The Inglesina Avio is a luxury stroller with a very compact fold. It’s designed for busy parents who live in the urban environment and need to run errands daily.
The narrow frame and small footprint make it perfect for navigating narrow store aisles, public transit, and travel.
The 6″ wheels with ball bearing system make it an easy push while all-wheel suspension provides your child with a smooth ride.
The maneuverability is great as long as you stay on the flat surface. You can take it to the park for a short 20-minute walk, but you will get tired of pushing it for longer than that because the surface of the trails is usually not that smooth.
Other features that I like are a large canopy, roomy seat, one-hand recline, adjustable footrest, and a large basket.
Avio model is somewhere in between a full-size and an umbrella stroller. It has a very compact fold but is a little too heavy for an umbrella stroller at 21 lbs. At the same time, the 6″ wheels are too small for a full-size stroller.
You can use the seat from 3 months and up to 55 lbs. If you want to use it from birth, you can convert it into a travel system by using an infant car seat adapter or transform it into a pram by replacing the seat with a bassinet/carrycot. Not many strollers have a bassinet option, so I really like that.
OVERALL
I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because, despite the luxury features and compact fold, it doesn’t have an adjustable handlebar, the basket is hard to access, and it weighs 21 lbs which is a lot for a stroller with such small wheels.
Avio is not cheap, but it comes with a bumper bar, cup holder, and rain cover. It can be purchased for around $500.
Features
CANOPY
It has a large canopy with a small pop-out sunvisor. It’s attached to the seat and does not convert into a ‘floating canopy’, but it does go all the way past the bumper bar down to the seat to shade your child from the sun or wind.
This is very unique because usually, the canopy unzips in the back in order to reach the seat. The canopy also has a small plastic peekaboo window in the back without a closure.
I would like to see a dark mesh window with a magnetic closure. After all, it’s a luxury stroller so I expect some luxury features.
HANDLEBAR
It has a single non-adjustable handlebar that is located 41″ from the ground. It think it’s high enough for taller parents, but if you are much shorter, test it first.
SEAT
The seat is 12″ wide with a 19″ seat back and a measurement of 26″ from the back of the seat to the top of the canopy. The seat is nicely padded with two large pads on both sides. It has a one-hand lever recline with 4 positions. No annoying straps!
The recline goes to almost a flat position. The seat can accommodate a child from 3 months and up to 55 lbs. I did see it says in some places that you can put a newborn in the seat, but I think the recline is not flat enough for that.
The seat lining can be removed for easy cleaning. Note: It needs to be hand washed at 86°.
HARNESS
It has a padded adjustable 5-point harness with a center release buckle.
BUMPER BAR
INCLUDED! This is a very nicely padded bumper bar covered with a faux leather material that is very easy to clean. No foam! We all know kids love to chew on a bumper bar and if it’s made out of foam, they will have a mouth full of it. It is also swing away for easy ins and outs.
LEGREST
The legrest has two positions. In the highest position, it creates a more flat surface so your younger child can comfortably rest his little feet.
CUP HOLDER
INCLUDED! The cup holder is located out of the way down on the frame near the middle of the seat instead of being near the handlebar like we used to see.
BASKET
The basket is large, but is hard to access from the back of the stroller because of the crossbar (it’s designed for more compact fold), so you will need to get in it from the sides or the front.
WHEELS
It rolls on four hard rubber 6″ wheels. The front wheels are swivel, but can be locked straight. The wheels are ball-bearing meaning there are steel balls sealed inside each wheel allowing them to spin more freely and easily.
That means easy push for you! It is not an all-terrain stroller, so don’t expect it to do well off the road, but it can tackle some of the mummy terrain like grass, mulch or uneven pavement.
There is an all-wheel suspension, to make the ride smoother,
BRAKE
There is a single parking brake located on top of the right rear wheel that locks both of the rear wheels in place. It’s flip-flip friendly and even has indicators ‘go’ and ‘stop’ so you know if the wheels are locked or unlocked.
FOLD
It is advertised as a one-hand fold, but I found that you need both hands to press it together to engage the automatic lock. It has a unique compact fold where it folds in half horizontally and vertically like an umbrella stroller.
It also has a standing fold and you can even roll it behind you like a language. The folded dimensions are 36“L x 19″W x 12.5″H.
This is a compact stroller that is only 19.5″ wide and 30″ wide. For comparison City Mini is 24″ wide. We all know how important small print especially if you live in the city. It’s great for travel, navigating narrow aisles of the store, or public transit.
RAIN COVER
It comes with a rain cover.
Cons
-Non-adjustable handlebar. The handlebar is located 41″ from the ground. This will work for taller parents, but much shorter parents might find it too high. Since it’s not a cheap buy, I would like to see an adjustable handlebar.
-Peekaboo window. I wish the peekaboo window was made out of dark mash instead of plastic and had a magnetic closure.
-Canopy. The canopy is large, but I wish it would unzip in the back to provide more air circulation on a hot summer day.
-Basket. The basket is large but is difficult to access from the back. You have to get into it from the sides or front. I don’t know if this can be improved because of the way the stroller folds.
-Bassinet. The fact that it has a bassinet option is great, but attaching it is a royal pain in the behind. You have to remove the seat and attach the adapters while the stroller is folded. The good news is that you have to do it only once. The bassinet is made out of VERY high-quality materials and weighs only 8.6 lbs.
Video Review
Baby Gizmo has a great video review as always. Take a look. Note: The weight capacity is 55 lbs and not 40 lbs as they say in the video. Also, I think you should not use the seat until your baby is 3 months old because the recline is not flat enough (it goes down only to 170°).
Specs
Stroller weight: 21 lbs
Weight limit: birth to 55 lbs
Folded dimensions: 36″L x 19″W x 12.5″H
Seat width: 12″
Seat to canopy height: 26″
Handlebar height: 41″
Wheels: 6″
Overall length: 30″
Overall width: 19.5″
Warranty
Inglesina provides a 1-year warranty from the date of purchase.
Available colors
For 2013 this stroller is available in six colors: pink, black, green, blue, navy, and red.
Where to buy it
You can get Inglesina Avio in one of the six beautiful colors for around $499. I couldn’t find any good sales on this luxury stroller.