Like many parents, when we reached 20 weeks pregnant or so, we started to freak out about the vast number of potential baby products available. We were sent some seemingly never-ending lists of items that we absolutely HAD to purchase by well-meaning friends.
The hardest decision of all was undoubtedly which buggy or travel system to choose!
Here were our requirements from the start:
- At the time our car was a Mini convertible, aka the most impractical car for a baby. Whatever we chose HAD to fit into the boot.
- Lightweight
- Fit on the London tube and bus
- Sturdy enough that we could go for long walks in the muddy park
- Easy to take on a plane and holidays in general
- Forward and rear facing
- Car seat compatible
We really wanted to try to meet all of these requirements with a single purchase, rather than ending up with loads of different prams!
Very quickly 2 options stood out;
- The Babyzen Yoyo
- Uppababy Cruz
Despite the fact that we could have fit 4 Yoyos’ into the boot of our car, we ended up going for the Uppababy Cruz initially. However after 6 months, when we no longer needed a bassinet, we decided we needed a travel buggy. We initially made the mistake of a Silver Cross Jet (which we begged John Lewis to return after 2 months!) and eventually gave in and bought the Babyzen Yoyo after all.
9 months down the line, our other buggy is quickly gathering dust as nothing can beat the convenience of the Yoyo! I love the Cruz, but I know I could have managed with just the Yoyo from the start.
Babyzen review:
Advantages:
- The best things about it are that it is so easy to fold (seems tricky at the start but you get used to it very quickly). The unfold is like a dream!
- You can sling it over your shoulder using the attatched strap and it is so lightweight. Since being pregnant, I couldnt face anything heavier than this!
- You can take it on any plane as hand-luggage, and it is now so well-known you dont even have to explain it to most airlines as soon as they see it is a yo-yo they just know!
- It can be used for newborn (rear-facing) and then forward facing from 6 months +. We didnt have the newborn pack for our daughter, but we never missed the fact it cant rear-face in the toddler version as she always wanted to look outwards anyway!
- You can fit on tubes and buses easily, and even go on escalators (although if there is a lift this is always safer!).
Disadvantages:
- This is one of the most expensive travel strollers on the market, but actually I dont really think of it as a travel stroller. I use it every single day getting around London, and even in the park as you can see from all of these pictures.
- It doesn’t have a full bassinet, and only works for newborns if the separate pack is purchased. However, the newborn pack definitely allows this to be a purchase that can be used from day 1, so is overall cheaper than the bigger travel systems! We will be trying it out with our newborn in November 2019 so keep an eye out for a review on that!
Accessories
We were lucky enough to be gifted a few few accessories to try by the lovely Babyzen (although I should say we purchased the original buggy ourselves before any involvement with the brand!). These really transform the buggy into an even more comprehensive purchase.
- The buggy-board has been amazing. Since our daughter loves to run around, she doesnt like the constraint of the belts, but she is more than happy to sit on the back of the board. We are hoping to use this as our only ‘double’ buggy when the newborn arrives with her hanging out at the back!
- Also the board is super easy to attach and remove, it just clicks into place, and is really smooth when riding along behind. Even when you go up and down the kerb it just follows along without getting stuck!
- We have the leg-rest as well to help keep her comfortable if she naps in the buggy as toddlers can find their legs hang down a bit as there isnt an adjustable leg-rest but this solves that problem really well!
Conclusion
Despite our initial reservations, I can confidently say that the Babyzen Yoyo is the perfect buggy for city as well as travel!
Im not sure if you ever need to consider any other options!
*Items contained in this post were gifted by Babyzen*