UPPAbaby Minu Travel Stroller–Review
Can it be your only stroller? Cobblestones & Europe travel, plus watch me be super awkward on video.
I found out I was pregnant while living in Louisiana, but knew we were moving to Italy. So when I started looking at baby gear, I had Europe in mind.
Everyone I knew had the UPPAbaby Vista. Literally everyone. I did not have a friend or relative with a baby who had a different stroller. It seemed to be the only stroller in the U.S., especially in cities. When I lived in Chicago, the UPPAbaby was ubiquitous. My brother-in-law (who also lived in Chicago at the time) once joked that if you didn’t have the Vista, well, “you’re basically a child abuser.” They were everywhere. And it really did feel like if you chose a budget stroller, you would be judged. (I know! It sounds insane!)
I was aghast at the price and didn’t like the blogger cult mentality around it. But, every review site did say it was the best. Like weddings, babies (or maybe pregnancy hormones) make people insane. Tiny things that you didn’t think mattered all of a sudden seem very important. Was I a horrible future mother if I thought another brand was just fine? (It seems, since then, that the Nuna and Cybex and others have also become very popular, for what it’s worth.)
Knowing that we were moving to Europe, where sidewalks are narrow, cobblestones are everywhere, and many places are not stroller-accessible, I had no idea what to do. I thought a travel stroller would be best, not only because we travel a lot, but because the compact size seemed good for European streets.
(Why didn’t I just wait until we arrived and assess the stroller situation in Italy? Yes, that would have made sense. But we had a shipping container going to Italy paid for by my job with extra space, and while many things are cheaper in Italy, strollers are not one of them. I thought, and still think, it made the most sense to buy one in the U.S. and send it with our shipment that was paid for.)
When I started looking at travel strollers, lo and behold, the UPPAbaby option was top of the list. But when I told a person close to me who I will not name here that we were going to get the UPPAbaby Minu as our main stroller, she said: “that can’t be your only stroller.” “But why?” “It just can’t be! It’s a travel stroller!”
I spiraled.
In the end, I thought we’d go with it, because no matter what, we do travel a lot and would need a travel stroller. And if it didn’t work for everyday life, we’d get another one in Italy.
But guess what?
It’s been totally fine.
The UPPAbaby Minu travel stroller is the perfect size for Europe. It fits on most sidewalks in Italy and despite the small wheels, it handles bumps well. We spend a lot of time walking on cobblestones and it’s not as smooth as I imagine larger wheels would be, but larger wheels would be harder to fit on the sidewalks and into tiny stores and restaurants.
In Italy, I see a lot of Graco strollers. I also see a lot of other small-wheeled strollers from brands I’ve never heard of. The brand obsession in the U.S. is wild and one reason I’m glad we moved. The “keeping up with the Joneses” thing is easy to fall into there, and much less of a thing here. (My American neighbor in Vicenza has the UPPAbaby Vista and told me she never uses it here. “It’s wayyy too big!” She told me this when I was eight months pregnant and I’ve never felt more relieved. 😅)
I will say, the nicest strollers I’ve ever seen are in Denmark. I saw a lot of Maxi Cosi and Teutonia and YoYo and other brands I don’t remember. The wheels are all huge and the bassinets seem super comfy and somehow sleeker than strollers I see elsewhere. (Not sure if they would fit in Italy or France or Spain or Portugal or anywhere with narrower sidewalks and entryways.)
BUT, the Minu has been great because we do travel a lot. Probably 50% of the month, sometimes more. It folds up easily, it’s lightweight, and while we don’t typically bring it on the plane with us, it does fit in the overhead compartment of most aircraft. With the exception of one place (Rovinj, Croatia, with the most buckling marble streets I’ve ever seen in my life––honestly don’t know if there is a stroller out there that can tackle them), we’ve been fine pushing it around Europe, Tunisia, and the U.S..
What I like about the UPPAbaby Minu travel stroller:
It’s light. The stroller weighs 17 pounds. This is great for when I’m traveling with Stella alone. It’s easy to lift up with her in it (for short flight, which there are a lot of in Italy, or getting on trains), or to hold her in one hand and fold up to stow away. The entryway to our house has five steps, so I always take her out, fold it up, and carry both her and the stroller up.
You only need one hand to fold it up. It’s so easy!
It lays almost flat, which is great for naps on the go.
The sunshade is big. It’s SPF 50 and can unzip and extend to cover almost her whole body.
It’s compatible with the bassinet attachment, which we used exclusively until she was about six months.
Visiting Soave on our way home from Stella’s two-week-old appointment. This isn’t a bassinet review, but I like that the sun shade extends! The mosquito net (very necessary in Vicenza) covers the entire thing, including the bassinet.
It’s also compatible with the UPPAbaby Mesa Max or Aria car seat. We connected them a few times, but honestly, if you’re buying this as a travel stroller you probably won’t use the two together that much. Even as our main stroller, it was rare. We just don’t use our car that often to run errands.
With the Mesa Max car seat attached in Chicago, one of the few times we’ve used it. It holds kids up to 48 pounds, so I think we’ll be using it for years to come.
The bottom basket holds up to 20 pounds. I use it to carry all of my groceries and bottles of Prosecco, or the diaper bag and whatever I buy while traveling, and it’s never been an issue.
It’s sturdy and easy to maneuver. I’ve never worried about Stella not seeming secure. Despite being small and having small wheels, it feels very solid on various terrains.
What I don’t like:
The stroller is easy to fold up with one hand, but harder to unfold. Folded, it locks into place with a tab on the side. You have to pull that tab out to unfold it. Very simple with both hands, but awkward with one hand (and I am often holding a baby in the other). See video below.
It’s marketed as easy to carry through airports, but I find it awkward. See video above.
The Minu is made to be carried on most airlines and it is compatible with International Air Transport Association standards. The wheels come off easily to fit in smaller overhead compartments. But that does not mean most airlines will let you, especially outside of the U.S. Even when I’ve told flight attendants that it will fit, they say it’s not allowed. This would be a problem with any travel stroller, not only this one. I prefer to gate check so it’s not a big deal, but something to note if you really want to bring it on board.
The rain cover doesn’t fully cover the stroller. Stella is small and her feet still stick out of it.
Bottom Line
This is both our everyday stroller and our travel stroller. We have put in hundreds of miles walking with it and it’s going strong. We have used it all over Europe, in the U.S., and around Tunisia.
Based on pre-baby travels, I also think it would work well in India, around Southeast Asia, around the Middle East. The only places I can really see problems are all gravel or sandy roads, or places with lots of stairs (where no stroller would work). If you’re traveling to a beach destination and need your stroller to work on sand, I recommend a jogging stroller. I’ll review ours soon. That said, see below to see my friend Vince push it through the snow. It did well! 😂
The UPPAbaby Minu is a fantastic travel stroller and a great everyday stroller too––even if you’re in the U.S.
Any questions I didn’t cover? Let me know in the comments. Any other baby travel products you’re wondering about?