REASONS TO BUY
Very compact fold
Unique design
Fairly stable
REASONS TO AVOID
No peek-a-boo cover
No leg rest
Very limited storage
BabyZen Yoyo2 Review
An expensive stroller with a unique design that packs small, but it lacks some features we'd expect at this price
Credit: Matt Lighthart
RELATED: The Best Travel Strollers
Our Verdict
The BabyZen Yoyo2 is a luxury travel stroller in our best travel stroler review. This option is easy to push and turn, has soft fabric, and folds small. It is relatively lightweight and is well constructed with a unique design that creates a compact fold. If you want a high-quality option that is super small and easy to maneuver, then this could be a contender. On the downside, this stroller has hard-to-use storage with two frame supports running down the middle. The fold is convoluted and not as straightforward as competitors, and the seat is smaller than other options. Overall, we like the Yoyo2; its design is intriguing, but we think other options in this price range offer more or easier-to-use features, so depending on your goals it could be the right option or not.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
BabyZen Yoyo2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  |  | |
| Price | $530 List $493.85 at Amazon | $449 List $479.00 at Amazon | $400 List $399.99 at Amazon | $420 List $369.99 at Amazon | $249 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | While it is unique and has a lot going for it, it lacks some features we'd want at this price | Impressive quality option with better maneuverability and unique features for comfort and convenience | A high-quality choice with impressive seating features, smaller fold, and lots of storage | A bigger and heavier option that is still small enough to use for travel and includes the features you want | Better performance and a durable design make this budget option an impressive contender |
| Rating Categories | BabyZen Yoyo2 | Bugaboo Butterfly | UPPAbaby Minu v2 | Britax B-Free | Zoe Traveler |
| Transport/Storing (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Maneuverability (20%) | |||||
| Quality (10%) | |||||
| Kid's Comfort (10%) | |||||
| Specs | BabyZen Yoyo2 | Bugaboo Butterfly | UPPAbaby Minu v2 | Britax B-Free | Zoe Traveler |
| Weight | 14.0 lbs | 16.0 lbs | 17.0 lbs | 22.5 lbs | 13.2 lbs |
| BGL Folded Dims. | 17.5"W x 10"H x 20"L | 17.5"W x 10.3"H x 21.3"L | 20.5"W x 10.3"H x 23"L | 24"W x 10.3"H x 27"L | 18.6"W x 10.3"H x 23"L |
| Capacity Limits | Min: Not specified Max: 48.5 lbs |
Min: 6 months Max: 50 lbs |
Min: 3 months Max: 50 lbs |
Min: Birth Max 55 lbs |
Min: 3 months Max: 45 lbs |
| Mfr. Max Allowable Total Storage Weight | 11 lbs | 18 lbs | 20 lbs | 11 lbs | Not specified |
| Car Seat Compatibility | N/A | N/A | UPPAbaby Mesa Max & Mesa V2 | Britax | N/A |
| Min./Max. Handle Height | 42 in. | 41 in. | 41 in. | 32"/44.5" | 40 in. |
| Wheel Type | Foam | Foam | Foam | Foam Filled Rubber | Foam |
| Brake type | Single | Single | Single | Single | Single |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
Five Frenchmen founded BabyZen to create a lightweight stroller suitable for urban living. This brand is of higher quality and designed for travel and city living. With marketing that claims they produce “the only stroller you'll ever need,” BabyZen only has a small lineup of strolling options.
Performance Comparison
The Yoyo fold is a little more convoluted than other strollers, and it requires two hands, but the fold-in-thirds design makes it rather compact.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Transporting and Storing
The Babyzen earned one of the higher scores for transporting and storing.
The Babyzen is just below the average for weight, weighing in at 14.0 lbs in our tests. With several closer to 13 lbs and some higher than 17, it offers an acceptable weight for this class of product.
The Yoyo weighed 14 lbs in our weight comparison tests.
Credit: Sentry Kelly
When measured in our tests, it was 17.5"W x 10"H x 20"L when folded. This translates to 3,500 cubic inches, which is one of the smallest folded options in the group. If size is a major factor in your buying choice, the Babyzen is certainly one to consider, as only a handful are smaller. This unit also sports a shoulder carry strap, making it easy to carry even if your hands are full.
The Babyzen has a simple carry strap that keeps your hands free.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Ease of Use
The Babyzen earned an average result in our tests for ease of use. There is nothing difficult about this stroller, but some competitors offer features that are easier to use when compared side-by-side.
The Babyzen has a multi-step fold and a carry strap.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Fold and Unfold
The Yoyo2 requires 2 hands and does not self-stand. The fold is easy, but a little convoluted, and bending down to reach a handle is involved.
It has three steps that include releasing the frame, pulling the hidden handle and pressing down until it locks in place. The unfolding is the best part; you release the lock and hold it up as everything falls into place.
