Cybex Gazelle S stroller review

When I was pregnant with my son, we realized we were going to need a stroller for our baby. After thoroughly researching this subject, I understood two things: it needs to be a convertible, single-to-double stroller (as we planned to have another child close in age), and the one that seemed to fit our needs the most was the Cybex Gazelle S.

You can check my detailed comparison (part of the “Excel at” series) of all single-to-double strollers here. The combination of features and design aesthetic made it a clear choice for our family. Two years later, this is my review.

Many Americans are unfamiliar with Cybex brand, but it was a well-known German company with high-quality products, including excellent and innovative car seats. It merged in 2014 with Chinese Goodbaby International, which also owns Evenflo and GB.

We’ve been using the Cybex Gazelle S as our primary stroller for over two years, and it went with us everywhere, from walking around the neighborhood to grocery shopping and even international travel.

Cybex gazelle s stroller

Why Single to double stroller?

Also called tandem stroller/convertible stroller/double inline stroller. At first glance, it is a regular stroller, but it’s more robust. It features additional attachments on its frame that make it possible to reconfigure it into a double stroller. This type of stroller tends to be a bit heavier (compared to a regular single stroller), but the extra construction weight is required to accommodate the second child.

The important thing here is that it’s a single-lane vehicle, so moving it around through doors, airports, and subway entrance lanes won’t be challenging unlike with double side-by-side strollers.

As mentioned, parents often choose convertible strollers when planning to have another child close in age. Unlike in a side-by-side type, the children are separated in a double-inline stroller. So it might be a good thing if you don’t want them poking each other or an older sibling messing with a newborn.

The design

Cybex Gazelle S was thoughtfully designed using high-quality materials. At 28.4 lbs in single mode, it’s one of the lightest convertible strollers while still being sturdy and stable.

I love this stroller’s look, so when I found out it was also super functional, I was confident in my choice and placed the order immediately. I’m not fond of strollers with the raw aluminum look, so Gazelle S, which has a few other frame colorways, elegant fabric colors, and sleek details like a leatherette handlebar, was really appealing.

It is very smooth to ride, even on uneven terrain like cobblestone or grass. The stroller is super easy to push and maneuver, even with one hand. The adjustable handlebar makes it comfortable for me (5’4″ height) and my 6′ tall husband.

The 5-point harness is easy to use and designed so that we only need to lock two buckles into the central lock. Our travel stroller (Joolz Aer) has all the buckles separated, and it’s much less convenient to have to lock all 4 of them each time.

Weight capacity & Storage

I love that both toddler seats can hold up to 50 lbs of child, unlike many other strollers, which have a smaller second seat weight capacity.

The bottom storage basket holds up to 33 lbs, and unlike Uppababy Vista, it has no separating bar, so the whole space can be used for large items. My family usually walks everywhere, and we’ve been using the Cybex Gazelle for grocery shopping, including large items like diaper boxes.

We also found the basket immensely helpful while traveling at the airport. We put everything except for our wheeled luggage inside of it. It fits the diaper bag, two backpacks, and our toddler car seat (Cosco Scenera Next) or travel crib (Guava Lotus).

Cybex Gazelle S comes with a free, additional 25-lb capacity shopper basket. It can be attached in place of one of the seats. Many parents love it, but we personally haven’t used it, as the bottom storage is more than enough for our needs. We are pretty minimal on a day-to-day basis, never using stroller caddies, cupholders etc.

Folding

Folding the strollers in general is much more complex than it might seem. There are three things to consider:

– Does it fold in one or two steps, and do you need to use two or just one hand to do it?
– Can you fold it with one or both toddler seats? Can the seats fold facing both directions? Or does the seat need to be removed/reversed first?
– What is the size of the stroller when folded? It matters for your car/Uber trunk space or airport travel.

Cybex Gazelle S stroller has a 1-step, 2-hand fold. There is a bit of a learning curve, but once we figured it out, it is very easy.

Gazelle folds with both seats attached and in both directions. There is no need to remove the toddler seat beforehand. This is much more convenient compared to other quality strollers. For example, Uppababy Vista only folds with the toddler seat facing forward.

The absolute biggest perk of owning the Gazelle stroller is that once it’s completely folded, it is much more compact than any other convertible stroller. It shrinks to 12.2″ in width in a single mode! With Vista you get 16.3″, and Nuna Demi 23.5″, which is almost double the Gazelle! We didn’t even own a car for the first year of my son’s life, and we took Ubers regularly. The stroller was never a problem to fit into any rideshare trunk, from Toyota Camry to Highlander.

We traveled to Europe and South America a few times, and gate-checking this stroller was never a problem. We just got a cover bag to help prevent it from damage and scratches.

Car seat compatibility

Cybex Gazelle S is compatible with a wide array of infant car seats available on American market:
– Cybex, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Clek using included adapters.
– Bitax, Chicco, Graco and Peg-Perego using separate adapters.

It makes it a versatile travel system compared to other strollers, especially Nuna Demi. Demi stroller only works with Nuna brand car seats.

