Five Frenchmen founded BabyZen to create a lightweight stroller suitable for urban living. This brand is of higher quality and designed for travel and city living.
The Babyzen is a fairly small stroller that performs well for transporting and storage.
The Babyzen is about average in weight, weighing 14.0 lbs in our tests. We consider this an acceptable weight for this class of product.
When folded, this stroller measures 17.5" W x 10" H x 20" L, totaling 3,500 cubic inches. It's not one of the smallest options in the group, but it's smaller than average, with only a handful of strollers being more compact. It also features a shoulder carry strap, making it easy to carry even if your hands are full.
There is nothing difficult about using the BabyZen, but some competitors offer easier features when compared side-by-side.
The Yoyo2 requires two hands and does not self-stand. The fold is easy, but a little convoluted, and bending down to reach a handle is involved.
It has three steps that include releasing the frame, pulling the hidden handle and pressing down until it locks in place. The unfolding is the best part; you release the lock and hold it up as everything falls into place.
The storage on the Babyzen is a bummer. We love the pocket on the back of the canopy, and it is a great place for snacks or a smartphone, but the basket under the seat is disappointing.
The bin is one of the smallest in the group, and we barely got our medium-sized diaper bag inside. The frame layout impedes open access to the basket, making it challenging to get the bag in and out.
The Babyzen harness has soft and smooth webbing that works well and is skin-friendly. The shoulder straps have padding for comfort. The buckle is free of potential for pinching, and it took about 18-22 lbs to press.
The brake pedal on the Yoyo2 is small, almost comically so. It is a single-action brake that is slightly off-center to make it easier to press. It is press-to-set and lift-to-release, but is foot-friendly and did not cause pain or shoe damage in our tests.
The Babyzen assembly is more involved than most. The instructions are clear, but it doesn't have pictures, which makes it take longer. There are more steps; without picture help, it took more thoughtful time and consideration. The canopy required finding a video online to complete.
The Yoyo2 offers a newborn back and adapters for some seats from Cybex, Nuna, Clek, and Maxi-Cosi.
The maneuverability of the Babyzen is impressive for a travel stroller. While it can't match full-size strollers, it does hold its own.
The Yoyo2 has some of the hardest wheels and excels on smooth surfaces, and we had no frustrations. The wider front wheels provide more stability than many of the other competitors. The rigid frame lets you push it through grass and over gravel, even if it isn't designed for this. It popped easily up and over smaller curbs and transitions.
The Babyzen is a high-quality stroller. The material on the Yoyo2 feels softer than most competitors', especially in the harness padding and straps. The fabric fits the stroller's shape well, with no excess or frumpy-looking bunching.
The frame has a nice black finish, but it's more convoluted than competitors, and it doesn't look as sleek with more joints. The frame is sturdy with very little flex, but the small wheelbase makes it feel less stable. The unique frame design helps it fold small but creates potential points for snagging.
The wheels are 5.2 inches in the back and foam-filled plastic. They are denser than most of the plastic wheels and registered 80 HA on the Shore A density scale. They feel durable and have somewhat better traction than some. The solid hub likely adds weight, and we aren't convinced it does much more than look cool.
The Babyzen has some features we like for kid comfort, but overall, it doesn't stand out and is largely average.
The seat back has a one-hand recline/raise with a nice range for comfort. The seat back is padded, and there is no real legrest as the seat bottom rolls over at the end, and the legs are left unsupported. There is a bar that can be used as a footrest, but the passenger needs to be tall enough to reach it.
The Babyzen canopy is smaller than we'd like and has a small vinyl peek-a-boo window with no cover.
It lost favor here with no cover and the limited size that sort of curls inward toward the back of the seat instead of out and over more of the passenger.
The Yoyo2 is a quality stroller that is easy to push and has a small fold. We like the design, the folding mechanism/process, and the super soft webbing on the harness. If you want a petite stroller with quality materials and price is no object, you might like the Babyzen. However, while it ranks higher than most and we like this stroller, it pales somewhat compared to others that score higher and cost the same or slightly lower, with prices close to half that of the Yoyo2. So, while we think you'll like it, we think there are others we'd choose over this one, especially if you want better storage or comfier features for kids.
If you like the Babyzen but want the best, the UPPAbaby Minu v3 and Joolz Aer+ are in a close race. Both impressed us in almost every metric. Compared with the Yoyo2, they offer better overall performance and a more refined ride. They're also in a relatively similar budget range, especially the Joolz Aer+, making them compelling options. If you value a more comfortable ride for your child, the Minu v3 has the edge over the Joolz, but the Joolz is lighter and easier to use on the go. Ultimately, your choice will depend on your goals and needs.
