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In partnership with Mockingbird. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
Nobody tells you how much having a quality travel stroller matters until you’re navigating the airport solo with your 13-month-old and juggling a diaper bag and backpack while you’re trying to fish his bottle out of the bowels of your luggage for meal time. That was the first moment I realized all travel strollers are not created equal — honestly, they shouldn’t all even be considered in the same category.
If you’re in the market for a travel stroller, the Joolz Aer2 Lightweight Stroller ($549-$579 depending on color) is another popular choice — and a natural contender with the Mockingbird for parents narrowing down their final pick. Both the Mockingbird and Joolz models are slim-fold powerhouses that work from newborn days through the toddler years, accommodating children up to 50 pounds with excellent reclining seats, large canopies and ample basket storage. Ahead, see why we pick the Mockingbird Travel Stroller for parents who want the most bang for their buck with functionality and comfort top of mind.
The Players
Mockingbird: Mockingbird is a fan-favorite baby gear company that’s brought premium, high-quality products to the market without the sticker shock since 2019. Some favorites? The Mockingbird High Chair ($249) and its best-selling Single-to-Double Stroller 3.0 ($549).
Joolz: This Dutch baby brand is all about sleek, ergonomic strollers — like its much-hyped Joolz Aer line. Joolz hasn’t branched into car seats, high chairs or other baby products beyond the stroller-verse, but it does also have the more bare bones Joolz Dot ($399) stroller in its portfolio, too.
Ease of Folding
The first time I took the Mockingbird Travel Stroller out of the box, I was amazed by how seamless and simple the folding process was. I feel like there’s always a learning curve with new strollers, but this wasn’t the case with Mockingbird’s Travel Stroller. The brand isn’t kidding when it bills it as “the easiest one hand fold.”
The Mockingbird Travel Stroller’s savvily designed one-hand autofold means once you press the button the stroller folds on its own without you having to guide it all the way closed. With the Joolz Aer2 Lightweight Stroller (and many other travel strollers), you’ll have to guide your stroller manually closed. Both folds take about one second, and require only one hand, but with the Mockingbird stroller, you don’t have to crouch over or strain yourself to guide the stroller shut manually. When you’re racing around with a toddler, it’s a real comfort to know that your stroller will close swiftly and without fussing around with finicky parts and buttons that seemingly have a mind of their own.
Speaking of which, as one customer pointed out on Joolz’ website “it sticks a bit upon opening [,] I have to press hard and sometimes shake it.” Another customer pointed out that the open and close buttons “don’t work well all the time.”
Winner: Mockingbird
Portability
International Air Transport Association (IATA) compliant? Check! Both of these strollers are IATA compatible and fit in the overhead bin of most aircraft. Both the Mockingbird Travel Stroller and Joolz also come with a carrying case included to keep your stroller covered during transport or for at-home storage. The former’s carrying bag even comes with both an adjustable shoulder strap and also a side handle for enhanced maneuverability (that’s the technical term for “toddler gear wrangling.”) The Joolz Aer2’s travel pouch has a shoulder strap.
As someone who always seems to find herself going up and down stairs — whether far from home on a train platform or in my daily city life — I love that the Mockingbird stroller has an easy access carry strap so you can sling the folded stroller over your shoulder while in transit. It’s a seemingly small thing, but it makes a difference when you’re running out of hands to hold your baby and your gear while on the move. Plus, when you’re frazzled at security and boarding, being able to use the built-in shoulder strap for hands-free carrying, is a veritable blessing.
Lastly, let’s talk about weight. Here’s where the Joolz Aer2 has a leg up: It’s an industry-leading 14.3 pounds to Mockingbird’s 17.7 pounds. Practically speaking, if you can easily lift 14 pounds, you can probably handle almost 18 pounds sans issue, too, but if you want to get granular about the specs of these builds, Joolz is the winner here.
Winner: Joolz
Maneuverability
“So easy to drive,” wrote one satisfied Joolz customer of the Joolz Aer2. “Smooth ride with low weight yet sturdy frame,” reviewed another customer. The stroller’s smooth ride comes courtesy of the all-wheel suspension, and parents should have an easy time pushing this stroller on various terrains.
Over with the Mockingbird make, all-wheel suspension gets a boost from independent rear suspension for an even smoother ride. The relatively large wheels for a travel stroller are great to have, too, and ditto for the tires’ design with anti-wobble technology.
