Doona Car Seat Stroller

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

Honestly, most people just don’t follow the 2 hour rule. I do think Doona came out with a new version where the seat can lay more flat to help address this, but not sure if it’s available everywhere. I think this stroller is overhyped but also know people who love it. To each their own.

Thread: "The overwhelming world of strollers"

This was me 3 months ago! The single biggest question you need to ask yourself is: how will I use this pram? Ie what is your lifestyle / anticipated lifestyle with baby? * Will you be using public transport a lot? You will need something ultra lightweight / compact with a one handed fold. * Will you be taking your baby out across tough terrain - eg snow, to the beach, to the park/across grass, cobbled/non-smooth streets? You need a pram with large wheels and good suspension. * Will you be taking your baby via your own car? You need a pram that can integrate with your permanently installed car seat. * Will you be using taxis or switching cars often (grandparents/friends/baby daddy without a permanent car seat)? You need a pram that can integrate on a seat belt compatible car seat, or go for a Doona. * Will you be using your pram to take your newborn out for longer than 2 hours at a time? You need one that has a bassinet attachment. * Will you be taking your newborn for overnight stays away from your home? You need a bassinet attachment that is rated safe for overnight sleep. * Will you be using your pram to run errands (eg food shopping) with? You need a pram with a large storage basket underneath - check the weight limit also, you want something higher than 5kg. * Do you have space to just park an open pram in your home (eg garage/entrance space)? Or will it need to be folded and stored in a cupboard between uses? This influences the size/weight/folding style you can buy. * Do you have to carry the pram up/down any steps/stairs to get into your home? You’ll need something ultra light. * Or, do you even need a pram at all? Have you considered baby wearing for the first few months so you can skip the bassinet attachment (and maybe save some money)? Just buy a car seat or Doona. * How long do you want to use this pram for? Check the upper weight limits for the child, and consider investing on a higher quality pram with a long and comprehensive warranty (even if it stretches the budget) if you would like to use it again for a second or third child. * Can you see yourself having another baby in 1-2 years? You should invest in a pram that can convert to a double. * How tall are you and your partner? If either of you is above 5’5” you’ll need a pram with an extendable handle. * What is your local second hand market like? Some places have a huge availability of buy/sell/swap groups, some are a dessert. It’s good to know what options you have both to buy and later sell from. * Are you/your partner careful with your belongings? If you generally take good care of things then you could invest in a high quality/brand name pram with the intention to sell it on in a few years for 50% off retail. Once you’ve answered these questions it really helps narrow down the research: you can Google ‘best all terrain pram’ (if you have a dog to walk), or ‘best light weight/compact stroller’ (for public transport) etc. Having a clear vision of what you need help you weed out prams that are definitely not going to fit your lifestyle, and ignore tempting features that are irrelevant to you (eg integrates with a car seat style you are never going to buy). Prioritise what is important to you. Here’s what my priorities looked like: 1. All terrain (dog walking) 2. Lightweight (public transport) 3. Overnight sleep safe bassinet (staying with the grandparents) 4. Height adjustable handle (I’m 5’8”, husband is 6’) The I made a list off all the all terrain prams (1), eliminated any that weighed over 12kg (2), and then eliminated any that didn’t have a sleep safe bassinet (3) all the remaining prams had a height adjustable handle so that didn’t eliminate any (4). This brought me down to 4 prams (from about 15), I eliminated one of those thanks to a ton a negative reviews, one due to a petty personal choice (the middle button on the handle) and then couldn’t decide between my top two choices for about a month… until Black Friday Sales happened and one of them was 50% off and the other was still full price… guess which one I chose? Your priorities may be: 1. Budget $400 (for a 6mo+ stroller this is a respectable budget, but you may struggle to find a car seat compatible travel system with a bassinet at this budget - which kind of makes life easier as there’ll be less options to decide between) 2. Weight (you need to be more specific - I’d say 10kg is the watershed point of a ‘heavy’ pram, but you won’t find anything lighter than 10kg for a double or all terrain pram). 3. Car seat compatible (which car seat specifically?) 4. ??? You need to go somewhere you can physically test out prams - even ones not specifically on your list. By pushing a few prams you’ll realise you have personal loves/pet peeves eg I HATE a any kind of ‘button’ in the middle of the handle because it means I can’t push it one handed. I’m impatient with large turning circles. I don’t give a crap about one vs two hand/step folding mechanisms etc. Some specific tips from my research, which may or may not be helpful as my budget/location may be different to yours: Nuna makes excellent car seats but average quality prams. The prams are aesthetically beautiful, have lots of nifty features ‘for mum’ but ultimately for the price you could get a more comfortable and sturdy chassis & seat for your child elsewhere (speaking specifically of the Mixx). Micralite is the best brand for bougee on a budget with a ton of options. If saving £££ was a high priority for me when shopping this would be my first choice (GetGo specifically). UppaBabys are the best ‘bomb proof’ heavy duty high quality prams, but are big and heavy. As long as you’re ok with a larger size/weight I’ve never read a bad review on these. Bugaboo are extremely ‘high tech’ so require knowledgable/gentle handling, but offer many unique features. Essentially, they are the best in their niche - whether it be lightweight all terrain (Fox) or ultra lightweight ‘airline carry on’ compact (Butterfly). Yo-yo specialise in ultra lightweight/compact/easy folds, but are generally uncomfortable to push after a short time if you’ve over 5’5”, and the wheels/suspension will struggle on anything other than a very smooth surface. Doona is a great choice if you travel by car often, but won’t be using a permanently installed car seat (ie taxis and multiple carers), want to save some cash and will only be taking your baby out for less than two hours at a time on smooth surfaces. John Lewis is the best pace to buy your pram from - they offer FREE 45/90 minute 1:1 consultations with zero pressure to buy (in fact, buying on the spot doesn’t really seem like an option). They than email you a 10-15% discount to be used online for ANYTHING baby related that also STACKS on top of any other sales/promotions they are running! I ended up getting 30-45% off both my pram and breast pump thanks to this, and if I’d planned better could’ve got a similar discount on the other big ticket items I’d already bought (cot/bouncer/high chair).

