Stokke YOYO⁵ review: is the new version better than the YOYO³?

Our verdict

The YOYO⁵ keeps the qualities that made me love our YOYO³: it’s light, compact and lovely to push around town. Our YOYO³ was a game-changing lightweight buggy for city life and travelling with a child, making busy pavements, car journeys and trips to see family abroad much more manageable. Although I haven’t taken the YOYO⁵ abroad yet, it retains the compact fold and carry strap that made the older model so useful for travel.

The YOYO⁵ tackles several of the small frustrations I had with the YOYO³. The hood gives my daughter more coverage, the peekaboo window is bigger (and now has a cover) and the built-in leg rest is a welcome addition after having to buy one separately for our older buggy.

The difference I notice most with my tall four-year-old is the seat. She doesn’t always need a buggy now, but it’s still useful for longer days out. She had good head and leg room in the YOYO⁵, noticeably more than in our YOYO³. The wider, more padded seat and improved back support make the new version feel better suited to her at this stage.

I tested the YOYO⁵ mainly on local trips to the park, as well as day trips and visits to grandparents. There are still a few compromises: the handlebar height is fixed, and the rain cover costs an extra £29. But as a compact buggy for town life, family trips and future travel, the YOYO⁵ is a meaningful improvement on one I already rated highly.

I tested the YOYO⁵ on a variety of terrain including pavements, grass and gravel

How I tested the Stokke YOYO⁵

I tested the YOYO⁵ for three weeks with my four-year-old daughter, mostly on local trips to the park, café and shops. We also used it for day trips and visits to her grandparents. Because I’ve used our YOYO³ since she was born, I could compare the two directly for seat space, folding, carrying, basket access and the smaller details that become obvious after years of use.

My daughter is tall for her age and no longer needs a buggy on every outing, so I paid particular attention to how much room she had when she did use it. I tested the YOYO⁵ with its stroller seat, not the newborn pack or a baby car seat, and it hasn’t yet been on holiday with us. I will say, though, that the YOYO⁵ newborn pack looks more carrycot-shaped than the YOYO³'s, which is a good upgrade.

What’s in the box and how easy is it to assemble?

The standard YOYO⁵ package includes:

• YOYO⁵ frame, including the basket and integrated leg rest

• Seat pack (comes in a separate box)

• Sun canopy

• Carry bag

• Instruction booklet

In terms of setup, my YOYO⁵ took about 10 minutes to assemble. I attached the sun canopy and seat liner, then spent a little longer working out the straps. The illustrated instructions helped me get everything in place.

It comes with a carry bag, as our YOYO³ did. That’s an accessory I appreciate when packing the buggy away for travel. There’s no rain cover included, which is less easy to excuse at this price, and no bumper bar in the standard setup. 

If you’re buying for a newborn, the newborn pack, bassinet (coming soon), car seat and car seat adapters all need to be bought separately. Accessories such as a cup holder and footmuff also cost extra.

During testing, I closely compared the YOYO⁵ with its predecessor, the YOYO³

How does the Stokke YOYO⁵ look?

The YOYO⁵ is recognisably a YOYO, but the seat and handlebar give it a more polished feel than my YOYO³. The leatherette handlebar feels lovely to hold, while the seat has wider sides, extra padding (including on the straps) and a more supportive backrest. It still looks compact rather than bulky, despite being a little larger than its predecessor.

I tested the black colourway, which has a smart, understated look. If you’d prefer something different, Stokke also offers the YOYO⁵ stroller in Forest, Taupe, Peach and Berry.

The redesigned canopy is an improvement I noticed straight away. The YOYO³’s little peekaboo window always felt too small to be much use. This one is bigger and has a cover, which makes it far easier to check on your child, and the four-position hood offers better coverage too. 

How safe and sturdy is the Stokke YOYO⁵?

The YOYO⁵ has a five-point harness. Its buckle works a little differently from the YOYO³’s, so I found it easier and quicker to fasten and secure. Adjusting the shoulder height was less obvious: I had to find and release a catch at the back of the seat, move the straps, then click it back into place. It took me a while to locate the catch, although the adjustment itself was straightforward once I’d found it. The head cushion moves with the straps.

The brake is the same red button I’m used to on our YOYO³, and I found it easy to apply and release. There’s also a wrist tether strap, which Stokke recommends using to keep the buggy close.

With my tall four-year-old aboard, going up and down kerbs felt much the same as it does with our YOYO³: fairly easy, but it doesn’t bump up as readily as a larger all-terrain pram. The updated independent four-wheel suspension handles our usual paved routes well. Grass is manageable too, while gravel takes more effort. It feels well suited to the town and park trips I used it for, but its small wheels aren’t built for regular rough-ground walks.

Close-up of the YOYO⁵’s five-point harness

How comfortable is the Stokke YOYO⁵?

Very comfortable. My daughter had good head and leg room in the YOYO⁵, which matters more to me than the 22kg weight limit alone. She’s tall for four and has noticeably more space than she does in our YOYO³. The seat is wider, more padded and better supported at the back, so the extra room doesn’t come at the expense of a flimsy feel.

The leg rest is built in and adjusts to five positions. On the YOYO³, I had to buy a footrest separately, so this feels like an overdue improvement. The seat reclines to a stated 149 degrees. To lower it, you release the adjuster on the strap behind the backrest. Pulling the strap brings it upright again. I tried the deepest position and found the recline easy to adjust, although my daughter no longer naps in a buggy. 