The Babyzen is a nice travel stroller, but it lacks some of the features parents might want for a longer day of travel.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Storage
The storage on the Babyzen is a bummer. We love the pocket on the back of the canopy, and it is a great place for snacks or a smartphone, but the basket under the seat is disappointing.
The bin is one of the smallest in the group, and we barely got our medium-sized diaper bag inside. The frame layout impedes open access to the basket, making it challenging to get the bag in and out.
The Babyzen harness and buckle are easy to use and adjust with smooth webbing and a large release button.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Harness
The Babyzen harness has soft and smooth webbing that works well and is skin-friendly. The shoulder straps have padding for comfort. The buckle is free of potential for pinching, and it took about 18-22 lbs to press.
We measured the pressure it takes to press the pedal to set the brakes on the Babyzen (seen here) and other strollers.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brakes
The brake pedal on the Yoyo2 is small, almost comically so. It is a single-action brake that is slightly off-center to make it easier to press. It is press to set and lift to release but is foot-friendly and did not cause pain or shoe damage in our tests.
Ease of Setup
The Babyzen assembly is more involved than most. The instructions are clear, but it doesn't have pictures, which makes it take longer. There are more steps; without picture help, it took more thoughtful time and consideration. The canopy required finding a video online to complete.
Car Seat Compatiblity
The Yoyo2 offers a newborn back and adapters for some seats from Cybex, Nuna, Clek, and Maxi-Cosi.
The Babyzen moves from sidewalk to grass better than grass to sidewalk.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Maneuverability
The maneuverability of the Babyzen is impressive for a travel stroller. While it can't match full-size strollers, it does hold its own in this lineup, performing in the top range for travel strollers.
The Babyzen wheels are hard, dense, and lack any real traction abilities.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The Yoyo2 has some of the hardest wheels and excels on smooth surfaces, and we had no frustrations. The wider front wheels provide more stability than many of the other competitors. The rigid frame lets you push it through grass and over gravel, even if it isn't designed for this. It popped easily up and over smaller curbs and transitions.
The Babyzen offers nicer quality construction that is on par with its price tag.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Quality
The Babyzen is one of the higher-scoring options for quality. The material on the Yoyo2 feels softer than most competitors, especially in the harness padding and straps. The fabric fits the shape of the stroller well, with no excess or frumpy-looking bunching.
The frame has a nice black finish but is more convoluted than competitors, and it doesn't look as sleek with more joints. The frame is sturdy with very little flex, but the small wheelbase makes it feel less stable. The unique frame design helps it fold small but creates potential points for snagging.
While the Babyzen has some suspension that helps absorb the bumps on the road.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The wheels are 5.2 inches in the back and foam-filled plastic. They are denser than most of the plastic wheels and registered 80 HA on the Shore A density scale. They feel durable and have somewhat better traction than some. The solid hub likely adds weight, and we aren't convinced it does much more than look cool.
The Babyzen offers enough for kids' comfort to avoid complaints from passengers.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Kid's Comfort
The Babyzen has some features we like for kid comfort, but overall, it doesn't stand out in this metric and earned an average score.
Seat
The seat back has a one-hand recline/raise with a nice range for comfort. The seat back is padded, and there is no real legrest as the seat bottom rolls over at the end, and the legs are left unsupported. There is a bar that can be used as a footrest, but the passenger needs to be tall enough to reach it.
The sunshade on the Yoyo2 doesn't extend as far out over the passenger as we'd like, but the lineup has worse options.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Sunshade
The Babyzen canopy is smaller than we'd like and has a small vinyl peek-a-boo window with no cover.
The Yoyo2 has a small vinyl peek-a-boo window with no cover, so there will always be the opportunity for the sun to shine in.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
It lost favor here with no cover and the limited size that sort of curls inward toward the back of the seat instead of out and over more of the passenger.
There might be reasons to purchase the Babyzen, like the car seat compatibility or the small folded size, but it depends on your budget and your goals.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the BabyZen Yoyo2?
The Yoyo2 is a quality stroller that is easy to push and has a small fold. We like the design, the folding mechanism/process, and the super soft webbing on the harness. If you want a petite stroller with quality materials and price is no object, you might like the Babyzen. However, while it is high-ranking and we like this stroller, it pales somewhat compared to others that score higher and cost the same or slightly lower, with prices close to half that of the Yoyo2. So, while we think you'll like it, we think there are others we'd choose over this one, especially if you want better storage or comfier features for kids.
What Other Travel Strollers Should You Consider?
If you like the Babyzen but want the best, the Bugaboo Butterfly is our favorite and impressed in every metric. We love the high-quality materials and design, as well as unique features like the stay-open harness that prevents searching for harness parts under a child's tushie. If you need a travel stroller and this is your budget, we think the Butterfly is better than the Yoyo2, even if only for the storage bin with better access and a higher weight limit.
Manufacturer Video
—
Wendy Schmitz
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