UPPAbaby Minu V2 Review

Historically the UPPAbaby Cruz V1 was the natural choice for parents wanting a smaller travel system from the UPPAbaby range as the Vista is by no means compact. However the Minu V2 now offers an even more compact and lightweight option for city dwellers for whom the Cruz V1 was still a little on the bulky side. The Minu V2 can be combined with a full size carrycot and car seat to give you a versatile and cost effective travel system option for parents looking for a compact, maneuverable and value for money proposition.  For those who already have the larger Vista or Cruz, the carrycot (2015 onwards) can be attached to the Minu meaning no further purchase should you want a smaller, more nimble option for days out or when space is at a premium in your car boot. It seems that UPPAbaby has hit the mark in the compact travel system arena on paper but let’s take a closer look to see whether it really does cut the mustard!

The UPPAbaby Minu V2 can be purchased as a stroller in its own accord and for many people this will be a second purchase after buying a large travel system. However, for others it will be an element of a compact travel system.

The Minu V2 arrives packed in a single box. At the very top you will find the instructions housed in their very own cardboard sleeve - a nice touch for those who easily misplace the instruction booklet. In addition to the all important instructions, you will also find your warranty details (2 years plus an extra year if you register the product) and a very useful QR code to take you straight to the UK UPPAbaby website to allow you to register your Minu V2, watch how to videos and much more.

Everything comes in one box and is easy to put together. Simply unfold the chassis and pop the four wheels in place. I found it easier to attach the hood with the seat reclined - the hood slides in place on the side of the chassis and you will hear an audible click once this is secured. Next pop the hood rods into their slots, again listening for the click. Finally secure the back of the hood fabrics to the seat using the four velcro pieces and two silver poppers. Once you have the wheels and hood in place, all that is left to do is to attach the bumper bar. Two brackets fit on either side of the chassis and are clamped into position. To make life simpler, there is a dot on each of the fittings to colour match and line up the fittings into the correct position. The removable, gate opening bumper bar then slots in neatly. Once put together, you are good to go!

Let’s look at the stroller in more detail. We have the Stella version to review - light grey fabrics on a chrome chassis teamed with deep tan leather bumper bar and handle. We also have the carrycot / bassinet (in Jordan) and the Mesa i-Size (in Jordan) to look at too. For those of you who already know UPPAbaby, you will know there are a wide variety of colours for the carrycot and Mesa i-Size car seat - the new Minu V2 is available in Stella, Jake and Greyson. The Minu V2 as a stroller is certainly pleasing on the eye, it looks comfortable and oozes uncomplicated style and looks.

The Minu V2 is a 4 wheeled stroller and features solid, puncture-proof tyres. The wheels are grey with a granite coloured UPPAbaby logo in the centre. The back wheels are 16cm and are easily removable using a small lever / locking pin hidden on the underside of the chassis on the wheel housing. The front wheels are 14cm and are removable but this is more tricky as you do need the end of a flat head screwdriver or something similar to release the locking pin which you will find on the inside on the front wheel housing near to the foot plate. However, we don’t think there will be many occasions that you will need to remove the wheels on the Minu V2 so this is not really anything to be concerned about.

The UPPAbaby Minu V2 has 4 wheel suspension which is more noticeable in the rear wheels. Despite the reasonably small wheels, we found that the Minu V2 fared very well over rougher terrain (e.g. through a park) even with a heavier toddler on board. This surprised us somewhat - but good surprises are always nice!

The brake is located at the base of the chassis with a green for go footplate on the left hand side and a red for stop footplate on the right. It is incredibly easy to use and is certainly very flip-flop friendly for those of us who wear less substantial shoes during the summer months.

One of the features that we love about the Minu V2 is the basket size. The majority of smaller folding strollers have quite frankly a rather useless basket but this is not the case with the Minu. The basket holds 9kg and is larger and deeper than on the original Minu. This is so important to so many parents who do not want to compromise on basket space just because they have a smaller stroller. We have grown to love the size of the basket on the UPPAbaby Minu and Vista so it seems fitting that it’s little sister, the Minu V2 also has a larger than average basket.

The handle is a tan leather to compliment the bumper bar. It is slightly perforated to ensure no sweaty palms even in hotter climates. The stitching is perfectly positioned and finished as you would expect from UPPAbaby. In the centre of the handle is the one handed folding button which we will look at below. Whilst the handle is not adjustable, we do feel that the majority of people will feel at home pushing the Minu, even the taller people amongst us as it measures in at 103cm from the ground.

