11 Best Strollers for Travel in 2023, Tested by Experts

Sep 01, 2023

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Whether you're going to grandma's or Disney World, we've got wheels that will make taking your kid a breeze.

Enjoying a vacation with your little one sounds like a blast. But every parent of a baby, toddler or preschooler has the same nagging worries around the actual travel. How do you move through airport security with a baby? How do you get on and off buses with a 2-year-old? If you're packing the family car for an epic road trip, how is the baby stroller fitting in with everything else?

The answer for all is: You get a great travel stroller. Whether you want it to last for years or just need one inexpensive set of wheels to get you through a specific journey, there is something for you on this list, and something for any kid from birth to age 6 (plus a double stroller, if you're taking two). A lightweight stroller will help you tackle the toddler years with your sanity intact. But these travel strollers have an additional focus on being compact and folding quickly (we gave them all a try!) so you can move like a travel ninja.

Our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have reviewed over 30 strollers over the course of the past five years and for this story, we pulled ones that can fit in tiny spaces (some, in the airplane overhead) and ranked the ease of carting around and stowing each stroller.

At the end of our story we've got a shopping guide that can help you narrow down which features are most important to you, along with more on how we test strollers.

We called this a "first-rate folding stroller" when we named this a Good Housekeeping 2023 Family Travel Award winner. The real key is it doesn't sacrifice comfort for compactness, so expect the usual Bugaboo high-quality fabric, deep seat, real sunshade (no skimping on sun protection here!) and extendable leg rest, just in a more tiny, adorable form that's perfect for travel.

One tester mom of a toddler geeked out about the fold, specifically. "The button to fold it is on the handle, so you just push down and collapse it quickly. Our regular stroller requires ducking down and pushing a lever," she said. "Also, the glide of the Butterfly is comparable to much larger strollers. I can push my son uphill easily, with one hand!"

Another note about that fold: The folded stroller can stand up by itself, great if you need it to sit a minute while you get your kid in the car or otherwise tend to things. You don't need to lean it anywhere. But some users note that unfolding the Butterfly takes some finesse and practice — you shake it out and need it to lock in place before you can set your kid inside.

If you're only taking one big vacation and don't plan to travel often, you might want a no-drama lightweight stroller that won't set you back more than a hundred bucks. This little 3D Mini might cost the same as checking a piece of luggage each way, and at just 11 pounds it's easy to handle on a trip.

The basket is small — an average-size diaper bag is too big to fit down there — but there's a zippered parent console that holds two drinks. It's got a reasonable sunshade, and the seat can lean back. There's no seat padding, nor is there springy suspension for the five-inch plastic wheels. It's built for the convenience of getting toddlers and young preschoolers around flat pedestrian areas, and it does that just fine.

The 3D mini folds long, to the size of a traditional umbrella. (Get it? That's why they call this style an "umbrella stroller.") It doesn't stand up when folded — like with umbrella, you have to prop it against a wall or a car, or lay it down, say in your car's trunk, or carry it in one hand, which is made easy by its light weight.

Lots of the choices on our list are great for flying because of their fold and compact size. But if you fly often — as in to and from grandparents four or five times a year — we like that the Compact can be carted around several ways.

It's important because a kid is in and out of their stroller all the time in the airport. Use the carry strap on the back to sling this over your shoulder when you're on a moving walkway, say, with one arm holding your kid. Or put the stroller in the included backpack-style bag so it's easy to carry your kid and wear the stroller on your back as you step onto the plane, where the stroller can fit in most overhead bins. (If the flight crew says the overheads are full, the bag makes it easy to gate-check.)

When we named this a Good Housekeeping Parenting Award winner, we called out some of the other great features: a more generous basket than most compact strollers, so you can fit the diaper bag; a parent cupholder (because caffeine); and a rain cover in case it's pouring when you step outside. Our one issue is that you can only buy direct from the brand, and sometimes it's sold out. Also, this is not a choice for a newborn; your baby has to be at least 6 months old to ride in this.

Little travelers who are a bit older, age 2 and up, do well with an umbrella-style stroller like this one that gives them a place to sit when they need a break but does not cost parents much cash. Mesh sides provide airflow when you're visiting warm places and rear suspension provides a smoother ride than other, cheaper umbrella-style models.

The handle style is two grab handles versus one long bar, and because this is umbrella-style, it has a long, thin fold that has to be rested on the ground or against something. You engage the fold with your foot rather than your hand, kicking up near the basket and stepping down on a lever at the side. The seat cushion is machine washable and it comes with a parent cupholder. It's best for toddlers and older; there is no good place to attach toys for a baby nor does this take an infant car seat.

