Doona - Doona i Car Seat & Stroller

Go for Doona Infact car seat and stroller. It is literally a car seat that transforms into a stroller in seconds. Super convenient for city living or frequent travelers, but it lacks storage space and babies outgrow it by around 2 years. Perfect for the early stages though!

we find it super convenient, it’s easier for us to load the baby outside the car, and then move the entire seat inside. Makes it great for doctors appointments. That being said, I don’t see it as a replacement for an actual stroller. It’s great for what we need to get from car to location, but we prefer an actual stroller for longer walks

If you can find it on marketplace, buy it. Especially if your travel a lot, or live in an urban area where you walk more than you drive. I couldn’t justify new, but goddamn that thing is useful.

The Doona is expensive, but I absolutely adore mine. The turn radius is AMAZING imo.

I have a Doona that I use for right now and I used it on a recent trip with my baby, I wore him in the airports and out and about and threw my bag into the stroller. when I was with my parents I just left it in the car

Doona then bugaboo here, found it easier to collapse one handed than the yoyo

Yeah I agree with this. I nanny and it’s just popular with people. I don’t really like it (and will usually choose a long lasting convertible over a bucket seat regardless), but it’s very popular.

I use a second hand doona which is good for infants as it folds into a car seat. Got it for $100

Doona + a used bigger stroller for home (like Uppa or Nuna)

I have a Doona and love it. I was so overwhelmed with stokers and car seats, i’ve pushed that decision further down the road. 🤣

I’m short and found the doona way too small!

Doona for travel/errands until they size out, then bugaboo butterfly for travel. Uppababy vista for every day.

This is what we’ve settled on, plus a Doona because we do a lot of plane travel and it seems convenient for that while they’re still little. 

We went with the Doona - quite a few of our friends have them and love them.

Like any stroller, everyone needs to weigh the pros and cons against their lifestyle. Where I live, slush isn't an issue (although I have several friends who have loved it in NYC, so who knows - pros and cons!).

Our plan is to just put the base in our car and use the seat belt path in ride shares and on planes.

Oh yes, that's a good thought! We don't anticipate being anywhere but the US and EU for the first year, so Doona should be fine in both, but definitely something to keep in mind.

I absolutely love our Doona. It pops open into a stroller in 1 click and buckles into a taxi using the seat belt in less than 60 seconds (Google how to do it first so you aren't struggling!). We live in NYC and it's perfect for going from taxi to walking. It's not the same as going without a stroller but it's the most versatile option you'll find- you can carry it like a car seat (handle up) or push it as a stroller (handle out)

I would get a travel stroller but not a Doona as they will grow out of it soon (our son grew out right before 12 months)

We also had the Donna and I loved it. I’m 6’0 and never felt I was hunched over. That thing was super maneuverable in stores too. 

One time we went on a larger plane and I was able to push the Doona right down the aisle, it was amazing.

At one point we had like 8 lol. They all have such different use cases! A city mini travel system we got when we had our first. Sold it once our 2nd baby was out of the infant car seat. We also had a Doona and loved that. Sold both when he got too big. We had a City Mini double (someone in my parents rich neighborhood was giving it away! And then they paid $$$ to ship it to us, lol.) that we just used around the neighborhood because it was too bulky and a pain to take in the car with the second seat. (Sold this one) A evenflo pivot stroller wagon we took around. A $50 costco wagon that folded up and fit in the car really well. For a while we stopped using the pivot because this one was just easier. A double umbrella we only used for traveling or kept in the trunk, it was a pain because it was short so the adult had to hunch to push. But it was small, we took it on planes to visit my parents. (Sold this one, kids are 6 and 3 now) A GB pockit amazing fold up tiny single stroller. Perfect for travel, took it to NYC and on a cruise. A urbini reversi single stroller, we kept that one even though we used it rarely because it was the only one that could recline super flat for the kid to sleep that had okay storage underneath. After we sold the big double stroller we decided to take the kids to Disney World and I realized wagons weren’t allowed. We considered taking 2 single strollers and quickly abandoned that idea and bought a Graco Sit and Stand double stroller on marketplace for $50 that we love and take with us when we go places like the Zoo and stuff now. Good storage, our older kid can stand or sit and hop on and off easily.

I have and love my Doona but it’s really only for car/plane/cab/and quick errands. Great for running to the pediatrician or the bank. Terrible for going on walks etc. It’s a pretty rough ride over anything but very smooth pavement, and has a fairly short handle for pushing. If you’re not even planning to use it as a plane seat I definitely wouldn’t spend the money. ETA it can barely handle the grass in my front yard, it will definitely be a rough go in snow and mud. If you’re used to a real stroller I think you’ll hate it.

Unsure what you mean BIFL. Survive multiple kids, suit a single child from newborn to 3+ years, or simply extra durable so it can withstand your stated activities? Bought a Doona secondhand and am using it for the second time so it has supported at least 3 children up until they grow out of it at like 2 years old. So it's technically a short life span, but not having to carry a separate car seat was a godsend and honestly it's in good enough condition I would be able to resell it as well if I wanted to.

You can install both the doona and the evenflo shyft (I personally think this design is better but to each their own) using just a seat belt for travel without the base.

