Note: I have no association with UPPAbaby and bought my Minu full price (worth every penny). I only write about products that I own and have used for a significant amount of time. I’ve owned my Minu now for almost 2 years now and it is still my go-to.
Originally published in September, 2019. Updated in February, 2025.
I’m not really a stroller person.
Generally, I prefer babywearing while traveling. Strollers are just an extra thing I don’t want to drag along.
But traveling with two little ones instead of just a baby made me rethink my stance a bit, and with a major trip to Israel and Malta with a 10-month-old and 2-year-old was the perfect impetus for me to do a little research. I knew we would be walking a lot, and I was not about to wear them both.
So I started reading up on “pocket strollers”. The moms in the facebook travel groups that I’m in would just rave about their favorites – the GB Pockit+, the Mountain Buggy Nano, the Zoe XL1, and the Babyzen YoYo .
Here they are so you can compare price tags:
Pocket strollers are super lightweight and compact like umbrella strollers. The difference is that pocket strollers fold down to a more of a box shape, and they are designed to fit in the overhead bin of airplanes. Some achieve this better than others.
Now, depending on the location of the trip, this is one of my essential items for traveling with a toddler!
Why use a pocket stroller?
Why not just gate check your stroller? What’s the advantage of being able to fit it in the overhead bin?
I’ve read tons of stories of strollers getting lost or damaged in transit. Gate-checking makes it less likely that your stroller will get lost, but more likely that it will get damaged. And a lot of airlines do not have the same reimbursement protection for items damaged while gate-checked as they do for items damaged after being checked at the counter. This is obnoxious, but unfortunately has bit a lot of parents.
Protective stroller bags help, but putting the stroller in the overhead bin is your best bet for keeping your stroller safe.
This also allows you to use the stroller as soon as you disembark the plane. Often gate-checked strollers are waiting there for you as well, but some airlines take them to another area – like baggage claim – forcing you to carry the baby (and all your stuff) and go hunt it down. If you have to go through customs, you’ll do it without your stroller in this case.
Pocket stroller comparison
So the research began.
You know those travel groups I mentioned before? When I decided that I wanted to try out a pocket stroller, I scoured every post that asked for stroller recommendations, and read through everything that the moms had to say.
The same few strollers kept coming up over and over again, and I developed a strong sense of the one that I wanted – the Mountain Buggy Nano. It seemed like the perfect stroller for our purposes, without the crazy price tag of the seemingly flawless YoYo.
Having been burned in the past for buying a stroller just based on reviews, I decided to drag the husband along to BuyBuyBaby to try them out.
This turned out to be critical step, because upon actually feeling the Mountain Buggy, I wasn’t super thrilled with it. It was clunky to fold down and required two hands to do so, the sunshade was annoying, and overall it just didn’t feel “right”. So I kept on trying all the other ones that were constantly being praised in the facebook groups, and I didn’t love any of them – even the YoYo!
It was my husband who saw the UPPAbaby Minu, and was immediately drawn to it. Must have been the leather-wrapped handle.
I hadn’t really considered it as an option, because it wasn’t mentioned often by the other moms, but when I hunted back through the groups (standing there in BuyBuyBaby with a baby napping peacefully on me), those who did mention it absolutely loved it.
So we tried it out. And fell in love. And even though it was quite a bit more expensive than we wanted to spend on a stroller just for travel, it was still well under the price of the YoYo. And after talking through the advantages of having a stroller like this, we decided to go for it.
Best. decision. ever.
Why we love it.
So first of all, can we just talk about how sexy this stroller is?
That sleek silver aluminum.
The quality (and SPF 50+) fabric of the sunshade.
That premium leather-wrapped handlebar!
This is just a beautiful stroller, and I’m not ashamed to admit that that is an important factor for me.
But this stroller does so many other things right.
The fold-down is incredibly smooth. You can do it easily with one hand while holding a squirmy baby – no problem. And you can pick it back up after it clicks without having to move your hand. Mom juggle win!
There’s also a shoulder strap, something that I am shocked some of the other pocket strollers don’t have.
Like most (but somehow not all) pocket strollers, it does recline. The recline mechanism is a little slider that is easy and quick to use, even with your child in the stroller. It doesn’t recline completely flat, but it is plenty far for a good nap.