I like the attention Stokke has paid to airflow. There’s mesh at the back of the seat, and I can lift the back fabric and fasten it with a popper to expose more ventilation in warmer weather. The four-position hood covers much more of my daughter than the YOYO³’s, leaving only part of her legs exposed when fully extended - understandable for a tall four-year-old. I haven’t tested how much coverage the hood gives a baby or younger toddler. 

The YOYO⁵'s extendable hood now offers more coverage

What’s the Stokke YOYO⁵ like to use day to day and for travel?

For the park trips, day trips, café and shop outings, and visits to grandparents I used it for, the YOYO⁵ was a pleasure to push. It still has the light, nimble feel that made the YOYO³ work so well for us when we lived in the city. It manages grass, but I found gravel tricky, just as I do with our older buggy. Pavements remain its natural territory.

That compact, easy-to-manage design is also what has made the YOYO such a useful travel buggy for our family. We haven’t flown with the YOYO⁵ yet, but I travelled abroad many times with our YOYO³ and found it a gamechanger for airport days and getting around once we arrived. The YOYO⁵ folds to 52 × 45 × 22cm, so it is compact enough for many airlines’ cabin allowances, although Stokke advises checking with your airline before travelling.

Its size is useful closer to home too. I’ve found the YOYO³ easy to take on buses and trains, and the YOYO⁵ has the same narrow, manoeuvrable feel for getting through station gates, lifting up steps or finding space when things are busy. I didn’t use the new model on public transport during this three-week test, but based on its size and my long-term experience with the YOYO³, I’d expect it to work in much the same way.

The handlebar still doesn’t adjust for height, but it is slightly higher than the handlebar on the YOYO³. Its position works for me, but that’s worth trying in person if you and another parent are at very different heights. The new feature is that it folds down, so I can bring the buggy closer to a café table without the handlebar jutting out.

At 7kg, the YOYO⁵ is heavier than the 6.2kg YOYO³, and it feels a little larger when carried. The shoulder strap was still comfortable for me to use, though. That balance of a roomy enough seat and a buggy I can carry is important now that my daughter often wants to walk until she suddenly doesn’t.

The stroller seat is suitable from around six months. For use from birth, Stokke offers a YOYO⁵ newborn pack, a bassinet and car seat adapters. The £39 YOYO⁵ car seat adapters are compatible with models including the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro², Cybex Cloud T and Nuna PIPA urbn (among others). The adapters are specific to the YOYO⁵ frame, so don’t assume a pair from a YOYO³ will fit.

The under-seat storage basket is now easier to access and offers enough space for everyday essentials.

What’s the storage basket like?

I usually put a backpack in the YOYO⁵’s storage basket. It has the same 10kg capacity as my YOYO³, but I find it easier to get into from both the front and back. The frame obstructs access and limits capacity on our older buggy, so that change is genuinely useful when I’m loading and retrieving the bag.

The fold handle still sits in the way a little. Stokke has improved access, but it hasn’t made the basket completely open. 

There’s also a small storage pocket on the back of the seat as well as one behind the hood, as there was on the YOYO³. The smaller pockets are useful for keeping smaller essentials such as your phone, keys or a packet of baby wipes within easy reach, rather than having to dig through the basket. They can also hold the rain cover at a push.

The YOYO⁵ fits compactly into even a small car boot, although is slightly larger than the YOYO³

How easy is the Stokke YOYO⁵ to fold and unfold?

The new fold is one of my favourite upgrades. On the YOYO³, I always had to fiddle around underneath the seat to find the small release button and lever. The YOYO⁵ completely fixes this by integrating the mechanism right into the carry handle, making it much easier to find and operate - plus, the wheels don't catch as much when collapsing it. Unfolding it is just as seamless: you just release the lock and pop the buggy straight open.

Once folded, I can lift the buggy using the fold handle or carry it with the integrated shoulder strap - the YOYO³ also has a shoulder strap so I'm pleased Stokke kept this feature. The strap felt comfortable during testing, even though the newer model is slightly heavier.

Like its predecessor, the YOYO⁵ stands upright by itself when folded and fits neatly into the boot of our Volvo V40. It also fits in the rear footwell when I need the boot space for something else.

The stroller’s carry handles make it easier to lift once folded

Is the Stokke YOYO⁵ easy to clean?

Yes. I spot-cleaned everyday spills during the three weeks I tested it, which is what I usually do with a buggy rather than stripping the seat down after every mark. For a deeper clean, the removable fabric parts can be machine-washed at up to 30°C.

The YOYO⁵ packed into its carry bag alongside the YOYO³

Is the Stokke YOYO⁵ good value for money?

£429 is a significant investment, and you’ll need to budget separately for accessories such as a rain cover, bumper bar or car seat adapters if you want them. But having used a YOYO³ since my daughter was born, I know how much use families can get from one.

For us, it has worked from the newborn stage with the newborn pack, through city life, day trips and regular travel abroad. That versatility is what makes the price feel more justifiable: it’s a buggy that can make travelling and everyday life with a child much easier, rather than one that only comes out for holidays.

Three weeks with the YOYO⁵ showed me improvements I’d have welcomed throughout those years. The bigger hood, useful peekaboo window, easier fold and roomier seat all make an already excellent travel buggy feel more practical as children get bigger.

If I were buying a YOYO for the first time, I’d choose the YOYO⁵. It is the version I wish we’d had when my daughter was born.

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet. Mum to a four-year-old, she is fully invested in finding the best and most affordable products for families.

With more than 10 years’ experience as a full-time editor, including eight years writing, commissioning and editing product reviews and round-ups, Laura has particular expertise in buggies and car seats. She focuses on the details that make a real difference to parents day to day, from a buggy’s fold and weight to how well it fits an older child.

She has also appeared in a number of product review videos for Mumsnet’s YouTube channel.