Could this be the cherry on the top of what’s already a much-loved stroller? Bonpoint and Stokke Yoyo (formerly Babyzen) have teamed up to bring a dash of Parisian je ne sais quoi to the YOYO² with L'iconique, its new colourway. Keeping reading to discover what our real-life tester thought of the Yoyo when they tested it with their two children.
Inspired by the iconic cherries of the French fashion brand’s logo, this charming print can be found across the bassinet and 6 month+ seat, as well as a range of luxury accessories including a changing bag and super cute bunny.
Mother&Baby was at the launch event to test the stroller and discover the new collection, which is a playful but stylish print that manages to be both eye-catching and elegantly understated – think ‘quiet luxury’ for tots about town.
We’re already big fans of the YOYO² which made it on to our list of the best travel strollers. In fact, Mother&Baby’s Editor, Maria, described it as “a gamechanger" in her review, and this new colourway and kit only adds to that slick design and practicality.
YOYO² - made for city strolling and easy travelling
One key change in this Bonpoint kit is the addition of a larger sun visor to keep babies and toddlers cooler and out of the sun, as well as a ventilation window, peek-a-boo window to check they’re happy, and a soft cushion to add a touch more luxury to their journey. It’s available in a newborn kit and 6 months+ which should last your little one until they reach 22kg.
In terms of the general function of the stroller, it retains all the features and attention to detail that have made it a must for city mums and for travelling. It’s ultra compact, so can navigate around pavements, through restaurants, shops, and railway stations with ease, but is sturdy enough to cope with the demands of city living and travelling. At just 13.6lbs for the chassis and seat, it’s brilliantly lightweight and easy to carry over one shoulder with the handy strap.
As a true fan of the Stokke Xplory, I never thought I’d have my head turned by another stroller, but the intuitive and compact design of the YOYO² has done just that. Seeing how quickly and easily it could be folded into a size that could fit into the overhead luggage storage of most airlines has convinced this travel-obsessed mum that the YOYO² has the potential to take a lot of the stress out of travelling with tots.
Stokke YOYO2www.stokke.com
The Stokke YOYO2 x Bonpoint boasts all the features and practicality of the original YOYO2, but in a smart, chic new colour-way. Ultra compact, it can be folded and unfolded with ease, while the strap makes it easy to then carry around over one shoulder.
Becoming one of the go-to items for many mums and dads, the versatile YOYO2 stroller wears a few different hats - it’s easy to take around cities and can be picked up when catching the train or bus. You can also take it on an aeroplane where it can be popped into the overhead lockers. There's also the option to add a newborn pack to take little ones away from those early stages, all the while feeling reliable with its sturdy, compact frame.
Pros
- Compact when folded away, yet retains all the features you’d need from a main pram
- Easy to assemble out of the box
- Easily manoeuvrable, even with one hand
- Good storage
- Built in shoulder strap for easy carrying
Cons
- Seat is fairly reclined so doesn't offer the best view
- Could be improved by adding a foot rest for toddlers when napping
| Suitable for: | 0 to 48 (months) |
| Dimensions: | 86L x 106H x 44Wcm |
| Folded dimensions: | 52L × 44H × 18W cm |
| Chassis weight: | 5.1 kg |
The Bonpoint x YOYO2 Stroller Review
The YOYO2 was tested for Mother&Baby by Tom and his wife with their two children who are 18 months and 3.5 years. As he says "Me and my wife both work four days a week, and have the kids solo one day each at least, so getting out and about with two kids and all their paraphernalia can be a hassle. The YOYO2 has been great. At first I couldn’t quite believe just how small it packed down, whilst still retaining all the features that you might expect from a much bigger pram."
First impressions
On unboxing the pram, it was straightforward to put together with the help of a Youtube video, and we had it together and ready to go in no time at all. On it’s first outing with the baby (18 months) and her older brother (3 and a half), I was first struck by how manouvreable it is, even when pushing it with one hand – a real asset when having to hold the three year old on my shoulders with the other! Although some previous reviews have said the wrist strap is a bit surplus to requirements, I disagree, as I found looping my wrist through this when steering the pram one-handed gave me a bit more assurance and control.
