Joie Pact Review

If you’re looking for a Joie Pact review then you’ve come to the right place. Read on to find out more about our thoughts on the Joie Pact lightweight stroller.

Despite being huge buggy fans, we’re still missing one in our arsenal; the compact, travel friendly addition. Fully reclining, lightweight strollers perfect for small trips around town, to leave in the grandparent’s car or, most importantly, to take on holiday. When we were offered the opportunity to review the Joie Pact buggy, I did a little leap for Joie (joy – geddit?!?). Not only do we finally find a pushchair to fill that hole but I have the perfect excuse to book another holiday. Here’s how we got on…

Joie Pact review: If you're looking for a travel stroller, the Joie Pact pushchair is one of the best. We review this light buggy that can be carried as hand luggage and is perfect for newborn babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. For an in depth stroller review and to help you choose which pushchair will suit your travel needs most, read on.

Introducing The Joie Pact

The Joie Pact stroller is designed as a lightweight stroller with a compact fold design. Created with travel in mind, the Pact weighs in at an impressively light 6kg and folds down to only 52.5 x 56.5 x 24cm. Packed full of functionality, the Pact stroller can be fully reclined to a lay flat position, has a huge hood, a decent sized basket and adjustable leg support. It’s well thought out, easy to fold single-handedly and even includes a rain cover, travel bag and car-seat adaptors as standard. That’s right, this little stroller just became a travel system.

Joie Pact review: If you're looking for a travel stroller, the Joie Pact pushchair is one of the best. We review this light buggy that can be carried as hand luggage and is perfect for newborn babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. For an in depth stroller review and to help you choose which pushchair will suit your travel needs most, read on.

Is The Joie Pact Easy To Assemble?

Arriving in a full-colour but tiny box, the immediate fear is that the Pact will take hours to assemble. Not so, the Joie Pact is just that tiny when folded. Simply clip the wheels in to the frame and clip in the bumper bar and you’re ready to go. Inside the box was also a rain cover and adaptors to fit Joie car seats (or others, such as Maxi-Cosi).

How Does The Joie Pact Perform?

Out and about, during our Joie Pact review sessions, the stroller performs well. We’ve taken it everywhere with us over the last six weeks; from the beach to the country lanes. The single handed collapse mechanism works smoothly, allowing me to hold my son in one arm and set the buggy up (or put it down) with the other. It’s quick, intuitive and really effective – leaving you with a briefcase sized parcel. The design means you end up with a metal handle to lift it by or a fabric strap to allow you to carry it over your shoulder; ideal for a busy airport.

Joie Pact review: If you're looking for a travel stroller, the Joie Pact pushchair is one of the best. We review this light buggy that can be carried as hand luggage and is perfect for newborn babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. For an in depth stroller review and to help you choose which pushchair will suit your travel needs most, read on.

Our Experience

My son doesn’t look huge in it, unlike some lightweight, travel buggies. The five point harness is small in design but very effective; the shoulder straps stay in place without him being able to wriggle free… a very important factor for a toddler! The seat reclines fully making it suitable from birth or the very rare toddler nap. The recline is controlled by an adjustable strap allowing you a complete range of seat angles. I would say, for us, it doesn’t quite go upright enough. He likes to grip on to the bumper bar and lean forward which can pull the seat forward with him. However, I imagine a more upright back would require a bulkier design, so on balance, it’s totally worth it.

Let’s face it, basket size can make or break your love for any pushchair. The basket on the Joie Pact is surprisingly roomy for a lightweight stroller. We managed to fit my handbag, the change bag, a lunch box and some jumpers in there without it overflowing. It’s a little like a tardis! Not only that but it’s easily accessible, even when the seat is reclined, something that’s often overlooked.

Joie Pact review: If you're looking for a travel stroller, the Joie Pact pushchair is one of the best. We review this light buggy that can be carried as hand luggage and is perfect for newborn babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. For an in depth stroller review and to help you choose which pushchair will suit your travel needs most, read on.

Is The Joie Pact Cabin Size & Suitable To Take On Holiday?

The Joie Pact is billed as a holiday essential; it even comes complete with a travel bag to zip it into for air travel. It’s weight and size means it rivals some of the top billed travel buggies at a fraction of the price and the Joie Pact can go in cabin with you most of the time, check your airline’s rules for more detail. In my opinion, the UPF 50+ sun canopy makes it a must. It’s huge, giving great coverage for your little one and even pulls down further to give an ‘eyeshade visor’. No more trying to badly position a wobbly parasol. As someone who spent an entire holiday covering their child in factor 50 suncream, I wish I’d had it then.

Joie Pact review: If you're looking for a travel stroller, the Joie Pact pushchair is one of the best. We review this light buggy that can be carried as hand luggage and is perfect for newborn babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. For an in depth stroller review and to help you choose which pushchair will suit your travel needs most, read on.