The basket underneath was one of the largest that we saw on the pocket strollers. It has plenty of space for a diaper bag, a few shopping bags, or whatever you need. And, bonus! There is a little pocket just below the handlebar for your phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, etc. No need for an additional stroller organizer! This is honestly one of my favorite features.
My 2-year-old is off-the-charts tall. In several of the strollers we tried out, her head hit the canopy. Seriously?! They just aren’t designed for tall kids. But that is not the case with the UPPAbaby Minu, which has plenty of space for her. And with a 50 lb. weight limit, we’ll still have a long time that she can fit in this stroller.
My husband is also tall. 6’4″, to be exact. We have to take this into account when stroller-shopping, because it’s really challenging to find anything comfortable for him. While he would have liked it to be a tiny bit higher, it is taller than most of the other strollers we looked at. He’s comfortable pushing it. And it’s perfect for me, at 5’8″. I’m not sure how it would be for a very short parent.
My husband’s favorite feature – maybe even more so than the beautiful handlebar – is the way it drives. It is so much smoother than any other stroller we tried, and I’ve honestly never felt a stroller that turns so well. The shock-absorbing all-wheel suspension helps a lot! Especially if you’re planning to explore somewhere with cobblestone. I’m lookin’ at you, Italy!
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I also love that it stands upright when folded. Not all of the strollers that we tried could do that!
What we don’t love.
Yes, there are a few cons to this stroller. After using it for many months, these are the things that bother me.
There is something about the angle of the seat, when fully upright, that made it impossible for my daughter to sit up straight at 10 months. She would slide down and slump to the side, and the straps were the only thing holding her halfway up. After a few months, when she had better control, this was improved but still not perfect. The angle is just a little bit “off” for a baby of her age.
It was fine if she was partially reclined, but of course she wants to be up where she can see the action.
By the time she was 1.5, this was no longer an issue as she had plenty of control and strength to stay upright.
She never seemed to mind, but it always bothered me.
I wish it was a little easier to unlock the stroller when it’s folded down. You really need two hands to reopen it. It’s a pain when you’re holding the baby. Nothing like the ease of folding it down.
That’s it for my complaints! But I did carefully scour Amazon reviews, and there are some people who complain about the quality, and having it break after minimal use. I seriously cannot understand this, as I find the materials to be very sturdy. I do have the 2019 version, and this is a complaint that I see on the 2018 version reviews. Maybe they upgraded the materials for this version.
Another Amazon review mentioned that UPPAbaby will not honor the warranty if it’s damaged during air travel and not in the official UPPAbaby Minu travel bag, so beware of that if you do end up having to gate-check it.
Another complaint that I saw was that it’s possible for the baby to tip over backwards. I discovered this as well when my toddler tried to “push” the stroller with my baby inside. She did this by pulling down on the handlebars. Her weight was enough to pull the stroller over (thankfully I caught it, as there is no padding to protect the baby’s head). Keep in mind that this is always a possibility with a lightweight stroller!
That being said, even with my toddler in there, there is no way this thing is going to tip over backward on it’s own. We’d have a lot of stuff in the back pocket, adding extra weight to the top, and still never experienced this. But it is an ultralight stroller, so I would be vigilant just in case.
I also wish that we could put a toddler stroller board on it, but you can’t do that with any pocket or umbrella stroller. This would just throw off the balance by way too much, and I’m pretty sure having a toddler’s weight riding on the back would tip this thing over.
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How we ended up using it.
I thought that we would love this stroller. I thought it would make our trip so easy.
Even so, I underestimated how great it would actually be.
At the airport
Having a stroller through the airport is really nice. Especially if you’re also hauling a car seat. And especially if that car seat fits perfectly into the stroller. Here is our UPPAbaby Minu car seat hack:
This is the Cosco Scenera Next, by the way. Hands-down, the best car seat for air travel, in my opinion. And at a whopping 7 lbs and under 50 bucks, it’s easy to see why.
We kept her strapped in the car seat when we got out of the taxi, plunked the whole thing into the stroller, and went. She stayed there until she had to come out for security.
Please note that it’s not designed to have the car seat in it – this is just a great hack that we found.
When we got to security, we took the baby out, put the car seat through on the conveyor, and folded the stroller to put it through. It was pretty smooth and easy. I have tips on how to deal with airport security with a baby here, in case that’s stressing you out!
