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Our pick of the best light and compact buggies for urban life, holidays and popping into town Pink Prams
Shopping for your baby's first pushchair, or looking to upgrade your current mode of tot transport, can be overwhelming as there is an abundance of strollers to shop, from lightweight prams, to compact designs, and more sturdy creations to take on the go.
If you struggle with space at home, you're always on the move and need a pram that is sturdy when in use but easy to fold and pack away, or you're looking for a super-lightweight model to take on holiday, you have come to the right place.
From Beyoncé's favourite buggy brand, to the pushchair Kim Kardashian's never seen without, we've tested the best travel-friendly strollers on the market to help you choose your ideal ride.
While you're here, don't forget to treat yourself to a buggy organiser too, and maybe even extra attachments to house your valuables or mitts to keep your hands warm in the cold weather.
In a hurry? Here are the best lightweight pushchairs at a glance. Keep scrolling for the full list.
Our lightweight stroller shortlist has been compiled with the help of our panel of WH mum testers, in-house experts and those that have been well-reviewed online. To put the buggies through their paces, we looked at size, weight, foldability, steering and comfort for both mum and baby.
We also chose not to list them in order of preference, as each stroller we reviewed has been selected for stand-out features that we believe make it a great contender. The best pushchair for your family ultimately comes down to personal choice. So, keep scrolling for our pick of the best lightweight strollers on the market and see which one works for you.
Most standard buggies weigh 15kg, while the super-light strollers on our list range from 5.4kg to 7.6kg in weight. But anything that's light enough to comfortably carry in one hand is considered a lightweight buggy, according to Ella Henshaw from baby and toddler retail service Buggy Baby.
'Lightweight strollers differ from traditional buggies, as an everyday model is usually more bulky, heavier and has bigger wheels and accessories like snack trays, shopping bags and cup holders,' says Henshaw.
While more substantial pushchairs tend to be sturdier in construction and often come with extra storage and seat adjustable options, lightweight buggies have a number of benefits for busy parents.
If you're ever struggled with an awkward pram and a wriggly toddler by a waiting taxi in the rain, you will know how important buggy set-up speed can be. Easy assembly (known as one-hand fold) wins!
Constantly tripping over monster pushchairs in the hallway? Switching to a buggy that can be easily folded and stowed will free up space at home and on the move.
As the name suggests, lightweight strollers tend to be much lighter and easier to manoeuvre about town. 'They help parents attend to a child and manage a buggy at the same time, such as having to carry both upstairs,' say Henshaw.
Frequent flyer, bus hopper or day tripper? 'Having a stroller that folds down small enough to fit in the boot of a car or overhead compartment will save hours of grappling,' says Henshaw.
Travel systems include everything you could possibly need for getting about with your little one in tow, but they often come at a price. If you're on a budget, a lightweight buggy is often a cost-effective option for new parents.
For help choosing your ideal lightweight buggy we've narrowed down our faves below. But it's also worth keeping the following tips in mind:
To help you choose the right pram for your family, we've narrowed down the best lightweight buggies for parents on the move.
This own-brand stroller from Mamas & Papas replaced our bulky bassinet when my son Woody turned 18 months old, and I'm not sure how we ever coped without it. Although it's not technically the lightest buggy on our list, the Airo feels really lightweight and super-easy to wheel about town. But most importantly, the entire thing folds up to marginally bigger than my laptop bag.
We've put it through its paces over city streets and rainy parks, facing milk spillages and impromptu naps along the way, and I honestly can't fault it. I particularly like how light it feels but without being flimsy, and the fabric hood is high quality.
Extras: The extendable hood is handy for bad weather and nap times, plus the plush harness and front bumper makes the whole thing feel really secure. You can also purchase a complete bundle, which includes a lie-flat baby seat, newborn pack, changing bag, car seat, foot muff and cup holder.
If you're looking for a travel-friendly stroller that's small enough to take on-board your flight in the run up to holiday season, we might just have the solution. Our mama tester Rosie recently tried the Clic 2023 Edition Pushchair from Silver Cross out for size and was impressed with the results.
'It looks fantastic', says Rosie, Mum to 4-year-old Daisy. 'And has a water-resistant hood which withstood an accidental spill of a full bottle of water on it without making any marks or soaking through!'