Another doona user We have a doona specifically for travel and as a backup/spare. We have a Chicco keyfit 35 as our main car seat Doona is great for getting through the airport and to a family member home. We still generally baby carry most of the time but the doona can fit through a TSA scanner, it's easy to wheel through the airport, and can easily be checked (they make nice bags for them). It can also be secured without a base (with just a seatbelt) so we can easily get it secured in a relative's car, Uber, or rental without needing to worry about exactly what car is showing up We got ours for around $300 with a base locally with a 2028 expiration date and plan to resell for $200 once our baby outgrows it

For a 2 hour flight I wouldn't stress it, you should be fine babywearing the whole time. Your plan to check the stroller and car seat and just baby wear until you get to your destination is sound. The rest of this post is what I think you should consider, only if longer flights are on your radar in the first year. We just traveled with an older baby (5.5 months) and used a doona and a Oscha Cairis carrier through the airport The doona was nice because it went strait from the Uber, through the airport until security, folded down and went through the scanner at TSA while baby went with me through the metal detector, then popped back up and carried baby until we had to gate check it at our gate. This was super helpful on our return flight as we had less time than we hoped to grab food in the airport and the options were a long ways away so we ended up doing a bit of jogging which I don't feel comfortable with with baby in a carrier. It also meant (aside from takeoff and landing where it's not allowed) my baby slept well in their carrier for most of their 6 hour flight with only a single feeding. I feel like they wouldn't be as chill with being in there so long if we also did carrier through the airport. I'm a big fan of baby wearing, but we also needed the car seat and with the doona also doubling as a stroller and working so well going into and out of Ubers straight into stroller mode and working just with a seatbelt, it was super helpful for us. I would also recommend one of the giant backpack bag covers for the doona to keep it clean and from being damaged/scuffed when gate checked You can definitely do it without a doona and with just a carrier, you'll just likely have to take the baby out a few more times to rest and lay in different positions a few times. Also, our alpine ear protection was amazing, baby didn't cry once for adjusting cabin pressure. Alternatively, make sure you can feed the baby, especially during final descent to help those ears pop

We loved ours too! We flew so much with ours and it made travel so much easier! I miss it lol

We have the uppababy vista. It’s a great smooth stroller. We recently switched to the doona since it’s a lot more convenient and lighter.

I don’t understand the point of the Donna. I have a travel system and I can either attach the car seat or the actual stroller/ bassinet to the frame/ wheels that fit easily in my car’s trunk. It takes two seconds. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If I had to start over, I would choose the even Flo dual shift, and a mocking bird that can convert to a double. I was one and done when we had my daughter, so I got the Doona and I love it but the even Flo seems easier as you can take the wheels off and click it in to a stroller!!!

I am 5’6” and primarily used it. Partner is away for work a lot so I had lots of solo errand running w baby. I LOVED it. She is 14mo and we still use it but I finally just got a seat that will transition w her for many more years. Now we use the Doona in my partner’s car. He loves it too.

I didn’t get the Doona at first because I thought it was too small for a stroller and too heavy for a car seat. I used to joke about people pushing that tiny thing around like a real stroller. Well, I took a one-month trip back to my home country and ended up buying a second-hand one from a friend—just for the trip, or so I thought. Now? I haven’t touched my regular car seat + stroller combo since. The Doona goes *everywhere* with me. It’s hands-down the most convenient, easy-to-use baby item I own. I swear by it and totally regret not getting one sooner! And now that my daughter is *almost* outgrowing it, I’m already dreading the day we have to say goodbye to our Doona.

I have both the Doona and Nuna! They are both great w their own pros and cons. If I had to pick between the two, I could go for the Nuna. The Doona has a pretty short time span in which you can actually use it. By the time my daughter was 9 months old she outgrew it based on her height. It was so convenient as a new born but as she grew it did get really heavy. A lot of people I know love the Doona and it is great but not for everyone and not in every scenario. The Nuna , IMO, handles better & has more functions. And will be something that can grow with your baby. The materials feel so lux and it is pretty light weight as well as folds easily for travel. We use the Nuna TRVL as our main. If you check on Nordstrom they actually sell it in a package w an infant car seat— I got mine during their mid year sale and save a few hundred $$$

Loved our Doona. Yes it lasts a year, and its heavy if you plan on carrying it around, but beyond lifting it in and out of the car there is no reason to carry it around, it's so easy for wheels to drop down and turn into a little stroller. We used it for out two kids and then I sold it so we felt it was very worth it.

We do so much travel so this and the Nanit are top items for us. Critical for travel!!

Same! We used it as a stroller for around the block. Used it to run errands and for all those doctor visits in the first year. Brought it on a plane to NYC and on the subways. I honestly loved it and loved not having to take my kid out of the car seat and put them into something else if we were going somewhere.

We have 3 😂. A Joolz hub system that we bought and use daily, a doona that was gifted to us that we used on trips when she was little, and now we use a bugaboo butterfly on trips.

I’m 5-11 and have the Doona and it’s not uncomfortable at all to push. But I do have a 6-2 wingspan so my arms are kinda long.

Came here to say the same thing! It’s super convenient when dropping my older kids off at school. Much taller than the doona (and better looking imo).

