Welcome to our review of the Colugo Compact Stroller. Use this handy decision tree to decide what to do next:
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Colugo, like us, was founded by a dad who wasn’t able to find the products he was looking for after becoming a parent. We strongly relate to this, so we decided to check out the Colugo Compact Stroller. In this review, we chat about benefits to a compact stroller, how easy it is to break down, accessories, what we loved, and what we wish could be different.
- Looking for our Colugo Carrier review? It’s right over here!
Our Colugo Compact Stroller Review
A compact stroller is (you guessed it) smaller than a full-sized stroller, and is likely to be lighter on features than its bigger, heavier brethren.
Compact strollers are great in a few scenarios:
- If you’re living in a city, where you’re likely to have a smaller living space
- If you travel with your baby on airplanes
- If you’ve got a smaller car with a smaller trunk
- If you’re looking for a second stroller for travel
Compact strollers aren’t likely to be good for:
- Infants (the Colugo Compact, as an example, recommends babies be 6 months old). But, they released “The Infant Kit” – a $95 add-on that turns the Colugo stroller into an infant-ready “bassinet” type stroller. We haven’t personally tested this accessory, but we love the idea of not having to buy a whole separate infant stroller.
- Jogging (most compact strollers lack the suspension and big wheels that make for a good jogging stroller)
Alright, now that we understand a bit more about compact strollers, let’s talk about the Colugo Compact Stroller.
Colugo Compact Stroller stats
The Colugo Compact stroller is designed with urban & on-the-go parents in mind. It’s lightweight (just 16 pounds), it folds and unfolds with one hand in (according to Colugo) 2 seconds or (according to Fathercraft) in 3 seconds. Either way, it’s fast and doable while holding a baby in your other hand. Once folded, the stroller is just 17” x 24” x 10” and features a carry strap that allows you to carry it like a (somewhat bulky and hard) messenger bag.
It’s also designed to fit into an overhead bin on a plane, and it comes with a carry bag. Though we tested it in the suburbs of St. Louis, we could certainly imagine a New York mom or dad navigating subways and taxis with ease.
The next thing we noticed about the Colugo was its handling. We did some testing in a crowded Sunday morning farmer’s market and wove through the crowd with ease and a shockingly smooth ride and balanced feel.
Colugo also does a great job with its canopy—it’s UPF 50+ rated, easy to manipulate, and large enough to provide good coverage. You can unzip it to provide even more coverage.
The canopy also has a “peek-a-boo” cover for playing the namesake game, or just quietly gazing at your adorable little one.
Accessories
The Rain cover (included with stroller)
The rain cover was included in the base stroller price (it’s often sold by other companies as a separate, and pricey, accessory) and was really easy to put on without needing the instructions. It covered the whole stroller and was pretty roomy for the kid inside.
The carry bag (included with stroller)
The carry bag, also included with the stroller, was a nice to have, not super easy to get stroller in b/c it was tight. It’s worth noting that the diaper backpack won’t fit in carry bag with the stroller.
We’ve seen other stroller models you can roll behind you like a rolling suitcase, but we don’t think that was the use-case Colugo was going for, and we’re not sure just how necessary that is–why not just put your kid in the stroller and push her?
The cupholder
If you’re seen any of our other stroller reviews, you might know we’re not fans of stroller companies that don’t include cupholders with the base model. I mean come on, parents need coffee 24×7. Fortunately, Colugo includes theirs with the Compact at no extra charge.
The diaper tote (sold separately)
Colugo’s diaper tote is a small, no-frills (but thoughtfully designed) tote designed to hold the essentials for your baby (diapers, wipes, a bottle, and a few other things of your choice, which gets its own insulated pocket). The tote does not include a changing pad. Shameless plug, if you’re looking for a more, we here at Fathercraft make a bigger, full-featured diaper bag.
The organizer
Out of the box, the Colugo stroller doesn’t have any zippered pockets. The On The Go Organizer is a new product (we haven’t tested it yet) that attaches to the handle of the stroller, adding 2 cupholders and 3 zippered pockets. Like other Colugo products, it’s waterproof & machine washable, which we appreciate knowing how gross anything like this can get. It also converts into a fanny pack or cross-body bag, so you can take valuables with you, and rock that oh-so-cool fanny pack look if you want.
The cozy
The Cozy basically turns the stroller into a mini-sleeping bag for your kid for cold days. It’s got a polar fleece lining on the inside and is water-resistant on the outside for Sex-in-the-City-type sprays of water from taxis. And yes, it too is machine washable.
