We took the Babyzen YoYo on a trip of a lifetime. A family holiday starting in Memphis, stopping at a few places along the Mississippi River, ending in New Orleans for the French Quarter Festival. Between long-haul flights, endless museums and sightseeing, road trips and music festivals, we put this buggy truly through its paces.
The Babyzen YoYo is certainly stylish to look at. When I lifted it from the box, I was salivating not only at its beauty but at the fact it felt unbelievably light. Weighing in 5.8kg it’s lighter than most buggies on the market, making it a suitable candidate for traveling or city living. The over-the-shoulder strap means we can easily supervise our little one down our stoop staircase while bringing the pushchair down.
When flying, most airlines let you take the buggy to the departure gate, where you’ll check it in and hand it over to the luggage handlers. Heathrow was no exception and due to the quick collapse and packing away of the YoYo, we were able to keep it up while we waited for an announcement to board. The buggy packs away in a versatile bag, the only downside of that, is airline staff were easily confused, thinking it was oversized luggage until we made it clear.
There are few minor negatives. It’s not a sturdy buggy per se but that’s the sacrifice the designers have obviously had to make to achieve the light weight and portability. However, I was comfortably able to guide it with one hand, which you most certainly can’t say of many other products on the market. The storage tray underneath isn’t practical, we lost a much-loved wellington boot while boarding or disembarking several buses after a shopping trip.
Buggy Drama
We had to change flights at Atlanta, Georgia, a major flight hub in the U.S. The system for collecting ‘strollers’ as they call them, was slightly different and little did we know the Babyzen was waiting for us at the airplane doors, as we left. It wasn’t until we were about to move on our next flight, I realised the buggy hadn’t popped up on the luggage carousel.
People in Atlanta are super-friendly, however between them, they weren’t super-sure where the buggy will be. Separated from my family, I went on a slightly worrying mystery tour of the airport which culminated in me being heavily scrutinised by immigration, not believing that I had already been through. Conscious the U.S. is typically a police state, I very calmly but forcefully had to talk my way out of the situation. Luckily the airline staff understood what had happened and I was escorted by an immigration cop, Rose, through the airport to claim the buggy and be reunited with my family. A few scanners, golf carts and identity checks later, I got the buggy, unscathed and sunk a massive beer with my traveling group, my first on U.S. soil.
The Ultimate Versatile Family Buggy?
The Babyzen YoYo certainly ticks a lot of boxes for a family like ours, where we live in the city, in a house with numerous flights of stairs and where space is a premium. We also love to travel but have a nippy city car, where boot space isn’t vast.
My main issue is the price ticket, retailing at £309.00 this isn’t an impulse purchase for many households. For families with new babies or expecting a subsequent child where they don’t need a double buggy, then I would most certainly consider this model. Where the nearest comparison product, Microlite is more competitive on price, the Babyzen YoYo’s compact folding and weight, are more appealing. In the long run, you have up to 3 years of ‘strolling’ so £100 per year for a quality product isn’t bad value at all.
