best buys
The best lightweight pushchairs for babies and toddlers 2023
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You might have started your parenting journey with a pram or from-birth pushchair but once your baby reaches a year old, you’ll crave something a little more compact. Alternatively, you may be pregnant and looking for your first pushchair and want a lightweight model suitable for both babies and toddlers.
A lightweight, easy-fold buggy is ideal for parents who are constantly hopping on and off buses, or need something to stash in the car boot for days out. They are also great for smaller homes and those with stairs, a narrow entrance way or a lift.
Many lightweight strollers can be used from birth to toddler years, so you could even skip the pram altogether. All these buggies weigh in at 9kg or less, so they’re super easy to push, store and manoeuvre!
What to look for in a lightweight pushchair
Age suitability: some have seats that recline flat for use from birth. Others need a carrycot or bassinet to provide a flat, from-birth option.
Seat position: many of these options have a forward-facing only seat – you may want to be able to see your baby, especially when they are tiny, so take this into consideration. Once kids get a little older, they happily want to face the world to see what's going on! The seat should recline for naps and an adjustable leg rest is nice to have.
Durability: A larger, heavier pushchair may seem like a bad idea but it tends to be longer-lasting and better built. A lightweight pushchair will be less durable but do look for models with harder-wearing options such as aluminium frames and puncture-proof wheels.
Wheel size: Smaller wheels are more manoeuvrable but your baby will feel every bump, while larger wheels give a smoother ride. Look for models with suspension, as this will make the ride more pleasant for your baby.
Accessories: what does the pushchair come with? A raincover and shopping basket are non-negotiable, so make sure they comes as part of the package. Some models also offer other extras such as cup holders, a footmuff, a storage bag and more.
Travel system compatible: if you can attach a car seat to your lightweight pushchair, it will be easy to move your baby from car to pushchair and back again. Take this into consideration when choosing both your pushchair and your car seat.
Do you want a compact travel system that's easy to lift and fold? Read our round-up of lightweight travel systems here.
Babyzen Yoyo
Weight: 6.2kg
*Can be used from birth to around four years
*Suitable from birth when used with the cocoon or bassinet
*Can be used as travel system using car seat adapters
While some parents buy a Babyzen Yoyo as a second, lighter pushchair, many parents opt for this as their from-birth stroller.
The seat is forward facing and can be used from six months but adding the cocoon or bassinet means you get a parent-facing, from-birth option too. A car seat creates a travel system that can be used from day one and it is a light, easy to steer little pushchair that punches above its weight. It has good suspension all round, a premium handlebar covering that feels like leather and even a fairly decent sized shopping basket. There are lots of colour options, too.
Silver Cross Zest
Weight: 5.8kg
*Suitable from birth up to 25kg
*Handy carry strap and one-hand fold feature make this stroller perfect for holidays
*Has a roomy seat and a tall back rest for added comfort
Weighing only 5.8kg, this stroller is still comfortable enough for long days out, and has a fully extendable hood for maximum sun protection. The adjustable calf support will keep little legs happy and the seat reclines fully using just one hand, so it's flat enough to use for tiny babies. It folds quickly and easily using just one hand and has one-touch brakes plus a five-point harness. The shopping basket will hold 5kg, which is pretty decent!
Joolz Aer +
Weight: 6kg
*Lightweight and easy to fold
*Can go in the plane's overhead locker
*Environmentally friendly with recyclable packaging
This small and lightweight travel pushchair has an ergonomic seat and has also won a prestigious Red Dot design award. All the fabrics on this stroller are made from recycled PET bottles. It folds in just one second and you can do it with just one hand! It has a generous ventilating SPF50 sun hood, a full lie-flat position ergonomic seat and a great wheel design.
Maxi-Cosi Laika2
Weight: 8kg
*Lightweight with carrying strap
*Well padded for comfort
*Compact one-hand fold
It's unusual to find a lightweight pushchair that has been designed with bumpy pavements in mind but the Laika has recently been upgraded with rear suspension to move smoothly over urban surfaces. It's also great for using on public transport, stairs and narrow streets and shops. It's light enough to carry on your shoulder when you've collapsed it using the one-hand fold mechanism and it's soft and comfortable thanks to its thick seat padding. You can add a carrycot or car seat.