Branded ones like bugaboo are supposed to last for three plus kids, so it’s generally safe to get second hand. There are decent cleaning services too. Doona is also a safe second hand by because kids grow out of it fairly quickly If you end up getting small, light weight and cheap, always keep your hands on it cos it can easily topple when you hang up bags or when kiddo starts squirming a lot.

There’s a couple parts, which is why it can be confusing. Mostly has to do with the fact that newborns and infants who are not old enough yet to have control of their head and neck cannot just sit buckled into a stroller. They need to either be in a bassinet or in their infant car seat. So a lot of the strollers will be a regular stroller where you can then remove the seat and replace it with a bassinet or infant car seat. If you get a “travel system” like the UppaBaby (Vista or Cruz stroller + Aria or Mesa infant car seat) then you can swap out the parts easily without an adapter If you get a stroller than is 1 brand and a car seat that is a different brand you will also need to make sure to buy an adapter I decided to get the UppaBaby bc I didn’t want to deal with an adapter My friend for example got the Chico car seat and used an adapter to attach it to a cheaper brand of stroller From what I seen, high end is like the Nuna and UppaBaby. But plenty are happy with a Graco system as well. There’s 1 popular one called the Doona that is like a transformer which is all 1 piece and goes from car seat to stroller. Personally i checked one out (my SIL has one) and I didn’t like it. It’s a clunky thing that would only be useful if you’re traveling a lot ie getting baby in and out of a taxi in a busy city or something. I personally didn’t think it’s practical for day to day use.

Sleep deprivation when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel can make you willing to drop good money on anything that promises to make your baby sleep. Thoughts of shaking the baby in a sleep deprived state are too terrifying. We spent the $$ on the Snoo to rent it for 2 months. Unboxed it and assembled, but I was too tired to learn how to use the damn thing and its nuances. I boxed it back up. We spent the money on a baby sleep trainer, and the skills we learned helped us sleep train baby #2 and #3 for the initial train and then re-training after illnesses and teething. I'm having my 4th and I will pay the $ for the Doona because I'm so tired and I have 3 kids. I has good resale value. Everything else I own is used and Graco/Chicco/Evenflo/Safety1st.

They have good resale value. And the difference in quality can be felt all over the stroller, especially maneuverability. I've had expensive ones and standard ones. Some glide like a dream, others are like a bad shopping cart.

If you’re not using it in the airport can you look into whether you can hire one on holiday? I’ve tried lots of pushchairs and we travel a lot. We have the Doona (which a lot of people don’t like) but I LOVE it for travel because it is also a car seat (we use lots of Ubers and hire cars on holiday and business travel). It does have a weight/age limit of 2 years though. We also have the Joolz Aer+ and it’s a great compact pushchair that also has a shoulder strap to carry it when not in use. Not on your list (and not the cheapest for sure) but thought I’d share my experience! Both of these pushchairs are compact enough to bring into the cabin/put in the overhead bin. Edit: clarity

We opted for the Silver Cross Wave for everyday and Doona for travel! We will be buying the Silver Cross Jet as a travel stroller when baby outgrows Doona. The Nuna Pipa car seat is compatible with the Silver Cross Wave, we purchased the adapters.

We are not tall people, but the Doona was way too short for myself (5’6”) and my husband (5’10”). We actually decided to go with the new Evenflo Shyft Dualride this go around since it’s our 3rd and we’re always on the move with the 2 older kids. The Evenflo Shyft is much taller and lighter than the Doona that we tested out. Before this baby, we rocked a Britax for our 1st and a Graco for our 2nd.

If you do a lot of traveling, I think the Doona is worth it. I would never use it on a daily basis at home because it’s very low. But it’s very convenient for the airport and means you avoid bringing both a car seat and separate stroller. However, it is going to be a short-term investment because baby will grow out of it by a year. Then you would probably want a specific travel stroller. So you could consider a travel stroller with a lay-flat option or bassinet attachment now, you’d just also need to bring the car seat. For daily use we went with the Uppababy Vista and love it for our lifestyle. We use it primarily for walks around the neighborhood and nearby trail system, to bring to the park, etc. It is bulky and not as easy to bring in the car. Now that my son is older we actually use our travel stroller (Joolz Aer) a lot if we’re just going to the mall. For infant car seats we chose the Nuna Pipa Rx Lite and I’m so glad we went with a very lightweight option.

We have a Doona in my husband’s car and a Joolz Aer+ which I use as my daily. It’s the only one I could really lift up my steps into the elevator with baby in it. Have taken it on the train multiple times

I like ours and our daughter used it past a year. But watch out getting it on marketplace since it’s also a car seat. It it’s been in a wreck it could be less effective in an accident. There are also fakes.

The Doona is so convenient and it rides pretty smooth (I’ve pushed my friend’s and cousins’ kids in them), but they do outgrow it fairly quickly. It worked out well for the people I know with them because they either had multiple kids within the time frame that the Doona was safe for (my friend and her kids) or they had cousins share one because they were born a year-ish apart within the time frame that it’s still safe for. They’re stupid expensive and idk how they rank in terms of safety, people should do their own research or talk to their pediatrician for that. But I will say I liked being able to just pop them out the car and go rather than dealing with a separate stroller.

My husband and I picked a car seat first, then shopped the strollers that were compatible with it. I was also crazy overwhelmed with everything out there and having something to narrow it down helped a lot.  If you want one that is a car seat and just folds out with wheels and is an all in one piece, you could look at the Doona or dupes for it. 

