Sara
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I am already in LOVE with the Joolz. When I did travel roller research a year ago before settling with the Harppa, I had tested 7 or 8 different lower priced travel strollers (~$100-$200 range). I have not encountered a seat cushion so dense and comfortable. I want to sit in it! I also much prefer this zip feature over the pull straps for the recline, that’s just my preference though. The sun cover extends an amazing length so I am hopeful for on-the-town naps. The thing I like the most is I can actually close it with one hand and the elastic shoulder strap is genius. I use a Tushbaby when I travel with my son so he is on my hip almost the entire time until we are on the plane. With the old stroller, I would have to put him down and try to keep him from crawling away (airport floors surely aren’t the most sanitary either) while I tried to get it in a bag to gate check it. With this Joolz, I won’t have to put him down nor will I need to gate check it so it will be a big plus and convenience going forward. An antsy toddler after a flight and waiting for a gate checked bag/stroller… will be nice to avoid it! It does come with a bag that I will bring just incase we get on a smaller plane that will require it to be gate checked.
Every parent traveler will have their own priorities so that’s why there are different stroller variations to appease the different needs. The things that were most important to me were to fit in the plane overhead, ease to carry (while holding a toddler & diaper bag simultaneously) and the comfort for on-the-go naps. This stroller surpassed the YoYo and the other 8 lower price point options I formerly tested by far. I only wish that for the price point, it came with a rain cover and a foot rest.
Regarding my old travel stroller, I did extensive research on travel strollers a year ago, but only needed something for quick direct flights for work trips that didn’t consist of much long hours of strolling or compact needs. I ended up getting a cheaper Harppa stroller that still works great and was very functional for my then needs. The downfalls is it isn’t small enough for a plane overhead bin so I have to gate check it and put it in a gate check bag because the side clasp to keep it closed could easily come off and open it. I could just picture the luggage guys trying to figure out how to close it once it accidentally opened it and I didn’t want to chance it. My husband couldn’t figure out how to close it at first and tried to put it in the truck fully open! Another plus of the Joolz is that like how you use the double handle buttons to close it, you do the same to open it. No wide clasps to accidently come off and it open. I usually travel solo with my toddler to my work destination, then we have someone there to watch him while I go to my meetings each day. Well, after an 8 day trip to the northeast, 4 plane rides and driving to 5 different states, the Harappa stroller was less convenient. Not for the car or our daily movements once on the ground, but packing it in the bag and out for connecting flights wasn’t ideal. I would be out of breath and very wore out trying to get it in the bag while keeping by son on my hip or trying to keep him wrangled close by. I made it happen, it just wasn’t fun. The biggest issue now is that my son is so tall (even at 14 months). If I laid the backrest flat he was too tall, his head was squished and to the side. The flat lay is a positive feature that it would go almost 100% flat for naps, but not helpful if you can’t utilize it. So the napping feature that was a positive wasn’t even utilized.
