UPPAbaby Minu versus the Babyzen Yoyo: comparison of the compact lightweight strollers

Which has the most compact fold?

UPPABaby Minu: 29x52x58 Babyzen Yoyo: 52x44x18 (HxWxL)

Basket sizes:

UPPABaby Minu: 9kg/20lbs, Babyzen Yoyo: 5kg/11lbs

Travel system compatibility:

UPPABaby Minu: With addition of adaptors for selected Maxi-Cosi, BeSafe and Cybex infant car seats

Babyzen Yoyo: With addition of adaptors for selected Maxi-Cosi, BeSafe, Nuna and Cybex infant car seats

So, what's best:

Both the Minu and the Yoyo are suitable from birth with the addition of a newborn kit/carrycot. The maximum weight tested to is 15kg for the Minu (approximately 3 years) and 18kg for the Yoyo (around 4 years).

The fold action

Both the Yoyo and the Minu are super easy to fold, but I prefer the Minu’s mechanism. It is truly one-handed (you need two hands with the Yoyo to release the handlebar) and the safety catch engages every time. Also, you never get the wheels blocking the fold or unfold, which can happen with the Yoyo.

When unfolded, both buggies promise a small footprint to make public transport, shopping and general moving around town easier. Unfolded, the Minu is 104.14cm high, 71.12cm long and 52.07cm wide.

In comparison, the Yoyo is 86cm long (although with the handlebar folded down this decreases, making it super easy to park in small space) and 44cm wide.

So there is give and take with both of them, but they’re both satisfyingly compact. In weight, they are also quite similar, with the Minu weighing 6.7kg and the Yoyo weighs 6.2-6.6kg, depending on configuration.

It’s in the fold size that the Yoyo has a marked advantage over the Minu. The folded Yoyo has dimensions of 52x44x18cm, which fits within most cabin baggage stipulations, and I have successfully taken it on board and stored it in the overhead locker - amazing cabin crew and onlookers with the nifty folding action.

The Minu, meanwhile, folds down to 52x29.2x58.4cm, which doesn’t quite fit airline dimensions. However, it is still a satisfyingly small fold, and the buggy does come with a handy storage bag.

You can also buy a proper sturdy travel bag for both - so you have to decide how small you really want your buggy to fold, and what other functions or comforts you’re willing to trade for a compact folded size.

Basket

Both have OK-sized baskets for compact strollers, which allow you to take along a few bits. The Minu’s basket is definitely larger and more accessible, as the Yoyo’s basket is relatively narrow at the back and has two bars from the chassis covering it at the front. Both have an extra pouch at the back of the hood, and the Yoyo also has an added mesh at the backrest.

Ease of pushing and manoeuvrability

Both buggies have good suspension and are really nimble and easy to push. They cope surprisingly well with different terrains, in the city or park - although perhaps not through undergrowth and off road.

One-handed pushing is easy with both, however the fold release mechanism in the middle of the Minu’s handlebar can be annoying. Maybe the feel of real leather in your hands makes up for that, if you’re not a vegan.

My husband finds the Yoyo a bit light on its feet - “Bambi on ice”, he says. The Minu chassis definitely has less give and feels sturdier - no danger of tipping over if you take a corner too quickly, one-handed.

Seat, hood and comfort for child

The Minu definitely has the more generous hood with the option of a pull-out sunshade, which makes the seat well sheltered when your little one has to rest. Both have peekaboo windows, but the Minu’s can be opened and closed and includes mesh for ventilation.

Both seats are not that deep, but the Minu’s is wider and its backrest is higher. Overall, the Minu definitely has the more generous and therefore comfy - in my opinion - seat. Having said that, my little one has always managed to sleep in the Yoyo and has found it quite comfortable too.

Handlebar

Both handlebars are quite high - with the Yoyo’s marginally higher and the Minu’s wider. Neither are adjustable, the Yoyo’s is covered in foam, the Minu’s with real leather. I loved the Minu’s width, but thought the folding release mechanism in the middle of it to be annoying when pushing one-handed.

Buggyboards

One thing I absolutely love about the Babyzen Yoyo is that it has a fantastic ride-on board (£99) for older siblings that is just as easy to use - and super compact - as the buggy itself. You can clip it into the chassis one-handed, and tuck it into a larger hold-all when not needed - a god send for tired elder siblings at busy airports!

The Minu doesn’t have a compatible buggy board available yet. But we're told this might change in the near future.

Carrycot and carseat

Both buggies have a carrycot that you can buy to use it from birth and both are carseat adaptable. I haven’t managed to test these functions on either, but it’s great that they can both be fully used with a newborn - this sets them apart from many of their lightweight competitors.

Style

The Yoyo has fast become a style favourite, with its instantly recognisable shape denoting proud parent owners everywhere. It is available in a range of pop colours to suit different preferences. The Minu is more classic looking - not sure if it it will ever become as instantly recognisable as the Yoyo - and only has the option of three understated colours (the Ryan teal I tested, the Jordan grey and Jake black). I like the look of the mat metal chassis though.

Durability

The Babyzen Yoyo is tested to a capacity of 18kg, which is great for such a compact buggy. The Minu is up to 15kg. However, the latter’s seat is more generous, with a higher backrest, so it will definitely accommodate taller kids better. Both seem to be well manufactured and made to last - I know families who have had their Yoyo for a couple of years, and it’s still going strong, and I have bashed my Yoyo about quite a bit, including in the snow, and it’s still in one piece and functioning well.

The Minu chassis seems particularly sturdy and well engineered, and the leather handlebar is probably less prone to tears than the Yoyo’s foam. I really like the feel of the frame, you can really tip it and push it over all sorts of bumps without thinking twice - there is absolutely no give. It has really won me over throughout the recent school runs, where we have to navigate quite a few hills and bumps. However, the Minu’s fabric seems a bit more lightweight - or dare I say “flimsier” - than the Yoyo’s. It will be interesting to see how well it holds up.

Price and value for money

The UPPAbaby Minu has an RRP of £450, with the From Birth Kit costing £150. The Yoyo 6+ retails at £369, with the Newborn Pack ranging between £155 and £195, and carseat adaptors at £59.95. The Yoyo Travel bag costs £59.

It’s undeniable that both the Minu and the Yoyo are expensive and require careful thought as an investment.

Interestingly, if you buy the Minu’s travel bag and register it online, the brand’s TravelSafe programme covers any damage to your Minu incurred during air travel, which offers great peace of mind, as it saves you worrying about your expensive kit or getting into arguments with airlines.

MadeForMums verdict:

Our family has loved the Babyzen Yoyo and we have got a lot of use out of it over the past year. It came on holiday with us again this summer, it is a trusty companion on day trips as it fits so well in any space. However, the Minu has been stealing the show recently.

This is mainly thanks to its basket, which is better for everyday use (shopping or storing all the school paraphernalia in the mornings) and its sturdiness. It has made our trips up our local hills so much easier, as it is so pleasantly lightweight, but can take knocks really well.

However, both strollers are fantastic choices in the category they serve - and the Yoyo is still the star where it comes to its compact fold.

Read our full review of the UPPAbaby Minu here.

Read out full review of the Babyzen Yoyo here.

Read on for some more buggy research...

• Best compact strollers
• Best buggies that fit in overhead compartment
• Best buggies for city life and public transport