After security, it was back into the stroller/car seat to get through the airport. At the gate, we folded up the stroller ahead of time. I was really nervous that the gate agents would make us check the stroller (with the why not? attitude of someone who didn’t just shell out several hundred dollars for a stroller).
And they did ask to tag it at every airport. Sometimes I let them tag it, but then still folded it and carried it on without mentioning it. Sometimes I told them that I was going to bring it on and showed them it folded down, and that was fine. Ultimately, it fits within the carry-on requirements, so there would be no reason for them not to let us on. But keep in mind that it does count as your carry-on item!
But for real, does the UPPAbaby Minu fit in the overhead compartment?
Yes! At least, on every airplane we have taken it on, and that includes some budget airlines. You can always check the dimensions of your plane. Keep in mind that often airlines (particularly budget ones) will list smaller dimensions, but still let you on with something a bit larger. But the Minu is smaller than many carry-on bags these days!
I was nervous for the first several flights, if I’m honest. But the worst that can happen is they tell you to gate-check it instead.
UPPAbaby Minu folded dimensions:
And the Minu unfolded, to give you a little more information:
The UPPAbaby Minu’s weight is 14.8 pounds, with the wheels and everything attached.
On the trip
Having the stroller gave us a lot of options on our trip. Between the stroller and the baby carrier, we always had a way to transport both kids, and I feel like we were still able to travel very light with just the super compact UPPAbaby Minu and a fabric meh dai wrap that worked for either the baby or the toddler.
Because we were on a work trip for my husband, I ended up exploring Tel Aviv by bus by myself with both girls. It was such a lifesaver to walk up to the bus stop, pull the baby out, and one-handed fold down the stroller to carry onto the bus. I would not have managed had it not been for the Minu.
At home
Remember how I said that I’m not really a stroller person? Turns out, I had just never met the right stroller.
The UPPAbaby Minu now lives in my car, which doesn’t bother me at all because it takes up so little space. It’s so light, it takes no effort at all to pull it out. There’s room in the basket for some shopping bags. While it might not work for a full-fledged grocery run, it’s functional for so many things that we do day-to-day.
As much as I love wearing my baby, it’s faster and easier to just use the stroller, so that’s usually what I do.
Look, I don’t know if the Babyzen YoYo is actually a perfect stroller (didn’t seem like it to me). I don’t know if the Zoe XL1 is almost as good as the Minu, at half the cost. But I can tell you that if you are a family that travels a lot with a baby and/or toddler, you need a pocket stroller. And I am in love with the UPPAbaby Minu.
Do you have questions, or maybe a different recommendation? Share it in the comments!
to pin for later:
58 thoughts on “The UPPAbaby Minu: My Newest Travel Obsession is a Pocket Stroller”
I have a question! Did you have use a strap or bungee cord to secure the cosco car seat onto the stroller? Thanks in advance!
Nope! You could, but it actually fits in there really snug. I wouldn’t want to go jogging with it or anything, but there was definitely no way that baby could tip herself out. 🙂
Did u buy the travel bag
No, I chose not to because I don’t intend to ever check the stroller. That’s the nice thing about it fitting in the overhead bin! That being said, it’s totally possible that an airline will not allow you to bring it on board, even though it fits in the overhead bin. In that case, I would regret not having the travel bag.
I’m a proud owner of Uppababy Vista and love the brand, but after multiple damages by airlines we leave it at home. I actually got to try four strollers on flights (Yoyo, Bugaboo Ant, GB Pockit, Cybex Eezy S Twist) and considered getting Minu and ultimately opted against it because it doesn’t fit in overhead bins on most European planes. Unfortunately it’s a myth that both this and Mountain Buggy fit because they only do on American planes with bigger overhead bins. It wouldn’t even fit into Emirates airbus on the upper deck.
That’s so interesting that you say that – we’ve taken the Minu on many international flights and never had trouble fitting it in the overhead bin! Including small airlines, like Air Malta and El Al. I can’t speak to all European airlines, but it has fit easily on every plane we’ve been on, and it’s smaller than my carry-on backpack. That said, we’ve never been asked to measure it, and it is just outside of some airlines’ stated limits (including the airlines we flew without issue). So I could see them asking you to gate-check it if they actually cared to measure, but I’ve never been asked, even with my backpack that is significantly larger than the Minu. Thanks for this perspective!
