What Is the Best Stroller for Traveling by Plane?

Updated on May 25, 2009
V.S. asks from Salinas, CA
19 answers

We are planning an international trip in a week or so. Would like to know - what is the best stroller to use for air travel - easily collapsible and lightweight.

2 moms found this helpful

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J.D.

answers from Salinas on

Don't bring one. So much easier to carry the kid and/or let him toddle. Such a pain to haul it through the airport.

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J.B.

answers from San Francisco on

We travelled in Prague and Italy for three weeks with a Maclaren Volo and it was terrific! Lightweight, small and very easy to collapse and set up (one hand is usually fine). Good luck!

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J.N.

answers from San Francisco on

we travel a lot and we like to take an umbrella stroller. we thought about bringing our bigger stroller, but we never if it'll fit in the rental car. the stroller i like is the esprit sun speed. it handles almost as well as a mclaren but it's a fraction of the price at around 99$. it reclines almost flat for naptime.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.P.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi Vishant,

you have plenty suggestions already,
but consider the
CITI MINI by BABY JOGGER!
it is truly amazing, i have travelled a lot with it, internationally was a breeze
as it
- is lightweight
-folds one-handedly and fits thru the xray conveyer belt
- fits in the OVERHEAD compartment in case you ever get stranded and need to board a plane last minute...
- has a great sun and rain canopy
- big storage basket
- easy manoeverability, as only one double front wheel
and should they get bent on european cobblestones, replacement is only 15 $
---BEST FEATURE: baby/todddler can nap in reclining position
none of the other lightweight strollers do that.

so there, happy travels, C.

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H.J.

answers from San Francisco on

The last 2 times I've flown, my choices were an umbrella stroller or a jogger with a swivel front wheel. Both fold, or course. I opted for the big jogger, for ease of use and its ability to carry a substantial amount of cargo--and I am very glad I did! Now, I have two little ones & a double jogger--and next time I fly, that is very likely the stroller I'll take, even though it's a bit heavy.

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A.C.

answers from San Francisco on

The Umbrella stroller. They are small, light weight, easy to fold down and very cheap in price. We got ours at k-mart for $12.

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C.D.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi -
regardless of the type of stroller, you would have to check it in at the gate. For us, we have been to Asia a couple of times with our now 2-year old son. We have the lightweight BabyPlanet stroller that you can purchase at target.com. It is an umbrella stroller so it is lightweight yet it offers the functionality (multiple decline positions) and the support that we needed for our child.

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A.F.

answers from San Francisco on

I had just one stroller. An European sturdy Teutonia. Four wheels and rectangular base. I was able to put my carry-on underneath (which I loved) especially when traveling alone with my two kids. The diaper bag would be attached to the handle and my older one one the kiddy-board (a kind of stroller-attached-skate-board). Air travel with two kids was doable that way. I love sturdy strollers. My stroller is still in use. I gave it to my mother-in-law who is babysitting my nieces and nephews reguarly. She has used the ones my sister-in-laws have but still likes mine the best. Idon't know if Teutonia is available here in the US, but it is a great stroller brand!

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J.K.

answers from Fresno on

I would just go with the umbrella stroller and ck it at the gate so you dont have to pay for it. They are cheap and sufficient.

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R.C.

answers from Sacramento on

We have 2 kids and have debated this same issue for years because we travel by plane a lot, internationally as well as domestic. If you can use a simple umbrella stroller it really is the eaiest to deal with. The strollers end up pretty beat up at the end of a trip. It depends also on where you are going. We have travelled to 3rd world countries where we used the strollers on dirt roads; there an umbrella stroller didn't work well, but a big "cadillac" stroller would have caused too much of a scene. If you are going somewhere with a lot of sun it will be important to have a sun shade. (One step ahead sells a clip-on one for umbrella strollers- places like Mexico, New Zealand, Hawaii the sun is so strong that the babies can get burned just walking around- we also bring a really light weight sarong or cloth to cover their legs if in a place with strong sun). If the baby is really young you may want a stroller that reclines, but we use umbrella's from pretty young. With a baby you have a lot of extra luggage, and taxis, trains, shuttles, etc; so you may give up some of the luxuries that bigger strollers offer but the ease of an umbrella stroller makes it worth it. (I also use a backpack instead of a diaper bag when travelling since there isn't a basket underneath the stroller and again you are in so many different situations its easier to manuever without spilling things out and is less strain for your back.) Hope this helps; have fun!! I've noticed that the less I pack and the better prepared I am the better our trip is.

