We continue our quest to find the perfect compact stroller by bringing you our Uppababy Minu review.
There is now a wealth of choice in the quality lightweight stroller market with our established favourites being the Ergobaby Metro Compact and the Babyzen Yoyo+. Can the Uppababy Minu offer anything new compared to the 8 strollers that made it into our best lightweight strollers buying guide?
Keep reading to find out if the Minu is the one for you.
Uppababy Minu Stroller
Uppababy Minu Specs
- Dimensions:
- Folded dimensions of Uppababy MINU: 11.5 x 20.5 x 23 inches (29 x 52 x 58cm)
- Weighs only 14.8 lbs (6.7kg)
- Maximum weight: 50 pounds
- Suitable for babies from 3 months up to 50lbs.
- Suitable for newborns with the birth kit.
Pros
- Great sun canopy
- Really awesome one-handed fold
- Will last a long time (up to 50 pounds)
- Car seat compatible
Cons
- Not small enough for airline carry-on
Uppababy Minu Age Range
From Baby to Toddler
In its standard set up, the Uppababy Minu is suitable for babies that weigh 14 pounds or more and will last them until they are 50 pounds.
That is generally an age of 3 months until about 4-5 years old.
The seat is a good size to accommodate growing toddlers, the seat back is 18 inches tall but you actually get 25 inches of clearance from the canopy to the seat. The seat 13 inches wide so there is plenty of space for your child to grow until they are 4 or 5 years old.
Newborn
If you are looking for a stroller that is suitable from birth then the Minu could still be the one for you, but you will need to purchase the Uppababy From Birth Kit at an additional cost. It is worth bearing in mind that this is the case with all of the compact strollers that we have come across as none of them provide the newborn kit as standard and it is not even an option with many of them.
The Birth Kit is basically a bassinet style seat that will allow very young babies to lie fully flat in the buggy and it has been designed to take babies from birth weight until 20 pounds.
The overall effect of the birth kit it to create a really nice, safe environment for your little one to enjoy their first few weeks and month out in the big wide world. The birth kit includes a mattress and a lovely fleece knot sheet so you can make it a super cosy place for them to rest (don’t worry, it is all removable and washable).
The sides are high and wide and you can fold the canopy and sunshade over them so that they are almost completely enclosed and protected from the elements.
Inside the bassinet, you will find a fully adjustable 5 point safety harness that you can use to keep your baby safely held in place.
We love that the Birth kit has been designed so that the stroller still folds up with the bassinet in place. This is a feature that is shared with a few other compact city strollers and it really does feel like an essential feature.
The fold is still pretty smooth with the birth kit in place but as there is so much extra fabric it is harder to get it closed and you won’t get quite such a neatly folded and compact stroller as you will when you use the stroller in the 3 months plus set up (something to look forward to as your baby grows up!).
Check out the Uppababy Minu Birth Kit
Uppababy Minu Travel System
Another option for transporting your baby around is to attach a car seat to the Uppababy Minu stroller. You can do this by buying some car seat adaptors that will allow you to attach Uppababy’s own Mesa car seat, or car seats made by Maxi-Cosi, Nuna and Cybex.
This is a great flexible option that is not available on all compact strollers and should help you to ease through the transition from car to stroller without waking the baby. Well, that is the theory anyway!
It is not a perfect system though and we have to point out that to attach a car seat you must first remove the normal seat from the frame of the stroller, which is a bit of a pain, to be honest.
Uppababy Minu Weight and Dimensions
The Uppababy Minu 2018 weighs only 14.8 lbs (6.7kg) and measures 11.5 x 20.5 x 23 inches (29 x 52 x 58cm). This makes it a very compact umbrella stroller that is ideal for anyone that has limited storage space at home or has a car with a small boot (or even a big boot, many other strollers seem to instantly fill the trunk!).
It is disappointing that the measurements are just a bit too big to be taken as carry-on luggage (you can check measurements for airlines here).
We know that not everyone that wants a compact stroller wants to take it on board a plane, but it does feel like Uppababy has missed a trick here. Having reviewed plenty of compact strollers now this one just about warrants being described as bulky when compared to the likes of the Babyzen Yoyo+ or Ergobaby Metro.
You can buy a padded bag for when you travel with the Minu. This will ensure that your stroller arrives safely at your destination. Before placing it in the bag you must remove the wheels and put them in their own special little bag.
Features, Comfort and Manoeuvrability
The Uppababy Minu features high-quality, durable materials throughout and we are pretty confident that it will last as long as you need it for.
The comfort of your baby or toddler has been taken care of thanks to the all wheel suspension that will take the shock out of small lumps and bumps along the route.
The front wheels are smaller than the back ones and they are swivel wheels that allow for tight cornering around town. The wheels are foam filled rather than air-filled so there is no need to worry about getting a flat tyre.
