Weeeeeeeeeee – Miss J, 19 months

This week we’ve been roadtesting the Babyzen YOYO pushchair – billed as “a featherweight buggy has a one of a kind folding mechanism.”

So what did we make of it? Well, straight out of the box, it’s clear that the Babyzen Yoyo is indeed very, very small (52 x 44 x 18 cm) and exceptionally light (5,8kg). It’s so compact and light, in fact, that Miss J can pick it up!

There’s also a shoulder strap, so you can pick it up and go, and the strap then disappears safely into the under-basket when unfolded – amazing. Apparently the folded buggy falls within carry-on luggage requirements, so you could even take it on a plane in the overhead locker.

Unfolding is super simple – I didn’t even need to read the instructions. You just release a little catch near the foot plate, then grab the handle, lift it upwards with a flick and it unfolds completely. It’s very easy to do one handed.

Once unfolded, there’s a reasonable sized basket area for a small amount of shopping or baby supplies.

Up top, the handle is padded and slim. It’s lower than I’m used to with our Stokke Xplory, but comfortable enough to hold.

Buckling Miss J in was straightforward. The seat is nice and deep so she was well supported, and the five-point harness is easily clipped together, with wide shoulder straps. The only downside is that Miss J quickly worked out how to wriggle her arms free, but to be fair she can do that in most of the buggies and carseats we’ve tried.

To recline, you simply loosen a strap at the back, which Miss J seemed perfectly happy with, although it doesn’t go completely flat (140°), so wouldn’t be suitable for a newborn. The manual says it’s suitable from 6 months.

Round the front, the buggy has a small footplate, but at 19 months, Miss J’s legs aren’t yet long enough to reach it, which is fine as it means there’s room to grow.

Overall, the buggy has a small footprint, even when unfolded. It’s narrow (44cm), so great for pushing around supermarket aisles, and it turns very easily with its pivoting front and rear wheels, which means it can be steered with one hand without fuss.

On the downside, the pushchair is front-facing and low, which means we can’t interact in the way I’ve become used to with our current rear-facing buggy, and I did worry that she was  more exposed to swinging shopping bags than I was used to. However, as an occasional travel solution, it suits us just fine.

For a pushchair that folds so small, I was pleased with the hood, which is generously sized and kept the sun off Miss J during our road test. There’s also a lightweight, easily fitted rain cover that seems effective, although it didn’t rain during our test.

Collapsing the buggy again is really simple and can be one one handed with a baby on your hip. Before you take your baby out, you push the buttons on either inside edge of the handle and collapse the handle down. Then, you take your little one out, reach underneath and grab a little catch to release. Then you just pick up by the silver bar and the whole thing folds straight back up and click-locks into place. It takes seconds.

Check out the video – it really is as easy as this lady makes it look.

Price-wise, £309 is a fair bit more than you’d pay for a standard umbrella-type buggy, but if you travel around a lot and have to collapse/carry/pack away your buggy often, the price is well worth it for the convenience the Yoyo offers.

Overall, our verdict is very positive. This is a superb travel buggy, and with a few adventures chalked in for our family this Summer, I wish we didn’t have to give the Babyzen Yoyo back.

Disclosure: we were loaned the Babyzen Yoyo for the purposes of this review. No payment was received for this post. All posts are 100% honest.