Travel is in my DNA. Even before I had Ace I loved to travel abs I enjoyed going places on my own. Ace is a great travel buddy, he loves to be in the stroller or in the baby wearer and is happiest on the go. We have the City Tour Lux travel stroller which has been amazing because it can be forward or rear facing and lays flat for diaper changes or naps. However, Ace is more mobile and less interested in being in the stroller. I don’t have enough arms to push an empty stroller and chase a toddler but he doesn’t have the energy and stamina to walk himself all day. I wanted to find something I could easily carry till we were ready for it but was also durable enough for different terrains. Also, we live a few hours from the nearest mall so in order to try out strollers I needed to buy, borrow, or road trip. I elected to buy 3 on Amazon to try and return (although our mailman has already offered to buy one and my parents want the other one so looks like nothing is going back). I’m really visual so after watching every YouTube video, Pinterest review, and Instagram tip I could find – I still needed to try them.
I have 3 criteria for a travel stroller:
1. Has to be easy to travel with and durable enough for the uneven terrain in Europe
2. Mom has to be able to carry it. I can’t push an empty stroller and chase a toddler. It needs to be strapped to my back, not a purse.
3. Ace has to be comfortable. This is the most important. He’s a BIG kid – at 9 Months he was already 30 inches and 23lbs. He needs to be able to take a nap and have adequate shade because he gets hives in the sun. In the winter he needs to be warm and dry.
The OG GB pockit
I wanted this to be the one for us. It folds down super small and I found a good sale so they threw in a free carrying bag. The sunshade didn’t bother me because I already have the ray shade that is highly recommended for this stroller. What I didn’t realize is how NARROW the seat was. Even compared to the GB pockit All City, this seat is super tiny and Ace is the jolly green giant of babies.I saw YouTube videos with kindergartners riding in this stroller and I’m just not sure how that would work. Also the basket is super tiny. The tiny seat and the fact that it doesn’t recline means that this is not the right stroller for us. On the upside: it literally fit in every bag I tried – diaper bag, reusable tote, giant purse, even my laptop bag and my old jansport backpack. I do genuinely love the compact fold.
GB pockit All-City
This stroller arrived first. It’s the Posh Spice of travel strollers, the fabric is soft, there’s padding, the recline/ hood/ footrest are luxurious. Aesthetically it looks better than the other versions of this model. Most importantly: It folds and unfolds easier than all the other Pockit models. Unfortunately it doesn’t fold up small enough for any bag I own and in the reviews I found it doesn’t seem to fit into any backpacks which is 1/3 of the criteria: I have to be able to carry it all day (I have seen the hacks with just adding straps but I’d prefer to have it enclosed). There is a “foot rest” feature for smaller babies that can be folded down. It’s just an extra inch and I found that it can make it more difficult to fold the stroller down so honestly I don’t think this feature adds much benefit.
Gb Pockit All Terrain
After seeing the first 2, I broke down and ordered the 3rd – I wasn’t completely sold yet. I like the super compact fold of the OG pockit but the features of the All City – the All Terrain combines these. While they weigh the same amount, the All City has significantly more padding and better fabric than the All Terrain. The seat seems to be smaller than the All City but bigger than the OG version, the basket is definitely smaller than the All City but it looks the same as the OG. The recline seems to be the same for the All City and the All Terrain however for the All Terrain you need to unzip as well as pull on the strap to recline.
I will say Amazon definitely sent us a used model on this and someone tried to do a real-weird fold which I think damaged the stroller – it was like they tried to fold the stroller into the sunshade. Also it’s dirty. Ultimately this is the model we are going to use but I will send this specific stroller back and get a NEW one.
We do have a backpack that fits this stroller. It was significantly cheaper than the Minne Baby and holds not only the stroller but also the items I would normally put in our diaper bag – extra clothes, diapers, sunscreen, keys, snacks. here it is on Amazon, I don’t get anything if you order from this link.
Extra Large 50L Travel Laptop Backpack with USB Charging Port Fit 17 Inch Laptops for Men Women https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V4R4Z77/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_KWHPNSSCJPVMR2S4AZW1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Gb Pockit Shoulder Bag
All 3 models do fit into the gb pockit shoulder bag that the company sells. The bag is very sturdy and has room to fit more items so it could definitely be used as a diaper bag or a carry on. It also cinches at the top so nothing is going to fall out. When not in use it can be folded down and zips into its own pocket. That zip pocket is perfect size for some credit cards, keys, chapstick, or a baby food pouch. I would still prefer a backpack version to distribute the weight evenly. I carried the All Terrain in this bag for a few hours and my shoulder was killing me by the time we were done.
DISCLAIMER: this is NOT the stroller for super excitable kids or toddler tantrums. Ace saw a big truck – his favorite thing in the world- and I had to brace the stroller with my whole body because it almost flipped over when he lunged out while still strapped in. If he’s kicking his feet or really waving with both arms, the stroller rocks all over the place
Acing Mommyhood 