Our Experience with the Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller:
We bought the Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller (Amazon: $219) to be our primary travel stroller. We have a separate jogger/all-terrain stroller (B.O.B Rambler Jogging Stroller) but it isn’t portable.
When looking for a travel stroller, it needed to fit in the back of our car, along with a ton of other outdoor/travel gear, a boisterous dog, and baby stuff, but also stand up to the rigors of regular airplane travel.
We also have a small house so it can’t take up a lot of room when we’re not using it!
We’ve done less airplane travel than expected (thanks COVID!) but the Mountain Buggy Nano is billed as being able to collapse and store in the overhead bins of most planes. In the end, we wound up gate checking the stroller for each flight so that wound up being less important.
Size and Weight:
The small size and compactness come with an obvious advantage in being very lightweight. We still found it to be plenty sturdy and robust. There are no frilly features to weigh it down and some others, such as lack wheel suspension, are obvious trade offs.
The small size when collapsed also makes it a breeze to shove through the X-ray machines at security – an unlooked for, but lovely, feature.
As West has grown, he’s less keen to be strapped in and shuttled around the airport so recently we’ve used the stroller mainly as a place to stack the best of our luggage… sort of a portable luggage cart.
The seat is spacious for a nearly 2 year old – we expect to be able to use it for at least another year or two before he outgrows it.
Max carrying weight: 44lbs
Total Stroller Weight: 13lbs
Attaching a Car Seat:
One of the biggest advantages to the Mountain Buggy Nano is also one of the most perplexing features: attaching an infant car seat. For our first few flights, we took our own car seat – both for comfort in the air and convenience and familiarity when renting a car at our destination.
When West is not going to be in the car seat, we don’t bother tying it down to the stroller. The car seat sits well on its own on the stroller frame and we pile it full of jackets and other carry-ons without any problem.
However, when safety counts and you need the car seat to remain 100% secure and stable, the Mountain Buggy Nano comes with 2 tie-down straps. These straps are stored in a small pouch under the seat itself.
More frequent use might make the strap set up more intuitive but I found myself on YouTube watching instructions nearly every time I had to use them…. Just to be sure I got it right.
The straps are not attached to the frame and, as is the case when traveling with toddlers, everything not tied down goes missing at some point. I recently (re)found them behind the couch at home…. And of little use on a recent trip to Montana.
Folding and Collapsing:
The folding motion takes a bit of getting used to and doesn’t seem as smooth and easy as some of its competitors. Completing the motion then requires the cover sleeve to slide on top of the collapsed frame to keep it from flopping back open.
Like the car seat attachment straps, the cover is separate (included with purchase) but it is an essential piece of the folding process… losing the cover renders the stroller much more difficult for travel.
The front wheels can also be removed to increase the compactness. We tend not to remove the wheels for fear they’ll get lost but they are easy to remove and replace.
If folded and covered properly, the carrying handle is the perfect place for the gate checked luggage tag. When the stroller is in use, the handle is facing down towards the ground in the back and gate personnel have been appreciative when it’s been pointed out for them.
Folded Dimensions: 22″ (w) x 12″ (d) x 20″ (h)
Over Uneven Terrain
When we’ve arrived at our destination and are “out on the town”, the Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller holds up well on most paved or packed surfaces.
The lack of suspension or buffering of any kind can make cobblestone streets or brick sidewalks (for example) a jittery and jarring ride… which West loves!
What We Like About the Mountain Buggy Nano
- It’s lightweight without compromising mobility and functionality.
- We will be able to use it from infant to about 3.5-4 years old.
What We Don’t Like About the Mountain Buggy Nano
- The car seat attachment setup is not intuitive.
Competitors
The Clutch Stroller by Delta Children – $129 on Amazon
BABY JOY Lightweight Baby Stroller – $135 on Amazon
Joolz AER Premium Stroller – $449 on Amazon
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