UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair review

The Minu V2, has front and rear spring action suspension, promising to glide over many different types of terrain with minimum bumps and jolts, and has an adjustable seat and leg rest, perfect for napping and for sitting upright to enjoy the ride. It also has all the usual features you’d also expect from a premium stroller, including a canopy that unzips for added airflow, an extendable UPF 50+ canopy, a vented peekaboo window and an easy access basket with a 9kg weight limit.

Suitable for babies from 6 months old, there is the option of buying a separate carrycot, the UPPAbaby V2 which retails at £299.95, making it suitable to use with newborns.

The Minu V2 comes in 5 different colourways, including the Stella, featuring a Grey Melange hood and seat on a silver frame with 100% full-grain chestnut leather handlebar and bumper bar. Retailing at £429.99, it’s a high-price pushchair from a premium brand, similar in style and features to the Cybex Balios S Lux, £499.95, and the Babystyle Oyster 3, £559.

Tested by

Frances, a journalist from Essex tested the UPPAbaby Minu V2 stroller in Stella and Carrycot in Jordan, with her partner Paul and their 6-month-old daughter, Cora. They tested it over pavements, country lanes, a playing field and in a busy town centre. They also used the Minu V2 for travelling on the train and on a flight.

What were your first impressions?

The Minu V2 was neatly packed together, with minimal packaging and an instruction manual. The handlebar and bumper bar felt like quality leather and the light frame looked good and felt sturdy, as did the wheels. Our Minu V2 came in the Stella colourway, a grey melange which looked good against the chestnut-coloured leather of the handlebar and bumper bar. One of my first thoughts though was that the grey, although understated, is a little bit dull, but typical of the colours often being offered nowadays for baby equipment. There’s no doubt it does look good, though.

How easy is the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair to assemble?

After a quick look at the step by step illustrated guide, the wheels, bumper bar and hood were very easy to slot and clip into place and took less than 5 minutes. Nothing seemed to have been missed from the instruction manual and everything seemed very straightforward and clear.

How does the Minu V2 pushchair compare to the previous version?

The original UPPAbaby Minu was first launched in 2007. At the time it was their lightest and most compact stroller yet at just 6.7kg, and was impressively space saving, compact and easy to fold and carry. The Minu V2, launched in April 2022, has all the same well-loved features of their previous models, including carrycot and car seat compatibility. It also features elements the previous Minu design lacked, including the ability to attach a Piggyback ride along board with a clever side positioning, a no re-thread harness and an adjustable leg rest. The latest version of the Minu is marginally heavier than the 2007 model, due to the bumper bar, which was previously an added extra sold separately – but at 7.6kg it’s still incredibly lightweight.

A more structured hood also replaces the original canopy extension, making the sun canopy easier to pull down and aesthetically more pleasing. The V2 also has an adjustable calf support with 2 settings, lifted for smaller legs or lowered for an older toddler. Folding the V2 is also said to be much easier than the original Minu, due to an updated locking mechanism. There is also just one set of adapters for attaching both the carrycot and the car seats to the chassis, whereas before you had to purchase 2 separate sets.

Is the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair easy to fold?

Although this stroller promises to be designed in a way that means you can fold using one hand, in just one step, while carrying your child in the other arm, I found that even after a lot of practise I was unable to master the knack of doing it one-handed. Having said that, I still found it incredibly easy to fold down and fold back up againwithout a baby in my arms – much easier than any other stroller or pram I’d used before.

How do you fold and unfold the UPPAbaby Mina V2 pushchair?

To fold you simply twist the catch on the handlebar, then put slight forward pressure on the frame to fold it down until the frame clicks in place, with the side catch holding it securing together. I managed to fold the stroller and sling it over my shoulder using the strap in seconds – something that proved invaluable when I travelled alone with Cora from Cork airport to Stansted.

To unfold, just undo the catch on the side and gently pull the handle, then the stroller will pop out and click into place. One thing to note though, if you decide to splash out on the £139.99 CozyGanoosh, the footmuff that goes with the UppaBABY strollers, it’s slightly more difficult to fold and unfold with that in place and is a bit bulkier when stashed away, although still very compact.

