollers on the market, the Joolz Aer+ was easy to pick as the top winner. It surpassed other strollers by combining a lightweight, compact form that’s ideal for travel, along with high-quality construction and features that make it easy to use long-term and at your travel destination. And while the Colugo Compact Stroller, my best value travel stroller pick, offers many of the same perks and at $150 less, it does not allow you to attach a car seat, rendering it less of a travel system and not appropriate for babies. The Joolz Aer+ is the lightest of all the winners and in fact weighs a few pounds less than the Colugo, the Nuna TRVL and the Doona.
The 10-year transferable warranty also sets the Joolz Aer+ apart from the competition, most of which offer a 2-year warranty or less. Its price ($449) may put off some families, but this is roughly the same as its comparable competition—and $50 less than the Nuna TRVL and $100 less than the Doona, which has a limited shelf life given its car seat height and weight restrictions (35 pounds and 32 inches in height max). It can also be found on sale for $399 and sometimes as low as $350 in select colorways.
The Nuna TRVL probably has the best folding mechanism, where you simply press a button and down it goes, but it’s also slightly heavier, less compact and costs a bit more than the Joolz. The Joolz’s weight limit of 50 pounds is similar to the competition (a bit higher than the Babyzen Yoyo at 48.5 pounds but a few pounds under the Colugo, Silver Cross Jet 3 and Cybex Coya, which boast 55-pound limits).
Each of the 15 strollers was put through the same series of tests, including driven through an ... [+]
How I Tested The Best Travel Strollers
Setup
Like the other contenders, I began testing the Joolz Aer+ travel stroller the moment I removed it from the box. I noted whether it required any setup (none) and what accessories it came with (a travel bag), and I tested the fold and unfold without reading the instructions to test how easy it would be to figure out on the fly. I was glad to find it was a seamless experience even without the instructions.
Maneuverability
I took each stroller out for a walk around my neighborhood with a 35-pound weight strapped into the seat. I noted how comfortable it felt to maneuver one-handed and how well it held up on brick, sidewalks, asphalt, gravel, crushed granite, grass, turf and over bumps and curbs. As it was one of the later travel strollers I tested, I knew quite quickly that it was a best overall contender because of the immediate ease of use, optimal performance and how simple the buckling-in process was (although a weight is far less wiggly than a child). I also noted how little pressure was required on the handlebar to maneuver the stroller over each of the terrains tested. At 7 months pregnant and dealing with wrist issues, this was greatly appreciated. Upon returning home, I tested each stroller in my homemade obstacle course, noting the way it turned and steered. I walked the stroller around tightly placed cones to mimic sharp turns while also rolling a suitcase with my other hand. It passed with flying colors.
Fold And Airplane Compatibility
I timed the fold and unfold processes to ensure there was no stickiness in the fold, measuring how long each stroller took. I ensured a packed diaper bag fit in the undercarriage, because you’ll always want a place to stash an extra bag while traveling. I also pushed strollers down makeshift airplane aisles of varying sizes. Depending on the airline, aisles can be between 17 and 19 inches wide, so I tested the strollers in mock aisles of these widths—and the Joolz Aer+ fit comfortably in both. I also determined whether each would fit easily into an overhead bin (I have a similarly sized cabinet that’s also overhead). The Joolz fit, of course, and was light to pick up.
Features
Following the obstacle course, I brought the strollers on a walk with my son, studying the recline, brakes and canopy coverage. I also folded it up midway through so he could walk, and I comfortably carried it home and back up my stairs. Since we were in the process of redecorating our home for the arrival of our second child during testing, the strollers got relegated to the driveway for about 24 hours—and the Joolz didn’t show a single sign of wear from outdoor exposure. With formal testing complete, I took another day to study the stroller’s features indoors, compared it again to top contenders and took additional notes.
My Expertise
In addition to my years of work testing and reviewing baby and maternity gear for Forbes Vetted, I’m also a full-time parent to a 3-year-old and was expecting my second child during testing. I’ve written lifestyle review content for 5-plus years and have conducted a great deal of research and real-life testing in the parenting realm since having my own kids. Given that I’m accustomed to the unique pain points parents feel when shopping for and using baby gear, I’ve endeavored to be extremely thorough when testing. My work and day-to-day life also allow me great access to experts and everyday parents with multiple kids who help to inform my testing process and initial picks when I take on stories like this.
For this story, I spoke to a number of experts to inform my research on what to look for in a travel stroller. I also asked parents and Forbes Vetted staff about their favorite travel strollers:
- Sarah Huff, baby gear product expert at BabyQuip
- Alli Cavasino, the cofounder and CEO of JoyLet, a baby gear and toy rental service, who is also a certified child passenger safety technician
- Christina Haisfield (aka Jetset Christina), a mom and travel blogger
- Dr. Betty Choi, a pediatrician, mom and author
