Joolz Aer2 Cot vs Babyzen YOYO2 Bassinet: The £199 Bassinet Is Lighter, Only the £206 Cot Is Approved for Overnight Sleep

COMPARISON · ON THE GO

If you have already fallen for a compact travel stroller, the next question arrives fast: what does your newborn lie in for the first six months? Both Joolz and Babyzen sell a proper lie-flat carrycot that clips onto their small fold-down frames, and at £206 and £199 there is almost nothing between them on price.

That is where the similarity ends. The two carrycots solve the same problem in very different ways. The Babyzen YOYO2 Bassinet is the lighter of the pair at around 3kg and comes apart into two half-shells for storage, but it has to come off before the YOYO frame folds, and it is sold as a daytime nap space rather than an overnight bed. The Joolz Aer2 Cot weighs closer to 4kg, yet it folds flat while still clipped to the Aer2 chassis and carries an overnight sleep approval, which matters more than most parents expect when you are staying with grandparents or on holiday.

We compared both using the brands' published specifications, live retailer listings and the experiences parents share with us about living with these carrycots day to day. Here is how they stack up, and which kind of family each one suits.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Joolz Aer2 Cot · 8.5/10 - folds on the frame and doubles as an overnight bed when you are away from home
• Best for Lightest Carry: Babyzen YOYO2 Bassinet · 7.5/10 - around 900g lighter and splits into two halves, but a daytime nap space only

Quick comparison

	Joolz Aer2 Cot	Babyzen YOYO2 Bassinet
Our rating
Price	£206 (RRP £229)	£199
Carrycot weight	About 3.9kg	About 3kg
Mattress	77 x 32cm, 3cm deep	4.5cm breathable double mattress
Overnight sleep	Yes, approved (EN 1466:2023)	No, daytime naps only
Folding	Folds flat, stays on the chassis for the one-hand fold	Must come off first, splits into two half-shells
Fits	Joolz Aer2 chassis	YOYO+ and YOYO2 (adapters included)
Suitable for	Birth to 9kg, about 6 months	Birth to 9kg, about 6 months

How we picked the two

We started with the compact strollers parents add to their Nests most often, then looked for the newborn carrycot that goes with each. The Joolz Aer2 and the Babyzen YOYO2 are the two travel strollers we hear about most, and both brands make a dedicated folding carrycot for them, so this is the comparison that actually comes up when parents are choosing.

We scored each carrycot on five things: how it folds and stores, how much it weighs to lift, how it handles sleep (including overnight use), comfort and ventilation for baby, and value for money. Ratings reflect the trade-offs, not just the spec sheet.

What to look for in a compact-stroller carrycot

Overnight sleep approval. A carrycot approved for overnight sleep has been tested to the same kind of standard as a Moses basket, so it can stand in as baby's bed on a weekend away. One that is not approved is fine for walks and daytime naps, but you will need a travel cot or Moses basket for nights. If you travel a lot in the early months, this single line on the spec sheet can save you buying a second sleep space.

How it folds. Small strollers are bought for the fold. Check whether the carrycot has to come off before the frame folds, and how small the carrycot itself goes. A carrycot that folds with the frame is quicker at the car boot or the bus door. One that comes apart into pieces may store smaller, but it is an extra step every time.

Weight. You will lift the carrycot on and off the frame several times a day, often with a sleeping baby inside. A kilogram makes a noticeable difference to tired arms and a C-section recovery.

Inside length and mattress. Every carrycot here is rated to 9kg or about six months, but bigger babies often outgrow the length or the shoulder width first. A firm, flat, breathable mattress matters more than padding.

Ventilation and canopy. Small carrycots can get warm. Look for mesh panels, a canopy that extends, and UPF 50+ fabric, and never cover the carrycot with a blanket in warm weather.

1. Joolz Aer2 Cot / 10 · Best Overall

The Aer2 Cot is Joolz's answer to the biggest complaint about travel strollers: that they are not really suitable from birth. It clicks onto the Aer2 chassis, gives your newborn a full lie-flat bed, and then folds flat with the frame in the same one-hand motion, so you are not juggling a carrycot and a stroller at the car boot.

