Bugaboo Butterfly 2 Plus

This is a travel stroller first, and the one-handed fold is what sells it: parents fold and open it while holding the baby, and several picked it over rivals after trying the fold side by side. On planes it usually goes in the overhead bin across a long list of airlines, though its folded size sits right at the edge of some carriers' limits.

Bigger wheels for cobbled streets and a carry strap are the Butterfly 2 changes owners actually notice. Carrying it folded still splits people: some find it awkward with a baby on the hip, others take it up stairs and onto trains without fuss, helped by the strap. Infant seats sit securely on Bugaboo's adapters, as long as the adapters go on the correct sides.

Frequent flyers who want a stroller they can handle one-handed are its best match. It disappoints anyone counting on cabin carriage every time, since crews sometimes insist on gate-checking it, and families with an UPPAbaby Mesa or an old ride-on board, neither of which carries over.