100000% agree on the Doona. Absolute lifesaver and sooo amazing for travel.

Do a is awesome, so convenient, napping baby out of car and convert into stroller with ease is a lifesaver. They are perfectly safe. It passes US and every other country in the world,… so?! Bureaucracy possibly? Maybe they didn’t pay for the CE certification? It’s honestly the best stroller. We have 3 kids, and expecting a 4th,… I wish we had the Doona for the first two. I can’t praise it enough.

We got the Nuna Travel LX with the urbn infant car seat and love it. Zero regrets. It was one of the lightest strollers we demo’d and easiest to fold, pack away. I constantly take babe around town, on walks, or drive her out and about and it’s been very easy and freeing. We also traveled with it (babe is now 4.5 months) and having a car seat that easily latches in without having to also bring a base is GREAT. The stroller also came with a travel bag which was nice and the price has decreased a lot since when we bought it. I’ve heard Grace came out either something very similar to what we have for way less so worth checking out. We thought about getting the Doona but when we tried it, it was way too heavy for me to think about lifting pp and it’s also a very low stroller so you really got bend over/doen to put babe in and out. Have also heard good things about the bugaboo butterfly if you want something lightweight and travel friendly.

So I live in NYC and the doona super helpful bc I dont have my own car so if im traveling to see family or dont want to take the train home its helpful to have the stroller and carseat as one. but other than that situation (which is OBV NOT the duggars) idk why people would spend the money.

Uppa vista and doona. Both have been incredible for different reasons. Now that she’s outgrown the doona, it’ll be replaced by a different travel stroller but it was by far our best purchase in the first year

Also if you are tallish (I'm 5'8") it is uncomfortably short to push. That put us off before we learned about the crash rating, which is definitely a big enough issue on its own

FTM and we got the doona from our registry (recommended by my brother with 2 kids) and we love it. I just recently got the Mockingbird stroller (also recommended by my brother) + accessories from fb marketplace for $150 that looks new still. An actual steal, it’s the deal of the year for me. I love having both bc the doona is a car seat/stroller in one so it’s easy for errands and the mockingbird we use for our walks, theme parks, any longer days planned. The mocking bird can also convert into a double when we have a second. Would and have recommended both.

We got the Doona and it’s been worth it (used it as a car seat on the plane for a couple of trips and gate checked it for international travel with a generic travel bag). Several friends have told me that airlines will cover damage to the stroller if that happens so you may be overdoing it with the manufacturer travel safe option.

I’m traveling tomorrow with my Doona and Joolz Aer. We are bringing the Doona on the plane and gate checking the stroller. I have the bassinet on the Joolz which is why I can’t put it in the overhead bin.

The Doona, while great in concept, is wildly unpractical for most people. You hit the reasons on the head; they are heavy and short lived. I think they’re more suited for urban areas where you might zip in and out on public transit and taxis a lot. They’re not that useful in suburbia. I went with traditional bucket seat with compatible stroller for my kids, then switched to rear facing convertible seats when they could sit up unassisted.

How old is your baby? I have the doona and I wouldn’t buy it just for travel. It’s extremely heavy, low to the ground, and doesn’t have any storage. If you’re planning on significant walking, it’s not great. It’s really for running errands or getting from point a to b. If you already had it, it might make sense but I wouldn’t buy it now.

I’m 5’10” and my sweet babe is 9 months and 25 pounds (big girl) and we still love it! It’s sooo convenient for doctors visits, grocery stores, in and out of daycare etc. I don’t use it for long walks both because the shape isn’t ideal for babe and because it’s a tad too short to be comfortable for me. We are close to switching out, so it really is expensive to only last 10-12 months, but it has been incredibly worth it for us! I wouldn’t say I’m especially strong either and I can lift it fairly easily into the car myself.

Doona for travel when they’re little, Yoyo for travel when they grow out of that. Uppababy Cruz or Vista for walks in the neighborhood

Haha i wonder if it’s the same one and Meech just carries it with her to all the granddugglet births 😂

I feel like this is the main reason the doona exists. I can see it’s usefulness for big city life but not much else

Our setup was the Vista and the Doona. Vista is a beast that is great for NYC and with basic upkeep will last thru multiple kids. It also accommodates first-time parents' over-packing/over-planning when they leave home with their little one and is outstanding for navigating city streets, keeping dry in bad weather, etc. Doona was our combo car seat/travel stroller for our infants - we traveled a lot in cars and planes when our kids were infants and having something that could be both a car seat and stroller in one was a godsend. My personal POV is that is super easy to buy a cheapie (or not) lightweight travel stroller when you've got a toddler and the upside of the Vista (which is a tank, but technically can be packed and checked on airline) is worth it for NYC.

I have the Uppa and love it. My husband and I say all the time that we’d choose it all over again. It’s totally worth the price. We travel a lot too and did receive the Doona for travel. It’s excellent for travel to avoid bringing out hefty stroller and so we just check one piece and not a car seat and stroller base. I agree when another commenter that it is super low though so I could never use it as my daily stroller. They are both excellent for their different uses though!