Is the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair both world and parent facing?

No, the Minu V2 is designed to be world facing only, not parent facing. It’s a shame as I would have liked to have the option, particularly with a younger baby, but you can’t have everything and it’s hard to see how such a lightweight, compact stroller could accommodate that.

How compact and lightweight is the UPPAbaby Mini V2 pushchair?

This is where the Minu V2 really excels as a stroller. It is noticeably lightweight and once folded it’s possible to use the shoulder strap to sling it over your shoulder and carry it like a rucksack or bag. It weighs around 7.6kg (similar to the Micralite Profold, £225, 7kg), which felt to me like a fairly heavy bag of shopping. So, while I wouldn’t want to carry it like that for a prolonged period of time it would be fine to walk through airport security with, or a short walk to the car for example.

Once folded, it’s also very compact – just L29cm x W51.5cm x H58.5cm — and fits easily into the boot of most cars, even a small one, with room left over for shopping.

What’s the UPPAbaby Minu V2 like to push and steer?

Considering how lightweight this stroller is, it’s a pleasingly smooth ride thanks to its suspension on both the front and back wheels. I had very little trouble lifting it up and down kerbs, along muddy country trails (within reason – it’s not, by any means, an off-roader and still rattles slightly as you’d expect being a stroller) and along a wet field. Cora had only just turned 6 months, but I felt confident that she was safe and comfortable. It is fairly noiseless when moving and one of the things I enjoyed about it while using in a busy town centre in the run up to Christmas was that it could fit through tight spaces and was very easy to manoeuvre.

Is the UPPAbaby Minu V2 good on public transport?

Because it is so compact, using the Minu V2 on public transport is a breeze and I enjoyed taking it on a train as I could just lift it on myself with no-one else’s help. This pushchair also proved ideal for use in an airport and on a plane. I think it’s particularly handy if you are travelling alone with your child as it's so easy to fold down and put back up, and can be slung over your shoulder using the strap when you need to.

What is the UPPAbaby Minu V2’s carrycot like?

The Minu V2 is compatible with the UPPAbaby V2 carrycot, which you can buy separately for £299.95. I tried this out when Cora was just shy of 6 months and was probably getting towards the 8kg mark – the carrycot accommodates babies up to 9kg – and found she just about fit OK. She seemed quite cosy and comfortable. The carrycot itself looks stylish and is lightweight just 6.3kg. I loved the fact it can be flattened down and transported in a travel bag (available to buy separately). It is suitable for overnight sleeping and you can buy a carrycot stand, at an additional cost of £199.99.

What’s the mattress like on the UPPAbaby Minu V2’s carrycot?

I could breathe easily holding the mattress up against my mouth for several minutes with no problems compared to doing the same with a pillow. It’s also firm and looks good quality.

How easy is it to lift off and put the carrycot onto the Minu V2 pushchair?

Using the carrycot adapters, which are sold separately at a cost of £34.99, you can take off the toddler seat and place the carrycot onto the frame of the Minu V2, making it a compact travel solution for a baby from birth to toddler age. It slides on effortlessly, clicking securely into place and seems to be a very easy process with or without your baby inside.

Can the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair be used as part of a travel system?

Yes, using adapters you can fix the Maxi-Cosi, Cybex or BeSafe infant car seats onto the frame of your Minu V2, making it a very versatile complete travel system. I tested the Minu V2 alongside the Cybex Cloud Z2 i-Size car seat, and it was a good combination – I could easily slot the car seat onto the frame of the Minu. The only drawback is the fact that you do have to unclip the canopy of the pushchair and the bumper bar first, which although isn’t hard to do, is a bit of a faff. It also left the problem of where to store the Minu canopy and bumper bar on a journey, if wanting to use it while out and about. The frame is sturdy though, manoeuvres fantastically well, and can slip in small spaces well, with the car seat, with the carrycot and with the toddler seat.

What is the chassis like on the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair?

The frame is light but seems strong and durable in a matt chrome. It looks good.

Do you like the handlebar on the Minu V2 pushchair?

