Overall, I’m a huge fan of the Stokke YOYO3 Travel Stroller. Traveling with a kid is already chaotic; parents need gear that immediately makes life easier. This stroller does that. I must admit, however, that the YOYO3 and I got off on the wrong foot. Stokke includes written instructions with drawings, but I had trouble. (This could’ve been postpartum brain fog, but I suspect most people building a stroller will have some sort of baby brain going on.) Luckily, The Stroller Workshop has an unboxing and assembly video on YouTube. I watched this, paused it, replayed it and was able to put the YOYO3 together in about 20 minutes.
The video also proved helpful when figuring out how to fold and unfold the YOYO3. Again, the instructions do show how to do this, but handling the hardware is more awkward than the cartoon drawings let on. It took practice. Eventually my hand became familiar with the small button and handle underneath that I had to grip and pull to collapse the stroller and I got it down. (This is a fun moment to show off for your partner or anyone else around to praise your skills.)
It's Super Compact
The Stokke YOYO3 is compact. I kind of couldn’t believe how well it folded up, especially since my only other stroller experience was with the Nuna. When collapsed, the YOYO3 measures about 20 in. H x 7 in. L x 17 in. W. Rolling through security at the airport was a cinch, since we could fold it and plop it right onto the security x-ray belt. It also fit in the overhead bin on our plane (double check your airplane model if you plan to do this). While I didn’t need to simultaneously carry the baby and the stroller for long periods of time, the padded strap was so nice to have for those moments when I held both. It is small enough and light enough (about 15 pounds) that having it over my shoulder left my hands free to hold the babe and I didn’t feel weighed down.
The Straps Are Secure
The harness’ five straps kept my baby secure: two waist, two shoulder, one crotch. The buckle requires a little finagling because the waist straps essentially plug through the shoulder straps to attach to the buckle. But again, once we did this a few times we had it down. Our gal was tiny on this trip, and the straps kept her secure and safe.
It Maneuvers Easily
Pushing the YOYO3 is easy thanks to Stokke’s “soft drive” system. Guiding her around was like gliding on air. Maneuverability is almost too easy because the frame is so lightweight (I’ve seen some reviews calling the stroller “flimsy,” but I disagree). If you place a purse or small bag in the bottom basket, this adds some heft.
Storage & Other Small Annoyances
One note on that basket, though: It’s a tight squeeze to get anything down there bigger than a purse. Yes, it can hold up to 22 pounds, but our KiaBabies diaper bag (measuring about 12 in. L x 10 in. W x 17 in. H) full of stuff did not fit.
Another tiny annoyance worth mentioning is that the front wheels of the stroller can get in the way when I fold it up. If the front wheels aren’t pointing forward (as shown in the instructions), they’ll prevent the YOYO3 from seamlessly folding up in one, swift motion. This doesn’t always happen. But, when it does, I have to use my other hand to turn the wheels mid-fold to ensure the stroller collapses.
Finally, the stroller is quite reclined. You can use adjustable straps behind the seat to increase or decrease the recline, but our baby constantly leans forward to get a better view.