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

I mean, it's the same as a stroller where you just pop the carseat into the stroller frame. You just shouldn't take your newborn on long outings, or if you have to be gone, switch between holding/baby wearing and the stroller.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

Everyone I know who has it uses it more for portability/ease than anything. For newborns, my friends have still been taking short trips out of the house for things like a dinner, doctors visits, etc. and the major upside is not having to toss a monster stroller plus bassinet attachment in the trunk. Just pull it out and go.

Thread: "I don’t understand newborn strollers??"

Until the baby can sit in the stroller seat (4-6 months), a bassinet is safest for long walks (or, alternately, many strollers have infant inserts that let the baby lie flat in the stroller seat). A Doona is a car seat, so the same guidelines apply — they shouldn’t sleep there for long. And you should transfer the baby to a safe sleep surface as soon as possible, if possible. The rules are rules of thumb/general safety guidelines, so basically you do the best you can. (In my experience, that is basically true for all safety-related parenting rules: Know what’s recommended, then do the best you can.)

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

It is so short and heavy so unless you are as tall and ripped as Simone biles I would pass. Or at least find a store to test it yourself.

Thread: "The 25 most recommend travel strollers according to Reddit (in the past year as of Jul 2025)"

Irrelevant potentially, but the Doona does not do well with crash test ratings for anyone who may see this. I almost got it until I saw this: [https://www.babygearlab.com/reviews/vehicle-safety/infant-car-seat/doona](https://www.babygearlab.com/reviews/vehicle-safety/infant-car-seat/doona)

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

I guess I'm going to be the odd one out but we travel with ours and love it for that. We actually just flew with it today. It's easy to get into an Uber, walk through the airport until security, take our baby and collapse it and it fits through the little TSA scanner, then pop it back up put baby back in and walk to the gate. When you get to your destination you still have a car seat and stroller to get to your final destination It's great for travel, but we would never use it as our main car seat or stroller

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

We had the Doona and it’s one of our top 5 baby items. Incredibly convenient for quick car rides/errands and the best baby product for travel. Literally no cons except that our 99th percentile baby grew out of it around 12-13mo. I am SO sad that we can no longer use it.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

As someone who used and loved and will be using again a doona- I find this criticism of the doona so strange. The alternative to using a doona is most often using a travel system where you click the car seat into a stroller base. But you don’t hear people going after travel systems for being unsafe because you aren’t supposed to leave a baby in a car seat for more than 2 hours. All baby gear has the propensity to be dangerous if used incorrectly, bottles, swaddles, car seat, baby carriers etc. and the onus is on us as parents to be informed and use things correctly. And with the doona (and all car seat/stroller systems) it’s knowing that it shouldn’t be used over two hours continuously and abiding by that.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

That's what we do on long days out. Especially when they're really little, you can't really abandon them in a carseat/stroller for hours anyway. They still need to be fed/changed/etc. As she's getting older, she really loves getting out and people watching in cafes and pubs. We've always taken breaks and/or worn her for part of it. We really like our Doona because we don't drive, so if we decide to get taxi instead of train we can do it safely.

