Joolz Aer2 Review: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy

If you’re looking for an honest Joolz Aer2 review from a mom who’s actually tested it with three kids, you’re in the right place. If you want a travel stroller that offers a newborn recline, a tall seatback, fits in most airplane overhead bins, and feels luxurious, the Joolz Aer2 deserves a close look. But like all travel strollers, it has its pros and its cons.

I’ve been putting the Joolz Aer2 to the test with my three kids, from long sunny walks to public transit to folding it in tight airplane aisles, and I’m so excited to share my honest review.

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Prefer to watch? Check out my full review on YouTube:

Joolz Aer2 Quick Summary

• Price: $579, includes stroller and a lightweight dust bag.
• Weight: About 14.3 pounds, making it very light for a travel stroller.
• Newborn options: Zippered newborn recline with newborn nest mode, plus an optional carry cot and nest to seat available.
• Seat: Tall back, no-rethread harness, adjustable calf support now built in.
• Fold: One-handed fold, IATA overhead bin compatible
• Push: Smooth, improved wheels and suspension handle cobblestones and city streets well.
• Cons: No true peekaboo window, zipper recline can be annoying, and harness tightening has a learning curve.
• Great for: Frequent flyers who want a premium travel stroller that can double as an everyday stroller with accessories.

Price and What’s Included

The Joolz Aer2 retails for $579. In the box, you get the stroller and a simple dust bag with a carrying strap. Now, the dust bag is not necessarily a travel bag since there’s no padding on it, but it will protect the stroller for storage and has a strap so you can carry it.

Accessories such as the carry cot, bumper bar, and car seat adapters are sold separately.

From Top to Bottom

If you’re familiar with my reviews, you know I go in-depth, top to bottom, on every stroller, covering the details that parents and children care about most.

Is the Joolz Aer2 Comfortable for Tall Parents?

The handlebar on the Aer2 sits a touch higher than the previous Aer Plus, which I like because it is more comfortable for taller parents. The materials feel premium, and you really notice the quality when you are walking long stretches. Push comfort matters, and this handlebar helps the stroller feel elevated and easy to steer.

Speaking of quality, Joolz makes their strollers from recycled materials, has a really impressive 10-year transferrable warranty, and for every stroller purchased, they plant a tree!

How Good Is the Joolz Aer2 Canopy and Sun Coverage?

The canopy has a deep extension and a mesh panel at the rear. Now, this is not a full peekaboo window. It mostly provides airflow and a limited view when the seat is reclined. If you’re using the newborn recline, you can see your baby in that position, which is really nice. But when my baby was sitting upright, especially when we were out in the sun all day, I couldn’t see her through the mesh.

The good thing about where the mesh is located is that it doesn’t let direct sunlight onto your child. So it provides airflow without adding sun exposure. The canopy coverage is really good, and I felt like my daughter had great ventilation. The canopy is also far enough away from your child’s face, which I appreciated. For parents who rely on a parent-facing peekaboo window, that feature is still missing here, and I wish they had added it.

Is the Joolz Aer2 Seat Comfortable for Bigger Kids?

The seat is one of the main strengths of the Aer2. It has a tall, upright seatback that is very similar to the Joolz Aer Plus in terms of height. I wouldn’t say it’s a ton more, but all three of my kids, my five-year-old (99th percentile for height), my three-and-a-half-year-old, and my one-year-old, are all very comfortable in the seat. The seat materials feel premium, and the overall quality gives the stroller that elevated feeling throughout.

How is the Joolz Aer2’s Recline?

The Aer2 offers a deep newborn recline that many travel strollers simply don’t have. You unzip the panel at the back of the seat and then use a strap to convert the seat into a nearly flat newborn position. This is an amazing recline. In the American travel stroller market, the Ergobaby Metro 3 and this one are probably two of the best. The other options just don’t have as deep of a recline.

In the US, Canada, and Australia, there is also a newborn nest mode: a mesh-lined piece that unzips from underneath the footrest, snaps onto the sides, and creates a cozy enclosed space for your baby. I love that it’s mesh for added airflow on those hot summer days.

When you’re done with the newborn stage, the nest zips back into the footrest, which prevents loose fabric from falling out (this is not the case with some of its competitors)!

That said, the zipper recline mechanism is still not my favorite. It’s really annoying to have to unzip it to recline. I wish they had fixed that from the Aer Plus.

The recline also has two settings beyond the newborn position: the most upright position, and a slightly reclined setting that works well for babies around six months and up.

Harness and Comfort

The harness is a five-point system with no-rethread adjustment. Instead of the usual individual strap tightening, the Aer2 uses two straps under the seat: one tightens the lower harness, and the other tightens the shoulder area. There’s a little release button to loosen.

It’s a clever design, but it takes a few uses to get right. As we’ve been using it, it felt like I was second-guessing which strap I was pulling, and sometimes I would tighten it too much on my child. You’ll get used to it, but I wish it were a little more intuitive.

The no-rethread harness makes height adjustments easier as your child grows, and because this stroller offers a newborn recline, you get a lot of adjustment range to fit from a small baby all the way through toddlerhood. I love how the straps stay out, making it really easy to put your child in and out without getting caught under them. The padding is really nice, and the five-point harness buckles easily.

Calf Support and Leg Rest

Joolz added a pull-up calf support on the Aer2, which is great because the old one on the Aer Plus was a separate purchase, and honestly, I did not love the additional calf support accessory. This one is built right in. You simply pull it up, no buttons required. It is not totally flat, but it gives a more comfortable resting position for babies and toddlers. You can also push it all the way under, which makes the stroller a little more compact when folded.