We have several 😵‍💫 one in my mom car that’s big, heavy duty, and good for all the things. One in dad’s car that is a travel stroller so good for errands and travel. And a jogging stroller we keep in the house for dad’s run with baby and family walks. We also have a Doona we use solely for traveling when we have to fly. It’s Way too much but honestly so worth it bc of how much easier it makes life.

The Doona does have a snap-on storage bag, but you cannot collapse the Doona with the bag in place, so in order to take advantage of its primary benefit, you have to take the stupid thing on and off and it just has this one short little loop and can't be carried as a bag hands-free. Also, it doesn't store much, so we always needed a regular diaper bag anyway if we were leaving the house for any longer than a few hours. It made me so mad and I regretted purchasing it.

The Vista is great--I definitely wouldn't travel with it, though. I was a serious Doona hater until my baby was about 4 months old and we started to travel with him, and it was SO worth it. All the complaints are valid (it's a dumb little stroller and I looked ridiculous at 5'10" pushing it around; it's not the lightest-weight option; they grow out of it in a year) but ultimately were unimportant, because I simply would not have taken all the trips I took, especially alone, if I'd had to deal with more complicated gear. If your daily driver is a travel stroller, anytime you want to actually travel anywhere with it you've got to get the carseat out, get all the crap out of the storage basket, fold the stupid stroller, install the stupid carseat, get yourself into the car, then do it all again in reverse when you get out--and that's not adequately describing the emotional stress you feel as a new mom leaving your baby in the backseat of a taxi while you go put the stroller in the trunk. With the Doona, because there's no storage, I had all our stuff in a backpack, and just had to fold it down and lift it in to install, and I never had to be away from the baby for even a second. I know that sounds like a small thing, but it's not when you're a new parent. If you're traveling together it's less of an issue, but there were so many little trips to museums farther uptown or to the beach in the summer that I just wouldn't have taken otherwise. It made the first year so much more fun.

We went with a double stroller (Bugaboo Donkey) and two Doonas. My twins are ten weeks now and we use the Donkey with bassinet attachments for neighborhood walks exclusively and then the Doonas for outings. The Doonas are perfect for restaurants and shopping, and since I’m never going out alone, always have a second set of hands to push one of the twins. So far I’ve only done one solo errand with both babies and I wore one baby in a baby carrier and pushed the other in the Doona. This set up is working out for me so far.

doona is excellent if you want a car seat/stroller in one and don’t care about storage space. Baby will outgrow it around the 1 year mark but it makes that first year a breeze. It’s also narrow enough that it fits through the regular gantry at the MRT and through the front door of buses… You can get them secondhand but since they are also car seats I would caution against it as you never know if it a used one has been in an accident. Car seats are one of the few children’s items you should purchase new.

Oh 100% you should be using a car seat in taxis!!! My question was more geared towards whether or not you could get a car seat that lives in the car and doesn’t need to come in and out with every ride. The Doona is amazing for taxi rides TBH. They have a small storage bag you can add to the back (costs extra) that will give you a little storage space but we also added a couple hooks to the front to hang the diaper bag at the front. It’s not super ideal bit the ease of getting it in and out of taxis is unparalleled.

Evenflo is easy, and light weight Doona is a great first start (ftm here and we have this and I love it) Nuna-also light weight and I think some models have no base required but the stroller base is heavy/larger We use doona for short trips to Dr or target and use a cyber something light weight fold up 10 lb stroller for longer walks etc. this alows us to keep the actual doona car seat in good shape.

It’s a $550 car seat/stroller combo that you can only use for like a year, max. Both my kids moved out of their infant bucket seats at like 6 months old. Idk what the Duggar finances are like these days but the Doona is expensive for what it is and there are much cheaper options.

We have an uppa baby vista v2 with the bassinet attachment (used bassinet until baby was about 3 months then switched to infant insert. We use this stroller to walk around our neighborhood, big outings (like zoo or mall), and for walking to and from daycare. We have a doona. We use this for on the go like running errands, eating at restaurants (much smaller footprint in the restaurant than the vista), and flying to visit our families out of state (no car seats there and easy to put into any family members car). We just pre ordered the uppa baby minu v3 for travel/when LO outgrows the doona. I also wanted something more compact (it will fit into a closet when stored away). I’m probably in the minority but I could buy 10 strollers and have a reason for each of them. I think there’s so many things that are specific to everyone’s lives that you have to consider. What works for me might work for you or it may not. 

I cannot speak to the bugaboo stroller but a lot of airlines restrict size/weight of stroller that can be gate checked! So definitely check specifically with the airline before considering bringing. I always advocate for cheap travel car seats. In the US there is Cosco Scenera. They stack, hard to damage, and easy to check. And then a good travel stroller that is gate check or carryon compatible. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with what is available in Europe. However if you plan on not renting a car and need something easily transferred from Ubers. I think you can look into the baby trend snap and go or a similar stroller frame and just use your current infant seats. Much cheaper than two Doonas. Personally, I hated the doona. It was hot and uncomfortable for baby compared to other infant seats. It was also really bad as a stroller (no storage, horrid suspension, and terrible ergonomics for anyone average height or taller). You’ll get a lot more out of investing in a good travel stroller or a cheaper stroller frame. 

