Didofy Aster 2 stroller review

New for 2022 is the Aster’s travel system option, with the carrycot available to buy separately (as well as car seat adapters which work with a list of leading car seat brands). The carrycot is 3.4kg with built-in ventilation and foldable rocking legs, meaning it can be rocked to sooth the baby when at home.

Tested by

Lianne Lovell is mum to a newborn girl and a boy aged 3 years and 7 months. She lives in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey and tested the Didofy Aster 2 with both children along the river path, off-road on the rugged, hilly heath, uneven pavements and around the local town.

First impressions?

When the box arrived, I couldn't believe there was an entire pram inside – it was so compact! Also, I knew the Aster 2 weighed only 6.2kg, but it still felt lighter than I expected.

How easy was the Didofy Aster 2 to assemble?

It came folded, so I just needed to press the button to unfold and clip the wheels on, which was very easy. Within five minutes we were good to go – it couldn't have been quicker if I'd wheeled it out the shop.

The carrycot arrived separately, with no instructions, so it took some working out how to clip it on, and my husband trapped his finger in the stiff mechanism in the process. However, we soon worked out the adapters could be put on separately and kept on the pram without interfering with the fold, so it was easy to switch between parent facing carrycot and world-facing pram. The addition of a clip-on carrycot to the Aster 2 is brand new and Didofy said I had the very first one – so I can forgive them for the lack of instruction manual.

What is it like to push and steer?

The Didofy Aster 2 is definitely an easy pusher. The swivel, puncture proof wheels steered round corners like a dream, managed all kerbs without disturbing my sleeping baby and I could even push it one handed around the tight aisles of the local shop, with my older much heavier boy in it. My bulkier travel system needed much more manoeuvring round the corners, and while my older Chicco Liteway was nippy, it needed both hands.

The one-handed push also proved indispensable when I went on a sponsored walk with my son’s nursery. He wouldn’t let go of my hand so I managed to push the Aster 2 one handed for most of the hour long walk along pavements.

What is the Aster 2 like on different terrain?

The pushchair negotiated potholes on the Thames Path well, and I was impressed how it handled the uneven pavements around my estate. I've struggled with a heavier pram which felt unyielding, as it takes quite a lot of arm and core strength to keep it going straight and heave it back to the centre of the path constantly – I barely noticed with the Aster 2 though.

On rougher terrain – our local heath – we felt the bumps of the gravel path, but the sturdiness of the pram meant it didn't bother my sleeping newborn, who had actually nodded off within minutes of being tucked in. My toddler – who is much heavier to push – noticed the bumpy ride, but he has always called that section of our walk 'the bumpy bit'. I think the in-built suspension on the Aster 2 did smooth out the ride somewhat for the baby though, compared to our previous stroller.

However, when I later took it along the heath path after heavy rain, it didn't handle the muddy ground as well. The mud got caught up in the front wheels and built up, making it tricky to push. I could hear the mechanism fighting against the mud and I had to poke it out with a stick mid-walk.

How easy is the Didofy Aster 2 to lift and carry around?

Weighing just 6.2kg – similar to the Joolz Aer at 6.1kg – you really can lift this pram with one hand, whether to put it in the boot or carry it upstairs.

There’s a special handle underneath, and you do have to work out where this is first, otherwise, if you pull the pram handle you’ll unfold it again. I accidentally did this once while working out where the handle was, and my husband did the same thing when he first picked it up. It also comes with a shoulder strap, if you ever need to transport it on foot.

How comfortable is the Aster 2 for your baby?

I worried about putting my newborn in a world-facing pram, especially as it meant strapping her in, which doesn't look as comfortable as a carrycot. But it had a lie flat base and once she was in and snuggled up in her blanket, she looked very comfy and well supported by the 5-point harness. She usually fell asleep very quickly once we were on the move, which can only be a good sign.

