9 Best Umbrella Strollers for Travel in 2024

Author: Celine Brewer

Last Updated:

Having traveled with a wide variety of strollers, I can tell you that there are many reasons why umbrella strollers make excellent travel strollers. Umbrella strollers tick many of the boxes I look for in baby travel gear – they are small, lightweight and inexpensive. In fact, many of the umbrella strollers I recommend in this post also appear on my list of the best affordable travel strollers.

I have used my first-hand knowledge of baby travel gear to come up with this list of the best umbrella strollers for travel. To try and meet everyone’s needs, I have presented umbrella travel strollers for every budget, and have also included some which are good for travel with infants.

a mom checks in on her happy baby while is sitting in an umbrella stroller for travel.

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Best Umbrella Strollers for Travel

In my experience traveling with babies, the best umbrella stroller for travel is one that is highly rated, lightweight and has some additional features. Some of the travel umbrella strollers in my list will even work as a travel stroller for newborns.

Gone are the days where buying an umbrella stroller means your only options are the cheap ones from Walmart. Nowadays, parents can still get a lightweight umbrella stroller under 14 pounds that has room for baby travel essentials and even reclines for naps.

My Picks for the Best Umbrella Travel Strollers:

I know you don’t always have time to read, especially when you are chasing a busy toddler! So here are my top picks for the best umbrella stroller for travel:

Best Overall Umbrella Stroller:

Summer 3Dlite+ Convenience Umbrella Stroller – I love all the great features on this umbrella stroller, including an extra-large storage basket and recline options.

Best Value Umbrella Stroller for Travel:

Jeep PowerGlyde Plus – I really like the combination of price and features on the Jeep PowerGlyde Plus stroller.

Most Lightweight Umbrella Stroller:

Summer 3Dmini Umbrella Stroller – it’s also one of the most affordable travel strollers on my list!

umbrella travel stroller on beach

We only include single umbrella travel strollers in this list. This is where you can find the best double umbrella stroller for travel.

What is an Umbrella Stroller?

If you are a new parent, some of the stroller terminology can get confusing. So what is an umbrella stroller and what makes it great for travel?

An umbrella stroller is a stroller that has a unique fold that ends up resembling a large umbrella (think long and narrow). Typically an umbrella stroller will collapse down in the middle to bring the sides together.

What Makes an Umbrella Stroller Good for Travel?

I can speak from experience that traveling with a big, heavy, full-sized stroller can be a challenge. Umbrella strollers, conversely, make some of the best travel strollers as they are small and lightweight. These travel-friendly features make them easy to gate check for your flight, or to throw in the trunk of a car without taking too much room (read more on flying with strollers).

In addition, they often have a carry strap, making them easy to lug around while also holding a toddlers hand or carrying a baby. A lightweight umbrella stroller is different than a pocket stroller which has a tri-fold, making it ultra compact and fits in the overhead bin on the airplane. Lightweight umbrella strollers and pocket strollers make the best strollers for airplane travel.

Optional Umbrella Stroller Accessories

Umbrella strollers are great for travel as they are lightweight and compact, but the flipside to that is they are usually light on features, like snack trays, drink cups, etc. The great news is that there are plenty of great add-on accessories for travel umbrella strollers that may meet your needs. For example, if you wish to purchase one of these umbrellas strollers, but still want a specific feature such as a sunshade, rain cover, cup holder, etc., then check out my post on the best accessories for travel strollers.

a variety of travel strollers are parked outside of an attraction in London.
  1. Sunshade for Travel Strollers
    Many of the affordable umbrella strollers above don’t have the greatest sunshade, but that’s an easy fix with a stroller sunshade like this SnoozeShade Plus.

    I also recommend a CoziGo stroller cover, which can be used as a bassinet for flying with a baby and as a sunshade for strollers.

    To Purchase the CoziGo, click here. If you purchase the SnoozeShade direct, use code BABYCANTRAVEL10 for a discount.

    You can also buy the SnoozeShade on Amazon.

  2. Backpack Diaper Bag
    You won’t need to worry about how much storage your umbrella stroller has with this highly rated and popular backpack diaper bag. You can see all of my recommended backpack diaper bags, but the Ruvalino is a very highly rated, multi-function backpack diaper bag at a great price!

  3. Cup Holders for Travel Strollers
    Universal cup holders are a great add-on for any travel stroller. I particularly like this one with a phone pocket.

  4. Universal Organizers for Travel Strollers
    As traveling parents we always have plenty to carry, so a universal stroller organizer is a great purchase! Keep everything organized using a universal organizer like this one or this one.

  5. Stroller Hooks
    If a backpack diaper bag isn’t your style, stroller hooks will help attach your diaper bag to the stroller.

  6. Gate Check Bag
    Protect your stroller when you flying with a stroller gate check bag like this one for umbrella strollers.

  7. Universal Rain Cover
    One stroller accessory I ALWAYS recommend is a rain cover. It’s not only for rain but will help keep your little one warm in wind and cold weather.

Travel Umbrella Strollers FAQ

Does an umbrella stroller count as a carry on?

An umbrella stroller does not count as carry on. Parents can travel with a stroller as checked baggage or gate check it free of charge.

Do umbrella strollers recline?

Yes, there are several umbrella strollers that recline.

When can I start using an umbrella stroller?

While many umbrella strollers are better suited to babies who can sit up unassisted (around 6 months old), there are umbrella strollers that recline to a near-flat position allowing them to be used with an infant.

What is the weight limit for an umbrella stroller?

It’s very common to find an umbrella stroller that has a weight limit in the range of 40 to 55 pounds

the best travel umbrella strollers

This post was written & edited by:

Celine Brewer - Baby Can Travel
info@babycantravel.com | Website | + posts

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.

Read more about Celine Brewer.

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