This was my question. It feels like no since OP described mat/pat leave as “time off to travel.” My second didn’t sleep more than 90 minutes at a time for the first 8 months. I was a shell of a human. Any kind of travel was completely out. OP I would wait to book this. Around 5 months is when they stop being limp noodles and 8-9 months is when they start sleeping a bit more consistently, drop to two naps, and being more fun and easy to travel with. If you haven’t bought your travel crib yet, recommend the Guava Lotus. Doona car seat/stroller combo is a must and buy the baby a seat on the plane so you can put the Doona on the seat. Paci clips for baby toys are great for travel, you can clip them on anything and then baby can’t throw their toys on dirty airport floor.

Doona for first year (this is a divisive one but I LOVED ours and found it was worth every penny; also great if you plan to take any Ubers or Lyfts) then Yoyo. Both are compact options that store nicely, don’t take up too much space when you’re out. Also, a stroller wrist strap gave me a little extra piece of mind for hills.

All of the above! Went with the Stokke Yoyo and love it, mostly because it’s super compact and durable. I live in a city where I mostly walk instead of drive. We also live in a smallish apartment instead of a house so a very small footprint matters. With my four-year-old, I previously had the Doona (great for the city but such a short duration of use) and the Nuna Triv (did not care for the suspension and found the seems of the wheels started to split after significant mileage, but this may not be a big deal if you aren’t walking as much). We bought him a secondhand, older generation Yoyo for travel and then switched to it as his primary. That thing was in great shape for its age! For my infant, we bought a new Yoyo with the newborn attachment and so far it’s been great. Very easy to fold even with the flat newborn feature.

Any thoughts on icandy? We have one and a doona but the doona gets used more!

You can just use the doona as your travel stroller. And yeah get a jogging stroller for all your hiking and recreational stuff For other travel needs, use baby quip to rent stuff at your destination

If she’s in your lap and you already have a car seat and stroller, I’d just check those. The doona is expensive and doesn’t have storage underneath, so I don’t find it to be a good “travel” stroller. It’s only convenient for the actual airport. It’s also quite short in case either you or your partner are tall. When we flew with our daughter with her in the lap, we would check the car seat with our baggage, and use our travel stroller or carrier in the airport. I check the stroller at the gate just to have less things on board. Alternatively, when we had a seat for her on the plane with the car seat, we would just strap the car seat to our carry on rolling case. A few times she was asleep in her seat when we landed and rather than wake her up we just put the car seat on top of our stroller and carefully rolled it that way. It actually worked really well. I was very happy to have a proper stroller on the ground.

We have the Doona, UB Vista, and Minu. We bought 2 off FB marketplace. We have our 2nd baby coming next month and plan to just use the UB Vista. We used the Doona for the first baby for maybe 3-4 months and then only when we traveled. The Minu was great when we traveled where we rented a car because we could bring baby’s convertible car seat instead of the Doona. We absolutely love our Vista for big walks and around town. We probably use it every day. L

We have 3-ish! Ish because one of them is a Doona, which is only used for stroller purposes when running errands or needing to go baseless (for travel or riding in someone else’s car). One UppaBaby as our every day stroller because it’s definitely a tank, and a Nuna TRVL LX for traveling.

I would probably buy a separate car seat and your regular stroller and skip the Doona. I LOVED our Doona, but it’s not for a European vacation

The doona is great if your child is still pretty young. Once they are used to an outward facing stroller it kind of annoys them. Or at least that was my experience

Wife had the Doona (car seat with wheels that pop down and et voila - stroller) and yeah it’s not the most comfortable stroller for me ( taller guy) to push around but goddamn does it make parents of older kids goggle in amazement at the airport when you fold that sumbitch up and carry it onto the plane.

I have to recommend the Doona car seat/stroller for the first year. Great for travel, great for every day errands, great for just a car seat to take in and out of the house to keep out of weather. Slightly pricey, but very worth it. Eliminates the need for a car seat *and* stroller when traveling. Can be checked at the gate (I recommend a travel bag for this). I also recommend the detachable base for your car at home (you can get more than one, so one for your car, one for husband’s car) and use a seatbelt to secure it when traveling. The only time we used an actual stroller for the first year was during walks. We used the Uppa Baby vista we bought on fb marketplace for very cheap. Those retail for very pricey, but last a very long time (ours was seven years old when we got it and still works great). We really didn’t end up using this as much as we thought we would. Still nice to have for walks through the neighborhood or things like going to the zoo, but not something I recommend for travel. Honestly, once my kid started walking around a year old, we never used the stroller. My kid wanted to walk everywhere. I do like a good stroller wagon for things like the zoo, especially with multiple kids. I don’t have a recommendation for that yet—still looking for the right one for myself. For the record, I love my 360 car seat since my kid outgrew the Doona. It’s the only one he’ll need for a long time and the 360 feature is a game changer. If you still really want a travel stroller, I definitely recommend a nice small one that can fit in the overhead compartment on a plane. My sister has one and loves it. Can’t remember the brand, but they’re all good.

Can you wear the baby and just have your items all packed up? For the cost of checking a pack and play each way, I would just buy a new one to leave with family for future trips. Or buy secondhand. Or rent. I personally can’t imagine traveling with all these attachments, but that’s why I got the Doona, which Reddit seems to hate. I wouldn’t travel with both the bassinet and the car seat. But that’s just personal preference. Make sure the car seat doesn’t need a base and stick with that and baby wearing is how I’d approach it.