They never measured it, but I can tell you where it doesn’t fit because we tried LOL! After trying to stuff it we then ended up having it check it or sometimes nice flight attendant strapped it into an empty seat when I traveled alone with the baby and she knew I won’t be able to get out of the plane without it. Emirates upper deck seating (the flight attendant was nice and loaded it into their wardrobe, but it still barely fit there), then LOT Polish (pretty much never fits apart from their Dreamliner), KLM was a big nono, Alitalia between northern Italy and Germany, Air Dolomiti. I noticed these days when I have my Bugaboo Ant they always argue until I say the measurements are the same as Yoyo’s.
Do you mean the Minu or one of the others? I’m just confused because you said you opted not to get the Minu, and it wasn’t one of the four you tried on flights. I also have heard from so many other moms who use the Minu in the overhead bin without issue (it comes up all the time in family travel groups), so I am so surprised to hear about your experience! But it’s a fair warning if you’ve tried it on all those airlines and couldn’t fit it. Perhaps I should start to bring the travel bag in case it doesn’t fit and they need to put it below for me. 🙂
I’m trying to decide on which color minu to order . The one you have pictured is my top choice but I’m concerned with how light the fabric is. Does it show dirt / stains easily?
I love this color! It’s so pretty. I think it actually does a nice job of masking the usual dirt and grime, kind of like a silver car does. 🙂 Dark stains definitely are going to show, though, so there is a balance. I am very happy with this color choice, and after owning it for a year now, I have not cleaned the exterior once.
Love your review. Trying to find a light weight stroller that can work for several situations. What are your thoughts for using this on US neighborhood streets when walking around the neighborhood? Would you go with a different stroller?
Thank you! I’m glad my review was helpful. I love this stroller for walking around the neighborhood. It’s comfortable and drives really well, and has the functionality of a standard stroller, unlike a lot of the cheaper pocket strollers. This would absolutely be my only stroller if I only had one child, but we have a wagon for when both kids want to ride. The only thing that the Minu would not be good for is jogging. If you intend to jog or off-road regularly, I would go with something else.
Thank you! That is what I needed to know.
Thank you for this post! I’m a soon to be parent and big international traveler. I had pretty much decided on the minu, but multiple people said it didn’t actually fit in overhead compartments based on measurements, so I was pretty bummed. Great to read feedback from someone who has actually traveled with it!
I’m so glad this was helpful! Yes, if you look at the listed measurements of a lot of airlines, it is technically too big. But so are most rolling carry-on bags, and they never get turned away. I can’t promise you won’t be forced to check it, but from my own experience, it has never been an issue! Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family!
Hello! Did you have to remove the wheels to place the stroller in the aircraft overhead compartment?
I did not – you could, and it would make the footprint a tiny bit smaller. But every time I have stored it overhead, I have just kept it in one piece.
Hello!
Do you have any tips for promoting naps in the Minu! I got one based almost primarily on your review. You were right, the Cosco Scenera pops right in, I might secure it more with just a simple luggage strap but it fits. We haven’t traveled much since the pandemic and I’m wondering about trying to promote naps in this, any tips on securing a breathable blanket on it to keep out all the stimulation that I suspect will mean my little simply will not nap?
I hope you love it as much as I have loved mine! I never thought to secure a blanket myself, but wish that I had… great idea! I just went down to the garage to try out what came to my mind. I clipped a lightweight muslin blanket with two binder clips attached to the bar just above the “window”. It worked perfectly – plenty airy, and I like that you could still see baby through the window. You could potentially clip with 2 more binder clips at the bottom if it was windy and the blanket was blowing around too much. 🙂 I took a couple photos: https://imgur.com/a/FLWym5D (Sorry, I wish I could just attach them here!)
Hi! Thanks for this article, it’s very helpful!!
Would you please explain how do you secure the Cosco carseat to the stroller? I’m considering to get one once my baby outgrows his Mesa. Thanks in advance
Hi Pam, I am so sorry for the delayed response to this. I personally don’t do anything to secure it. It fits in really tight without any wiggle. I am cautious when pushing the stroller with the car seat in it, and I’m not strolling down any steep hills, but really it feels secure so I don’t worry about it. I know some people do use a car seat strap or a bungee cord to secure it further, though!