Not only does this weigh less than 15 pounds but its robust wheels — made of molded rubber, not plastic — can tackle a sandy beach path. Our tester did just that, saying, "We took the risk and rolled this along a nature trail in Puerto Rico and it did great! It was hot that day and so we preferred this to putting the 1-year-old in an infant carrier." The City Tour 2 is smooth-rolling on city streets, too. It's fully featured with a deep seat that reclines almost flat, a comfy calf rest plus a wide sun-protective canopy.

The fold is easy and starts with squeezing a button on the handle. But when folded this is not as small as some others; it can stand when folded but will not fit in an airplane overhead. It comes with a carry bag that makes it easy to gate-check at the airport. The handle sits just under 40 inches tall, making it a little tough for tall parents to push.

If you love the idea of a self-folding stroller that collapses at the touch of a button while you're holding your baby in your arms, this model does just that and at a nice price, too. Getting in and out of vehicles is easy because the Otto, when folded, can be carried by its bumper bar. You can use an Evenflo car seat with this without any separate adaptor, and the molded-rubber wheels have suspension in the front.

There is a gap between the seat and the canopy that lets airflow in but also allows a kid to squirm around and see you, which can either be a pro or con. We noticed online reviewers writing that the wheels squeak, which we did not experience in our Lab tests but seems to be an issue during real-world use. This model comes with a parent cupholder. Note that the Otto is heavier than most of the other single strollers on our list but still weights less than 20 pounds.

It's all about the fold! The Sparrow folds into the neatest little 15" x 14" rectangle and tucks into its own carry case. Not only will it fit in an airplane overhead but we can imagine a bunch of other travel scenarios for this: tucked into a drawer in your hotel room or cruise-ship cabin, at your feet as you ride the train around Disneyland, on your shoulder while you hold your child and ride an escalator.

To get that small it has a lot of flexible joints and tiny wheels. Also, this weighs less than 13 pounds. The combination can make the Sparrow feel more rickety than others on our list. It performed well enough rolling around smooth New York City sidewalks but, especially if you have a lightweight baby inside, it bounces over cracks, bumps and curbs. Fortunately, if you're mostly steering this through airports or through a theme park, you should be good to go.

A few other notes: The handle is low (not great for tall parents) but the seat is high (so a toddler is not leg-draggingly close to the ground). The basket is tiny and blocked by two bars, so it can't hold very much, maybe just a stroller blanket and water bottle. The tiny sunshade is minimal.

Another Parenting Award winner, we've said this is "a perfect balance between a convenient compact and a sturdy full-size stroller." We feel it deserves a spot on the list of best travel strollers, too, because it's also able to hold an infant car seat if you need that — either the UPPAbaby Mesa or any other brand (be sure to buy the correct adaptor for your brand).

If you use this in an airport you will have to gate-check it; it won't fit in the plane's overhead. But its small, self-standing fold means it takes up very little room in your home or hotel room. You get all the bells and whistles of a full-size stroller including a generous sun canopy, leatherette bumper bar you can use to hang a few toys and a basket that can hold up to 20 pounds. Tall parents will appreciate that the handle sits over 40 inches from the ground.

If travel is a big part of your lifestyle, don't skimp on anything — this comfy, well-made compact stroller comes with a long list of amenities including a carry bag, a magnetic buckle so you can quickly snap your baby in place, plus a no-rethread harness so it's easy to adjust the shoulder-strap height as your child grows.

You can use the TRVL from birth until your child weights 50 pounds (which is often about age 6) and you can use it with the lightweight Nuna Pipa infant car seat without needing any extra adaptor (the car seat rests against the bumper bar).

All-wheel suspension helps this roll more like a full-size stroller. The underseat basket can't hold as much as a few other picks on this list. But fans of the TRVL rave about the fold, which can be executed with just one hand while you hold your baby in your other arm. When folded it stays standing up on its own. Note, however, that it's just a few inches too big to fit in an airplane overhead bin, so plan to gate-check this stroller.

Nothing else comes close to being an ideal car seat and stroller combo for travel with a newborn. The Doona is an infant car seat for a vehicle, then you pop the wheels down to stroll with it.

No need to travel with both a car seat and a stroller since this is a two-in-one. If your travels include ride share vehicles or various family members' cars you'll be happy to have this innovative gear that doesn't have you shifting your infant from one seat to another. The car seat is also FAA-Approved for aircraft travel. "Now I tell every mama that she needs this," says one tester who started traveling with her baby in the Doona at 2 months old.

It's got a sunshade (though you can buy an extension for total protection from bugs, rays and rain) and its telescoping handle adjusts to different heights. It does not have any basket storage, but Doona sells a compatible storage bag or you can hang your own from the handle. Because it's only for toddlers up to 35 pounds and 32 inches tall, most families outgrow it by their child's second birthday.