In Summary

Since we’ve had the Pact, we’ve not even looked at our travel system, even in heavy rain. Yes, at times, it feels a little too lightweight, but it’s not until you start to use it that you realise just how good it is. In all honesty, I’m a little amazed by it. It’s quickly become a firm favourite in our household, garnering praise from all manner of family members. As my (rather buggy bored) husband put it, just the other day, ‘it really is quite good, isn’t it?’

Joie describe the Pact as ‘a petite parcel designed and engineered to make every day a holiday’ and they’re not lying. My back and shoulders have never felt more relief at not having to lug our rather hefty travel system in and out of the car. Scrap the expensive massages by the pool, it turns out all I needed was to upgrade to a Pact. All in all, we’re very pleased with the outcome of our Joie Pact review!

Frequently Asked Questions…

Does The Joie Pact Come With A Rain Cover?

Yes, the Joie Pact comes complete with a rain cover in the box. The rain cover is pretty good – covering the pushchair well whether the seat is full reclined or sat upright.

Where Can I find The Joie Pact Instruction Manual?

Joie have a full listing of manuals on their website, however for ease, the instruction manual can also be found here.

Does The Joie Pact Come With Maxi Cosi Adaptors?

There are Maxi Cosi adapters for their car seats supplied as standard in the box.

What Age Is The Joie Pact Suitable For?

The Joie Pact is suitable from newborn up to three years of age. Or if you want to know the suitable weight range for the Joie Pact, it’s up to 15kg. We’ve tested it personally up to over three years of age with various children and find it best suited to six – nine months upward, once your child can better support their own weight.

Can You Take The Joie Pact On A Plane?

Yes! As mentioned above, you can easily take the Joie Pact on a plane, either in the cabin or in the hold. The Joie Pact comes with a travel bag, making it easy to transport either way. Whilst you’ll need to check your airline’s requirements for cabin baggage, it fits within standard requirements for many major airlines.

Does The Joie Pact Sit Upright?

The Joie Pact can go from lay flat to an upright seating position. However, the Joie Pact’s upright position is still slightly more reclined – in a similar style to other seats where the recline position is managed by adjusting/tightening a pull strap on the back. We haven’t found this to be an issue because the back moves with your child if they want to pull forward slightly. We would still say that the Joie Pact sits upright.

Can You Put A Car Seat On The Joie Pact?

Yes, you can put a car seat on the Joie Pact easily. With the included adaptors you can either attach a Joie car seat or a Maxi Cosi car seat.

What size Is A Folded Joie Pact?

The stroller folds down to 52.5 x 56.5 x 24cm.

Does The Stroller Fully Recline?

Yes, the Pact has a small catch on the back which allows you to lower and raise the back from an upright seated position to fully reclined. This gives you complete flexibility as to how reclined you want your child. Whilst it fully reclines, the upright position isn’t that upright, which can be a frustration to nosy toddlers.

Is This A Joie Pact Or A Pact Lite?

This review refers to a Joie Pact, not the Pact Lite. The Pact Lite is a different model of pushchair available from Joie, the differences are outlined below!

What’s The Difference Between the Joie Pact and the Pact Lite?

The Joie Pact Lite is a slightly newer version of the Joie Pact that’s even more focussed on the lightweight stroller market. The main difference between the Joie Pact and Pact Lite is that the Pact Lite is 0.5kg lighter than the Pact and folds down to 46.8 x 54 x 26cm making it that little bit smaller for cabin requirements. The Pact Lite is also cheaper than the Pact, around £30 less, and comes it brighter fabrics. It still fully reclines, has a large 50+UPF hood and features a 5 point harness but is more geared to holiday usage. If you’re looking for a stroller that’s likely to be used for a lot of travel, the Pact Lite is going to be best suited to you, if it’s for a mix of home and travel, we rate the Pact as slightly better.

If you're looking for a travel stroller, the Joie Pact Lite pushchair is one of the best. We review this light buggy that can be carried as hand luggage and is perfect for newborn babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. For an in depth stroller review and to help you choose which pushchair will suit your travel needs most, read on.

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If you're looking for a travel stroller, the Joie Pact Lite pushchair is one of the best. We review this light buggy that can be carried as hand luggage and is perfect for newborn babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. For an in depth stroller review and to help you choose which pushchair will suit your travel needs most, read on.

20 Comments

  • Madison 24th September 2017 at 11:59 am

    Thanks for sharing this review, you’ve really sold us on the pushchair, it seems like the perfect lightweight stroller, which is so vital for parents who are active and want to get out and about without carrying too much with them. Though a massage wouldn’t hurt either haha!

    • DevonMamaOnline 29th September 2017 at 8:55 am

      I think both might be essential!