Now to the important bit - where your little one is going to sit! The Minu V2 is suitable from 6 months but you can add a carrycot and car seat to allow use from birth and transform this compact folding stroller into a full travel system. You can use this stroller well into the toddler and pre-school years as it goes up to 22kg meaning that you should never need another stroller for your little one. In addition to the higher weight limit (some compact strollers only go up to 15kg) it is also very noticeable that the seat unit is spacious. With a depth of 22cm (extended to 36cm if you put the calf rest up) and a seat height of 44cm with an additional 30cm clearance to the hood, we can see that it is going to be long lasting. The seat itself is well padded, the material very soft to touch and as mentioned, very spacious.

The Minu V2 seat has had many upgrades in features from the original Minu which we have already mentioned but perhaps the most obvious to the naked eye are the addition of the leather covered bumper bar and the adjustable calf rest. Previously the bumper bar had been an additional purchase for parents but it is now included in the price. Once you have clamped the two adapters into place, you can open the bumper bar from either side or remove it completely using the light grey buttons which are located under the bar at either side. We are pleased that you don’t have to faff with the clamps everytime you want to remove it!

The calf rest now has two positions and you can adjust this using just one hand - it can be lowered for an older toddler or in the higher position for a younger child to support their legs. This feature was really lacking in the original Minu so we are pleased to see this added to the new version. 

We loved the seat on the original MINU but we are very pleased to see the upgrades on the Minu V2. The harness is now a non-thread harness, allowing very easy height adjustment just by sliding the straps up and down. You can also easily adjust the tightness of the straps by simply pulling down on each of the shoulder webbing straps and to tighten loosen just lift the hoop below the shoulder pads and pull the chest strap out. You can also adjust the length of the crotch strap in the same way. This is great if you have more than one child using the stroller, but also allows you to easily adjust if one day you need to take little one out in a thick coat but the next day it is shorts and t-shirt weather! There are shoulder comfort pads which are incredibly cushioned but there is no crotch pad on the Minu V2. However it is worth noting that the straps are very soft so we don’t see this as a big issue for most. 

The recline on the Minu V2 is better than the original Minu but it is still only recommended from 6 months - to have been able to make it from birth may have been the icing on the cake for some parents. However, that said, the recline is better than some other strollers suitable from the same age! The recline is an infinity recline meaning that you are not confined by preset recline positions as you would be if it was a ratchet operated recline. It is simply operated by squeezing together the ends of the plastic clip to recline and to sit up, just pull the straps. The recline is reasonably easy to do with the child in situ but of course as they become heavier it will be harder to sit the seat up. One thing to note on the Minu V2 is that the seat now sits in a more upright position than it did previously which is great for older toddlers who usually prefer this seating position.

The only downside to the seat on the Minu V2 is that there is no option to parent face although of course you have got the carrycot you can use for the first 6 months. However, to put this into perspective, a world facing only seat on a compact folding stroller is not unusual so it is a compromise many parents will be happy to make.

On to the hood or canopy as some people like to describe it. There is a very noticeable upgrade on the hood from the original MINU. Rather than the silver pull out to extend the hood, the Minu V2 has a full panel you can unzip giving you very good coverage from the elements - it also is more aesthetically pleasing than it used to be. The hood maintains the large peekaboo window, this is mesh and the flap neatly rolls up and is secured by elastic and a toggle when not in use. We love the magnets used to hold the flap securely in position when in use. 

To the rear of the hood, the material attaches to the seat to ensure full protection from the wind, an element that we like. With the seat reclined, the extension of the hood material, the large hood and the enclosed sides of the seat unit itself, you can be sure that your little one won’t feel the draughts! There is also a large pocket, big enough for a spare nappy and travel wipes, or your phone and keys -  a useful addition to any pushchair. 

The fold on the UPPAbaby Minu V2 could not be more simple and can be done with one hand - perfect if you are holding the hand of a runaway toddler! In the middle of the handle is a sliding mechanism which you can slide from either the left or the right - great if you are left-handed which so many manufacturers do not think about. At the same time you squeeze in the chunky button with your fingers which is below the handle bar. The stroller then seamlessly concertinas in on itself and is secured by a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism on the V2 is much improved and is now hinged meaning that it is far less likely to break from the strain plus it is easier to undo. To unfold the Minu V2, simply release the lock and ‘flick’ the stoller out - it could not be more simple.