I worked at a baby store in college so I used to sell strollers to all types of people. I’m also a FTM and recently purchased one for myself. I will say that it’s an extremely personal choice - what works for you and yours may not work for me. For example, I live in a city with rough brick sidewalks - so good wheels and suspension were important to us. We also haven’t met our baby yet and don’t know what their temperament will be, so shelling out $800+ for a stroller seems risky. I have plenty of friends/family who have expensive strollers collecting dust in their cars/basements. We looked at the UppaBaby, Nuna, and a lot of the other popular systems on the market and decided they wouldn’t work for us. We loathed the Doona (my husband is 6’5) and weren’t overly impressed with the Graco / Chiccos we saw at Target. We found a boxed and brand new Baby Jogger City Mini at a discount store and bought it for a great price. My husband is obsessed with it already. It’s a brand I used to sling at the store and it’s very functional / in line with what we were looking for. I suggest testing out as many as possible, if you can. There aren’t many baby stores left, but Nordstrom has some on display. Rei might as well. Target as a few. Unsure about Walmart. And I think talking to parents who are out and about when you see them pushing strollers can be helpful. But default on your own judgement and prioritize your needs. Also, if your baby is going to be born in colder months, or if you’re not ready to commit to a brand/type, you may want to hold off or just get a snap n go system.

I initially bought a large expensive one that looked really nice. But I took it out in my local town and couldn’t get around any shops or restaurants. The worst time was when I had to get a whole table of people out of their seats in a restaurant to get by 🙈 after that I bought the Doona which is so small it looks like a toy pram but also folds down into a car seat. It’s not ‘pretty’ but it’s the one I use everytime!

We have a Doona so that’s been our compact “stroller” and then we have a jogging stroller we keep at home for walks, runs, etc. We just bought a “real” car seat for my husbands car since LO is almost a year old. She’s growing out of the Doona so we will probably get me a new car seat soon too. I’d actually like another stroller that is compact like the ready2jet so we have it for travel/keep in the car. I think having more than one is pretty normal! I will say having the Doona for her first year of life has been so convenient, not even having to think much about a stroller.

Yes, so worth it to get one like the munchkin brand travel stroller. It folds up to fit in the overhead bin. Single best purchase we have made recently for traveling with our toddler! The other best purchase we made was travel magnatiles. They're pricey but worth it - however I think maybe a little old for your kiddo at this age. The other travel stroller we had when kiddo was smaller was the Doona which is a combo carseat/stroller.

Yes! They are way too small, not practical for cobble stone (European from a very old city) or anything but a smooth surface, saw one at the beach and the dad was sweating trying to move this thing through the sand. I personally also would not want my baby to be so low, face to face with bigger dogs. I red too many stories of that going wrong and I am anxious about it, especially with smaller children.

I have a doona and I dread the day he outgrows it. We are going to Asia in February when he is 14 months and we will just wear him. He is a big boy, so when I say “we” I mean my husband lol

Personally, I absolutely love the Doona. It’s made our lives so much easier. We do not use it as our main stroller — as others have mentioned, it’s pretty short/small and doesn’t have storage underneath. But aside from it making travel a breeze, it’s great when you’re popping out quickly to go to a pediatricians office, run an errand, etc. it is so so so convenient. I dread the day I have to take our baby out of her car seat and put her in a stroller just to go to a store for 10 minutes! Not sure why others talk about it being so heavy — aside from physically putting into the car, I’m never carrying it like a car seat. I pop it up to the stroller setting right away.

We bought Doona for taxi rides from Shoope and selling it after 15 months. It is quite practical because you can use both as car seat and stroller. Just note that it is not recommended to use longer periods as it is not that comfortable for the baby. We bought another stroller for neighborhood walks and places that we can reach with MRT. It is a second hand Joolz Day 3 stroller bought from Carousell. Very happy with both of them. If your budget is limited, dont need to spend too much money on it - buy a good condition, branded second hand stroller.

Check out the Bugaboo Butterfly. Self folding/unfolding. For a newborn, please listen to me…. GET THE DOONA.

We got it for traveling - it’s FAA approved and useful for hopping in and out of Lyfts. We then used it until my son out grew it for the convenience being out and about. We saved it and plan to use it for our new baby. We also plan on getting a stroller that can hold a toddler and a baby (2 in 1) for other situations where our toddler also needs to sit in a stroller.

We loved ours. I’m 5’0 and my husband is 6’1. The height to push the stroller never bothered us. It was just so easy to be on the go everywhere we went. It was that much less planning on our part too. Didn’t have to worry about packing a stroller, it went with us. It is a heavier car seat but I never carried it. I rolled my baby every where. The wheels are smooth too. We definitely miss ours now that our baby has gotten too heavy for it.

I had one and the only time I ever really used it was when I flew or an unexpected errand. For flying it's amazing I think but otherwise idk a good stroller is a better investment if you're on a budget.

I've loved the Doona for travel, but I'm usually visiting my parents who have a separate stroller there. It is great for the airport and folds up to use as your car seat on the plane. I will say that my 19-month-old was not having it this trip on the plane, but we haven't traveled in a few months and I think he just didn't understand what was even going on. He's about to grow out of it but my husband is really attached. We've loved it for our car seat as well. Not looking forward to figuring out the airport with the convertible carseat and travel stroller, though

Follow up - thank you everyone for the advice! We bought a Doona as our travel stroller. Super lightweight and convenient compared to our day to day Nuna.