  • Victoria Turner 17th October 2017 at 10:32 am

    Hi can the pact be used without the bumper bar? & does it have a cosy toes / rain cover or can a universal one be used?
    Would it fit a small 4 year old comfortably?
    ThNk you

    • DevonMamaOnline 18th October 2017 at 8:27 am

      Hi Victoria, It definitely can be used without the bumper bar. I quite often take ours off as otherwise my son likes to put his feet over it (kids, eh?!). It comes complete with a rain cover which provides excellent coverage, even when reclined. It doesn’t have a cosy toes as standard, I haven’t seen a Joie one for it but I’m confident it would fit our standard mothercare one as the straps are all in ‘normal’ places. As for a four year old, I’m afraid I don’t know. My son is 18 months in the photos and there’s loads of room. I would think so but as someone with no experience of four year olds I’d hate to recommend it incorrectly. It could be worth popping in to a local store or ordering one to try out. Let me know how you get on x

      • Victoria Turner 18th October 2017 at 9:03 am

        Thank you.
        Definitely top of my to get list! X

      • Gemma 18th January 2022 at 9:14 am

        Thanks for this review. Do you know if the maxi Cosi cabriofix car seat will fit on using the adapters?

  • Cat 17th October 2017 at 12:44 pm

    Thank you for this review! We’re traveling to disneyland with a 20 month old in tow and we just wanted to take something small and lightweight so he can nap as and when he wants to. You’ve sold this to us, thank you!

    • DevonMamaOnline 18th October 2017 at 8:23 am

      I’m so glad to hear this! It would be absolutely perfect for such a trip, I really wish we’d had ours on our last holiday, it’s just so easy to use and really is packed full of functionality. Have a lovely trip!

  • Kirsty 13th December 2017 at 3:20 pm

    Hi great review. I’m currently looking for a replacement travel stroller and ideally wanted something that could be taken as hand luggage would this fold small enough?

    • DevonMamaOnline 15th December 2017 at 9:25 am

      Hi Kirsty, it certainly folds up small (it’s large briefcase/small suitcase size) but I’d hate to advise you incorrectly on whether it could or couldn’t be taken as hand luggage as I know it’s dependent on the flight provider themselves. I’d suggest checking with Joie customer service just to be on the safe side! Let me know how you get on. x

  • Yael 12th April 2018 at 6:48 am

    Hi, I am wondering how stable the stroller is. If I put a bag on the handle – will it turn over ? Or how much weight it can carry without turn over ?

    • DevonMamaOnline 13th April 2018 at 9:26 am

      It’s pretty light, personally I wouldn’t put a bag on the handle unless you added some weight to the underneath as well, otherwise any time you take your little one out, it would fall backward. The basket is a decent size, definitely enough to hold a nappy bag – we popped our backpack one in there with no issues.

  • Sara 14th May 2018 at 11:15 pm

    Hi there. I really like the look of this stroller but I’m wondering how sturdy the chasis feels and if it would be suitable for daily use, ie the school run and occasional use on the weekend? I’m looking to replace my Hauck travel system which dosen’t feel as solid as it did after using it for a year. I’ve been looking at the Pact and the Cosatto Woosh and I’d like to replace with something which will last my 13 month old till she’s 3-4 and out of a stroller. Thanks.

    • DevonMamaOnline 17th May 2018 at 9:48 am

      It’s a great stroller but I’m not sure how it would hold up for everyday use for a couple of years. We live rurally so probably use it once a week plus any traveling as we have an off-road buggy we use for daily walks. I’d say if you’re in a town and just using it on pavements it would probably be fine but I have no experience of long term daily use just yet I’m afraid!

  • Stefanie siew 23rd June 2018 at 4:23 am

    Halo, may i ask whether this stroller can be consider as cabin size stroller? Some say yes, but some say it is better to choose pact lite as it is smaller and cabin size.

    • DevonMamaOnline 26th June 2018 at 9:01 am

      You’d need to check with your airline to see if it qualifies as cabin sized as I’d hate to give you the wrong information! It does go down very small but unsure on the specifics. Sorry!

  • catatanmenanti 13th October 2018 at 6:11 pm

    Hii. Do you think this is suitable for newborn? Joie said it is fully flat tilt but I am not sure looking from the picture.
    Thanks!

    • DevonMamaOnline 14th October 2018 at 11:26 am

      Whilst it does go flat, I’d still be a little wary of putting a teeny tiny newborn in there. Mostly because it’s a big space for a tiny person and you’d probably have to strap them in, unlike a carry cot. It does come with car seat adaptors that would allow you to fit a Maxi Cosi or Joie car seat to it and I’d use that for the first 4-6 weeks whilst they’re very small still. We had a carry cot with both children on a different travel system and used it only a handful of times, instead ending up using a baby carrier or the car seat so I wouldn’t say you necessarily need one, it just comes down to how much they’ll be in the buggy. When they’re out of that really squished up stage (probably 6 weeks onward), they’d be fine in this – I’d pop a blanket under them/to the sides just to cushion it a little but obviously make sure you keep an eye that they’re in no danger of pulling it over their face. My little one has been in a flat recline buggy like this since about 6 weeks onward with no issues. x

  • Susan se 28th February 2019 at 7:41 am

    Hi, is this the PACT or the PACT LITE?
    Sorry am a bit confused as you refer to it as both!

    • DevonMamaOnline 28th February 2019 at 8:16 am

      Sorry, it’s the Pact! I think I must’ve had the Pact Lite on the brain the other day when I was tidying up the post! x

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