The MINU V2 has a compact fold but it is not as small as some on the market. Dimension wise it will fit in theory as hand luggage for some airlines but we would always recommend checking your individual airline before you depart and be warned, some will still then take it off you once you get to the gate! As always, we would recommend a travel / storage bag, which unfortunately is not included with Minu V2. However, you can purchase a very substantial UPPAbaby TravelSafe bag which allows you to carry the MINU on your back like a rucksack. In addition, if you use the UPPAbaby TravelSafe bag, you are covered by your warranty too even when travelling!

Included with the UPPAbaby Minu V2 is a rain cover. It is quite basic but has some nice touches such as the large opening at the front for times when the rain decides to stop - apparently the UK is famous for its rain showers! 

To attach the raincover to the Minu, all you need to do is to fasten the velcro strips around the chassis in four places. To be honest I did not find this tricky but I imagine for an older person or someone with chunky fingers, you may find this a little cumbersome. The rain cover offers adequate coverage for your little one but I would envisage that older toddlers may struggle a little with wet feet! The quality of the rain cover itself is excellent - it is thick enough to be sturdy and strong, but supple enough to fold neatly to store in your basket when not required. I love the addition of the opening at the front which can be neatly folded up and fastened using velcro.

My only gripe with the raincover is when using the seat in the reclined position as this offers no protection to the area behind your little one’s head and I would envisage that the material here would be at risk of getting soaked in a downpour.

The UPPAbaby Minu V2 has come a long way since its first version and you can now use a full size carrycot on the chassis. Previously you could use their babynest, and whilst a great and compact option, using a full size carrycot gives you a number of benefits.

The UPPAbaby Minu V2 is compatible with the Vista / Cruz Carrycot (2015 or later), all you need to purchase are the adapters which will also allow you to fit the Mesa i-Size Infant Carrier on the chassis too. We love the fact that you do not need to remove these adapters in order to fold the stroller - they simply rotate out of the way - but this does not compromise the small fold of the stroller. However, if you do want to remove them, it is an easy process.

We have to admit that we have always loved the UPPAbaby carrycot and would go as far as to say that it is one of the best on the market (and we have seen a lot of carrycots in our time) - the fact that you can now use it on the Vista, Cruz and Minu V2 is a big plus point.

The UPPAbaby carrycot is VERY easy to put on and take off the Minu V2. To attach you first need to ensure that the carrycot adapters are in place. These clamp on the side of the chassis (where the bumper bar attaches) - there is an orange dot on one side and a blue one on the other side which corresponds to the dots on either side of the chassis - no risk of getting them in the incorrect way around! You can attach the carrycot either with or without the seat fabrics in situ - a real positive for those of use with siblings close together who may both be using the MINU.The removal of the carrycot could not be simpler - there is a sliding button on the top which you slide and press, and then lift the carrycot off the chassis. 

The carrycot is very spacious and very comfortable providing a lovely environment for those first 6 months. The base is ventilated and has a small panel that you can use to cover the ventilation when out and about during the winter months. There are four plastic feet on the base to lift the carrycot off the floor to keep it clean and maintain good ventilation. 

The canopy is substantial and has a pop out UV visor to offer even more coverage. There is also the option to unzip the back panel during the summer months, again offering great ventilation during warmer weather.

The carrycot comes with its own raincover and bug net - both more than adequate for us to give these the thumbs up!

A great plus point is that this carrycot is approved for overnight sleeping which for many will replace a downstairs moses basket or even a crib upstairs. You can also purchase a carrycot stand to give you ultimate flexibility! If we were pushed to find a negative about the carrycot on the chassis of the MINU, it is only that it looks a little ‘large’ on its petite frame and some might think out of proportion BUT teamed with the positives of the carrycot and the fact that the position of the carrycot is so high to give you ultimate visibility over your baby, this is an element that we are sure the ‘driver’ will not notice for long!

The UPPAbaby Minu 2 Mesa i-Size / Carrycot adapters will allow you to fit your Mesa i-Size Infant Carrier onto the chassis of your Minu V2. If you have decided not to purchase the Mesa i-Size car seat, you can buy adapters to fit various Cybex and Maxi-Cozi car seats. This really does make the Minu V2 a very flexible stroller for those of us who require a small folding but practical travel system solution.