It has a long name, but that’s because it serves a lot of travel needs: the Joovy Caboose VaryLight Graphite Stand-on Tandem Stroller can expand from a single to a double like a Transformer, utilizes the lightest materials possible, has room for two kids to sit, stand, recline, or remain in a car seat, and still doesn’t skimp on extras like canopies, cup holders, and oversized baskets.
We put the Joovy Caboose VaryLight stroller to work with one of our reviewers, a single mom with four kids, two of whom are stroller-aged. Wanting to get out for some summer fun, she was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of transporting her two-year-old and six-month-year-old. With the VaryLight, she can set her infant, Andy, up in the front seat (with or without a car seat), and recline his seat as needed. Her two-year-old daughter, Ivy, stands at the back, on the attached pad. (She could sit, too, but Ivy doesn’t roll that way.)
When little Ivy is at childcare of grandma’s house, the VaryLight can basically squish up into a single, the only stroller we’ve ever seen do this particular trick! Note: this is a great feature not only for parents who may have one of two kids absent during parts of the day, but also for new parents who currently have one baby, but may have another within a few years.
The VaryLight is light enough to lift and put into a car trunk without strain, and the seats are easy to adjust (no battling the stroller!). It’s easy to fold and unfold. It was difficult for our reviewer to push on gravel or sand but great on streets and sidewalks.
Set up: Out of the box, the VaryLight was easy for our reviewer to put together. I wanted to ‘test’ Joovy’s excellent customer service, but she couldn’t find a reason to! If you do have questions, they’re there for you!
Here are the specs you’ll need:
- Swing-open tray
- One-hand fold
- Front-wheel suspension, front swivel-wheel locks, and rear brakes
- Extra-large storage basket
- Assembled Dimensions (short) – 42″H x 43.5″ D x 24.25″ W
- Assembled Dimensions (extended) – 42″H x 49.75″ D x 24.25″ W
- Stroller Weight – 33.95 lbs.
- Front Seat Min Age – Birth+ when using car seat adapter, or 6 months+
- Front Seat Max Weight and Height – 55 lbs. and 40″ height
- Rear Seat Min Age – 2.5 yrs
- Rear Seat Max Weight – 55 lbs. and 44″ height
Cost: the VaryLight retails for $499. It’s a high-end stroller (among many on the market) but will carry you through from birth to preschool for multiple children. You can also find the VaryLight on Amazon
How does it handle travel?
Because the VaryLight is made of graphite (the same material used in all our advanced technology, low weight backpacking gear these days), it’s lightweight for a double stroller. Can you get a lighter one? Sure, but not with all these bells and whistles. When we travel with a stroller, we’ve found there’s a sweet spot: we want one with a simple enough design that the stroller doesn’t weigh as much as a boulder, but advanced enough that it has the features we want. In other words, those cheap umbrella strollers don’t cut it because they’re too bare bones (how with the baby nap? where will I store our stuff?) and the Rolls Royce of strollers is simply too big and bulky.
The VaryLight is easy to fold up (a huge plus) and can fit into the back of a car without much hassle. Is it the stroller to use when hopping on and off busses or subways? I’d say no, but it is the stroller to use when car camping, road tripping, city touring, or theme park visiting. Can it fly? Yes, just gate check it.
While you’re checking out the VaryLight, look over all the other travel-friendly products Joovy offers. It’s mind-boggling!
As I disclose whenever applicable, our reviewer was given the VaryLight without charge for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.
on Amazon for a few bucks less.
with a foldable brim, 
. Columbia wear is affordable, always returnable, and easy to order online…win, win, win! I can’t get my kids to wear collared, button-down shirts while on vacation, no matter how comfortable, so instead, I trick them into sun protection with Columbia’s Adventureland Long Sleeve Tee
. While we’re on the subject, my older kids refuse sun protective wide-brimmed hats (they looked so adorable in them as little ones!) so they opt for bandanas or cowboy hats while under the sun. As long as something is on their heads, I don’t really care!
. Incredibly thin, very flattering, and always appropriate, the Sol Cool is the perfect go-to cover up for swimming that transitions well to the pool-side restaurant or even onto a hiking trail.
for $67: a good price for a dress you’ll use all summer.
for $82 and the Arden Capri
for $56.
is a little (and affordable!) camera that packs a big punch. Certified waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and freeze-proof, the Cyber-Shot fits in your pocket and can take anything your vacation throws at it. We love the touch screen with tons of focus selections, but auto works great, too. The 3.0 screen is big enough to see what you’re doing, and the full HD 1080 records stills and video. You get a 16.2 Exmor R CMOS sensor, which means you’ll get crisp, sharp photos even in odd lighting situations like twilight or underwater. There’s a panorama setting, and sports and action settings.
I have several cameras on-hand for documenting various types of travel, but the Sony Cyber-Shot always comes with us. Why not? It’s small, easy to carry along, and won’t be grounded by sand, dust, water, or cold. It’s safe in the pocket of your ski pants, around your wrist while you’re swimming, and for every situation in-between. In fact, every shot in 
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on Amazon.
1. Bring a backpack baby or toddler carrier. We loved our sturdy REI backpack carrier, but that was, ahem, over a decade ago. If you’re looking for more updated equipment, I recommend 
It’s more to pack than a traditional backpacking pad, but little children and babies slip and slide all night long on the regular ones. Dress babies warmly at night, and play by the same rules at home (no extra bedding around faces, etc). Obviously, you’ll want to camp in a warm climate while kids are very small.