GB Pockit Stroller Review

The wrong pram can really put a cramp in your family travel plans. Most prams are bulky, heavy and not at all suitable for any travel further than your local shopping center, let alone taking on a family vacation. Because we travel so heavily and we try to travel as light as possible we have spent a lot of time investigating what light weight travel pram options are available.

For a long while we have used the Babyzen Yoyo as our everyday stroller. Initially with the bassinet attachment then with the forward facing seat. It was the lightest, smallest pram we had ever come across. It is small enough to qualify as carry-on and it is even compact enough that it can fit down the aisle of an airplane. We were very happy with it, until we came across the Goodbaby Pockit Stroller. Now you can buy it through Amazon Australia!

Its full name is Goodbaby Pockit D340E01 portable baby stroller, catchy. We got our from Goodbaby Thailand while in Bangkok. Note that the big blue bag hanging on the back is our very full Boken Diaper Bag which we use a day bag.

It seemed impossible but the Pockit is actually much lighter than the already very lightweight YoYo. How light is it? The Pockit's weight is a mere 10 lbs (4.6kg). Unbelievably light.

The Pockit folds up smaller than the Yoyo too. The YoYo qualifies as a standalone piece of carry-on luggage while the Pockit fits in a carry-on bag while still leaving room for other baby related necessities.

It all seemed too good to be true so we decided to spend a month using the Pockit every single day to test it out. In that time we visited Bangkok, hung out in Penang, found free things to do in Singapore, took two flights and one cruise. We have put it through its paces.

The Pockit really is as spectacularly lightweight as is claimed. I can still remember the shock the first time I picked it up. I did that thing where something is much lighter than you expect so you almost accidentally fling it into the air.

You can buy the GB Pockit Stroller from Amazon. Click here for the latest price. Now you can buy it through Amazon Australia!

Now that we have used it for a while everything else seems absurdly heavy by comparison. Not only is our carry-on much lighter but navigating the streets with the pram is also easier. You don't notice how much effort it takes to push the pram over a sandy patch or to lift it up a tall curb until it suddenly gets easier.

Presumably because it is so light weight at first it felt rather flimsy. Its structure has more flex in it than we are accustomed to. Initially it felt a little like a toy pram which we expected to fly apart at any moment. Happily after a month of heavy use it is still working perfectly and we have come to trust its flexible yet surprisingly strong construction.

Owing to its extremely light weight and small size the wheels are relatively small and do not have much spring to them. They are perfect for getting around a mall, an airport or a well maintained city foot path. They do however struggle over broken concrete, gravel or anything off roadish. This is not an all terrain stroller or a jogger.

Because of the Pockit's light weight and short wheel base, you have to be careful hanging things off of it. The stroller itself weighs so little that it is only really your child's weight balancing your bag. If you hang a reasonably heavy bag on the back then remove your child from the stroller don't be too surprised if it tips backwards. Ideally do not hang bags off it at all but if you do, think about exactly how much weight you are adding versus how much your child weighs.

Setting up the Goodbaby Pockit stroller is extremely simple although it definitely requires two hands. The flick required to get it to deploy takes a little practice. Sometimes a nudge with your knee can help to get it to unfold.

Similarly, folding it up is fairly straight forward. Sometimes it is a little reluctant to collapse down for some reason but the process is not complicated. The final step of the process involves folding the wheels sideways, in towards one another. The plastic footrest tends to get in the way for this so we find ourselves not bothering as the pram is usually already small enough to be carried under an arm or shoved into a bag.

Be very aware that the backrest does not recline at all. It is something you unfortunately have to give up to get something so light. That pretty much rules out the GB Pockit Stroller for babies and very young toddlers. The very little ones need to be able to lie flat (or close to flat) to be able to get as much sleep as possible. For older kids that are down to one or two naps a day at defined times however it is not a problem. These days Zoe has one big nap in the middle of the day and we usually only go out in the morning or afternoon when she will be awake anyway so the lack of reclining is not a problem.

Another gotcha, the pram itself has no shoulder strap for carrying it when it is folded up. It is small and light enough to carry under one arm for short distances. A spacious shoulder bag is included with the pram. Fortunately they avoided the temptation to make the bag the absolute minimum size possible so the pram is easy to get in and out of the bag and you can even put some other bits and pieces in there. By comparison getting the Yoyo into the bag it comes with can be a bit of a challenge requiring both hands and some patience.

The seat of the Pockit is not particularly padded. Again, I guess this is to keep the size and weight down. After a few red baby bottoms we have started putting a small towel folded up under Zoe's bum if she is likely to be in the pram for long. Probably not necessary but we want our little one to be comfortable. Doing this does not seem to interfere with folding it up.

Now that Zoe is 18 months old and napping on the go is a rarity the GB Pockit Stroller is a really great fit for us. Easy to get around the city, super simple to get in and out of car boots, perfect for weaving through busy shopping centers, light when you need to carry it, small when you need to put it in a bag.

We did not think it was possible but the Goodbaby Pockit Stroller has replaced the Babyzen Yoyo as our everyday stroller. The Yoyo has served us very well and it is still the best pick if you have a young baby or if you anticipate lots of naps in the pram. Otherwise the Pockit has been a genuine game changer.

One final caveat. Owing to the Pockit's lack of a solid canopy it does not seem to be possible to fit a Snoozeshade easily to protect Zoe from the sun and help her nap. It does have a little shade square canopy but unless the only light is directly above your child it is of limited usefulness. It does help in shopping centers. The canopy is not sturdy enough to allow a Snoozeshade to be fitted.

We are currently back in Australia and are doing some walking around during the day. This does not require folding up the pram at all but it does involve being out in the sun for quite a while. We are actually considering getting out the Yoyo + Snoozeshade combination for our walks to limit the amount of direct Australian sun Zoe receives. However, as soon as we need to get in a car, take a train or a flight it will be the Pockit all the way.

There are tradeoffs with such an incredibly lightweight pram but, for us at least, they are really worth it. And the box it comes in is fun too.

 

You can buy the GB Pockit Stroller from Amazon. Click here for the latest price. Now you can buy it through Amazon Australia!

Click here for Goodbaby Thailand, where we got our GB Pockit Stroller.

Click here if you want to check out the Babyzen Yoyo instead.

Note, since writing this review we have also written an extremely detailed post about choosing the best lightweight travel stroller. Go check it out if you are looking for a stroller.