In my experience, traveling with a newborn is one of the easiest times to travel with a baby. Infants spend most of their time cycling between eating and sleeping, making them a pleasure to bring along on your trip. As easy as it is to travel with a newborn, you will need to ensure your baby has a flat place to lie down, which is why it’s crucial to find the best travel stroller for infants.
The best infant travel strollers can either be a fully reclining stroller, have a carrycot attachment or convert to a travel system with an infant travel car seat.
Best Travel Strollers for Newborns
Based on my experiences traveling with an infant, here are my favorite travel strollers for infants. These highly-regarded infant travel strollers come with many great features in a range of prices to meet any budget.
I've always loved Ergobaby when it comes to baby travel gear. Better known for their baby carriers, Ergobaby has done a great job at making a travel stroller for infants that is compact while giving parents all the features they could want.
- Deep recline and padded seat
- Compact fold
- Car-seat compatible
- Adjustable footrest
- Smaller basket than Minu
- Accessories add to the cost
The City Tour 2 weighs about 14 lb and folds in one step into an included carry bag. For infants, use with a compatible car seat and adapters per Baby Jogger guidance. The near-flat recline and calf support help on long days without adding bulk to your travel kit.
- Very light for air travel
- Simple one-hand fold
- Carry bag included
- Travel-system capable
- Narrower seat than the Kooper
- Rain cover and adapters are extra
The UPPAbaby Minu V2 is a lightweight travel stroller that can be used from 3 months, although the optional UPPAbaby Bassinet makes it useable for newborns. With an upper weight limit of 50 pounds, you'll get years of use from this quality travel stroller.
- Excellent push feel
- From-birth options available
- Strong canopy
- Solid build
- Pricier than most
- Heavier than the smallest airline options
For anyone with a big budget, I think the Stokke YOYO3 is the best travel stroller for newborns when used with the 0+ Newborn Pack. It’s lightweight at about 13.7 lb, and the seat is rated up to 48.5 lb. That will work for most families, though if your child is very large you may outgrow the fit before the weight limit.
- Very compact fold
- Newborn pack allows lie-flat
- Broad accessory ecosystem
- Small basket
- Price climbs with add-ons
The Mountain Buggy Nano V3 folds small and allows many infant car seats to secure using the included straps. A smart choice if you plan to roll through airports with your seat, then click into rideshares without carrying a heavy full-size frame.
- Broad infant-seat options
- Compact fold
- Good value for travel systems
- Fabric and wheels feel basic versus premium models
The ingenious Doona stroller converts from a rear-facing infant car seat to a stroller in seconds, ideal for rideshares and urban travel.
- Eliminates separate frame
- True from-birth solution
- Quick transfers
- Heavier to lift
- Less comfortable for long strolls than a dedicated stroller
The Libelle 2 delivers a very small fold ideal for tight spaces and overhead bins. Best once baby can ride in the stroller seat; for newborns, use a compatible infant seat on a different frame.
- Tiny fold
- Very light
- Quick open and close
- Seatback shorter than premium models
- Limited newborn suitability in the seat
The Inglesina Quid 2 is a light, compact stroller that fits many overhead bins and works well from around three months in the seat. For newborns, follow manufacturer guidance and use infant-appropriate setups only.
- Very compact fold
- Light weight
- Good canopy and basket for size
- Narrower seat; accessories vary by color
The Joovy Kooper offers a roomy seat and a swing-open tray while still folding compactly. Use the seat from about three months, or from birth with a compatible infant car seat and adapter.
- Large seat for size
- Tray included
- Good canopy coverage
- Heavier than the tiniest airline models
- Overhead fit unlikely with tray
The 3Dpac CS+ remains an affordable way to get travel-system compatibility. The stroller seat does not recline fully flat, so treat newborn use as car seat only.
- Budget price
- Car-seat compatibility
- Compact tri-fold
- Not fully flat recline
- Basic wheels and fabrics
Read More
If you are nervous about your first family trip, check out my complete guide to traveling with a baby.
