Cybex - Melio

I’m in the same boat!! I just went to look at some today. My brother is giving us their lightly used Graco car seat with a basic click in stroller for quick newborn outings, so I feel better splurging on a nicer stroller for long term as long as it will be versatile. We don’t have a garage or anywhere to store it in our house so I want something that folds very compact. I also want it to have parent facing and world facing options, which limits a lot of the smaller travel type strollers. I’m looking at the Nuna Triv, Nuna Swiv, and Joolz Hub 2 primarily. I was able to go look at the Nunas today along with the Maxi Cosi Tayla, Uppababy Cruz, and Cybex Balios/Melos. They had bugaboo there too but those are more than I’m wanting to spend and the Fox is bigger than I’m wanting anyway. The Nunas weight, folding mechanism, and folded size were FAR superior than any others and I am heavily leaning that direction. It was just so smooth and easy and compact on both of them. The Mixx was gigantic to me and the folded package was cumbersome to deal with. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find anywhere with Joolz Hub2, but it looks very similar to the Triv and reviews say it’s more durable. The Swiv was ever so slightly bigger than the Triv but felt a little sturdier and less like a travel stroller, and I don’t feel like the extra 1-2 lbs was that big of a deal compared to the trade off you get for more storage basket space and what feels like more durability. However the Triv has more suspension and better wheels for all terrain, so I’m torn on that. The only hesitation I have with Nuna is the way the lady at the store talked about them. She said she herself would never buy one because they aren’t made as well as others of the same price point and the warranty is crap (2 years but limited to things that probably wouldn’t break anyway). She was really pushing the Cybex models but they just didn’t have the same smooth and compact fold and I didn’t like the buckles and seat material as much as the Nunas (the magnetic buckle was awesome). The Joolz Hub2 has a 10 year warranty and it has a toddler ride on board you can attach later on which makes it more versatile than the Nunas in my eyes. Not looking to get a double but having a little bit of flexibility with another kid when making such an expensive purchase feels nice. I just wish I could get my hands on it to compare! I’m almost leaning Joolz just due to the warranty and supposed durability. There’s just not as much info out there about them from people who have bought them. I went to Nordstrom, a local baby store, and Pottery Barn kids, which could be an option where you live! I’m also looking into the bassinet options with the Nuna and Joolz and that’s getting me stuck (nuna is expensive and Joolz doesn’t have a stand to use at home) so I might just opt out of using these strollers with a tiny newborn and just baby wear/use the car seat click on stroller when needed. I think past 4-6 months old these will have a lot of longevity so trying to think long term and not get a bunch of accessories I don’t need. Sorry for the info dump but tried to be detailed since you can’t see them in person!

Yes it was not easy! The lady recommended removing the seat to make it easier which is annoying when folding with the seat is sold as a great feature, then it was awkward to pick the frame up to put it in the car. And they can be just as expensive!

We have Bugaboo Fox Cub, and same. It takes soo much space, I honestly liked the cot for when she was a newborn, but now with sport seat I understand I made a mistake. It's just so huge to deal with. Had to buy a travel buggy now that our baby can sit up. Wish we went with Cybex Melio instead, cuz newborn phase is over sooo fast. 🥲

I HIGHLY recommend the Cybex travel system. The Balios is a bit more affordable which I love. And they don't require the adapters like most of them do, even Nuna. They are also compatible with a bassinet which is not an expensive add on.

Are you considering more than one kid? We initially had a hand me down peg perego system that we loved but it got damaged on a flight and we got reimbursed its original price. We chose the cybex over the uppababy as our replacement because both seats can hold up to 50lbs

My suggestion if you can is go to a store and try them out. My partner and I were pretty set on a cybex travel system but on trying them out we ended up with a per perego as the fold mechanism and swapping components was more intuitive for us. We also got the isofix base for each car we have and once baby has outgrown the car seat we can just but the next seat without the base that is suitable for bigger children.

Cybex melio is super light and have a reversible seat, but i don't know if they sell them where you live