"I found it totally worth it for the first two years of each of my three kid's lives," says our Good Housekeeping Institute Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman. "It is just that versatile and useful for trip sanity!" Note that it does come with a LATCH-compatible car-seat base but it can also be strapped in using seatbelts if you are traveling without the base.

Taking two on your travels? We've called this stroller "the best double stroller for Disney" based on testers' real-world experiences. It meets the Disney park size requirements but weighs less than 20 pounds so it's not too tough to schlep on and off transport, plus it stands up when folded so it's easy to set it down and pick it up again without having to lean the stroller on something.

Each seat has a large canopy (so important for long, sunny outings!), separate reclines so either kid can lean back when needed and bumper bars for toys and to help keep preschoolers from leaping out if they spot Mickey. The handle height works for tall parents but the basket is pretty small and tucked way under the seats. The Twin+ comes with one parent cupholder and the brand sells travel-savvy accessories, such as stroller carry straps and a storage bag, separately.

We test both in the Good Housekeeping Institute Labs and in real-world conditions to assess how strollers work for families who are traveling.

In the past five years we've tested more than 30 strollers with an eye to what is easy for travel, looking at a dozen factors including stroller weight, ease of fold, size of stroller when folded, whether it comes with a travel bag, size of the sunshade and basket, whether the seat can recline for rest and more. We roll strollers along varied terrain and time how long it takes to assemble strollers out of the box.

First your dose of reality: There are some things you will not get in a travel stroller that you would get in a big, full-size stroller. A compact travel stroller won't have a huge basket because it must fold down small. It won't have large, heavy wheels either, which means it will not roll as smoothly as a stroller with air tires. Expect small, nimble wheels on a compact frame — that's a travel stroller.

Here are the features you'll want to consider:

✔️ Just how tiny do you need it to fold? If you want to roll your stroller right onto the plane and throw it in the overhead bin, look for a travel stroller that promises to fit up there. The International Air Transport Association suggests that carry-on luggage not be larger than 22'' x 18'' x 10".

✔️ A carry bag makes a nice backup plan if you're flying. If your stroller is supposed to fit in the overhead but the plane is too crowded, having a carry bag lets you easily gate-check it. Plenty of families, including many of our Lab experts, just plan on using gate-check to begin with. You roll your child to the gate, wait until boarding, then fold and bag the stroller and have airline personnel put a tag on it so you can pick it up on the jet bridge when the plane lands, allowing you to stroll your child to baggage claim.

✔️ Check the Disney Park requirements, if you're going there. Unfolded, your stroller should be no larger than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long for a day at one of the parks (which means no stroller wagons).

✔️ Pay attention to age grading. If your infant is still only a few months old, they will be potentially unsafe and uncomfortably upright in a stroller for ages 6 months+. If you'll be traveling with a newborn, look for a travel stroller that works from birth. Sometimes that means using one that can hold your infant car seat. Also, always check with your pediatrician so you know your baby's current weight and height, and read the requirements specific to your stroller to ensure it's appropriate. If you have to wait a few months to use the stroller, you can consider traveling with your infant in a baby carrier.

✔️ What happens when it folds? We like a stroller that can stand while folded, because you can set it and forget it while you deal with other travel and packing hassles. However, sometimes an umbrella fold, which is long and skinny, is nice for road trips when you have a tightly packed car. You can almost always wedge an umbrella stroller in there! Watch videos online to see how travel strollers fold down and how you are expected to carry them in their folded position.

✔️ We like a canopy. We're nuts about sun protection (see our best sunscreens for kids) and that's why all of our picks have at least some sunshade. We do not recommend one of the ultra-cheap sling-type strollers lacking any sun visor. But not all canopies are equal: Some extend far out, some have mesh panels for ventilation and many large canopies have peekaboo windows that let you easily peer down and see how your baby is doing. Some sunshades make noise as you move them in and out and some are silent. Finally, some are made of UPF 50+ sun-blocking fabric, which is preferable.

For more than a century the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have been dedicated to helping consumers make safe and sound choices when purchasing items for their home and family.

This list was written by contributing writer Jessica Hartshorn who has followed the juvenile-products industry for decades, most recently for American Baby magazine and Parents magazine.

Coverage of travel strollers and much other gear for little ones is overseen by Chief Technologist & Executive Technical Director Rachel Rothman, a 15-year veteran of the Institute and mother of three kids ages 6 and younger. Both experts have tested travel strollers in the Lab and on trips with their own family, and they lean into consumer testers for additional feedback and opinions.

Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.

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