The latest model features an improved one-handed seat recline and super compact fold that will keep your little ones cosy and safe from birth right up to four years old. Extras: Comes with one-hand recline, adjustable calf support, a magnetic buckle plus a UPF50+ hood and sun visor.
Thanks to the toddler board and funky colour range, the Joolz travel buggy is a real conversation starter in the mum club and it's just been updated in time for the holiday season.
The Joolz Aer + looks very similar to the original Aer, however, the new tweaks to the design make for a comfier experience for mum and bub. First off, there is a 15 per cent increase in the seat recline allowing baby to nap virtually flat - good news for tiny travellers. Next up, the sun canopy can be unzipped to offer extendable coverage.
Other updates include a slightly bigger shopping basket, easier-to-adjust shoulder straps and chic new seat fabrics. So, that's what's new. But what's stayed the same? In our tester's opinion, Joolz' travel buggy is sturdier than other compact prams and is one of few travel buggies to offer a buggy board, which if you’re a Two Under Two mum, is a must. Easy to attach, the Joolz Footboard (now £71.21) can be used as a seat or a place to stand. You can even fold down the buggy with it attached. And btw, the one-button fold is a breeze.
The other major point of difference between Joolz and other brands is their eco-credentials. The Joolz team used recycled plastic bottles in the seat fabric design and they plant a tree for each pushchair sold. Even the pram packaging can be recycled into an aeroplane for your kiddo. [Disclaimer: This beat our exhausted brains, but it did kill an hour between bath and bed!]. We also love the brand's commitment to making products that last. So much so that each Aer + comes with a lifetime warranty if you register within 6 months.
The only bugbears we found when testing the Aer and Aer + - and we had to try really hard to find them - are the seat recline requires two hands (read: not that easy while clutching a coffee) and you need to keep one hand on the pushchair when a toddler is on the footboard. Should they use the handlebar as support to stand up then the whole pram can fly back.
Extras: This is where things can get expensive. The pushchair is from 6 months to 4 years. Should you want to use it from birth you’ll need to purchase the cot, which has a genius compact fold, or use car seat adapters. There is also the option to purchase a leg rest so toddler legs don’t dangle. Other add-ons include the bumper bar , mosquito net and a seriously snuggly footmuff.
British brand Silver Cross has been manufacturing baby products in North Yorkshire since 1877, and continue to make trusted prams, car seats and nursery furniture. The Clic is suitable from newborn to toddler and comes with plenty of parent-friendly features including easy folding.
'This stroller is so super light, our standard buggy now feels like a real workout to push!' says Sophie, Mum to 2-year-old Rita. 'When we take the train I can carry it up the stairs with my toddler strapped in and it's totally manageable on my own, which is game-changing,' she says. 'And most of all I really love the bright colour! Plus it's nice and slim so much easier navigating shops, and when we go to the pub or a restaurant we can have it right by the table.'
Extras: The buggy features a lie-flat seat which is great for nap times, plus you can squeeze up to 5kg of shopping in the under-seat compartment. You can also purchase the corresponding foot muff separately.
In a world of beige buggies, why blend in when you can stand out? If you've seen one of these vibrant strollers out in the wild, you'll no doubt wish you had one too. We've heard on the Mum grapevine that the Whoosh handles well and folds up pretty small, and online reviews have praised its foldability, weight, and overall comfort for little ones. But most of all we just love the funky fabric! So if colour is your thing, head over to Cosatto and check out the brand's great range of flamboyant strollers, car seats, high chairs and even dolly prams.
Extras: You can purchase extras including a corresponding rain cover or parasol as part of a bundle. You can also buy a (mismatched if you're feeling funky) foot muff separately on Amazon.
Another big brand in baby circles, a number of A-list parents have been spotted pushing a Bugaboo around town including Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian. But while we can't argue that it's a popular buggy, is it worth the price tag?
'We live in a titchy apartment with two kids, and the Bugaboo has been a lifesaver!' says Lisa, mum to one-year-old Bo and three-year-old Ronnie. 'I particularly like the way it folds up neatly in the hallway,' she says. 'It's a great pushchair and handles well. But it really comes into its own with two little ones, as we added the wheeled board so I could push both of my kids around and it saved us from having to buy yet another buggy. So in that sense, it's worth the investment.'
Extras: If you'd prefer a more stable option for your new baby, you can also purchase a complete carrycot and seat pushchair for newborns, plus extras including a sun canopy and cup holder.
