Didofy Aster 2 Review

Charlotte Clarke and her 22-month-old daughter Adelaide tested out the Didofy Aster 2 to see how this travel stroller compared to others in the mid-range market. In our best travel strollers buying guide, this was our top choice for use on tough terrain.

The Didofy Aster 2 involves a small amount of assembly when it arrives. ‘I did panic slightly when I pulled out an individual wheel from the box,’ said Charlotte. ‘But it was just a case of clipping them into place, which took about a minute, and then it was ready.’ Didofy describes the folding on the Aster 2 as ‘MagicFold’ and Charlotte found this wasn’t exaggerated. ‘It’s very easy – slide across a button and then it collapses down. It’s the reverse to fold it up again.’

While it’s not super-compact and not as light as some of the others in this Travel Strollers Buying Guide, the Aster 2 makes up for this in sturdiness and by the fact that it pushes just as well in a field as it does on pavements. ‘I see this as more of a lightweight stroller that you can use every day, rather than just for travelling with,’ said Charlotte.

One of the big pluses of the Didofy Aster 2 is that it has a wide age-range of four years and has been designed to be suitable for newborns, thanks to cleverly adjustable straps and a reclining seat. This, and because it comes with lots of extras, like a coffee cup holder and footmuff, impressed Charlotte in terms of its value for money.

Stroller weight: 6.2kg | Age Range: Birth to 4 years | Price: £299.00

VIEW AT BABY PLANET | £299.00

Design

On first impressions, the Didofy Aster 2 feels a bit underwhelming but, don't be put off as  it’s worth persevering. ‘I wasn’t overly impressed by its looks on taking it out of the box,’ said our tester Charlotte. ‘It felt quite generic but when I tested out the folding mechanism, I was suitably impressed.’ She found it one of the easiest buggies to collapse and there was no stickiness or fumbling around that she’d come across with other models: ‘You slide a button across at the top and it folds in on itself with very little effort.’ It didn’t collapse quite as small as some but it was an enormous improvement on the travel system Charlotte usually uses and would easily fit in the stairwell of a family car.

While it’s not quite as light as other designs on this list (and you do notice this), it’s much sturdier. ‘I put it through its paces on pavements and over a very grassy field and it performed as well on both,’ said Charlotte.

Comfort and features

The Didofy Aster 2 has an adjustable reclining seat which can be laid back so it’s almost flat. ‘You adjust the seat with a toggle mechanism, which was easy enough but I did find it hard to get the seat completely upright so Adelaide could properly see out,’ said Charlotte. As this buggy is suitable from birth till approximately age four, the straps, which are padded, can be a bit tricky to adjust at first. ‘I think once you’ve got the right size and the hang of adjusting them, this wouldn’t be a big deal,’ said Charlotte. ‘I like that you could potentially only buy one buggy and that it would suit a newborn and an older toddler.’

Unlike many travel strollers, you get a lot of ‘extras’ with the Didofy Aster 2. ‘It comes with a footmuff, coffee cup holder and rain cover included so there’s no need to buy anything else,’ said Charlotte. ‘The shopping basket is a pretty good size too and I was able to pile in lots of coats and picnic blankets on a day out.’ The hood is extendable, UPF50 and waterproof and, while Charlotte would have preferred it to cover a bit more of Adelaide, she liked that it had a window so she could watch her when she slept.

Value for money

At £299.00, this is a top-end, mid-range stroller but Charlotte felt that it scored highly when it came to value for money. ‘You’re getting good bang for your back with this stroller,’ she said. ‘As well as all the extras, which many brands would expect you to pay for, the fact that you can potentially use the Didofy Aster 2 as an alternative to a traditional pram and then continue to use it for four years makes it an excellent investment.’

She’d recommend this to parents who want a regular-use, lightweight stroller but aren’t necessarily interested in stylish good looks or having a travel stroller that will definitely fit in overhead lockers. ‘I think some airlines would allow it as hand luggage but it’s not the smallest out there if this is a top priority for you,’ added Charlotte.

You might also like our Silver Cross Clic review – it’s our top pick overall in our best travel stroller buying guide. And don’t forget to check out our other baby product reviews.