Thread: "What's the best stroller for me?"

I think I've read everything there is to read on the internet about strollers. I've finally made peace with the idea of getting three different strollers to fit our various needs. We bought the Evenflo Shyft Dualride (like the Doona better higher safety ratings) to work for when she's an infant and we're just running out for some quick errands. We bought the Silver Cross Wave 3 to live in our garage. We have two dogs that go for two walks a day and we plan to continue that so we want a good stroller for walks that works for all ages. We're hoping to have two fairly close in age so we wanted a single to double stroller. Our third stroller will probably be the Minu v3. It's a travel stroller that can be used at birth. This one will live in the car and be used for longer errands when I maybe wouldn't want her in a carseat the whole time. We're also hoping to go on a vacation at the end of parental leave so we wanted a travel stroller. In your case, since you want just one jack of all trades single stroller I would recommend that Uppababy Cruz. It's like the Vista, which all of my friends have and love, but not as bulky and is a single stroller. I would also get the bassinet so it can be used from birth and it's sleep safe certified so you can use it on it's own. Great to take with you if you go visit someone. I watched a comparison video of the Nuna bassinet versus the Uppababy vista v3 bassinet and the Uppababy one looked so much better to me. It was also lighter. If you have a store by you I would suggest trying it out in person. The maneuverability of the Uppababy Vista over the Nuna Demi Next was also better. I don't think I tried the Cruz since I was looking for a double. Alternatively the reviews on the Minue v3 look good so even though it's a travel stroller it might be a good fit even for every day use. Another option may be the stokke yoyo 3. My friend in NYC said that's what everyone there has as their every day stroller and it was a close toss up for between that and the Minu v3. I'm likely choosing the Minu v3 of the yoyo because you have to buy a lot of accessories for the yoyo3 to make it work right off the bat. I would be more inclined to do that if it was going to be my only stroller. I read some advice from someone else this morning regarding strollers and they said to just decide and then don't look any more and don't second guess yourself. So once you decide I would suggest that as well. I've found the stroller decision to be the most overwhelming personally.

Thread: "The 25 most recommend travel strollers according to Reddit (in the past year as of Jul 2025)"

Also if you are tallish (I'm 5'8") it is uncomfortably short to push. That put us off before we learned about the crash rating, which is definitely a big enough issue on its own

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

I would never buy that car seat stroller. My friend and my SIL have it… unless you’re 5 feet tall it’s incredibly short and I think it’s really ugly. We opted for the EvenFlo Pivot Xpand. Comes with a travel car seat, folding stroller, and a bassinet attachment that converts into a toddler seat. 10/10 excellent stroller system.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

Well the actual alternative is putting your baby in the bassinet on a flat firm surface. Barely anyone in the UK uses the car seat attachment on their stroller for any length of time. Our guidance is 30 mins at a time in a car seat until 6 weeks, 2 hours thereafter - and they also say car seat in the car where it is position at the right angle.

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

You’re not supposed to use it as a main stroller, only for quick errands

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

I'm just not sure if most of them know about the two hour rule either. I didn't know about it until I read that article maybe a decade ago. It might be in the manual but doubtful that gets read either 🤷

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

No, that thing is a monster. Add a kid, and you have like 40 lbs to carry with one arm twisted. It's also more manual than you'd hope. Lasts a year max if you don't have a large bebe. But! If your back is 100% super duper and you're incredibly fit and under 5'2"ish, it works great!

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

Sooo Reddit hates the Doona but to be honest we loved it. But it may just work for our lifestyle more than others. Yes it is “short”, but we’re 5’4” and 5’9”, the height has never been an issue. And it is 17lbs, so it’s not light but it has wheels so it shouldn’t be carried for very long anyway. It fit into our lifestyle perfectly, we’re somewhat urban and busy parents. I just got an umbrella stroller for things like the zoo and aquarium, but otherwise the doona was great. Oh and it is the most perfectly amazing travel item. Flying is incredibly easy, it fits on the scanner at security and goes right back into being a stroller, then it can be a car seat on the plane, then the car seat in the car at your destination, then a stroller everywhere you go! It’s just great.

Thread: "Pros and cons for the Doona?"

Cons: Questionable from a safety perspective. It’s banned in Canada, for example, because it fails to meet their crash test standards.

Thread: "Would you recommend the Doona car seat/stroller?"