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J.D.

answers from San Francisco on

Baby jogger city mini. It has large rubber wheeles,ta ver high seat beack, one if the largest canopies on the market and the easiest one handed fold there is. Check it out

www.letsgostrolling.com

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R.D.

answers from San Francisco on

If you are traveling internationally and you have a stopover you will probably not get your stroller. In every case while traveling to Europe we have received our stroller when we got to our final destination. I don't know where you are going, but having a stroller internationally you need to think of other things like road conditions where you'll be. An umbrella stroller is great for paved roads, but if you will be in Europe a lot of the areas where tourists visits are covered in cobblestones. A stroller with good wheels I always felt was the best. Either that or one of the backpacks you can put your kid in. I had a Phil and Ted's double stroller and purchased a canvas stroller bag to put it in. It's an expensive stroller and always came out fine until my last domestic trip and Continental managed to rip the sturdy canvas from one end to the other and slightly bend the frame. Well, hope that helps. Have fun on your trip, I'm jealous and would love to go anywhere right now!

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R.F.

answers from San Francisco on

I assume you are requesting this info as an alternative to the actual"umbrella" stroller which is easy to use, light weight, and cheap to the point of being disposable. Target/Walmart/Kmart/BRU all carry these.

We have traveled extensively and found that a Maclaren stroller can withstand a battering and is very easy to use in addition to being lightweight. Our Maclaren Triumph is still going strong with our second child now. It folds like an umbrella stroller and handles well through airports and, more importantly, on the ground at any destination. We also prefer it to the regular (cheapy) umbrella stroller because the hood is helpful in sunnier destinations. Maclaren has a whole line of this type of stroller and you could probably find one that best suits your needs.

GL

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H.P.

answers from San Francisco on

It depends if your child is going to have his or her own seat during the flights. We bought Sit n Stroll stroller through ebay (much cheaper than buying at full price at $249. We were able to use it as a carseat for our daughter (when she was 14 months old) during our flights to and from Japan/Korea. And we were able to use it as regular stroller when we were getting around on land. My daughter stayed very comfortable throughout the trip (almost two weeks), and able to sleep while being strolled around at Tokyo Disney and riding rails. The stroller is very light and can easily be converted into carseat and stroller. And if you are planning driving once you get to your destination, you have a carseat. It's very versatile and it worked out so perfect for us.

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S.L.

answers from San Francisco on

As long as you don't need a recline feature, our favorite is Maclaren Volo. It's sturdy, very light, has carrying strap, folds and opens easily, and the handle is taller than the typical cheaper umbrella strollers -- you won't get tired from stooping when pushing the stroller. We first bought it because I was traveling alone with my daughter and we wanted to make sure that I can handle a young child, a carry-on, and a stroller on my own. Later we used it on a trip to Italy. As some said, the stroller doesn't work well for cobblestones (many strollers don't either), but for the other parts of the trip, it's wonderful because we could easily fold it up and carry it with the strap when getting on and off public transportation or staircases.

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S.H.

answers from San Francisco on

It depends on how sturdy you want it to be. We have a MacLaren Volo we use for traveling. It's lightweight (I think around 10 lbs) but it's a sturdy stroller that you can use to walk around all day. Many, many people use this stroller as it's dependable and light. You can easily get one on craigslist if you don't want to buy it new.

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M.M.

answers from San Francisco on

I would think more about what you will need at your destination- While you probably do not want to lug a whole travel system or big jogging stroller- one that your little one will be comfortable in longer term at your destination is also important. We took our Peg Prego Aria stroller for our last trip- one hand fold, light weight and fold down compact- we had two layovers on the way out and one one the way back- if you gate check the stroller- be sure to ask the gate agent that it be made available to you at each stop (they can do that for you)Makes any gate changes or down time at the airport easier- plus we used the stroller to feed our little one- also doubled as a high chair during varous points in our trip-

Also- keep in mind modes of transport when you get to your destination- how much luggage you have and if you will fit in a car/cab at your destination- larger strollers could be a problem

One must- get a gate check bag for whatever stroller you use- they just throw the strollers in the baggage area- given what our bag looked like after the trip- I was really glad the stroller was covered- plus at one point the cup holder had gotten knocked off- in the bag I still had it at the end of the trip- without the bag- it would have been gone forever- Babys-r-us has a cheap bag- bright red- you just attach the gate check tag to the carry handle of the bag.

Have a great trip!

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A.C.

answers from San Francisco on

We travel internationally a lot and we use the Gogo Babyz Trvale Mate (http://www.amazon.com/Go-Kidz-TravelMate-Black-Orange/dp/...) . That way I can keep the car seat with me all the way to the plane and then just install the car seat at her plane seat. I use a Britax Marathon with it.

Also, unless I'm going to need a stroller in the final destination, I don't even bring one with me any more. If I need it, I'll check in the stroller at the counter (instead of the gate). Less things to carry by hand.

Good Luck!

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A.K.

answers from San Francisco on

go with something cheap. Strollers often get caught in the baggage handeling equipment causing them to get lost or broken. Check babies r us to see if they're doing one of their stoller promos (sometimes if you're buying a bunch of stuff they will give you a free or very cheap umbrella stroller)

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