For our son, we chose a Clek Liing infant car seat even before we decided on the stroller. I was happy that this combination worked well.

As a first-time parent, I wasn’t aware of one thing I’d like to point out. Around 1 year old or even earlier, many babies outgrow their infant car seats and transition to a convertible one.

Unlike infant car seats, which feature a canopy and a handle for easy carrying, convertible car seats are much more robust, heavy, and bulky. They can’t be attached to a stroller as a travel system. Most people permanently install them in their cars, so traveling by Uber or plane becomes much more difficult. But there are a few options to solve this. Buying an additional, lightweight toddler car seat like Cosco Scenera Next is the most popular.

Child’s comfort

It is one of the most important considerations for choosing the stroller. We all want our kids to be comfortable, safe, and protected, especially when traveling.

The Cybex Gazelle S toddler seat is reasonably spacious and soft. My son has always been around 99% in both weight and height and at 2 years old, he still has room to grow in it.

The seat position seems ergonomic and reclines to a near-flat position for sleep. This is excellent for those on-the-go naps. A 50+ UPF sun canopy extends to an “XXL” position, meaning that it protects our child from the sun well, and light doesn’t bother him when asleep. The canopy features a mesh window for breathability and healthy air circulation on hot days.

The only downside of this stroller that we found is that when extended, the canopy is a bit close to my sitting son’s head. But we never use it when he’s awake. Even as a tiny baby, he didn’t like anything obstructing his views, in or outside the stroller. He always prefers wearing a hat and sunglasses when awake.

Seat’s footrest adjusts to 3 different positions. The bottom of the footrest is made out of durable, easy-to-clean plastic.

The seat and canopy’s fabrics are durable and high-quality. They are easy to spot-clean, and most fabric parts are removable and can be washed in the washing machine.

I love that the stroller came with a rain cover designed specifically for this product. It makes it look much sleeker than other generic versions. The rain cover is also super helpful on windy, chilly days to protect from the elements even without the rain.

Configurations

Most convertible strollers claim you can have around 20 different configurations, with Cybex Gazelle S offering 24. However, realistically, we’ve been using 5-6 max once we have found what we like and need.

One of my favorite positions is simply a toddler seat facing the caretaker. Seeing mom or dad may initially be more comforting for babies, as some like to protest the stroller walks. I also enjoyed talking to my son and helping him learn about the world around him. We eventually flipped him to face forward at 10 months old, when he became more interested in his surroundings. Unlike most travel and jogging strollers, most single-to-double stroller seats can face both ways. But conveniently, Cybex Gazelle S also folds with the seat facing the parent.

Despite the popularity of car seats + travel systems for walks in the US, for safety reasons, I prefer using the bassinet attachment for newborns for longer walks. In a double mode, I prefer an option when a newborn in the bassinet is up top and close to me and a toddler seat is on the front. I constantly check the baby for temperature, sleep, comfort, breathing, or the pacifier placement (if you use one). Having a baby closer to their caregiver makes much more sense than on the bottom of the stroller. Cybex Gazelle S offers this configuration, unlike Uppababy Vista or Nuna Demi.

Travel

Cybex Gazelle S is NOT a travel stroller for apparent reasons. It’s just not the purpose for which it was designed. It has many features to provide everyday comfort for parents and children, and these features’ components naturally weigh more.

However, we used it for all our travels, including those overseas. It went with us to Brazil and Europe, and it survived Lisbon’s cobblestone hills and castle tours. We used it on the busy streets of Sao Paulo and at the beach.

Better than a travel stroller?

We recently got a Joolz Aer travel stroller, which is perfect for quick trips by train to Manhattan. New York City subway system, streets, and spaces like restaurants are not always ADA accessible. There are often no ramps or elevators, so we frequently carry my son and the stroller over the steps. The super lightweight one-hand-fold Aer has been perfect for this purpose. I can even fold it with one hand and carry it down the stairs by myself while holding my son with the other hand.

However, its storage basket is tiny and barely fits our mini diaper bag. The convertible car seat we use for travel certainly doesn’t fit in there. It could theoretically be hung from the handrail on the back. But that makes it very uncomfortable to walk around with.

When we travel further, we always bring our lightweight convertible car seat. It fits in the Cybex Gazelle S stroller basket without a problem. This allows us to be very flexible with how we spend our time. And removes the worry of how we will safely transport my son from the airport to our final destination. There are possible car seat renting services, but I’m very wary of those. I don’t know if the car seat I will get is safe, not expired or damaged. It might not be age-appropriate for my son, or it needs to be installed forward-facing (which is very dangerous for toddlers).

We usually take Ubers to restaurants, sightseeing, or the beach. This is much more convenient and less stressful than relying on public transportation or renting a car everywhere.

Summary

Even if we don’t have another child, I’m still happy I got this comfortable stroller for my first baby. It made our lives so much easier daily and during our big trips. It survived many rough terrains and even rougher airport cargo treatments. Two years later, and it still looks great. And I have never had any regrets or stroller-envy seeing other strollers at the park.