For me it doesn’t seem worth it because it’s expensive, I’ve heard it isn’t highly rated for crashes (and isn’t approved in Canada which is a concern for me that it isn’t considered safe enough there), is heavy, and you still need another stroller.

Thread: "Would you recommend the Doona car seat/stroller?"

I don’t think it makes sense unless you live in an extremely urban environment where you’re in taxis often.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

I agree with you but to be fair, small babies will rarely be able to last in there for two hours anyways. Babies either need a diaper change or to feed at least every 2 hours (generally). I think people sometimes just do their best. It’s difficult going out with a baby! I know for myself we aimed for less than 2 hours a day in the car seat but sometimes it ended up being more if we had multiple trips we needed to make far away.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

Most babies don’t do a car seat test where I am. Only babies at risk, such as preemies.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

This is what we do. We use our doona to help with getting my toddler and baby to/from daycare and other events. For more than dropping off or very quick trips, we use our regular stroller.

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

I came here to say similar. If you want to travel with your LO in the first year it’s a life saver. You can still do ride shares and great for the airplane/airport. We also used it as our primary stroller at home for about 9 months. He didn’t technically outgrow it but as others have said the doona + our child’s weight became too heavy to lift and maneuver on a daily basis around that time.

Thread: "I hate my Doona"

I have the Doona and absolutely love it - for certain occasions. It’s perfect and convenient for short errands like running to the pediatrician’s office, popping into Walgreens or the coffee shop, etc. I also plan to use it for airplane travel next month when baby goes on her first flight and interstate trip. However, we still have a different stroller for other occasions. We use the Uppababy Vista for long walks, shopping trips, etc. The wheels are so much more heavy duty, and to your point, the storage and height are sometimes needed for comfort and convenience. So, just to set expectations - I do find the strollers serve different purposes and complement each other. Something to think about before you trade it in altogether, though I totally support you if you decide that makes more sense for your family’s needs.

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

Because babies aren’t supposed to be in a contained seat like that for a long time at a time. It’s developmentally bad. Better to have a bassinet type as main stroller, and cup seat for short errands.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

Because this is no different than using a travel system (infant seat that clicks into a stroller). Not my jam personally, but some people like it for the added convenience of not having to store a stroller for quick errands. That said, as with anything, there will be people who use the product incorrectly.

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

Having had an emergency c section I am SO glad I didn’t get it for this reason

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

I don’t have the doona but I’ve had this exact same thought. If you’re going to use it for short trips to the store etc. it totally makes sense to me. One less step than hauling a stroller or travel system around. I also see people leave their car seats in their strollers at daycare which also makes total sense because who can wrangle a toddler and carry a bucket seat at the same time!

Thread: "What do y’all think about the doona?"

So we have a doona and a stroller. The doona is great for quicker outings (dr appts, coffee, stuff like that). It’s not great for going on walks because baby is not supposed to be in the car seat more than 30 mins as a newer newborn (and then 2 hours after that), the handles are kind of low, and there’s no storage. We sometimes pop the doona out or we transfer to stroller for going on a walk or if we’re sitting down to eat somewhere. I haven’t used it on a plane and heard mixed things. Some people say it’s great but some people say it didn’t fit down the aisles, so I guess plane dependent. Edit to say it’s also quite heavy

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

For anyone following along, carseats are also not a safe sleep space. In a car, it's obviously safest to be in the carseat, awake or not. But outside the car, the risk/benefit changes dramatically, because you're no longer balancing sleep safety against car accident safety.

Thread: "Has anyone bought the doona? Was it good?"

Here’s my thing about the doona: it’s a waste of money. So you spend like 500 dollars on this *magically carseat* that goes into a stroller. Awesome concept. Except when it’s in stroller mode the car seat is all the way on the ground essentially. So if you’re tall, it’s not a good idea. Also there’s no cup holders or a key holder for the one pushing it around. Kinda inconvenient. Your baby will be in an infant seat for approximately less than a year. So when it’s time to transition to a convertible car seat, you’re gonna have to buy a stroller. So that’s another 300-500 dollars being spent on two items. I always recommend getting a travel system. It comes with a car seat + base + stroller. Your stroller is what you get the most use. Trust me, mine has been through it and it’s a freaking tank. I’ve flown with it, ran with it from one side of an airport to the other, zoo trips, everywhere. Now I’m pushing my second around in it.

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

I loved it for traveling. Also amazed a couple pilots when I was collapsing it at the gate for them to check. It was perfect because my trip involved car rentals, car shares and flying. That said it is pricey so if you could borrow one for travel that would be the way. It’s my every day stroller though.