Hi Dani,
After traveling Europe with our first in a GIANT Bob jogger, I’m ready for a smaller stroller for #2. We are sold on the Minu, but my husband is caught up on how it will do on say, a gravel path or bumpy road. It seems you had no trouble on cobblestone?
I think it handles the bumps really well, but I will be up front and say that I’ve never owned a Bob. I know they are supposed to be fabulous at handling rough terrain, so the Minu might feel like a step back for you. Gravel is tough. We have a path near our home that is deep soft gravel, and it struggles a lot there. Like sand. But on tightly compacted gravel, it does great. Of course it will bump around, but my kids have not complained about it, and it feels comfortable to push.
I totally agree with you. I went in to BuyBuyBaby to buy at Babyzen Yoyo or a Silver Cross Jet. Once I tried them I was not impressed. Flimsy. I have the larger UppaBaby Stroller System and love them. I am glad you shared your carseat hack. I had always done that with a MacClaren years ago with my kids. I am now caring for my grand-daughter and want travel ease. Thank you for your thoughts. BTW UppaBaby has service centers where you can get tune ups and cleaning.
Ooh, I did not know about the service centers! I’ve never needed it, but I am glad to know it exists. Thank you!
Your review pretty much convinced me to buy this stroller :). Does the Minu still fit your tall now-3(?) year old? I have a very tall 3 year old and live in a very cobblestoned European city with no car, so I’m looking for a stroller that will work for a newborn, tall 3 year old, and isn’t a beast to carry up apartment stairs.
Hey there! Yes, and actually she is a bit older now, and at 4 and a half, still fits. She never uses it at this age, but I’ve had her sit in it to test for someone else who asked, and she still has head clearance. Her feet would drag if she wasn’t paying attention to keeping them on the bar now, though. I think this stroller is a really good match for your situation!
Thanks! This is the perfect city stroller for newborns too. I’ve been using the Minu for at least an hour a day since my baby was born 2 1/2 months ago, and the newborn attachment has been amazing. I can carry the stroller with baby in it up the stairs to my apartment, fit 20lbs of groceries underneath, and rest a carseat on the bassinet for strolling through airports. Also, an entire GB Pockit fits in the basket, which is ideal for when my spouse and I have long walking days planned with newborn + 3 year old.
This review and comments are so helpful! Hoping you still see this a year later but planning to buy this for when our baby arrives so will use with a newborn. Did you ever find the fact it is only front facing a problem in the first year? Was doing long walks with the baby in the bassinet attachment fine? Thank you!
We actually never got the bassinet attachment. When we bought the stroller, our little one was just about to size out of the bassinet, so we skipped it. Because she was a little bigger, the front-facing was never a problem for us. Sorry I can’t give you a more helpful answer!
This was such an amazing review! Thank you for all the details. I’m looking into the Minu as well and this was so helpful. Is it best to purchase this through uppababy? I looked on Amazon but it looks like they have the 2018 model. Thanks again 🙂
Thank you! I’m glad it was helpful. I purchased from BuyBuyBaby because we were checking it out in person and the price was the same. If Amazon only has the older model right now, I think there’s no reason not to purchase elsewhere, unless shipping/availability is an issue for where you are. It’s always the same price, and I think you would have a better chance of getting the newest model through UPPAbaby directly. I don’t know if there have been any updates in the last few years or not. I do know they updated between 2018 and 2019, so if you are only finding 2018, maybe look elsewhere. And for others reading this later and wondering – I look at this stroller on Amazon often as a result of this blog, and sometimes it has multiple options for model years, and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s Amazon for you. 😉 And I don’t necessarily think the 2018 is a worse stroller, but I am basing my review off of my 2019.
Hi! What a wonderful article. I live in a NYC walk up and was considering the Cruz, but this seems to be a better option. I’m curious day to day if you would prefer a Cruz, not for travel?
Thank you! So in full disclosure, I have never used a Cruz. Some things I like better about it are the telescoping handlebar and the big basket – those would both be really nice for everyday use. I can’t compare how they “drive”. But the Cruz just doesn’t have the portability factor that the Minu does. For me, because we tend to use it primarily for travel and to have in the back of the car, I like the size of the Minu. I think if I still had a teeny baby and could take advantage of the different adaptable modes, that might sell me on the Cruz!