I found my very tall three-and-a-half-year-old and even my five-year-old were very comfortable in the seat with this tucked under, because the seatback is tall and the lower footrest sits low enough for longer legs.

Bumper Bar

A folding bumper bar is available and folds with the stroller. It makes getting a child in and out easier and gives you a spot to clip a snack tray if you want one. Joolz doesn’t include a snack tray, but this universal snack tray works well enough.

Brake

The brake is flip-flop friendly, and it’s easy to engage and easy to release.

I will say it’s a little harder to find when you have the seat fully reclined. The fabric covers the foot area a bit, so you may need to feel around for it by touch in that position. That’s not unique to this stroller, but it’s something to keep in mind.

How Much Storage Does the Joolz Aer2 Have?

The underseat basket holds 17.6 pounds. I was able to fit my pretty large diaper bag in it, but that’s about it. It’s not the largest basket I’ve ever seen, but it can handle a diaper bag.

There’s a pocket on the back of the seat for your phone, which I always love. I definitely miss having a built-in cup holder or parent organizer, but there’s good clearance to the canopy, so you could easily add a parent organizer. Here’s one of my favorites.

What Are the Joolz Aer2 Newborn and Car Seat Options?

With the Joolz Aer2, there are many different newborn options, which is honestly one of the best things about this stroller. You have the zip-in newborn recline with the newborn nest, the foldable carry cot, the nest to seat, and car seat adapters. That is a lot of options for one travel stroller!

The carry cot has been updated and is certified safe-sleep approved in many regions, though not in the US, Canada, and Australia, due to different local regulatory requirements. The carry cot folds with the stroller and allows parent-facing use, which is a big plus if you want an everyday stroller from birth. If you are going to use this stroller as your everyday stroller, the bassinet option is really nice, especially for city parents.

The stroller also accepts infant car seats with adapters, compatible with popular brands like Nuna, Maxi-Cosi, and Cybex. The adapters fold with the stroller, and the stroller can fold with many car seats attached, although for air travel I recommend removing the adapters to avoid potential issues during boarding.

Joolz also released the Nest to Seat, which is a parent-facing seat you can purchase separately. It gives you a parent-facing option from birth with a near-flat recline, mesh for added airflow, and an expandable sunshade. For the first six months, you’ll need to use the included foot muff, and after that, your child can ride in a nice upright position with no-rethread harnessing and a calf support. It maxes out at 15 months or 33 pounds since there’s no lower footrest. The best part is it still fits in the overhead bin of an airplane.

Folding, Unfolding, and Ease of Use

The Aer2 folds compactly with one hand. It weighs about 14.3 pounds, which is under 15 pounds and very light for a stroller with these features.

The fold includes an easy-to-find stretchy carry strap, so you can put over your shoulder when traveling through airports or on public transit. I love that I don’t have to dig for this carry strap like I do on some other strollers. You can even push the footrest around to give you a more compact, easy-to-carry package. It meets IATA compatibility for most overhead bins.

Unfolding is simple: grab two buttons and the frame pops open.

One small note: if you forget to zip the newborn recline panel back in before folding, the fabric can hang a bit when you are carrying the folded stroller. So just get in the habit of zipping it back up.

How Does the Joolz Aer2 Push and Maneuver?

Joolz updated the wheels and suspension on the Aer2, and the push was already good on the Aer Plus. The result is a stroller that glides smoothly over pavement, subway platforms, cobblestone, and typical urban surfaces. I have traveled with this stroller several times, and the push is amazing. It can handle just about any terrain.

For travel through Europe, city streets, and parks, it performs very well. I think it will handle those European cobblestones without any issues.

I pushed the stroller with kids of different sizes: my one-year-old, my tall three-and-a-half-year-old, and my near-capacity five-year-old. Even my oldest, who is almost at the top of the 50-pound weight capacity, still had a very nice push.

Specifications

What Accessories Are Available for the Joolz Aer2?

The Joolz Aer2 has a nice lineup of official accessories, and a few aftermarket ones I tested as well:

Official accessories: Carry cot with canopy and mesh ventilation, Nest2Seat, bumper bar that folds with the stroller, and car seat adapters for Nuna, Maxi-Cosi, and Cybex, and rider board.

Aftermarket options I recommend: Snack tray and parent organizer.

Who Is the Joolz Aer2 Best For?

The Joolz Aer2 is best for families who are looking for a luxury travel stroller that can actually double as their everyday stroller. It is especially well-suited for frequent travelers who need an overhead-bin-friendly stroller that still supports newborns through four different newborn options: the newborn recline, a carry cot, the nest to seat, and car seat adapters. That is really hard to find in one travel stroller.

If you live in a city and value a light, compact fold and a smooth push on pavement and cobblestone, this stroller delivers. The tall seatback means it will last through toddlerhood, and the premium materials and quality make it feel like more than just a travel stroller.

Now, there is no perfect stroller for everyone. If you want a true peekaboo window, the Aer2 still does not have one. And the zipper recline and dual-strap harness tightening take some getting used to.

But for many families, the trade-offs are worth the features you get. It is one of the best on the market for offering car seat adapters, a newborn recline, and a bassinet all in one stroller. If you want a travel stroller that feels luxe, handles varied city terrain, and gives you real newborn options without being too heavy for flights, the Joolz Aer2 is a solid pick.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Joolz Aer2