If you find yourself steering one-handedly for a bit, expect what the brand calls “ultra-smooth one-hand push” and what I call, “salvation for my hydration break.” Strolling in the evening? The Mockingbird team even thought to add reflective accents to the wheels for more nighttime visibility.
I’d also like to thank the product engineers behind the Mockingbird Travel Stroller for positioning the brake higher than the industry standard. If you gave me a dollar for every time I nearly tripped or tripped on the brake or frame of a travel stroller, I’d have a Franklin.
Then, let’s touch on storage since that’s related to your ability to navigate. Both work just fine and continue to drive safely and smoothly with extra stuff in the shopping baskets. We’re giving Mockingbird a slight upper hand here, though. For the Mockingbird stroller, parents can make use of a large, easy-access basket with a capacity of up to 20 pounds as well as a zippered seat-back pocket for stashing small items. Joolz Aer2 has a medium-sized basket with a 17.6 pound capacity.
Winner: Mockingbird
Child Comfort
Along with the wheel design contributing to your child’s smooth (or bumpy) ride, other features play into how enjoyable stroller time is for your little one.
For the Mockingbird Travel Stroller the machine-washable reversible seat liner amplifies comfort with one all-weather side and another mesh side for increased ventilation during the dog days of summer. (I actually use the mesh side regardless of the weather since my son always seems to get sweaty when we’re out and about.)
Then, there’s the truly epic canopy for superior sun protection. Seriously, the sun shade is so large that when my son and I got caught in a recent sprinkle for a few blocks, my 16-month-old stayed mostly dry from the rain. What’s more, the XL UPF 50+ canopy comes with partial-to-full rear ventilation, complete with a magnetic-lift “peak-a-boo window” so you can quietly determine if your charge is snoozing without potentially jarring them awake by raising an entire canopy.
Did nap time come? The nearly lie-flat recline is great for napping and diaper changes alike, and I also appreciate that the Mockingbird seat adjusts all along the spectrum from upright to supine so you can get it just right for your little guy or gal. To seal the deal, there’s a leg rest that can be placed in three different positions so your child can quite literally kick back and relax.
Since the Joolz Aer2 prioritizes being lightweight, child comfort doesn’t appear to be quite as top of mind. For one thing, no adjustable ventilation is offered on the sun shade, which is on the smaller side. The seat liner itself isn’t reversible either for cooling comfort and there’s no “peak-a-boo” window. In the “pros” column, the Joolz Aer2 has the full-flat recline functionality, so if that’s your main concern, Joolz has you covered there.
FYI: For newborn compatibility, you’ll have to buy the Joolz Aer2 with cot ($848) and/or Joolz Aer2 car seat adapters ($60), whereas the Mockingbird Travel Stroller includes a FlexConnect™ car seat adapter, which is compatible with more than 50 infant car seats, at no extra cost.
Winner: Mockingbird
Included Accessories and Value
The Mockingbird Travel Stroller packs in a ton of value straight out of the box. Along with the aforementioned FlexConnect™ adapter and utilitarian carrying case, it comes with a cup holder, too.. The Joolz Aer2, by comparison, comes with just the stroller and a carry pouch included with your purchase.
If you’re hoping to use the Joolz from the newborn days, you’ll need to purchase a car seat adapter and/or cot separately, while Mockingbird’s integrated Infant Nest Mode creates a bassinet-style space without the need to purchase a cot separately. (The Joolz Aer2 cot is a whopping $299). Mockingbird also offers broader car-seat compatibility to Joolz’s more limited portfolio, giving it another edge for parents who want to use their travel stroller as part of their newborn travel system.
These differences become all the more notable when you look at price. The Joolz Aer2 costs $549 to $579, depending on the colorway, while all five Mockingbird color options are $399.
It’s also worth noting that the Mockingbird Travel Stroller also has a 30-day trial with the option to return it if you’re not completely satisfied, whereas Joolz has no such policy in place. What’s more, with Mockingbird, you’ll get a lifetime warranty, as compared to Joolz's 10-year warranty. Let the globetrotting begin…
Winner: Mockingbird
Overall winner: Mockingbird
The designers behind the Mockingbird Travel Stroller really left no stone unturned. With superior child comfort, enhanced maneuverability, included accessories and the one-hand autofold, it’s hard to find a travel stroller that packs more into a modest price point. While both of these strollers are much loved by parents, opt for the Mockingbird Travel Stroller and you’ll be so glad you did.