Seems like the cosco scenera next is no longer for sale anywhere….anyone found a similar stroller that fits in the Minu like this and works on an airplane?
Lots of car seats are experiencing supply chain issues right now. We’re shopping for a booster currently and running into the same problem. I do see that Walmart currently has the Cosco if you are looking for one! They will become easier to find again, I’m sure. They aren’t discontinued… it’s still the featured car seat on Cosco’s website (and they are like an 80 year old company, so hopefully not going anywhere anytime soon!)
Have you ever flown Southwest with the Minu? And does it come with a bag? The buy buy baby site says it does.
Thanks for your great information!
Hi Nicole! I have never flown Southwest (I can’t wrap my head around their boarding procedure and making it work with little ones!). But their customer service is supposed to be top-notch, so I would imagine you’d be fine flying with them with the Minu. And no, it does not come with a bag. And annoyingly, the travel bag is like $90 and last I checked, their warranty only covers travel damage if you use their bag (and not a different brand of bag). It’s one reason that I prefer to stow it in the overhead, but I have also gate-checked it once without a bag when I didn’t feel like juggling the stroller and both kids and our bags getting on the plane. It was fine, but I would have been super sad if it got damaged.
Hi! First time traveling with a baby! 1) What do you do with the car seat once you get to the airline gate? 2) And how do you carry the regular seat for the Minu stroller while the car seat is installed while getting to the gate? 3) And does that car seat need a base? If so, what do you do with that while getting to the gate?
Hi Sara! Thanks for your questions. When you get to the gate, it depends on if you are using the car seat for the flight or not. If you are, you just bring the car seat on with you to install in the plane. (It must be an FAA-approved car seat, and it needs to have a sticker on it saying so. Many car seats in the US are approved). If you want to check it, you just bring it to the gate agent and let them know, and they will tag it and tell you where to set it. Ideally, you would want a car seat bag to protect it.
For #2, let me clarify that the car seat doesn’t install into the Minu – it is just a hack that it fits perfectly. So you don’t need to remove anything from the Minu to make it fit… it’s just sitting on top of the stroller material.
This particular car seat does not need a base. It’s a standard rear- or forward-facing car seat. I hope that helps!
Hi there! We just purchased the new minu v2 and I’m planning our first plane flight. I see you said you fold up the stroller before boarding the plane and am wondering if you’ve ever tried to push it on.. it seems like it would be so much easier to get the baby and carseat and carryons down the aisle but I’m thinking it probably doesn’t fit? Any experience there? Thanks so much for this review, still helpful a few years later!
I’m so glad you found the review helpful! I have never tried to push it on, and I am pretty sure they would make you gate check it if you did. Most airline employees are not going to assume/believe you when you say it’ll fold down and fit in the overhead bin, unfortunately. Even with it folded down, some of the airlines try to tell you to gate check it (which is annoying because it fits better than most carry on bags). So I think there is just very little chance they would let you. But you’re right, it would be really nice to be able to use it to carry everything! I imagine it would actually fit because it is so narrow, but I’m not positive. Would depend on the airplane, of course.
Do you know if there’s an option to add a ride-along board to the Minu?
There is not. It is just too light of a stroller, it’ll tip. In all the research I’ve done, I have yet to see any pocket stroller that works with a ride-along board, so not just the Minu.
they actually just released one for the Minu! But it’s not available yet–I saw somewhere it said October.
Thanks so much for your review! Super helpful.
Wondering about the sun shade. My little one has super sensitive skin and I worry about her being in the sun. Do you feel like this stroller provides enough shade? It looks like the baby’s legs could potentially get burned but maybe that’s with most strollers. Thoughts?
The sun shade does a great job shading most of the body, but the legs will still be exposed depending on the angle toward the sun. I think, like you said, this is the case with most strollers. We would sometimes drape a light blanket over our daughter’s legs when in much sunnier locations than our bodies are used to, and that (combined with sun screen) always worked. We definitely always slathered sun screen on her legs and feet, even if we put it nowhere else because we expected her to stay in the stroller for the whole time. I hope that helps!
