Reggie is seven weeks old.
Roman is two and a quarter.
We’re not sleeping.
And I’ve booked a holiday.
So obviously, the next sensible thing to do was spend several nights researching the best double travel stroller for a newborn and toddler.
Travelling with one child already requires approximately seventeen bags.
Travelling with two?
I don’t even want to think about it.
Reggie is still very much in the “needs to be attached to me at all times” phase.
Roman, meanwhile has entered that wonderful stage of toddlerhood where he can walk perfectly well but will suddenly decide to bolt into the marina.
So I started looking for a travel stroller for a newborn and 2 year-old.
(Quick note before we go further: I haven’t taken this on the trip yet, so this isn’t a “best stroller ever” verdict — it’s the why-we-chose-it post. The actual test comes after Mallorca. More on that below.)
Do I need a double stroller for a toddler and newborn?
This was the question.
Because obviously, I have two children now.
Surely I need a double buggy?
Except… do I?
Roman does not necessarily need to be in a pushchair for every single second we’re out.
Reggie, on the other hand, currently hates being put down.
It was really a toss-up between carrying on with our beloved Joolz Aer, putting Reggie in a baby carrier and accepting that I’d be permanently sweating through my clothes, or admitting defeat and getting a double stroller.
And then I thought about 30 degree heat and carrying a newborn around in a baby carrier every day.
Absolutely not.
Then there was the small matter of the children potentially never napping simultaneously again.
And if there is one thing I have learnt about having two children, it’s that a simultaneous nap is basically a sacred event. I am not willing to risk it.
So, double stroller it was.
The double stroller rabbit hole
I ended up looking at the Joie Estrella Twin and the UPPAbaby Minu:
UPPAbaby Minu Duo— side-by-side, compact for a double, one-handed one-step fold, both seats work from birth with adjustable footrests. UPPAbaby says it’s designed to fit through a standard 74cm doorway.
Joie Estrella Twin — the more budget-friendly option, but bulkier for travel and not something I was convinced I could fold one-handed with a newborn attached to me.
When you’re looking for the best stroller for a newborn and toddler, there’s a lot to actually think about:
Can the newborn use it safely? Can the toddler still fit comfortably? Is it practical for travelling? Can I fold it while holding a baby? Will it fit in the car? Will I get through an airport without taking out three innocent bystanders? And, importantly, will I still want to use it once we’re home?
The Estrella won on price. The Minu won on almost everything else I actually needed for this trip.
So I’ve gone for the UPPAbaby Minu Duo
What I wanted was something compact, practical and genuinely travel-friendly. I didn’t want a massive double stroller that took up half the boot and wouldn’t fit on a European pavement.
Reggie is also tiny — he’s not at the stage where I can just pop him into any stroller and crack on. So it needed to properly work for a newborn. That was one of the big reasons I liked the Minu.
For us, the stroller is primarily about Reggie, with Roman being at the age where he can walk but may still need a ride when he’s tired.
The Minu is genuinely a double without being enormous. It’s also relatively travel-friendly for a double — one-handed, one-step fold, integrated carry handle. So you’re getting the convenience of a double without the full-size-double-buggy feeling.
If you want to see everything else that’s coming with us — what’s in the changing bag, the airport logistics, the car seat situation — that’s all in my parent travel toolkit!
The airport test
This is the bit I’m most interested in.
You can read 700 reviews online, watch every folding video on YouTube and spend hours comparing weights and dimensions.
But what I really need is something that makes travelling slightly less chaotic.
If the stroller gets us from the car to the plane without me crying, I’ll consider that a win!!!
If you want to see what else is coming in our bags, my free travel checklist has the full list!
Two months postpartum and going on holiday
Is this sensible?
Probably not.
Am I excited?
Absolutely.
We’re tired.
We’re still adjusting to being a family of four.
Reggie doesn’t sleep.
Roman is going through all the emotions.
And I am currently measuring my success in whether everyone has been fed, dressed and left the house with the correct shoes.
But I also don’t want to spend the next year waiting until we’re ready to do things.
Because when are you ever ready with children?
So we’re going.
We’re taking the newborn.
We’re taking the toddler.
We’re taking far too much luggage.
And we’re taking the UPPAbaby Minu!
So, is it the best double travel stroller for a newborn and toddler?
Ask me after Mallorca.
At the moment, I’ve done the research, made the decision and convinced myself that this is absolutely the right choice.
Which, let’s be honest, is how most parenting decisions work!
You research for hours.
You become emotionally attached to one particular product.
You buy it.
And then your child refuses to sit in it.
So I’m cautiously optimistic.
The UPPAbaby Minu is coming on holiday with us, and I’ll be putting it through the full newborn-and-toddler travel test.
Airport.
Plane.
Transfer.
Hotel.
Pool.
Restaurants.
Toddler tantrums.
Newborn feeds.
If it survives all that, then I’ll tell you whether I’ve actually found the best double travel stroller for a newborn and 2-year-old.
For now, though?
I’ve booked the holiday.
I’ve bought the stroller.
And I’m choosing to believe I’ve got this.
Want the real verdict, not just the pre-trip hope? I’ll be posting the full after-Mallorca review — fold-count, tantrum-survival, everything — so subscribe below and I’ll make sure it lands straight in your inbox.
Ask me again soon!
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