Lightweight Strollers

There's a moment at the bottom of a set of station stairs, or at the boot of the car in the rain, when the weight of your pram stops being a specification and becomes the whole problem. A lightweight stroller is the answer to that moment, folding down small and lifting with one arm while the other one's holding a toddler.

Who Gets the Most From One

City families come first, particularly anyone using public transport or living somewhere with stairs and no lift. A small boot is another good reason, since a compact fold leaves room for the shopping. Plenty of parents buy one as a second pram, keeping a full-size model for daily walks and a light one permanently in the car for shopping centres, cafés and daycare pick-ups. 

And if you're flying, a stroller that meets carry-on dimensions means gate-checking becomes optional rather than compulsory. If you're on your first baby and unsure whether one pram can do everything, it usually can for a while, and a lightweight second pram tends to arrive around the time you start travelling.

The Fold Is What You're Really Buying

Weight matters, though the fold matters more. A one-handed fold you can trigger while holding your child is worth a great deal more than half a kilo saved, and a stroller that stands up on its own once folded saves you from leaning it against a wall and watching it slide. 

Check the folded dimensions against your boot and, if you fly, against airline cabin limits, which vary between carriers. Then think about carrying it. A shoulder strap or a proper carry handle changes how a set of stairs feels. Practise the fold in store a few times before you commit, because a mechanism that seems clever in a showroom can be maddening in a car park.

What You Give Up and What You Don't

Smaller wheels handle footpaths and shopping centres well and are less happy on grass or gravel, so a lightweight stroller is a companion to an all-terrain pram rather than a replacement for one. Baskets are usually smaller, which is worth knowing before a big shop. 

Recline varies a lot, and if you want one from birth you'll need either a flat recline or a capsule that clips on, so check what's suitable for a newborn rather than assuming. What you don't give up on the better models is a proper harness, a decent canopy and a comfortable seat. There are also compact prams sitting between the two categories, lighter than a full-size model without dropping to travel-stroller size.

The Best Lightweight Stroller Brands in Australia

Joolz brings Dutch design to the travel end, with a stroller built around a fold that goes over a shoulder.Bugaboo covers both the ultra-compact cabin size and the lighter full-featured pram, so you can stay in one system as your needs change. 

Mountain Buggy is the name most associated with genuinely small folds in Australia, including a double that still packs down.Thule approaches it from the outdoor side, with strollers that stay manageable without giving up on rougher ground. These are just some of the brands we carry.

Choosing the Right Pram for Your Life

A lightweight stroller is one answer among several, and the right one depends on where you walk, what you drive and how many children you're pushing. Our full prams and strollers range lays out the alternatives side by side, and these are the ones worth comparing: 

• Travel Prams
• Single Prams
• Pram + Capsule Bundles
• Double Prams
• Running & Jogging Prams
• Pram Travel Bags
• Pram Accessories
• Plane Travel

Come and fold a few yourself atAlexandria orMiranda, or book afree consultation and we'll help you work out which suits you.