Baby Jogger City Tour 2
Weight: 6.5kg
*One hand fold with auto lock
*Suitable from birth to 22kg
*Add a carrycot, or a car seat to form a travel system (sold separately)
A lightweight stroller, this has the features of a larger, more expensive model, with adjustable calf support and a multi-position seat recline. It has an extendable UV50+ hood plus a basket, plus its front swivel wheels allow you to nip around shops effortlessly. The seat unit faces the front only but you can have a parent-facing option by adding a carrycot or car seat (sold separately) that will be suitable from birth. It's particularly good for parents of tall children, as the adjustable calf support lends itself to longer kids and the seat padding is very good. It folds with just one hand and has a storage bag, too.
Cybex Libelle
Weight: 5.9kg
*Suitable from six months to four years
*very small fold
*Can be stored in a plane's overhead locker
Ideal for travel and one of the most compact folding pushchairs out there, the Libelle has won Red Dot design award and folds in three simple steps. Despite its small size, it has suspension and is easy to steer, though it won't be as comfortable over bumpy ground as a pushchair with bigger wheels. The seat reclines well and has an adjustable leg rest, plus you can add a car seat to form a travel system.
Ickle Bubba Globe
Weight: 6.4kg
*Suitable from birth with three recline positions
*Luxury soft quilted seat liner and footmuff included
*Can fold compactly and carried onto a plane
Weighing 6.4kg, this stroller has a one-handed fold mechanism for easy transportation on the go and it has front and rear wheel suspension for a smooth ride. The chassis can be folded compactly with the seat unit still attached, ideal for jumping on and off public transport, and it can even be carried onto a plane as hand luggage. The seat reclines using just one hand and it comes with a soft quilted seat liner, a footmuff, cup holder and rain cover too. It comes in grey, olive with a rose gold chassis, black and navy blue.
Joie Signature Tourist
Weight: 6.6kg
*Suitable from birth using carrycot or car seat
*One-hand fold
*Lie flat seat with several recline positions
Though the seat is designated as suitable from birth, it's better with the carrycot for very tiny babies and also offers a parent-facing option in this mode. The pushchair also transforms to a great travel system when adding the car seat. It has a one-hand auto fold that collapses it down into a very small package. It has an adjustable leg rest and carrying strap plus a UPF50+ canopy. The five-point harness has magnetic buckles that make it easy to get your little one into the pushchair.
Didofy Aster
Weight: 6.2kg
*Suitable from birth to four years
*Very light and portable, fits in most airline lockers
*Fantastic 'gravity fold'
Looking for a super lightweight pushchair that you can take everywhere? The Aster looks great and comes with a rain cover, footmuff and even a cup holder, so you get all you need in one package. It folds down very small and you just push a button to fold and unfold it, which is great if you're also holding a wriggling baby and your shopping. When folded, you can carry it with either a handle or shoulder strap. It has good suspension and lovely fabrics in several colours, plus the seat has several recline positions. You can add a carrycot for the early months, which is parent-facing.
John Lewis Anyday Everyday Stroller
Weight: 7.1kg
*Innovative umbrella fold
*Suitable from birth to four years
*Spacious basket
From the new, budget-friendly John Lewis Anyday range this compact umbrella fold pushchair has a good, protective hood to protect your baby from the elements plus a multi-position seat that you can recline using just one hand. There's an adjustable calf rest and swivel wheels and when it's folded, there's a carrying handle. It has soft diamond stitched cushioning for comfort.
My Babiie Billie Faiers MB51 Stroller
Weight: 7.9kg
*Adjustable two-position leg rest for extra comfort
*Extendable canopy with storage pocket
*A padded removable front bar and padded handles so you can push in comfort
Perfect for holidays and days out, this buggy comes with a shopping basket and large hood to protect your little one from the elements, plus it's lightweight and nippy so you can get through crowded shops with ease. The seat is padded for extra comfort, the colours include rose gold and black and the compact fold means it fits into the smallest of car boots.
