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When we are packing for our overseas trip, we are always caught in a dilemma – to bring the stroller or not to bring the stroller.

We had our first overseas trip with Laurent when he was about 18 months old. We went to Melbourne and decided to just bring the baby carrier along since we would be driving most of the time and Laurent wasn’t very heavy then so I could still carry him for a longer stretch of time.

For our second trip, we went to Paris just before Laurent turned 2 and we also decided to just bring the baby carrier along since our stroller was too bulky and heavy for traveling. By then, Laurent was already over 10kg, we had to do A LOT of walking during the trip and baby carrying just didn’t work when I needed wanted to shop. In the end, we rented a Babyzen Yoyo stroller in Paris for the last 3 days of our trip and that was the best decision we’ve made.

For our most recent trip to Seoul, we were so thankful to have the Babyzen Yoyo+ with us throughout the trip. We didn’t use it every day, but we brought it along for most days and although it was one extra item to bring along, it was so much easier on our backs (6kg stroller vs 12kg baby, you do the math!).

Should I Bring My Stroller Along When I Travel?

Now when someone asks me if I’d recommend that they bring along a stroller for their travels, I’ll say definitely, because there are so many benefits to bringing along a stroller:

• Allows your child to nap comfortably
• Allows you to shop with ease
• Allows you to keep your child close to you while letting them take in all the sights (vs letting them walk around in crowded areas)
• Saves you from backaches

The important point here is to make sure that you choose to bring the right kind of stroller. Here are some tips which I find useful for choosing a suitable stroller to travel with.

1.Easy to Collapse and Open Up

I am extremely thankful for the convenience we experience here in Singapore because we have ramps and lifts everywhere we go. When we were in Paris and Seoul, most of their metro stations did not have lifts. Only the bigger stations did and even so, not all exits at the major stations have lifts.

The closest thing we found at Seoul stations which did not have lifts was this handicap lift which is mainly for wheelchair use.

Having a stroller that collapses swiftly and easily is particularly useful when you need to climb up or down the stairs at busy metro stations. The last thing you want to do is to be struggling with a monster stroller that takes up a lot of space and requires some a long time to collapse or open up when you have busy commuters trying to go around you.

You can easily collapse the Babyzen Yoyo+ with one hand and in less than 30 secs! Opening it is even easier, all you have to do is swing it out. Check out this video below to see a demo of how to collapse and open the BabyZen Yoyo+!

2.Light and Easy to Carry

In both Paris and Seoul, we sometimes had to climb up or down as many as 3 flights of stairs at the metro stations. Hence, we are thankful that the stroller we used was light and can be easily carried around.

The Babyzen Yoyo+ is only 6.2kg and can be comfortably carried on the shoulder with its padded strap.

3. Comfortable

One of the greatest benefits of traveling with a stroller is that your child does not have to miss nap time and you don’t have to be carrying a sleeping child for 2-3 hours straight. This means that comfort for your child is also a very important criterion when choosing which stroller to bring along.

2 to 3 hours of nap time on the stroller, you say? Yup, that is how long Laurent typically sleeps in the Babyzen Yoyo+ when we are out.

The comfortable seat pad and ultra-covering canopy make the stroller a private and comfortable napping nook for Laurent and the thoughtful detail of having a wide footrest means Laurent can rest his legs on it when he wants to.

4. Compact When Collapsed

It is useful to have a stroller that is compact when collapsed because when we were in Paris and Seoul, some of the most awesome restaurants that we patronized are so small! Many of them are packed to the brim with people, let alone have space for a stroller.

We love how the Babyzen Yoyo+ collapses into a compact 52 x 44 x 18 cm (as small as your hand-held luggage) and is able to stay upright when placed on the floor. It was even able to fit neatly next to our seats at some of the smallest Parisian cafes we visited.

Being about the same size as a hand-held luggage also meant that we were able to bring the Babyzen Yoyo+ with us and stow it in the overhead compartment during our flight. The sturdy travel bag (sold separately) keeps the stroller even more compact and perfect for traveling.

5. Easy to Maneuver

Pebbled streets, bumpy grounds and inclined slopes are also banes for traveling with a stroller. A stroller that is easy to maneuver and has good suspension system is going to be your lifesaver here.

With a width of 44cm, the extremely slim Babyzen Yoyo+ is such a pleasure to move around because it can fit through really tight places. We even have no issue fitting through the normal gantries at the metro stations! If you have been following my Instagram, you would have seen me steering the stroller easily with one hand (while recording with the other hand) on my Instagram Stories 🙂

The 4-wheel suspension and patented “Soft Drive” steering is particularly useful in countering the bumpy rides that are typical when using the stroller on the pebbled streets of Paris and Seoul.

6. Great for Theme Parks

We actually rented the Babyzen Yoyo in Paris with hopes that we will be using it at Disneyland. But Disneyland didn’t happen due to the weather.

Since we have the Babyzen Yoyo+, we have been bringing it along when we go to USS and also to Lotte World in Seoul.

Lotte World spanned across a few levels so we decided to do without the stroller to get up and down on the escalator faster. We could easily keep it in a locker because it is so compact!

The Babyzen Yoyo+ has been incredibly useful in helping us cover the grounds of USS whenever we are there because Laurent always gets tired after a short walk.

And whenever we get “front row” seats at the street shows, we’ll let Laurent remain in the stroller and simply fold down the handle bar so that it doesn’t block the view of those behind!

The Babyzen Yoyo+

The Babyzen Yoyo+ is a really great stroller to bring along for your travels. It works amazing even in places that are not known to be stroller-friendly and it is even more of a joy to use in stroller-friendly cities like Singapore. We have been using it for around 6 months now and I have mostly good things to say about the stroller. The only occasions I don’t use the Babyzen Yoyo+ is when I am going grocery shopping alone with Laurent because the storage space at the bottom is not as spacious as our old stroller. Otherwise, I absolutely love this stroller and will recommend it to anyone who is looking for a stylish and well-designed stroller that is perfect to bring along for their travels as well!

New BabyZen Products Launching in May 2017

Exciting news!! BabyZen will be dropping some new colours and attachments for the BabyZen Yoyo+ on 1 May 2017.

If you have been following the BabyZen Instagram or Facebook page, you would have seen the teasers for the 2 new colours – Ginger and Peppermint! I have to say I love them both and these are among the hottest colours this season (I’m seeing them everywhere, from H&M to IKEA)!

BabyZen will also be launching the BabyZen iZi Go Modular by BeSafe Car Seat which will be super convenient for parents with infants as you can now transfer your baby from car to stroller easily.

And the new accessory which I’m most excited about- The Yoyo+ Board! It will make going out with a baby and a toddler so much easier, but even if you only have a toddler in tow, it will make the journey so much more fun!

For more details of BabyZen Yoyo+, the new products which will be launching soon and where to purchase them, check out the following channels:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/babyzensingapore/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babyzensingapore/

Website: https://www.babyzen.com/en/