gb Pockit Review: A Game-Changing Stroller for Travel with Kids

This post was sponsored by @GBChildUsa as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received the gb Pockit to facilitate my review.

Strollers are both a life-saver and a source of frustration for traveling parents. If you travel with babies and toddlers as I have for the past 7 years, they are a necessity on most kinds of trips. But they are also bulky and can be lost or damaged by airlines.

Forget all of that. A new stroller from GB Child USA just entered the marketplace, and it has really changed the game for traveling with kids. The gb Pockit stroller (available at Babies R Us) is the smallest folding stroller ever sold. It's in the Guinness Book of World Records for this feat - seriously.

The small size makes it an excellent solution to the problem of bulk and stress when taking a stroller on vacation. The Pockit is so small that it fits in the overhead bin of the airplane so I'll never have to worry about the airline damaging or losing my stroller. No more waiting for baggage agents to bring my stroller to me as I try to make a tight connection either.

I test a lot of products in the baby and toddler travel space. I've been excited about a lot of them, but I have to say that I was truly ecstatic to try this stroller. Since I'm always looking for space-saving gear for traveling with kids, this stroller seemed like a dream come true. But would it be too good to be true?

After several days of rigorous testing, I'm happy to report that the gb Pockit does not disappoint. I'm never going to take another stroller with me on an airplane again. I might also finally manage to pack my family for a road trip without filling our car up to the ceiling for once.

Here's what you need to know about the gb Pockit so you can decide if this stroller is right for you too:

The Stats

• Stroller weight: 9.5 pounds
• Dimensions when folded: 11.8" x 7" x 13.8"
• Age range: 6 months - approx. 5 years
• Holds children up to 55 pounds
• Comes fully assembled in box (just unfold)

gb Pockit: What Worked

• Size: The size is the reason you buy this stroller, no question. If you travel a lot or live in a small space, this is the best solution on the market.
• Lightweight: Light enough to carry in one hand.
• Storage basket: I know some might complain that the basket underneath the stroller is fairly small, but I'm pretty impressed that it even has a basket at all. Plenty of larger umbrella strollers don't. Well-played for keeping this feature.

• 

  Surprisingly stable: Given its light weight, I was worried the stroller would be wobbly and top heavy. It delivered a surprisingly smooth ride and also seemed to have a fairly low center of gravity. I was particularly amazed that I was able to hang my daughter's backpack from the handles (without my son in the seat) and the stroller didn't topple over.

gb Pockit: What Didn't Work

• Imperfect sun shade coverage: The sun shade is pretty small and doesn't deal with angled sun very well. This is a common problem, however, with many umbrella strollers. You can always hack the problem by draping a receiving blanket over it, so it isn't that much of a negative in my opinion.
• Just a bit too low for taller parents: I'm 5'5'' and the gb Pockit works for me, but just barely. I were a few inches taller, I could see the fully-extended handle feeling a bit low. When I was walking quickly, I sometimes wished for a slightly higher handle or at least one that extended further back, as I occasionally would barely step on the back wheels when I walked with a longer gait. Of course, everyone's stride and arm length are different, so I'd simply recommend testing it out in person to make sure it fits the parent or parents who would be using it most often.
• Two handed fold required: The stroller folds very easily but it really needs to be done with two hands to do right. I managed to try it out with my 2.5 year old toddler on my hip and was able to complete the fold but it wasn't pretty! I'd recommend either putting your child down or in a baby carrier (if you are traveling solo with an infant, for example) while you fold.

The Cost

Let's talk price. At $249.99, this is obviously not your average discount store umbrella stroller. But it is very much in line with other high quality umbrella strollers on the market. The stroller my family bought for everyday use with our first child retails at $270 (often discounted to $199) so the Pockit is very much competitive price-wise with what many families will pay already. You could conceivably use the Pockit as your everyday umbrella stroller, particularly if you already have a bigger jogging stroller in your arsenal. That said, I don't think it would work for every parent as an everyday stroller because of the handle height issue.

The Final Word on the gb Pockit

Frequent travelers... there's nothing like this on the market for those of us who have to board planes, trains, and public transit often. Even with the few negatives and the expensive price tag, the gb Pockit wowed me and will likely wow you too.

Thanks to GB Child USA for sending the gb Pockit for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.