My 3-year-old son found it comfy, including on the bumps and kerbs, and even though he's at the higher age range for the pram and looked big in it, it was still a decent fit.

What is the Aster 2’s carrycot like?

The option of clipping on the new carrycot on days it was just me and the baby was a big plus. The carrycot itself, with its quilted material, looks high-end, incredible snuggly and my baby girl looked cosy and warm in it.

The carrycot is on the smaller side, but big enough that it’ll last until Izzy is 6 months, when I’d usually switch to a forward-facing seated pram anyway. The small size works alongside the streamlined size of the main stroller. The quilted mattress was firm and breathable, but I loved how it was still somehow soft and cosy – a difficult balance to reach when assuring safe sleep.

With the adapters on, the carrycot was easy to get on and off by pushing both buttons on the side. It has the added bonus of having foldable rockers on the bottom, so it can be used at home.

How easy is the Didofy Aster 2 to fold and unfold?

So easy – the gravity assisted MagicFold really is magic! You can fold and unfold it in seconds, with just one hand.

When he saw me fold it down so quickly and smoothly, my husband panicked I'd accidentally do this with the baby inside! Rest assured this is impossible, as while you can do it with one hand, it's a 2-point release, a catch to pull with your thumb, and a button to press with your fingers. Simple to get the knack of, impossible to do by mistake.

I didn't have to fold it down on the bus, but it would be simple to do, lift and store in the baggage area.

Does the Aster 2 have a compact fold?

It folds down to a very compact L55cmxW47cmxH25cm, almost identical to the Leclerc Magic Fold Plus, £359, and the Micralite ProFold, £225. We found it so easy to store – it fits nicely into my under the stairs cupboard lying flat, although you can also store it standing upright.

The Aster 2 also takes up hardly any room in the boot compared to our old travel system, which left little room for anything else. The carrycot is compact too, so does just sit on top of the folded pram, but obviously with that addition, it is in two parts rather than one. Despite that, it's still easy to tuck away if you have the storage space or a nice corner of the kitchen.

Do you think the Didofy Aster 2 is a good choice for travelling?

Absolutely. The compact size of the stroller means it'll fit on a bus even with other prams or wheelchairs, especially important if you are using the carrycot so can't use the fold function. Plus, it literally takes seconds to fold if needed and is so lightweight to carry around.

Apparently, it fits in any overhead compartment on a plane, and while I wasn't lucky enough to try this, it looks and feels like it would be easy to jet-set with.

Does the Didofy Aster 2 feel durable?

Yes. All the fixtures and fittings feel like excellent quality.

What do you think of the style of the Aster 2?

The Aster 2 has a swish design, that's helped by how compact it is. It looks fab as you're nipping it round the supermarket or the shops, yet still holds its own out and about in cold weather. The quilted design looks high-end and super soft.

Were there any extra features you loved about the Didofy Aster 2?

I appreciated the addition of the cup holder as none of my previous strollers had one, and I struggled through many walks trying to push one handed with a coffee in the other. This cup holder expands to fit all the bottles and reusable coffee cups I have. It clips on easily – but the downside is it also fell off several times when I put the folded pram in the boot. It's not a big deal, just make sure you check it's still on when you get the pram back out as you don't want to lose it.

How good are the brakes?

For me, the brake pedal being right of centre was problematic. Because it's flip flop proof, it's also quite easy to press, which is a great feature however a few times I accidentally stood on the brake while walking, and my husband did it once. The pedal might be better in the centre of the brake mechanism instead.

What’s the storage basket like on the Didofy Aster 2?

The basket does what it says in the tin. It’s not huge, but it comfortably holds my changing bag, along with my toddler’s little rucksack and any little shopping bits without things falling out. It wouldn't carry any extra bags of shopping, and doesn’t have handles to hang shopping bags on, so if I needed to pick up more than it could hold, I took a rucksack.

What’s the hood like?

