Stokke YOYO Travel Stroller Review
A look at the YOYO by Stokke, the travel stroller formerly known as the Babyzen YOYO. Can a stroller that fits in the overhead bin really handle everyday life?
The Short Version
The Stokke YOYO Travel Stroller fits the bill as a travel stroller: lightweight, compact, and flight-friendly. We’ve brought it on multiple cross-country flights, and it fits in the overhead bin as carry-on luggage, making it easier to travel with a toddler. Despite being smaller than regular-sized strollers, it’s sturdy enough and has enough bottom storage that it became our everyday stroller.
The Pastello Scale: 🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️.5 (4.5/5)
Why We Brought It Home
The first time we flew across the country with our infant, we brought our regular stroller. At the TSA line, an agent got upset and told me I had to take the entire stroller apart — which isn’t possible. It backed up the whole line before the head agent stepped in, corrected him, and pulled him off our line.
Besides not wanting to deal with another issue at the TSA line, traveling with a regular stroller is just a hassle. So the next time we traveled, we decided to buy a flight-friendly travel stroller. The Stokke YOYO Travel Stroller met our needs and made flights and road trips easier.
The Everyday Feel
The Stokke YOYO Travel Stroller gets the job done and has survived multiple cross-country flights. While we haven’t tested other travel strollers for long periods, we’ve checked out the Joie Orzo Travel Stroller, and the YOYO feels higher quality.
The YOYO easily fits in our trunk or slides in on the ground behind the front seats. We also fold it and store it on a storage rack without any issues. So it doesn’t take up much space even when you’re not using it. As I mentioned above, it travels well and fits in the overhead bin on planes. We haven’t had any issues with the strolling either; it’s not as smooth as our regular stroller, but it’s good enough that it’s replaced it for most everyday use.
One issue we had when we first got it was the folding and unfolding process. If this is your first travel stroller, the paper instructions are difficult to follow when unfolding and refolding it. Honestly, it was frustrating at first, and I considered returning it. But after watching a couple of YouTube videos and folding it a few times, it wasn’t too bad, and now it feels like I can fold it in a few seconds.
A Few Quiet Details
- Compact: It’s cabin-baggage sized, so it fits in the overhead bin on airplanes, in the trunk, in the backseat, etc. It’s perfect for traveling and saves space.
- Lightweight: Being a travel stroller, it’s lightweight and easy to carry around while folded with the strap. It’s not as easy as carrying around a laptop bag, but for a stroller, it’s easy to strap over your shoulder.
- Quality: This goes back to what I wrote about comparing it to the Joie Orzo. The materials and wheels feel quality, and we plan to use it with the next kiddo.
The Low Lights
The main issue we originally had with the Stokke YOYO Travel Stroller was learning how to unfold and fold it. It’s our first and only travel stroller, and it was frustrating at first. I recommend watching a tutorial, and it should be easy to figure out. After that, you’re off to the races.
The other low light is the price. It’s more expensive than I’d like — if it were roughly $150, it’d be an ideal buy. But more on that in a bit, because so far, it’s earned its keep.
Is It Worth the Space?
It doesn’t take up much space when it’s folded, so it’s definitely worth the space. At around $400, it’s on the pricier side, but from our experience, the price for quality has been worth it, especially if you’re planning on having more than one kid. We’ve tried cheaper products in the past and had issues with stitching falling apart or products not lasting. In the end, replacing them cost as much as — if not more than — the “quality” version.
Shop the Notes
A quiet note: Some of the links in my journal are affiliate links. If you click them and decide to buy, I earn a small commission at no cost to you.