The leather handlebar feels nice to hold and looks smart too. It’s not adjustable but worked well for me, 5ft 6ins, and my 6ft partner, Paul. The mechanism to fold the pushchair is right in the centre of the handle though – this is plastic, which aesthetically is slightly jarring. I also found the position of this mechanism annoying for me personally, as when Cora was napping I had to use 2 hands either side to rock the pushchair backwards and forwards, to avoid it.

What is the UPPAbaby Minu V2’s seat unit like?

I used this stroller with my 6-month-old baby, but I can already see she will get plenty of use out of it in the next year or so, because of the good-sized seat. It’s made from quality fabrics and materials, and it has washable covers, so should be quite durable and long lasting. I found it a little fiddly to adjust the seat back from upright to reclining but managed it OK even with Cora still sitting in it.

What do you think of the hood on the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair?

The UPF50+ hood comes down far enough to shield Cora’s eyes from the sun most of the time. However, in the low bright sun of December there were a few occasions where it didn't quite come down far enough to shield her eyes completely and I found that a bit annoying – having said that, the hood probably came down more than on some other strollers. It also has a peephole window to keep an eye on your baby as you walk.

What are the wheels like on the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair?

The wheels seem tiny compared to previous models of UPPAbaby strollers. The back wheels measure just 17.8cm and the front wheels 12.7cm. However, this genuinely didn’t seem to hinder their ability to tackle smooth or rough terrain or fit round tight corners or navigate down and up kerbs. I did take the stroller on a few rugged country roads out in Ireland, and I didn’t encounter any major problems with the wheels, although it did sound like I was pushing a shopping trolley at times.

How effective are the brakes?

I loved the brakes on this stroller, with a stop and start brake on each side at the back in red and green. Very efficient and easy to use without even thinking about it.

What is the UPPAbaby Minu V2’s shopping basket like?

Although the basket has a maximum weight of 9kg, which isn’t bad for a stroller this compact, I found I had to crouch down awkwardly to put things in it, and you’d be lucky to fit an entire bag of food shopping under there. On a trip to the supermarket I managed one or 2 items of shopping, but I was quite limited in what I could transport under the stroller, which is a shame. It would have been great if the basket was a little deeper and easier to access.

What’s in the box?

• Frame
• 4 x wheels
• Hood and canopy
• Bumper bar
• Raincover
• Instructions booklet

What are the additional accessories that you can buy?

• Car seat adapters, £34.99 – essential if wanting to attach the Maxi-Cosi, Cybex or BeSafe car seat to the frame
• Carrycot and carrycot adapters, £299.99 and £34.99 – essential if wanting to use your V2 for your baby from birth
• CozyGannosh footmuff, £139.99 – compatible with all UPPAbaby strollers and designed for using the stroller in cold weather

Other non-essential accessories include a snack tray, cup holder and changing backpack.

Now you’ve tested it, what would you have wanted to know about the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair before buying?

I’d have wanted to know that the footmuff for the pushchair, which I personally think is essential in cold weather, is pretty pricey, retailing at £139.99. Also that the buckles on the straps are loose and can move up and down the strap, which can be annoying when you’re in a hurry.

Who would the Mina V2 pushchair be most useful for?

Parents who plan to travel a lot with their babies and toddlers, as well as city dwellers who are happy to splurge on the stroller, carrycot, footmuff, adapter and car seat. If you have the budget, this is a great purchase with all the added extras to make it a complete compact travel system, but I think some people would still want something sturdier at home as their main buggy.

Is the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair worth the money?

It’s fairly pricey but it does what it says on the tin. For city living, with lots of tight spaces to manoeuvre around, or plenty of flights and trips on the tube and train, this really does make travel easy and stress free and should do you proud.

How does the Minu V2 compare to similar pushchairs?

Where can I buy the UPPAbaby Minu V2 pushchair?

Available from Natural Baby Shower and Winstanley's Pramworld.

MadeForMums verdict:

A versatile, lightweight stroller that takes up very little room when folded, making it easy to store and perfect for travelling. While clearly designed for city life, the UPPAbaby Minu V2 really impressed with how well it tackled trickier terrain, keeping a baby comfortable and cosy inside. It certainly looks stylish and is made from premium materials, so if you have the budget, it’s well worth the investment.