UPPAbaby Minu V2 Stroller – My Honest Review After 2 Years

The UPPAbaby Minu V2 stroller is a great do-it-all stroller that can accommodate your baby from birth to the toddler years. It’s a smart investment for someone looking for a stroller that shines across multiple dimensions (such as recline, quality, folded size, weight, etc.)

Read through to the end for my honest, no-BS review of the Uppababy Minu compact travel stroller after owning it for over 2 years

Summary

• Type: Compact, Travel-friendly
• Weight: 7.7 kg (17 lbs)
• Folded Dimensions: 20.5 x 23.2 x 11.4 inches
• Age: From 6 months. From 0 months with car seat or bassinet attachment
• Pros:
  • One-hand, one-step fold for easy storage and transportation, with built in shoulder strap
  • Lightweight design without compromising on durability and quality
  • Spacious seat and large sunshade for child comfort
  • Compatible with infant car seats (with adapter)
  • Decent under-seat storage basket
  • It can be folded while the bassinet is attached
  • Looks nice, and UPPAbaby is a premium brand
• Cons:
  • On the expensive side
  • One-hand fold may sometimes require a bit of help at the end
  • Not designed for rugged terrain or off-path adventures, but this is not expected for compact strollers
  • Accessories like the car seat adapter are sold separately
  • Brakes are of dubious quality compared to other UPPAbaby strollers

Who should buy this stroller

I recommend this stroller for someone looking for a good “everyday” stroller. What I mean by everyday stroller is a stroller that hits the sweet spot across multiple aspects, so that you can use it day-to-day for daycare pickups, neighborhood walks, or for weekend adventures as well as road trips or airplane travel.

While the stroller isn’t the lightest, nor does it have the most compact fold, or basket capacity, this stroller performs very well in multiple dimensions, allowing it to be the top choice in any situation.

Wheels and drive

The wheels are sufficiently wide for a compact stroller, and the wheels themselves are sturdy. However, I did have an issue with the rigidity of one of the front wheels. This can be easily fixed with some WD40, however it is something to keep in mind as I expected better quality from UPPAbaby, even if this was a gently used second hand item.

Overall, I have had no major problems using this stroller, and have used this stroller around the neighborhood and on road trips.

Folding and portability

I bought this stroller for its one hand standing fold. It is so fun to use and I love that it stays standing so that I don’t have to reach down to pick it up, and because the seat fabrics won’t need to touch a dirty floor.

The fold is a tri-fold, and it folds up into a small rectangular shape. Since the UPPAbaby Minu is not the lightest stroller, the fold is not the most compact on the market, but that is not what I was looking for. This tucks behind the entryway bench nicely when not in use.

Special features and accessories

• Stroller can be folded with the bassinet attached – One of my favorite features is the ability to fold the stroller even when the bassinet is attached. After folding, the stroller is just as small as if the bassinet had not been installed.
• Large basket fits entire backpack – The relatively larger basket for a compact stroller is another reason I chose this stroller. If I’m out and about and pushing a stroller, it is nice to not have to also carry the diaper bag. This larger basket fits my entire full sized backpack, which I appreciate.
• Large pocket for parents behind the canopy – This is useful because you don’t need a separate parent caddy for your phone, wipes sunscreen, and other things you always need
• Lots of accessories available – A lot of the UPPAbaby accessories can be used for the Minu as well, such as the snack tray.

My honest review

What I was looking for

I bought this stroller just before my 2nd child was born, so I already owned several strollers, but I was in the market for something better. I wanted something that looked good, and lightweight enough for me to easily carry it up and down the stairs to my front door.

As an owner of the Uppababy Vista, I believed that Uppababy was synonymous with quality and safety. So, given that the all black Uppababy Minu was sold out everywhere online, I bought a relatively new one on Ebay.

After tons of research, I was so stoked to start using the Minu!

What I liked

I really loved the Minu during the newborn phase when we lived in a condo with stairs at the front door. There were certain aspects of the stroller that were great, and worked for me and my living situation. Remember that your ideal stroller is based on your lifestyle and living situation!

• Being able to walk my baby around in the bassinet, which was easy to open and close
• Its ability to fold up even with the bassinet attached (requires folding up the bassinet at the end)
• The stroller feels nice and robust compared to more lightweight strollers with thinner frames
• The stroller stands upright on its own when folded – important when you don’t want the fabrics touching the dirty floor, or don’t have anything to lean it up against. Also great for tucking it under the dining table in a restaurant!
• The one-hand fold is really nice to use. You simply release the lock on the handlebar by squeezing the buttons, then push straight down. This was important for me as I was sometimes carrying my baby in my other arm. A TRUE one-hand fold is rare. See this video of a selection of strollers being folded the UPPAbaby Minu is the 2nd one.

What could be improved

No stroller is totally perfect, and this wasn’t without issues. I want to point out that, even though this was a second hand purchase, I think it’s reasonable to expect UPPAbaby level quality. This is because 1) the stroller I purchased was only gently used as the model was not released that long ago, and 2) strollers are used by families for multiple children, or passed on to be used by multiple families.

• The stroller doesn’t drive as well as the UPPAbaby Vista. One wheel was always a bit stuck, causing difficulty in steering. The quality does not live up to my expectations of UPPAbaby. Sure, I could have probably used some WD-40, but we should expect more from a $400+ stroller
• Ugly extended sun shade. The newest colorways now have extended sun shades that match the rest of the stroller’s main color. Previous models had a silver extendable sun shade, which really killed the otherwise nice all-black midnight aesthetics of the stroller
• The one-hand fold could be smoother. This is a small nit, because every stroller needs the seat to be un-reclined to fully close. Maybe my stroller was faulty (again, what are the chances) but I felt that the fabrics often get in the way of the latch, so I had to use 2 hands or push it against the floor to close it fully
• Left and right brakes became disconnected. From what I’ve found online, this appears to be a common problem with Minu. Again, I expected better quality control from Uppababy. I contacted customer service and they required me register my stroller before they could help me, however this is more effort than separately locking both brakes every time, and I could not be bothered to find the serial number to get this fix, so I didn’t complete the process. Really wonder why they don’t just send me instructions to fix it at no cost to them.

Conclusion

Overall, I do like the Uppababy Minu, and think that it’s a great choice for someone who is looking for a good all-round stroller to take them from the infant stage through to the toddler years. I’ve really enjoyed using it, and I continue to use it. It is my go-to for a sturdy yet compact stroller that folds nicely with a comfortable seat.

It may not be the most compact stroller, but I’ve had no issues gate checking it, and it would actually fit in the overhead. Lastly, the brakes issue isn’t big enough for me to bother fixing it, or stop using it.