The YOYO - out and about
After getting used to a much bigger pram, the Stokke YOYO2 x Bonpoint was a stylish revelation. Folding down to the size of a bag of shopping, the YOYO2 is great for getting out and about, be it by train, bus or just fitting snugly in the corner of the car boot. I found it really easy for getting around my local small town, which is full of steps and narrow doorways and, after taking a little getting used to, the ability to unfold it one-handed is brilliant, and just what you need when wrestling an 18 month old and 3 year old off the train as the doors are beeping!
As well as being easy to handle, the YOYO2 is a super smooth ride, with suspension on all four wheels. I was also surprised at how well it handled on rougher terrain, which was a real plus for us living in a village with rough paths and lots of gravel. We used the pram in our village, the nearby town and in the city, and it seemed well suited to all three. You wouldn’t get away with taking it cross country, but it did well in most of the places we needed to go.
Storage
Another unexpected plus was the amount of storage it has. The bottom of the pram fits all the stuff you might need for a day out, including coats, snacks, water bottles and even my son’s scooter. Although it won’t fold with all that stuff in obviously, so you need a storage contingency for when you need to fold it up if you’re out and about without the car.
The two pockets on the back of the pram are great for stuffing a pack of wipes, lunch or those all important teddies. And for sunny days, the hood provides ample shade, and has a handy window in the top which you can cover over for naps. And the sun parasol is great for those hot days when you really need some extra shade, and is easily detached and reattached to the other side of the pram for when the sun moves around.
Recline
For naps, it’s easy to recline the seat back with one hand by pulling a simple strap. One slight downside here is that it would be great to be able to bring up the footrest so that my sleeping baby was a bit more comfortable, but there are always going to be compromises with such a compact pram. The other thing it would be great to have is if the seat back came up a bit further to allow the baby to sit up more and see out, but again, that has become less of an issue in the few months we’ve tested the pram, as she’s now old enough to sit up herself without toppling out.
Practicalities
These slight downsides though are more than overcome by one of the biggest unexpected upsides of the YOYO2, which is that it can accommodate both my children sitting down. Despite its compact size, the seat pad flares out slightly, meaning I can strap in my 18 month old, shuffle her over slightly and then perch the three year old on the seat next to her. Despite being much larger, this wasn’t possible with our old pram, and it has been a godsend for says out when the oldest gets tired, and I’ve got a load of shopping that would make carrying him on my shoulders too hard. And despite this extra weight, the YoYo2 remains easy to handle. Who needs a double buggy!
The pram is really easy to fold down, although you really need two hands for this. But unfolding it with one hand is straightforward, if not all that elegant. And once folded, the built in shoulder strap is a simple but really useful addition for getting off buses or trains hands free, leaving you able to pick up the kids or wrangle them to where they need to go unimpeded by a bulky pram.
Final verdict
Overall, the Stokke YOYO2 is a dream. If I had to pick its biggest asset, it would be its manoeuvrability. Being able to easily navigate heavy shop doors whilst swivelling the pram around a tight angle is one of those things that just hugely improves your ability to get around, and where the YOYO2 beats bigger, bulkier prams hands down. And its main selling point of collapsing down to a tiny size whilst retaining most of the features of a larger pram is worth the money alone, whether you mostly get around by car and want to reclaim bootspace, or regularly get trains and buses and need a pram that will fit easily in any luggage rack. We’re going to France on holiday this year in our medium sized hatchback, and the YOYO2 has meant we don’t need to buy a roof-rack or luggage box, saving us more than the price of the pram with one journey. Although to be the perfect pram I’d want some minor adjustments to the angle of the seat back and an adjustable footrest, this is still an amazing product. If you need a pram for town or village, car or bus, you can’t go wrong with the YOYO2.
Rebecca Lancaster is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby, drawing on ten years of parenting her two children to help others navigating their own parenting journey. As a freelance writer, she spent ten years working with leading lifestyle brands, from travel companies to food and drink start-ups, and writing everything from hotel reviews to guides to the best British cheeses. She’s particularly interested in travel and introducing her children to the excitement of visiting new places, trying different foods (less successfully) and experiencing different cultures.