Zoe tandem stroller. It can be a regular single or a double, but it isn't as monumentally huge or heavy as the Vista/Mockingbird.
A wagon is another option.
We are city dwellers without a car and I'm an overthinker and ultimately, we just decided to prioritize portability/weight and ease of use over pretty much everything else (longevity, finding The One Travel System To Rule Them All, build quality, aesthetics, etc). It was just too difficult to accommodate all of the requirements for multiple stages otherwise. We ended up with two car seats and essentially three strollers that have covered most all of our bases from newborn to 2.5yo so far. Hopefully my long rambly thought process can help you figure out if you can shift any of your priorities and make things a little easier...
During the infant stage, we just used the Chicco Keyfit 35 + Caddy stroller frame as our regular stroller. Not the sleekest setup but comparable to the Nunas in weight and a lot cheaper. I was able to haul the whole assembly with kid up a flight of stairs, but often just popped baby+seat out of the frame and ran them up separately. The seat is super easy to install just using seatbelts without a base.
We got the Zoe Tour v1 (with upgraded wheels and car seat adapter) when we started flying with the kid. We're both tall so we needed something bigger than the super-compact 'fits in an overhead compartment' strollers, and this is our daily driver so we needed a basket that could actually hold things. It's comparable in size and function to the Minu (which I got and returned) but with more plastic parts, it feels a little cheaper but is also significantly lighter.
When she outgrew the infant seat, we got a Cosco Scenera Next. It's bulky and barebones but lightweight, I can't imagine hauling anything heavier around town for errands, etc. For travel, we carted it around in a bag for a bit but then someone gave us a gb Pockit. I'd dismissed it originally, but if something happened to ours I'd defintely be repurchasing.
The Pockit is flimsy feeling and the basket is non-existant but holy crap when you need a really tiny stroller it is AMAZING. It literally fits in a totebag under an airplane seat! You can finagle it so that the the kid sits in the Scenera while it's strapped to the stroller so that's what we do now for air travel and rideshare errands around town. I've been meaning to figure out the best way to stash/hang the Pockit in the Zoe; we're expecting #2 now, and I think between that and a universal buggy board, we'll be able to avoid the dreaded double stroller. I'm also really excited for the kid to get big enough for a booster/SafeRide vest.
\*phew!\*
I would add the Zoe Tour and Traveler to your list for consideration, even though they're online only. We tried out a bunch of compact strollers in person and reluctantly settled on a Minu, but once I started rolling it around at home, it still just seemed SO heavy. I crossed my fingers (had seen some complaints about Zoe's return policy) and middle-of-the-night impulse ordered the Zoe Tour without having tried it out and it ended up being the keeper.
Compared to the Minu, it was cheaper in price and in construction (more plastic less metal), but that also meant it was almost five pounds lighter which was a trade-off I was happy to make.
We got the Chicco Bravo Primo off FBMP because it was the travel system that went with our carseat. It was very big and clunky and looking back, wish we would have gone with the Mockingbird or Zoe Tour v2 — something that was lighter but still compatible with the carseat to make a travel system. We also recieved the Zoe Traveller off our registry and I love that so much I ended up getting an old Zoe Tour v1 off FBMP for our main stroller now and will probably stick with that brand going forward. It is light weight, compact, and easy to fold/unfold and push one handed.
I am a big advocate for buying second hand (FBMP, consignment sales/shops, etc.) it is so much cheaper and there are a ton of lightly used baby items out there!
Love my Zoe and would scream it from the roof tops if I could. I think the Zoe tour is car seat adaptable now so you’d have to see if it works with yours, but it’s wonderful without the car seat attachment. I’m a fan for life for sure.
I also have the Zoe Tour. It’s pretty much taken over as our everyday stroller. Had it almost a year now. Definitely easy to maneuver for public transit.
Seconding the Zoe Tour (that’s the bifold one). I watched a lot of videos and did a lot of research. You’ll likely get a lots of recs for the Stokke Yoyo and Joolz Aer, but both were way out of budget for me and honestly, even after checking both out in person, I prefer the Zoe. 🤷🏻♀️ As someone else mentioned, check out The Stroller Mom on YouTube and IG. Lots of helpful info there!
lil-rosa