I’m obsessed with mine as a luxury or convenience item. I’ve taken baby on vacation and it was a lifesaver and so easy to fly with. Easier to bring 1 item than both stroller and car seat. Also I love it for quick trips to appointments, library time, daycare drop off or quick run into store. If baby falls asleep in car no stress about taking them out of the car seat and waking her up. I do have another stroller for walks though. I would never take the doona on a walk! It is very short, my husband is 6’ 2’’ and feels awkward pushing it. Not a smooth ride over bumps. I think it’s a really nice item to have, but definitely not a necessity.

We don't travel (by plane) often, but I do tend to go out around town a lot on short grocery trips, etc. For that reason, we got the Doona. We also liked that we were able to move it from car to car without needing multiple bases. (We are in the US) We used it daily for about 10 months, until we decided to upgrade to a convertible car seat for both of our cars. We also purchased a good used condition large stroller on our local Facebook marketplace page for things like zoo outings etc.

I looooove the Doona for travel and loved it for errands, appointments etc when bb was smaller. However, it would be terrible in the snow, imo. Where are you headed? Vacation or to see family? We have baby gear at my mom's across country. Babyquip is interesting but the delivery fees have been too high anywhere we might have used it.

I don’t really go out much so our doona is really good for small errands. We recently went to the zoo though and used it, I didn’t like it. I bought the uppababy minu v3 and it’s small, light weight and has a handle to fold and carry. It’s really good. I do wish I got the nuna though; only bc I can face my baby and they can see me.

Tried my cousins for a bit and hated it. I genuinely don’t get the hype. She also was trying to sell it because of the short usage window and the safety issues with having a baby be in a car seat stroller for extended periods of time. You’re better off with a regular infant seat that could click into a stroller base or my new favorite - the Chicco Fit360.

Doona has been top purchase for us. I’d say compared to the other stroller/car seat we have (even flo) it’s heavy, but significantly more convenient. We use the evenflo for longer walks, but for car travel, plane travel, convenience sake, it cannot be beat. (Wife agrees - average sized woman and she still can lift it in/out of outlander SUV).

We have the butterfly as our main stroller which I love. For travel - we have the cosco scenera. I prefer to have one dedicated for travel because the airlines beat it up and this one is very light weight and easy to install. Prior to that, I used the doona for travel until my son grew out of it. I also used it just for travel because it wasn’t a great stroller for everyday. 

I love my Uppababy Vista. Highly recommend. I am getting a Doona for baby #2. I resisted for baby #1 and now I kind of regret it because we could have reused it. The Doona is just so handy for quick trips, day care drop offs, etc. I’m a stickler about not leaving them in the car seat unnecessarily though, so other than super quick stuff, we’ll use the Vista bassinet which we used the heck out of last time for walks, longer outings, etc.

I have the Doona and I live in a city/urban area. I absolutely love it. It makes traveling so easy. I understand it has less utility since my baby will eventually age out of it, but being able to quickly get in and out of the car and get around town is worth it. It takes me a fraction of the time to go places compared to my friend who has the UPPAbaby Vista. I have a hand-me-down Bugaboo too, but I haven’t tried it out yet. I’ll be using that once my baby gets older.

I have the UPPAbaby travel system with the bassinet attachment for daily use and a Doona for travel

It’s great when you plan on having a second child. It’s just one less child to buckle in and out of the seatbelt. Also low enough that the toddler help push. (I got mine for free, but yea for $600 i would recommend it to people who can afford it)

I also went with the Doona for travel and uppababy for the stroller / bassinet. However, I read a ton of similar complaints about the car seat so I went with the Nuna car seat. It easily snaps in to the uppababy with the attachment and works really well.

Doona was one of the BEST THINGS we bought ever! I am 5 ft tall and hubby is 6 feet 1. We both have no issues. We have been using it since newborn leaving the hospital and just used it to go out for a quick dinner date in nyc with our 15 months old in it. Sadly going to grow out of it like next week or two but seriously hands down the best thing ever. We have traveled with it both domestic and international flights. Easy to run errands. Uber. Nyc. You name it. We are on the go. Too bad I can no longer use it but we loved it so much that we bought the doona trike lol It really worth the hype. Parenting made easy as they say…..Good luck!!

i went to nordstrom and tested them all out. they had a lot of strollers on display. there's also a babylist showroom in beverly hills, so i popped in there to check out basically everything else. everyone i know RAVED about the uppababy vista, but i absolutely hated it when i tried it out in store (and i kept coming back to it and trying to "get it" and just couldn't!). everyone also told me how great the doona was, but i also hated that because it's super short and i'm tall. i ended up with nuna mixx next + nuna pipa carseat and have no complaints so far!

I get investing in some things like a good car seat, cause that’s safety, but I refuse to believe these doona things that are constantly being dragged from car to a stroller have great results in crash tests. Besides car seats should be paired with a car for the best safety. And it’s not healthy for baby’s spine to be in a car seat for too long, which is why regular strollers are much better. And a $500 crib mattress? Pure madness.