BabyZen Yoyo2 Review
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
This Product
BabyZen Yoyo2 | |||||
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Awards | Best Overall Travel Stroller | Best Lightweight for Car Seat | Best Double Duty Stroller | Best Budget Travel Stroller | |
Price | $530 List $449.00 at Amazon | $480 List $479.00 at Amazon | $400 List $399.99 at Amazon | $420 List $269.99 at Amazon | $249 List |
Overall Score | |||||
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 Comfort (10%) | |||||
Specs | BabyZen Yoyo2 | Bugaboo Butterfly | UPPAbaby Minu v2 | Britax B-Free | Zoe Traveler |
Capacity Limits | Minimum: Not specified Maximum: 48.5 lbs |
Minimum: 6 months Maximum: 50 lbs |
Minimum: 3 months Maximum: 50 lbs |
Minimum: Birth Maximum: 55 lbs |
Minimum: 3 months Maximum: 45 lbs |
Measured Weight | 14.0 lbs | 16.0 lbs | 17.0 lbs | 22.5 lbs | 13.2 lbs |
Measured Folded Dimensions | 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 |
Folded Volume | 3,500 cu in | 3,355 cu in | 5,894 cu in | 6,674 cu in | 5,134 cu in |
Handlebar Height Min/Max | 42 in | 41 in | 41 in | 32"/44.5" | 40 in |
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 |
Wheel Type | Foam | Foam | Foam | Foam Filled Rubber | Foam |
Brake Type | Single | Single | Single | Single | Double |
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Sunshade
The Babyzen canopy is smaller than we'd like and has a small vinyl peek-a-boo window with no cover.
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.
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.