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The first time I saw a Babyzen YOYO, I did a double take. It was in a supermarket, around 2012. I had a keen eye for pushchairs — occupational habit — and this one stopped me. It was almost so compact it could have been a child’s toy pushchair at a glance. That tiny fold, that slim profile, parked next to the trolleys looking like it had no business being a real pushchair for a real child.
It was, of course, the real thing. And it was something genuinely new.
More than a decade later, the YOYO is one of the most recognised pushchair names in the UK. The brand has changed — Babyzen was acquired by Stokke in 2021, and the pushchair is now sold as the Stokke YOYO³ — but the product’s core identity hasn’t. Compact. Lightweight. City-focused. Built to last.
This is the honest review. Including the parts the marketing doesn’t mention.
What happened to Babyzen — and what it means for buyers
If you’ve been searching for “Babyzen YOYO” and found yourself landing on Stokke’s website, you’re not going mad. Stokke acquired Babyzen in December 2021 and has been rebranding the product range ever since. The YOYO is now officially the Stokke YOYO³.
The good news: the same team that designed and built the original YOYO continues to develop it under Stokke ownership. The product hasn’t been quietly downgraded — if anything, the Stokke version has improved on the original in several meaningful ways.
The other good news: if you’re considering a secondhand YOYO², the old Babyzen accessories — footmuffs, parasols, newborn packs — are almost entirely compatible with the new Stokke YOYO³ frame. A significant money-saving detail worth knowing.
Babyzen YOYO² vs Stokke YOYO³ — what actually changed
If you’re deciding between a secondhand YOYO² and a new YOYO³, here are the real differences:
- Storage basket: Doubled from 5kg capacity on the YOYO² to 10kg on the YOYO³ — a meaningful improvement on one of the original’s main weaknesses
- Canopy: Extended hood with a closeable mesh ventilation window — addressing the common complaint that the original hood was too short for sunny days
- Seat: Backrest is taller with an added head cushion for sleeping toddlers
- Wheels: Reflective wheel trims added for visibility at night
- Accessories compatibility: Most YOYO² accessories work on the YOYO³ frame — worth knowing if you’re buying secondhand and want to add extras later
What the YOYO actually is
The YOYO is a compact, lightweight pushchair designed specifically for city and urban life. Four wheels, forward-facing seat, full recline for younger babies with the newborn pack, suitable from birth to approximately 22kg. The front wheels are set on a noticeably narrow axle track, which gives it the nimbleness of a three-wheeler in tight spaces while keeping the structural stability of a four-wheeled base. It folds in seconds to a genuinely small package — slim enough to stand upright, small enough to fit in an overhead locker on a plane (more on that claim shortly).
It is not an all-terrain pushchair. It is not a travel system with a detachable carrycot and car seat compatibility in the traditional sense. It is not a pushchair for muddy fields, rough ground, or anything beyond paths and pavements. If you need those things, look elsewhere — the Joie range or an all-terrain option would serve you better.
What it is, it does exceptionally well.
Who the YOYO is for
The parent drawn to the YOYO typically has one or more of these in their life:
- A small car boot that full-size pushchairs make awkward
- Regular public transport — buses, trains, the Tube
- A busy urban life — shops, cafés, restaurants with tight spaces
- Regular travel — holidays, weekends away, city breaks
- A pushchair that needs to fit in a coach locker without a fight
That last point is personal to me. I spent decades organising coach holidays — including many thousands of families travelling to Disneyland Paris. The YOYO is the easiest pushchair to load into a coach luggage locker. Compact, lightweight, no awkward angles. If you’re travelling by coach, this is the pushchair to take. For our full advice on pushchairs for Disneyland Paris, see our dedicated Disneyland Paris pushchair guide.
The cabin baggage claim — the honest version
The YOYO is heavily marketed as cabin-approved — small enough to fit in an overhead locker on most airlines. This is technically true. The fold dimensions meet many airlines’ cabin baggage requirements.
In practice: most airports and airlines will take your pushchair off you at the bottom of the plane steps regardless of its size, fold it into the aircraft hold, and return it to you on the airbridge at your destination. This is standard procedure on the majority of commercial flights. Whether your pushchair fits in an overhead locker is largely irrelevant unless you’re on a very specific airline with a very specific policy — and even then, policies change.
The YOYO is an outstanding travel pushchair. The cabin-approved claim is genuine but less useful in practice than the marketing suggests. Don’t buy it primarily for that reason — buy it for everything else it does well.
The honest downsides
Storage. A compact pushchair will inevitably have limited storage — it’s not a TARDIS. The YOYO³ basket has improved significantly over the original (5kg to 10kg capacity) but if you regularly carry a large changing bag, shopping, and assorted daily accumulation, you may find it limiting. Bag hooks on the handlebar help but add to the overall package.
Newborn suitability. The YOYO is suitable from birth but requires the separately purchased newborn pack — a reclined, padded insert that creates a flatter lying position for young babies. This is an additional cost on top of an already premium price. Factor it in if you’re buying for a newborn.
The price. The Stokke YOYO³ is not cheap. You are paying for genuine quality, exceptional longevity, and a product that has been refined over more than a decade. But it is a significant investment for what is, physically, a relatively simple pushchair. If budget is a concern, a secondhand YOYO² is genuinely worth considering — they are built to last and hold up well.
Paths and pavements only. Say it clearly: this is a city pushchair. Any rougher terrain and you’ll feel it. The small wheels and lightweight frame are not designed for anything beyond smooth surfaces.
Is a secondhand Babyzen YOYO² worth buying?
Yes — unreservedly. The YOYO was built to last and secondhand examples hold up well. Unlike some pushchairs where secondhand means compromised, a well-maintained YOYO² in good condition is a genuinely excellent buy.
- The fold mechanism — test it several times, it should snap open and closed cleanly
- The recline — test all positions, it should hold firm without dropping
- The front wheel — spin it and check for wobble or stiffness
- The harness — check buckle, webbing, and crotch strap for wear or fraying
- The fabrics — check for mould around the hood, particularly at the zip
- What’s included — colour pack, newborn pack, rain cover all add value
- Accessories compatibility — most YOYO² accessories work on the YOYO³ frame if you upgrade later
The verdict
The Babyzen YOYO — now the Stokke YOYO³ — is one of the genuinely great pushchairs. Not because it does everything, but because it does its specific job exceptionally well. If your life involves small car boots, buses, trains, coaches, cafés, and city streets, this should be on your shortlist. It’s pricey, the storage is limited by design, and it won’t cope with rough terrain. But it’s well-built, long-lasting, and a genuine pleasure to use.
The Stokke rebrand has if anything improved the product. And if budget is a concern, a secondhand YOYO² is one of the safer secondhand pushchair purchases you can make.
Check the current price of the Stokke YOYO³ on Amazon →
Questions about the Babyzen YOYO or Stokke YOYO³? Get in touch — I’m happy to help.