Thread: "I hate my Doona"

Yes, this! I LOVED our Doona am so sad that my son has outgrown it. But we also had a "real" stroller for anything we'd need storage for or long walks. The Doona is amazing for airports, doctor visits, small shopping trips (where nothing more than a basket is needed), etc.

Thread: "Not sure how much to spend on a stroller"

Strollers are something I would probably spend money on, but I'd spend that money on strollers designed for 6 months and beyond; specifically because those strollers will last until they're walking on their own 100% of the time. We currently have two uppababy strollers for our 10 month old. The Ridge V2 (jogger/rough road/parks) and the Minu V2 (compact/for inside stores). When our daughter was an infant, we rocked the Doona, which was amazing as a transportation system, but it was only a mediocre "stroller". Edit: Baby items you will use every day, that either contain or transport the baby, are something you should probably 'splurge' on because it's generally worth it.

Thread: "Good city strollers?"

Peoppe love the Doona which makes it easy to get around especially if you will be taking ubers or taxis. We love our Vista, its huge and a full size but it is sturdy, and we use it to go supermarket shopping without having to worry about not being able to carry the groceries. It’s great for sidewalks, curbs, and brick paths too which are harder with smaller travel size strollers.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

That's what I was thinking. I live in Australia and carseat strollers are not that popular, we more often have normal carseats and then put infant in a stroller with bassinet attachment.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

I have a doona and love it. I also live in a smaller town with lots of walking space so I rarely am driving more than 5 minutes. I was aware of the 2 hour rule from the get go so any time we’d drive out of town I’d just bring my baby wrap and wear my daughter to give her a break while I walked around. It’s really more of a back saver than anything. I’m 5’0 and I love being able to get her out of the car and roll her to where I need to go rather than carry her the whole time, especially since I had a c section and my abdominal muscles aren’t back to where they were. For me to was also a money saver. I didn’t have to worry about getting a car seat and a stroller. I could just get an all in one. As long as you’re keeping track of time I find that it’s not that hard to make sure they aren’t in it too long.

Thread: "I hate my Doona"

Okay sweet!! Hubby hates it just as much as me, so I think he’ll be down for me to get the Corso LE. It just looks amazing and 50% off plus the 15% off completion discount on our Amazon registry is a STEAL. Any recommendations on how/where to sell the Doona? We’ve had it for less than two months! I even got a few accessories for it 😩 ETA: I was thinking of FBMP.

Thread: "Travel stroller? Is it a need or just a hype?"

At 8 months I definitely wouldn’t get a doona! It won’t fit them much longer and it’s soooo expensive. Assuming baby has good head and trunk control I would just get an umbrella stroller for like <$50 and call it a day :) if it gets damaged while traveling no big loss :)

Thread: "I hate my Doona"

Get what works for you. This is the first in a long line of prioritizing your needs over the feelings of family. Get the stroller you want

Thread: "I hate my Doona"

If they ask how you like it, you can obviously say how much you appreciated it, but that the baby couldn't get comfortable in it. With different car seats/strollers, babies bodies react differently as they themselves are all different sizes/proportions. You could just keep it for those quick needs like appointments, though. Long term, you need one that works for you.

Thread: "What is your opinion of the Doona stroller/carseat combo?"

It’s short, has no storage, is way heavier than a regular car seat and doesn’t last very long.

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

Damn, I was hoping maybe it was an exaggeration but it doesn’t seem that way lol

Thread: "Has anyone tried the Doona car seat/stroller? Is it really worth the hype?"

I’ve seen it in person and found it very low to the ground so I wouldn’t recommend it for a tall person!

Thread: "Brooklyn Stroller Recommendation- Doona and Uppababy Vista?"

Also due in March and ended up getting..both. The doona will be our main car seat for the first year/until the little grows out of it. We have a car, but will do frequent hand offs with grandparents and will use it as our travel system. But we see the uppababy as our main stroller for getting around since it’s not recommend to keep newborns in the doona for more than 30 mins until 6 months (or something) and more than 2 hours after.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

And yet, I live in Canada and still see people walking along pushing a Doona with a baby in it. That being said though, I’ve also see those Veer wagons a lot and for infants they use the carseat attached to it. I think even if some folks are aware of the 2 hour rule, the convenience of it takes precedence for people.

Thread: "Just saying, 2 hour rule VS the Doona car seat stroller "

I go lol We are walking 3+ hours a day (obviously when it's not too cold outside).