10 Things to Look for in a Travel Stroller for Infants
Based on my experiences traveling with a baby, here are some things I recommend you consider when looking for an infant travel stroller:
1. Recline to a Lie-flat Position
If you aren’t traveling with a car seat, the best infant travel strollers should be fully reclining, giving your newborn a comfortable, flat spot for sleeping on-the-go.
2. Compatible with Infant Car Seat
Many of the best travel strollers are compatible with infant car seats, which convert your stroller to a travel system. Another option for many in this list of newborn travel strollers is an optional carrycot which is like a bassinet that attaches to your travel stroller.
3. Well Rated with Safety Features
You won’t go wrong looking for a well-rated travel stroller made by a reputable company. Ensure it has all the safety features like locking wheels, won’t tip when it’s reclined and a 5 point harness.
4. Easy One-Hand Fold
There will be times when you are trying to hold your baby and fold up the stroller at the same time. An essential feature I look for in a travel stroller for infants is a one-hand fold – it just makes your life so much easier.
5. Small Compact Fold
I often traveled with both a baby carrier and a travel stroller. If your newborn travel stroller has a compact fold, you or your partner can carry the stroller in a backpack travel bag while the other carries your baby. This is especially useful when visiting places that aren’t stroller accessible or when flying with a baby.
Read More
It can be a really tough decision… before you go, check out my post on traveling with a stroller or a carrier.
6. Comfort
Even if you start by using a car seat with your stroller, you’ll switch to using the stroller seat by the time your baby is 3 to 6 months (depending on the recline) so you’ll want a travel stroller that’s comfortable for your baby.
7. Large Extendable Canopy
A large extendable canopy is important to keep your baby out of the harsh sunlight. However, there are aftermarket products like the CoziGo stroller cover, or one of these other stroller and car seat covers, that can be added on if the canopy isn’t ideal.
8. Plenty of Storage
Trust me – you’ll be carrying around lots of diapers and baby travel gear, so choose a travel stroller with enough storage.
9. Price
As you may have noticed, many of the options on my list of the best infant travel strollers can get pricey! Make sure you know your budget for a travel stroller before you start researching.
10. Extended Life
Your baby won’t be a baby forever and you won’t want to be looking for another travel stroller, consider the max weight capacity and size of the stroller to make sure it will also make a good travel stroller for toddlers.
Other Things to Keep in Mind When Purchasing a Stroller:
How much will you use it – Knowing how often will you travel with your baby will help you determine how much you should spend on your stroller.
Where will you travel with your stroller – Does it need to meet Disney stroller size requirements? Does it need big enough wheels to withstand cobblestone streets while touring Europe with a baby?
Flying with a Stroller – Will your travel stroller be used primarily for road trips with a baby or will you be flying with a stroller frequently? This will help you decide how compact your travel stroller needs to be.
If you’ll be flying with a stroller frequently, you may want to browse my recommended strollers for air travel.
Optional Accessories for your Infant Travel Stroller
The list of available stroller accessories is lengthy. Depending on your needs, you can buy sunshades, backpack diaper bags, cup holders, organizers, stroller hooks and/or travel bags for your infant stroller.
Given each infant travel stroller has unique features, you can pick and choose the add-ons which are important to you. I highly recommend you take a look at my recommended accessories for travel strollers to ensure you are ready for your upcoming family trip.
Even if you don’t look at the full list, take a peek at an infant head support for your little one. They are low cost and will keep your newborn in a safe position in the stroller.
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This post was written & edited by:
Celine Brewer is the owner of Baby Can Travel. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she's helped millions of new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade. In addition to writing on her baby travel blog, she has shared her expertise on traveling with a baby or toddler by contributing to articles about traveling with a baby with the Washington Post, USA Today, the Lonely Planet magazine and Pregnancy & Newborn magazine.
Celine also writes about family travel on the site FamilyCanTravel.com, which she co-owns with her husband. Being from the Canadian Rockies, she shares her passion about her home and travel to Banff National Park and area on their site TravelBanffCanada.com.