At about 3.9kg it is the heavier of the two, and at £206 it costs a little more. What you get for that is an overnight sleep approval to EN 1466:2023, a 77 x 32cm mattress, an extra-large UPF 50+ hood and a shoulder strap for carrying it into a room on its own.

What parents love

• Folds without coming off. The cot folds flat while still attached, so the whole stroller goes into the boot in one go. One parent told us: 'Very easy to attach, lift and carry, and it looks smart.'
• A proper bed away from home. Overnight sleep approval means it can double as baby's bed at the grandparents' or on holiday, which saves packing a separate travel cot for the first months.
• Roomy for a compact carrycot. A parent shared: 'Our newborn seems comfortable in there, lots of space.' The 77cm mattress is a good length for this class.
• Good in warm weather. We hear repeatedly from parents that the ventilation and the big hood keep baby comfortable on hot days.

What to know before you buy

• Heavier to lift. At around 3.9kg it is roughly 900g more than the YOYO bassinet, and it adds about 2kg to the stroller once fitted.
• Only fits the Aer2. It is designed for the Aer2 chassis, so check compatibility carefully if you own an older Aer or Aer+.
• Sold separately. The RRP is £229 on top of the stroller, so the newborn set-up is not cheap unless you catch a bundle or a discount.

Best for

• Parents who travel or stay away in the first six months
• Families who want one carrycot for walks and nights
• Car-boot users who want a single, quick fold
• Anyone who already owns, or is choosing, the Joolz Aer2

2. Babyzen YOYO2 Bassinet / 10 · Best for Lightest Carry

The YOYO2 Bassinet turns the YOYO+ or YOYO2 frame into a pram for the first six months. At around 3kg it is the lightest carrycot in this comparison, it clips on in a single click, and it comes apart into two half-shells so it stores in a surprisingly small space when you are not using it.

The catch is the fold. The YOYO frame cannot fold with the bassinet attached, so you lift it off first, fold the frame, then pack the bassinet separately. And unlike the Aer2 Cot, it is not intended as an overnight or primary sleep space, so you will still need a Moses basket or travel cot for nights away.

What parents love

• Lightest to lift. About 3kg, which parents notice when lifting it on and off several times a day. One parent put it best: 'Super comfortable and lightweight.'
• Stores in two halves. The shell splits into two parts, so it tucks into a cupboard or suitcase more easily than a one-piece carrycot.
• Effortless click-on. A parent shared: 'It's beyond easy to clip and unclip from the frame.' You can lift a sleeping baby off without waking them.
• Thick, breathable mattress. A 4.5cm double mattress with a ventilated shell and pop-up canopy, and the mattress, sheet, foot cover and canopy all wash at 30°C.

What to know before you buy

• Not for overnight sleep. It is a daytime nap space, so pack a travel cot or Moses basket for nights away.
• Off before you fold. The frame will not fold with the bassinet on, which adds a step at every car boot and bus.
• Snug for bigger babies. We hear from parents of larger babies that it felt narrow and was outgrown well before six months.

Best for

• Parents who already own a YOYO+ or YOYO2 frame
• City walkers who rarely fold mid-trip
• Small homes where storage space is tight
• Parents who want the lightest lift after a C-section

What about the newborn packs and cocoons?

Both brands also sell a softer, cheaper newborn insert that sits in the seat unit instead of a full carrycot. They are lighter and let the stroller fold with the insert in place, but they are more open, have thinner mattresses, and are not overnight sleep spaces. We have not featured them here because they solve a different problem: if you want a true lie-flat bed, choose one of the two carrycots above.

How to choose

Choose the Joolz Aer2 Cot if you will travel, stay at relatives' houses or fold the stroller often in the first six months. The overnight sleep approval and the fold-on-the-frame design make it the more complete newborn solution, and that is why it is our overall pick.

Choose the Babyzen YOYO2 Bassinet if you already own a YOYO frame, mostly walk rather than drive, and have a separate bed for baby at night. It is the lighter, more compact carrycot, and for daytime naps on city walks it does the job beautifully.

Add it to your Nest

Still deciding? Add both carrycots to your free BubsNest registry, compare live prices across retailers, and let friends and family help you buy the one you settle on.