Babyzen YOYO review

Before I jump right in, I want to clarify that the YOYO model I have reviewed is the older version which is not available for sale any longer.  The newer & improved version which is available at the moment is the Babyzen YOYO+.

In July, the four of us took off to Slovenia for our yearly, week-long summer holiday.  Packing for a family of four means a lot of luggages and bits and pieces to carry around, especially since Nina is only 3 and a half years old.  Having the right pushchair was essential.  The size, weight and comfort – both from Nina and our (the parents) point of view – of the pushchair, would have some sort of impact on the trip per se.
Nina is not completely reliable on her pushchair, however we always keep one in the car wherever we are as we do use it when she gets tired in the afternoon.  She loves to run in open spaces so resting her little legs after a few hours is a must.  If we are going out in the evenings, we have to take a stroller with us, as Nina puts herself to sleep when it is a few hours past her (early :-)) bedtime.

My Favourite Things rent out a Babyzen YOYO, which is a top-notch travel stroller that folds so small you can take it onboard the plane as hand luggage.  We put it to the test – here goes!

Travelling with the Babyzen YOYO

Even though this is stated as the stroller’s main feature, I was still a bit sceptical as to whether we would be stopped or questioned when checking in or boarding.  I couldn’t have been more wrong!  We had absolutely no issues getting onto the aircraft with the pushchair, and one of the air hostesses even know the model by name!
Being a perfectionist, I loved the fact that the stroller never left my care.  I have had experiences in the past where a pushchair has suffered wear and tear from an airplane ride, or been abused by being stowed away in between heavy luggages.  We’ve also had to wait on several occasions, because the pushchair took a while to show up once we disembarked the plane.  I’ve never complained about waiting, but it was so much better to be able to open up the BabyZen YOYO instantly and put a very tired Nina to lie down in it!  On our trip back home, Nina was fast asleep, hence having our pushchair (literally!) at hand was a huge bonus!

The car rides

I honestly do not know how we could have managed if we had our usual lightweight umbrella stroller with us.  Our car was packed to the rafters.  It was quite spacious to say the least (we had a Ford C-MAX), but carrying four people on a week-long holiday is no joke.  All in all we had a carseat, 4 luggages and 4 backpacks.  The Babyzen YOYO slid right in in a little corner in the luggage booth.  When folded down, the size of the pushchair is 52 x 44 x 18 cm.  It also comes with a little carry-bag and has a shoulder strap attached to it’s base.

Inside and out

Due to it’s weight of a mere 5.8 kgs as well as it’s compact size, the Babyzen YOYO looks deceivingly unstable.  It is surprising sturdy and extremely easy to manoeuvre.  I’ve used heavier and larger umbrella strollers which were quite a feat to steer, but the Babyzen YOYO pushed like a dream! It did well on pavements, grass cobblestones and even tiny pebbles at Ljubljana Zoo.  You can even steer it one-handedly.  It is also astonishingly shock absorbent.  Overall, it did amazingly well, close to my expensive 3-in-1 city stroller.

We rented two apartments in two different locations, and carrying a puschair as I would a large handbag felt luxurious!  It’s weight and feel of the pushchair hanging on your shoulder is so light and comfortable that Yanik, who is 12, was able to carry it with no problems at all.

I was SO grateful I had the Babyzen YOYO when…

1. We took a pleasant boat ride in Ljubljana.  A pushchair in the way on a boatful of tourists would not have been ideal.

2. We went for lunches and dinners in tiny restaurants and could stow it away like magic.  I do not like leaving my belongings out of sight, nor do I like having them in the way for other patrons.

3. We used a free shuttle bus which had no access for a pushchair.  Nina was napping.  The second I arrived in front of the bus door with Nina sleeping (the bus driver was not amused at this point!), Neil took her out of the pushchair, and I closed it one-handedly in seconds.  By this time, the bus driver as well as the tourists were oohing and aahing over the magical device that goes from pushchair to bag in seconds.

4. We checked in to our first apartment which had a teeny, tiny entryway.  I was very happy to have the Babyzen YOYO closed in it’s bag and taking up virtually no space.

More positives

Nina is 18 kgs and just over 1 metre tall. Strictly speaking, she is over the maximum weight limit of 15kgs, and also quite tall for her age.  This did not hinder the performance of the stroller, and she was also able to sleep very comfortably.  The backrest reclines to an almost-flat position.
The backrest is very easy to adjust by pulling on two straps located on the back side of the seat.  The Babyzen YOYO has a 5 point harness, which couldn’t be opened by my crafty 3 year old!

The negatives

The canopy is a fair length, but perhaps not long enough to be used in extremely hot summer days.  We did not encounter very hot weather in Slovenia, so the canopy was just right.  I loved the fact that it had a little see-through plastic window on it.  I could take a peek at Nina without having to close the canopy or move to the side.

The storage basket is (understandably) smaller than our other strollers.  Being the organised mama that I am, before we left I tried to pack the usual bits and pieces we carry with us to see how we would manage.  The usual backpack that we use for Nina did not fit into the basket.  I switched it up for a more pliable fabric backpack which could squeeze in to the basket.  To give you a clear picture of what I managed to squeeze in to the basket, this is what I packed on most days:
3 lightweight raincoats
compact umbrella
backpack with a four snacks, a small colouring book, and a ziplock bag containing colours, stickers, bubbles, and more little toys
large pack of wipes
travel potty

The break is easy to use, but a bit hard to unlock.  This said, you are certainly sure that the legs are firmly locked!

Babyzen YOYO review: the verdict

I LOVED the size, weight and flexibility of the stroller.  It was a dream to use and God knows how we would have managed without it!
Yes, the canopy is on the small side.  If I had bought the Babyzen YOYO, I would have probably bought an additional longer canopy to attach to it.  The storage basket is also quite small – but I also found ways to to make this work for us.  Besides using a flexible fabric bag, I also hung a small hook on the handlebar for Nina’s water bottle and an additional bag if required.  I got the hook on eBay for 0.99c!

The downsides are a small price to pay for the luxuries of this pushchair.  Had I known about it when Nina was a baby, I would have definitely bought it!  For all you new mamas and mamas-to-be, be aware that there is a brand-new Babyzen YOYO which is a 3-in-1!  I envy you…!

The Babyzen YOYO is available for rent or for sale from My Favourite Things.