If you thought cabin-approved buggies were a ‘baby essential’ too far then take the Silver Cross Jet 3 for a spin - or flight.
'Having a means to secure an overtired toddler when all you want to do is get through security and all they want to do is run wild is game changing,' says mum-of-two Amy.
But why spend on the Jet 3 when Silver Cross has the Clic for £100+ less? Think of Jet 3 as the premium sibling of the Clic. It offers features modern mums will love such as a completely lie-flat seat, adjustable calf support, a fancy magnetic buckle and the option to pull it along like a suitcase when folded - which is super handy in airports.
Unlike many other travel strollers that only offer a partial recline the Jet 3 allows your tiny human to lie horizontal - a must for many babies napping on the go.
The only drawback was storage. ‘Although the shopping basket is roomy, I struggled to get larger items in there because of the middle bar but pushchair clips for my baby changing bag helped solve this issue,’ adds Amy.
Extras: Jet 3 can transform into an agile travel system when used with compatible car seats - a winning design feature for those traveling with tiny humans - and you can use a foot muff on cold winter days making this an all-year round buggy, not just one for sun soaked hols in Greece.
If you spend any time at the school gates, chances are you'll have spotted the BabyZen about town. The go-to buggy for suburban parents, the French brand burst onto the baby scene in 2012 and has been a global success story ever since. Thanks to attention to detail (yes it fits into the overhead compartment on planes, folds up really small and still has good suspension), this compact stroller makes a great all-rounder for city life and transatlantic travel.
'We've had this buggy since the baby was born and it has been brilliant,' says Nadia, mum to two-year-old Roman. 'We've taken it on planes, trains and buses with no trouble, and it's still going strong after over two years of use.' The buggy is suitable from birth up to 22kg. 'Roman started as a tiny baby lying down and graduated to using it as a stroller, and it's always felt sturdy enough.'
Extras: The brand stocks all the extras you could think of including newborn bassinet, rain cover, leg rests and a wheeled board for toddlers, so it's super easy to adapt to the changing needs of your tot. You can also purchase a twin travel bundle, which includes two bassinets to transform your buggy into a double pushchair.
At 7 kg, the Micralite ProFold is the brand’s lightest and most compact stroller. But, it’s the fold-mechanism that really earns this cabin-approved stroller brownie points. ‘You truly are able to put this buggy up and down in one second,’ says our tester Edith, who trialed the pram while on holiday with her 6 month old daughter Amelie.
‘I found the simplicity of this buggy’s design really good for travelling as we didn’t need the bells and whistles that more expensive travel buggies have. Plus, the shopping basket is quite roomy for a travel buggy.'
Sounds good. But what about back at home? ‘I would use the Profold as a second, smaller buggy for occasional use. I found that the wheels struggled on rougher ground and I’d worry that they’d get worn down quickly but around the supermarket or the shops they were brilliant'.
Extras: The Micralite design team have already added a few cheeky extras: a reversible (and washable) seat liner, rain cover, a carry strap and a secure pouch on the hood. If you want more you can add a foot muff.
This good-value stroller from family-run UK brand Ickle Bubba has been designed with travel in mind. Thanks to an aluminium frame it's fairly lightweight, and when collapsed it's one of the smallest buggies on our list. It also has a little window in the hood so you can check-in with your precious cargo on the move. And according to our Mum tester plus multiple online reviews, this is one of the easiest strollers to dismantle.
'This buggy is really small,' says Alice, Mum to new baby Wilfred. 'We have an old Mini Cooper with a titchy boot and it fits in easily. It’ll be a handy to have for trips away due to it being compact and easy to fold.'
Extras: The brand provides a 4-year warranty for their travel systems and strollers should anything go wrong. You can also purchase corresponding extras including a buggy organiser and pram mitts separately.
If space is an important consideration, the Pockit+ from GB Gold claims to be the most compact stroller in the world. While we can't confirm this, it's certainly the dinkiest buggy on our list and folds up smaller than your average briefcase. While our panel of testers haven't got their hands on a model yet, online reviews have praised its impressive size, weight and value for money. It folds up so small, one mum even pops it under her main buggy to use if her older child gets tired.
Extras: The buggy can be stored in overhead compartments on most airlines and features an extendable sunshade. You can also purchase extras including a corresponding rain cover and parasol separately.
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