Uppababy Minu Stroller Review

• Light and compact: The Minu’s diminutive stature is one of its most compelling selling points. For context, the strollers in our ratings range from 7 to 38 pounds, with only nine traditional strollers, including the Minu, weighing 15 pounds or less. Its small footprint makes it easy to navigate city streets, airports, and tight restaurants or shops. The Minu meets stroller size requirements for Disney Parks and fits in most airlines’ overhead bins, at least on larger aircraft. (No need to gate-check!)
• Very easy one-handed fold: Simply push the release on the handle as you move it downward—a latch holds the compressed frame together. We found that this action can be cumbersome with other strollers; with this one it’s straightforward, even when you have a squirmy baby on your hip. An included shoulder strap makes it easy to carry the folded stroller (handy when you’re boarding a plane or after day-care drop off).
• Multiposition recline: The seat reclines easily with one hand to lie nearly flat. It requires two hands to return the back to a seated position.
• Expandable canopy: This provides a decent amount of shade. Up top, a large mesh “peekaboo” window lets you keep an eye on baby, and the flap that conceals the window adheres to the canopy with magnets—a thoughtful touch that might seem insignificant until you’re pushing a quiet baby (“Is he asleep?!”) and you want to glance through a window that’s closed with noisy Velcro.
• Accommodation for a wide age range: That is, assuming it holds up over time (more on that below). Uppababy says the Minu is suitable for babies from 3 months to children up to 50 pounds. A “From Birth” kit, sold separately for $200, includes a bassinet attachment for an infant up to 20 pounds.

In our lab tests, the Minu earns respectable scores for ease of use, maneuverability, and safety. That means it’s a solid performer, though not quite strong enough to earn CR’s recommendation.

One drawback is the Minu’s small plastic wheels. Larger wheels, particularly those filled with air, make for a smoother ride—though my own toddler never seemed bothered. Another is that the Minu’s handles are not adjustable to accommodate taller caregivers, though my partner, at 6’5’’, found the Minu’s handle tall enough to be comfortable.

A notable finding in the lab: During the course of our testing, the latch that keeps the folded stroller shut broke. I never had that problem, but after two years of daily folding and unfolding, one of the hinges on the stroller’s frame broke.

Parents looking for a small, lightweight stroller. City dwellers especially will appreciate the Minu’s compact size and ability to handle curbs, bumpy sidewalks and uneven trails well enough. Uppababy, and plenty of other stroller brands, offer more souped-up models if you want bells and whistles and don’t mind the extra weight.

Our engineers put every stroller we rate through a series of tests inside the labs our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters. In those tests, we use each stroller the way you would, but with a weight that simulates a child.

To evaluate ease of use, our testers adjust the safety harness, fold and unfold, lift, carry, hit the brakes, and more. For maneuverability, we take each stroller through a course—with the weight “baby” on board—that runs along surfaces that simulate pavement and grass and is outfitted with S-turns, narrow sections, curbs, hills, debris, obstructions, and more. We also subject each stroller to standard safety tests, as well as CR-designed tests for stability and braking.