Plus, crucially, the stroller can still fold flat with it attached.
Alrighty. Let’s jump into what’s awesome, what we wish was different, and our final verdict.
The awesome
Size, weight, and ease of carrying/manipulation
The Colugo, when folded, is small. It sort of accordion-collapses in thirds, into a relatively neat brick of stroller. Whether you’re carrying it over your shoulder, putting it in your trunk, or storing it in your small apartment, small is much appreciated. It’s worth noting that just because a stroller is labeled as compact, that doesn’t mean it’ll fold up super small. We’ve got an UPPAbaby compact stroller that’s folds in half, but is still a solid 45 inches tall when folded.
The size, combined with the carry strap placement and the three-second, one-handed fold makes the Colugo super easy to carry around, lift in and out of the trunk of a car, onto an airplane, or wherever your adventures take you.
Colugo has some nice animations of this folding and storage on their website here.
Maneuverability, ride, and build quality
As we mentioned above, the Colugo stroller has a surprisingly smooth ride and feels well-balanced, making one-handed turns a breeze.
This is due in part to a balanced design, and in part to the wheels, which are puncture-proof but also not the hard-plastic versions you’ll find on other compact strollers like the Colugo competitor Mountain Buggy Nano.
Finally, the Colugo looks and feels well-built. It’s got curb appeal (and with its variety of designs, you can match your style), and is solidly-built despite the lightweight design.
100-day trial
We love that you can try out the stroller at home (or wherever it is you take your kids) for 100 days. If you decide it’s not for you, you can send it back risk-free.
Machine washable, removable inserts
As we noted above, baby gear gets gross. You will (trust us) let your kid eat in the stroller eventually. And crumbs and food packet gunk will get everywhere. So machine-washable removable inserts are a key selling point you’ll thank us for pointing out.
The wish it was different
Straps & buckling/harness system
The straps and buckling system on the Colugo Compact received an upgrade in the second generation model. While the straps are still a bit flimsy and made of the same generic canvas-y material you’ll find you’d find on cheaper products, they do have shoulder padding, but are a bit on the harder end of things to tighten or loosen. We’re delighted that Colugo brought the magnetic buckling system from its the Colugo baby carrier to the Compact Stroller. It still takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it works well—magnets in the buckle help with final alignment and security.
Seat-back design
In order to achieve its extremely compact fold, the seat back on the Colugo stroller can bend in half. This can (and did once during testing) result in your child pulling himself forward into an awkward position. But, this just happened once and is another common complaint of the sector of compact strollers that fold like this.
We also felt the Colugo could stand for mesh sides we’ve seen on some other compacts vs its very open design–when it’s in the upright position there’s not a lot of side wall.
A lack of built-in frills
Out of the box, the Colugo is fairly no-frills. (Again, this is true of many compact strollers.)
Final verdict: is the Colugo Compact worth it?
Overall, the Colugo Compact Stroller is our top choice in the compact stroller category. And for parents who live in small or urban spaces, we think the Colugo could easily be your one and only stroller (assuming you purchase the Infant Kit).
The combination of design, size, features, buying experience and price are unmatched. And, while there are some quirks and small annoyances (we haven’t found a stroller that doesn’t have these), we feel like these are heavily outweighed by an overall excellent product at a great price. Which is why the Colugo Compact was our pick for best compact in 2022.
Where to buy & pricing
Colugo started as a direct-to-consumer brand (meaning you could only purchase Colugo products online through their store), but now you can find Colugo at mass retailers like Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
But, if you want the 100-day trial, you’ll need to purchase directly from the Colugo website:
- The Compact stroller is available as a standalone item (with rain cover and carry bag included) for $295.
Optional accessories pricing:
- Infant Adaptor Kit – $95
- Cozy cold weather cover (sleeping bag might be a more accurate description, this thing is warm and delightfully puffy) – $95
- Diaper Tote – $95
- Organizer/cupholder – $45
That’s all for this review! Want to see the full list of items that made the cut for our baby essentials list that the Colugo stroller and carrier are a part of? Head on over here to see the full list.
Still got strollers on the brain? Well, then, check out all of our stroller reviews.
Editor’s note: This review was originally published as just the video in January, 2019, but was updated with a full review in February, 2019, and updated with a review of the second generation compact in January, 2022. It was updated once more in January 2024 with new information about where and how to buy Colugo items.