The UPF50 hood is ventilated and waterproof – which is protective enough for a light shower or drizzle when you don't want to put the raincover on mid-walk. It was durable and windproof on a long winter walk, and I could keep going through a little bit of drizzle before having to put the rain cover on. But the best thing about it is the peek-a-boo window at the top to spy on baby.

What do you think of the Didofy Aster 2’s seat unit?

I found it took a few minutes to change the 5-point harness from suitable for a newborn to suitable for a 3 year old. You have to unclip everything, take it out the loops, then feed it back through. Not always easy to do while out and about, but likely unavoidable design wise, given the pram is accommodating both extremes of its age range with my two – which for me is actually its biggest selling point.

There’s an adjustable footrest and multi-position reclining back rest, and my only slight issue with the recline is it's a toggle rather than a button. It means if I want to change the seat position, I have to crouch down and use both hands to do it, rather than a quick release while on the move.

What’s the chassis like?

The chassis itself felt on the flimsy side, but only because it’s so light. I put it through its paces on some really rugged ground on my local heath, which can be a bit like the Yorkshire Moors! It handled the bumps and grass well, even when you needed to give it some oomph up a hill in the rain. The bronze anodised frame looks great and didn’t pick up any scratches or dents in the time I trialled it.

Did you like the handlebar on the Aster 2?

The handle isn’t adjustable but, at 6ft and 5ft3 respectively, my husband and I didn’t find it uncomfortable to push, and it’s soft on your hands.

What’s in the box?

• Stroller
• 4 x puncture proof wheels (front and back)
• Raincover
• Footmuff
• Cup holder

We also opted for the additional carrycot, new for 2022, and inside that box was:

• Carrycot
• Carrycot adapter clips

What are the additional accessories that you can buy?

• Car seat adapters, £30
• Mosquito net, £20
• Stroller bag, £30

What would you have wanted to know before purchasing the Aster 2?

The ability to transform the Aster 2 into a travel system with carrycot and car seat is a wonderful addition. However, my Ickle Bubba car seat isn’t on the websites list of compatible brands, which I’d definitely want to know before deciding whether to purchase. You can only really hope to not have already bought your car seat before choosing an Aster 2 if you want to use this function. My baby girl isn’t fussed by her car seat so it’s no issue for me – but my son would ONLY sleep in his car seat as a baby, so had I been making the decision back then, it might have put me off.

Who would this pushchair be most useful for?

The Aster 2 is targeted at parents on the go, but it’s also a fab choice if you’re planning, or have, a more than one child. It doesn’t take up a lot of room, and will take a newborn through to 4 years old/22kg without having to move on from a two-part or bulkier travel system to a more streamlined one-fold stroller. It’s two in one. You can also switch from one child to the other as needed during outings, making life with two easier.

New parents may feel hesitant to invest in a world-facing pram for their newborn, that’s why the carrycot is a lovely addition if you can afford it.

Is the Didofy Aster 2 worth the money?

For £299 the pram definitely merits its price tag. Once you add the carrycot – which isn’t essential - at an extra £180, it does start getting pricier. That’s not a negative for me, as long as buyers don’t get caught out budgeting for the stroller alone, then deciding they want the extras.

How does it compare to similar pushchairs?

Where can I buy the Didofy Aster 2?

Available from Didofy, Baby Planet and Kiddies Kingdom.

MadeForMums verdict:

I am in love with the Aster 2, despite my initial hesitation about having my newborn world-facing. As a mum who doesn’t drive, I’d been anxious about juggling a baby and a 3 year old while out and about, yet didn’t want a more cumbersome double buggy as my son usually walks or cycles. However, the Aster 2 solved this problem the second I popped it out the box. You can tell it’s been designed by parents who know the struggle of the juggle!

It’s a dainty, nippy push, whether you're popping to the shop, taking the kids to the park or lugging the family across the city. It’s perfect for suburb dwellers who mix country lane walks with a whizz around town, and really does make life easier – especially with two under 4.