Thank you for this review, so helpful! Such great points and appreciate all the details you included! You have now convinced me to purchase it! While we have the VISTA and LOVE it – we are looking for a more compact travel option – but with a tall one year old we have been struggling with the seat height on a lot of the lightweight options.
Thanks again!
I’m so glad it was helpful, and I hope you love it as much as I do!
Hey Dani,
Have you traveled on Spirit or Frontier airlines with your Minu? Were you able to fit it in the overhead compartment?
Thanks in advance 🙂
I have not! I have tried budget airlines in Europe successfully (including EasyJet) but not the domestic budget airlines. Good luck!
This is great! I am in the process of looking for a pocket stroller for our up coming FL trip (and first trip with the baby) and have been struggling on finding good articles about baby gear and what to bring! I have the CRUZ and I LOVE IT; but it’s too bulky and to heavy to lug around. We have the MESA car seat, but by the time we will be traveling (January 2023), my lil guy will be close to outgrowing it! So, I didn’t want to base my purchase solely on the fact that I can use adapters for a car seat that will very soon not be useful…but your Cosco Scenera hack is BRILLIANT! And your review convinced me to go this route! Thank you!!
I’m assuming you’ve used the Cosco Scenera car seat on the plane before? Do you like it? What are your thoughts on using it on cars? I read a review that they felt that car seat was not so safe enough for vehicle use, but would like to hear your 2 cents on the matter. Also, have you traveled JetBlue by any chance and put the MINU in the overhead compartment?
Thanks again for this!
I’m so glad you’ve found this helpful!
So yes – I have used the Cosco Scenera on the plane (many times!) and it is PERFECT for that situation. It’s not the most comfortable car seat for baby, but it fits on any plane and is easy to get through the airport because it is so light.
As far as car use goes, the Cosco is rated as safe and I trust the experts who do all the crash test ratings. I think the feelings about it being unsafe come from how small and light it is. But it does not have some of the extra padding and structure that a lot of car seats do, but I am not an expert who can say whether or not those actually impact safety.
All that being said, I do NOT like using it regularly in the car. We’ve used it as our back up (like for parents, etc) and it is truly no-frills. The straps are clunky and hard to tighten. There’s little padding so it’s not the most comfy spot for baby. There are no cupholders, no strap holders… nothing. That’s why it’s great for travel (super light), but annoying to use in a car. We own two – one for each child – because they are inexpensive enough (and we travel enough) that is it worth it to have them just for travel and back up. But while I feel plenty safe using them, I definitely have “nicer” car seats for the car.
And final question – no, I have not flown on JetBlue. I have used the Minu in the overhead on other budget airlines, but it will also kind of come down to the gate agent working at the time. I hope all that helps!
Hi!
Just bought the Minu V2 for my 4 year old to go to Disneyland. I’m wondering, at what point did your kids grow out of it? I bought it final sale and couldn’t try it with her in it first. She’s 41” tall and her head is above the seat but has plenty of room on the canopy so I’m not sure what to do. Would love to know what you did!
My tall 5 year old could still fit in it long after we stopped using it for lifestyle reasons (just not feeling the need to use a stroller anymore). Likewise, her head was above the seat, but she still said she was plenty comfortable when we’d push her around in it, but we primarily used it for my younger daughter so the 5 year old wasn’t in it for long trips. I know that’s not super helpful, but the takeaway is that I think it’s totally fine given the clearance to the canopy.
Hiya! I’m torn between the Bugaboo Butterfly and the Minu (V2). Have you compared or tried the butterfly?! They are so pretty and the seat is a bit tall but it reclines less and have been told it has the tendency to tip onto two wheels 😬 but not everyone has that problem so I don’t know if I’m overthinking it!!
I have not tried the Butterfly so I can’t give a true opinion about it. For what it’s worth, people say that about any lightweight stroller, and it is true if you put weight at the top of it. I don’t know if it is more of a problem (like without added weight) for the Butterfly or not. Sorry I can’t help more!
Hi. I have the Minu V2 and travelling a long haul international flight with my 3-month old. I’ll be flying United on the firsr league of the trip then ANA. Have you travelled with United and was able to bring the Minu in the cabin? I’ll be travelling alone with my baby and was hoping I could bring the stroller in the cabin.