Best Travel Strollers

Brands market certain models as “travel” strollers, but it’s not actually a firm category with consistent criteria. A traditional stroller that’s also slim and lightweight could be marketed as a travel stroller, as could an umbrella stroller with ample storage. Infant car seat caddies and travel systems (sometimes called stroller and car seat combos) also work well for traveling. 

If you’re traveling with an infant 6 months old or younger, you’ll need a stroller that fully reclines because your infant is likely to spend a fair amount of time sleeping. That means the stroller has a seat that lies completely flat or comes with a newborn bassinet attachment.

Whether you’re traveling by car or by air, you’ll most likely travel with an infant car seat. A lightweight car seat carrier (such as the Chicco KeyFit Caddy featured below) can simplify things. It’s essentially a frame on wheels that can function as a stroller with the car seat but folds up to an especially light and compact size. The downside of car seat carriers is that they can no longer be used as a stroller once your child outgrows it. 

Some infant car seats convert to strollers, thanks to cleverly built-in wheels (such as the Doona featured below). For some parents and caregivers, the convenience of not having to tote a separate set of wheels is worth it, while others find infant car seat strollers a bit heavy for travel. Another potential downside is the limited lifespan. Once your baby outgrows their infant car seat, usually by age 1, you’ll need to buy a convertible car seat as well as a stroller. 

Another option: travel systems, which combine an infant car seat with a stroller. These simplify the process of getting your baby into and out of a vehicle. They can be a good option for some families because they extend the age range of strollers that otherwise wouldn’t be suitable for younger babies (say, because the built-in stroller seat doesn’t recline fully). But they can also be a little bulkier for travel.

If you’ll be traveling with your baby’s set of wheels from Day 1, these are the best travel strollers for newborns, according to our tests:

Children older than 6 months, including toddlers, have a wider range of stroller options. That’s because once a child can sit up on their own, parents no longer need a stroller that can recline flat or is compatible with an infant car seat. (Most children outgrow their infant car seats sometime around the 1-year mark.) Of course, you’ll want something lightweight and fairly compact (at least when folded). But be sure to also assess the stroller’s storage options, which are especially handy when traveling. You’ll also need a car seat if you’re going to be in a car, though car seats for toddlers don’t typically attach to strollers. 

Some of the options below can accommodate younger infants (the Mountain Buggy Nano, for example, can be converted into a travel system), but these travel strollers are especially well suited for toddlers and preschoolers. 

Whether or not you need a travel stroller in addition to a traditional model really comes down to how often you’ll be on the go with your baby or toddler, as well as your budget. If you know you’ll be traveling frequently during your child’s younger years and don’t think you necessarily need a full-sized model, you might consider a stroller like the Mountain Buggy Nano or Nuna TRVL LX. Both are a little more travel-friendly than your typical full-sized stroller and can be used from birth through toddlerhood and beyond.

If you want to put off purchasing a “real” stroller for a newborn, you might use a lightweight car seat carrier such as the Doona for the first year or so of your baby’s life, then invest in another stroller once your infant outgrows it. That would give you time to figure out what type of stroller suits your family best, as well as any specific features (a large storage basket, a cup holder, a parent tray, one-handed fold) that you want to prioritize.

Some strollers have a seat that can be removed so that parents and caregivers can clip an infant car seat into its place. When these strollers are sold as a bundle with a compatible car seat, they’re referred to as a travel system. 

Travel systems can be very convenient in everyday life, such as when you’re running errands and want to easily move your baby from car to stroller and back. They can also be helpful when traveling, particularly during road trips.

You could also use a travel system for air travel. You’ll probably have to check the stroller frame at the gate, but your baby’s car seat can go aboard. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration says it’s safest for little ones under 2 to sit in their own seat in an approved child restraint system such as a car seat on an airplane rather than on a parent’s lap. 

Some parents find travel systems too bulky, though. Full-sized strollers compatible with infant car seats tend to be heavier and wider than a lightweight stroller designed for travel.

Flying with a baby and stroller takes patience and preparation. The Transportation Security Administration requires that all strollers be physically inspected or X-rayed, but for the most part, you’ll be able to bring a stroller through security and check it at the gate.

Airlines have different rules about stroller storage on a flight. Whatever the policy, the best strollers for flying are those that are particularly compact and easily foldable. All of the best travel strollers on our list can quickly collapse before handing them off for boarding. 

Some strollers are even small enough when collapsed that you can bring them on the plane as carry-on luggage and place them in an overhead storage compartment. Of the best travel strollers we tested, the Doona, the Mountain Buggy Nano, and the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 have been known to fit in larger overhead compartments. Just remember, overhead bin sizes can vary from plane to plane. Check your airline’s guidelines ahead of a trip so that there are no surprises when you board.

CR’s engineers test travel strollers in the lab at our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters, just as they test all strollers. Each model is assessed for safety, maneuverability, and user-friendliness. 

We evaluate strollers for safety using tests modeled after the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials standards. These tests assess the integrity of the stroller’s frame after an impact, the security of the harness and brakes on an incline, and more. 

Using weights to simulate a child, we navigate strollers along our indoor test course, steering around S-curves, between cones, up and down a curb, and over obstructions that stand in for grass, mulch, and tree roots.