Review of the Joie Pact Lite Stroller

We recently purchased the Joie Pact Lite Stroller as our travel pram. For anyone looking in to buying a travel pram or a compact stroller then here is our review; how we found it and why we think it’s a great option!

Our Pram and Travel Situation

Over the last 18 months of our little’s one’s life, we’ve done 28 flights. That’s right 28! Between travelling back to England to see family and the general holidaying we like to do, they’ve stacked up pretty fast. While Jax was small we used a carrier in the airport. It meant one less item of luggage and one less thing to faff with while trying to board a plane. It’s worked for us as both of our parents have prams at their house. Then we’ve just put our pram in the hold. You see we have a Bugaboo Donkey, which looks like this…

And when it’s folded down in to its travel bag, it is huge, bigger than any of our suitcases. It’s not the easiest thing to try and get through scanners or fold down when trying to board a plane.

However, a carrier no longer works for our active and determined toddler, and having him loose all the time; well we tried it once. Let’s just say I’d prefer not to do it again; exhausting!

We also had the drama of a cancelled flight, after hours of waiting at an airport, to wait even longer in the queue to figure out what next; during nap time. And so, with a trip to the USA planned, a new baby on the way (and a very tired pregnant Mumma) we came to the not so surprising conclusion that it was time to make a new plan! It was time to invest in a travel pram.

After hours of research, lists of the ‘best’, youtube videos and reviews, we decided to go for the Joie Pact Lite Stroller. We got it in the colour ‘Lychee’ as it happened to be the cheaper option at the time but it also comes in the rather lovely ‘Pacific’. We tried it out on our trip to the USA in September 2018, that included a stopover in Chicago. Here’s how we found it…

What I like:

It comes with a travel bag.
I don’t like checking in any of our baby gear as it is, it just costs too much and the risk of damage is too high. That’s why we have invested in a travel bag for our pram and put the car seat in there whenever we aren’t taking the pram! So I love that this comes with that little extra bit of protection and hope that it won’t return to us looking like it was dropped out of the sky and then run over by the plane.

It folds down easily and so small.
I love how it folds down, it’s so small! Makes packing cars, handling at gates, carrying and storing so much easier. It’s also so easy you can do it one handed. When you’re juggling bags and babies, it’s so nice to be able to just put it down and up one-handed. Also an added bonus, you can take it on the plane with you as hand luggage it’s so small!

It’s easy to maneuver.
I’ve used a few different prams with various wheel types and while I would always go for a proper tyre for an everyday pram, I have to say this was much nicer to maneuver than some other plastic wheels. It’s not a battle to push the pram through varying surfaces and the patchwork pavements around our house. It feels easy to push which I really like.

It’s reasonably priced
We had already spent so much on our pram (even though it was second hand), hence why we put off getting a travel pram before. We didn’t want to go ahead and spend MORE money on another one. That was a huge factor in choosing the right one for us. This is really reasonably priced, from a big brand that you can trust with 2 years guarantee.

What I don’t like:

The seat isn’t completely upright.
I don’t know about yours, but our toddler likes to see everything that is going on. He likes to be sat upright and even when his pram is in the upright position, he will still sometimes lean forward. So unless he is asleep, he doesn’t use the backrest at all with this pram. Which is a little disappointing but then again, he doesn’t seem to mind too much.

You have to be a little careful with curbs.
The first time I took this pram out I nearly tipped the pram over trying to navigate a tricky curb. Which at first made me want to return the thing. But by the end of the trip, I had changed my mind again. Once you’re aware of it and are a little more careful on the curbs and bumps, it’s not a huge problem. The thing is so tiny and light,

The hood is quite small.
As I mentioned, our son doesn’t sit back in the pram as it’s too ‘laid back’ for him. And so the sun hood doesn’t even cover him when he’s in it!

Conclusion

Overall I think this is a great pram for travelling. We’re so grateful that we had it and especially with a short stopover time where we could take it on the plane and save any time waiting for them to bring it up after. I think it’s great value for money and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a travel pram that won’t break the bank.

Here are the specs:

Brand: Joie
Type: Pact™ LiteOpen size: L 82 x W 46.8 x H 99cm
Folded size: L 46.8 x W 26 x H 54cm
Weight: 5.5kg
Age suitability: From birth to 15kg

For more information, you can take a look at the Joie website here.

Let me know your thoughts!

Ri x