It is a baby buggy designed for the urban environment though so don’t be thinking that this is an off-road or jogging pushchair. It handles cracked pavements and cobbled street pretty well though and the odd walk across a grassy area should be fine.
As it is a compact stroller it is narrow and ideal for navigating your way between the aisles in small grocery stores or for weaving your way through crowded streets.
Canopy
The Uppababy travel stroller has an awesome extendable canopy with a pop-out UPF50+ sun visor. It provides the child with full protection from the sun and a nice feature is the ability to open one panel up to allow air in to help keep them cool on hot days.
Of course, any parent likes to gaze adoringly at their child from time to time and the canopy has a peek a boo window to allow you to do just that. We love that Uppababy has used a magnetic fastener on the window cover, it is so much better than scratchy Velcro sounds that wake the baby!
Seat
The lightweight stroller from Uppababy has a great multi-position reclining seat with a 5-point safety harness. The straps are quite easy to adjust so that you can keep your little one snugly strapped in (assuming they let you!). The buckles are great and can easily be done up and undone by an adult.
There are three seating options at different angles, including one that is great for nap times. Moving the seat it an easy task and can be done with one hand as you lower it, but you need to to go back up again. There is no fully flat position unless you have the newborn fabrics attached.
Handlebar
The comfort of the parent hasn’t been forgotten when they designed this baby carriage. The handlebar are covered in a really nice looking leather that feels great in your hands. The pattern is perforated for extra grip and breathability.
Behind the seat, there is a really handy pocket that is perfect for keeping your keys and phone within easy reach. There is even enough space to squeeze in a secret chocolate bar for the driver!!
The handlebar is non-adjustable and sits at a height of 41 inches (104cm). We haven’t yet found a quality compact stroller that has an adjustable handlebar but the manufacturers have chosen slightly different heights for their handlebars.
The Minu is the same height as the Babyzen Yoyo+ and it is a good height for most people. If you are very short the Mountain Buggy Nano has its handlebar a couple of inches lower.
Basket
Underneath the buggy is a storage basket that is a pretty decent size for a compact stroller. Easily enough space to keep a changing bag and a few snacks for your day out. You can access this basket from the front or the back which makes it easier to use than on many of the alternative options.
Carry Strap
When you have finished using the stroller it is easy to carry about using the included carry strap. This is great if you need to fold it up to get up some steps or an escalator before continuing on your way.
For journeys and storage, you can use the bag that comes with the pushchair to keep everything neatly packed up.
Brakes
The Minu has great brakes. There are two pedals, a red one and a green one. The red one locks the brakes, the green one releases them again. So simple and easy to do in any footwear.
One Hand Fold
The Uppababy Minu has one of the best one hand fold systems we have seen. Unlike many other strollers, it is a genuine one hand fold that is dead easy to get the hang of. There are two buttons on the handlebar, to fold the stroller you need to slide one button to the side whilst pressing the other one in.
The Uppababy Minu will then fold itself! Once folded it will stand up on its own which is such a simple thing but it makes all the difference as you can easily put it down and pick it up again without it crashing all over the place.
To open the Minu you need to unlatch the clip and lift the stroller and it will unravel itself.
Uppababy Minu Review – Our Verdict
The Uppababy Minu is a great little stroller that has covered all of the bases well. It is a good choice if you are a city dweller looking for a good compact stroller to get around town that won’t take up too much space in your apartment.
There are a few features that this stroller excels at over the competition. It has a great canopy, fantastic one-handed fold, great brakes and it will carry a child up to 50 pounds giving you many years of use.
If these are important features to you and you like the design and the price then the Minu is a great option to go for and you will not be disappointed in your purchase, have a look at these customer reviews to see what other owners think of it.
In the section below we have made a quick comparison against some of the other strollers you may be interested in to help you choose the best one for your family.
Uppababy Minu vs Babyzen Yoyo+
If the stroller size is more important to you we recommend the Babyzen Yoyo+ which we think is overall the best compact stroller. It is top quality throughout and folds much smaller than the Minu so you can carry it on board a plane as hand luggage.
We also love that you can add a buggy board should you have a second child, thereby extending the years of use that you can get out of it. The seat dimensions are almost the same on the Minu and Yoyo+, but the Yoyo is only certified up to 40 pounds.
Uppababy Minu vs Mountain Buggy Nano
We would definitely go for the Minu over the Mountain Buggy Nano. It has better wheels, a larger canopy, bigger storage basket, is easier to fold and they are both about the same size when folded up. The Nano is worth considering if you are short due to the lower handlebar height.
Uppababy Minu vs Ergobaby Metro
We really like the Ergobaby Metro stroller and would probably choose it over the Minu. If the comfort of your baby is the top priority then you need to see how luxuriously padded the Metro seat is. It folds up a bit smaller than the Minu so is good for carry-on.
Good luck in choosing the perfect compact stroller for your family. There are now so many good options out there and you won’t go far wrong with any of the ones we have mentioned above.
