Joie Baby Travel System: An Honest Nutmeg + Mint Review

The joie baby travel system most parents ask about is the Joie Nutmeg stroller with the Mint infant car seat. It is a complete system in one box: a stroller that folds small for a car trunk, and a car seat that clicks onto the frame, the car, and the plane. The stroller weighs about 16.25 lb, folds to 12 x 19.5 x 30.5 inches, and suits children up to 50 lb. The Mint car seat weighs 9.2 lb and suits babies from 4 to 30 lb.

Before anything else, one plain fact: this is not a cabin stroller. Folded, the Nutmeg is 30.5 inches long, which is longer than an overhead bin allows. The Ergo Metro+ folds to 21 x 17 x 9 inches and fits most overhead bins; the Joie does not. The Joie is a compact car-travel and gate-check system — small in the trunk, handed over at the aircraft door, waiting when you land.

Specs at a glance

Spec	Nutmeg + Mint
Stroller weight	About 16.25 lb (7.4 kg)
Stroller folded size	12 x 19.5 x 30.5 inches (30.5 x 49.5 x 77.5 cm)
Stroller open size	34.5 x 19.5 x 42 inches
Stroller weight limit	Up to 50 lb (22.7 kg)
Storage basket	Up to 10 lb
Car seat weight	9.2 lb (4.2 kg)
Car seat size limit	4 to 30 lb, up to 30 inches
Car seat install	Baseless LATCH install; FAA-compliant for airplanes
Fold	One-hand fold
Extras	Extended canopy and travel bag in the Target exclusive version; cup holder included

Price is not listed here on purpose: prices and versions change, so check the current price before buying — and confirm you are looking at the Nutmeg + Mint set, not the heavier Ginger + Rue system, which weighs 22 lb.

The weight question, answered honestly

You may see two different weights for the Nutmeg stroller. Some reviews list 14.4 lb. Joie’s own US comparison chart lists about 16.25 lb, and retail spec tables agree — frame weight 16.25 lb, item weight 16.3 lb. The difference is most likely accessories: about 14.4 lb without them, about 16 lb with them, and Joie’s own chart notes that some fashions and materials may add weight.

This article uses about 16.25 lb, because that is what Joie’s current chart and the retail specs say. It is still a light stroller — a full-size system like the Britax Willow Brook S+ is 26 lb in total — but it is not the lightest travel stroller you can buy, and the 14.4 lb figure should not be the reason you choose it.

The fold and the car

The fold is where the Joie earns its place. One-hand fold, and a folded size of 12 x 19.5 x 30.5 inches — small enough to leave room in a car trunk for the bags, the flight bag, and the rest of the family’s kit. For a family that travels by car to the airport, to relatives, or to a holiday rental, that small trunk footprint is the whole point.

What it is not is a cabin fold. At 30.5 inches long when folded, the Nutmeg cannot go into an overhead bin, so on a flight it is a gate-check: you push it to the aircraft door and it is waiting when you land. If you are flying with a baby and want a stroller that stays in the cabin with you, the Ergo Metro+ is the one built for that. The Joie is built for the car and the destination, with the flight as a gate-check in between.

The car seat: Mint

The Mint infant car seat is the second half of the system, and it is the half that flies. It weighs 9.2 lb, suits babies from 4 to 30 lb and up to 30 inches, and it is FAA-compliant for use on airplanes. That means a baby can ride in the Mint on the plane itself, in their own seat, instead of on your lap for the whole flight.

Install is by baseless LATCH, so there is no base to carry through the airport. Click the car seat onto the stroller frame at the airport, lift it off at the aircraft door, and carry it on. Our travel car seats guide covers which seats are approved for use on a plane and which are car-only — check with your airline before you fly.

What is good

First, it is a complete system in one box. Stroller, car seat, and the adapters to join them — no separate purchase to start using it as a travel system. The stroller suits children up to 50 lb, so the same frame carries a baby in the car seat and a toddler in the seat.

Second, it is genuinely compact for a car. At about 16.25 lb with a one-hand fold and a small trunk footprint, the Nutmeg is easy to lift in and out of a car all day. The basket holds up to 10 lb, which is enough for the day’s nappies, wipes, and a bottle — more than a cabin stroller’s basket, because this stroller is built for the car, not the bin.

Third, the car seat flies. A 9.2 lb FAA-compliant seat that installs without a base is exactly what a family flight needs: the baby has their own seat on the plane, and the same seat clicks back onto the stroller frame at the other end.

What is not good

The stroller does not fit an overhead bin. Folded 30.5 inches long, the Nutmeg is a gate-check on every flight. If a cabin stroller is what you need, this is the wrong product — and no amount of folding will change the 30.5 inch length.

The weight figure is confusing. Some reviews say 14.4 lb, Joie’s chart and retail specs say about 16.25 lb. The honest figure is about 16.25 lb, and a buyer who plans around 14.4 lb will find the stroller a little heavier than expected. It is still light for a travel system, but it is not the lightest option.

The third thing to know is the Ginger + Rue trap. Joie sells another travel system, Ginger + Rue, whose stroller weighs 22 lb — a full-size system, gate-check only, and a different product entirely. If you buy by brand alone and land on Ginger + Rue, the figures in this article do not apply to your system. Check the model name on the listing before you buy.

Travel use: flight, car, and hotel

On a flight, the Joie is a gate-check system with a car seat that flies. Push the stroller to the aircraft door, gate-check the stroller, and carry the Mint car seat on board for the baby’s own seat. When you land, the stroller is waiting at the door and the car seat clicks back onto the frame.

By car, the Joie is the everyday tool. It folds small into a trunk, the car seat installs without a base, and the basket carries the day’s kit. The honest comparison is with our Britax Willow Brook S+ review: 26 lb in total, a 9.2 lb car seat, and a stroller that lasts from birth to 50 lb — a heavier, fuller system for the car and the destination, where the Joie is the lighter, more compact version of the same idea.

At the destination, the Joie handles pavements, shops, and airports, and the 10 lb basket is the limit to plan around. If you are staying in a hotel with a baby, the stroller handles the lobby and the street, and the flight bag carries what the basket cannot.

Who should buy it — and who should not

• Buy it: you travel mostly by car and want a complete, compact system — about 16.25 lb stroller, 9.2 lb car seat, one-hand fold, up to 50 lb.
• Buy it: you want the car seat to fly with you — the Mint is FAA-compliant and installs without a base.
• Skip it: you need a cabin stroller — folded 30.5 inches long, the Nutmeg will never fit an overhead bin.
• Skip it: you want the lightest possible stroller — about 16.25 lb is light for a system, but a cabin stroller like the Metro+ is 17 lb and folds to 21 x 17 x 9 inches.

FAQs

How much does the Joie Nutmeg stroller weigh?

About 16.25 lb (7.4 kg), per Joie’s own US comparison chart and retail spec tables. Some reviews list 14.4 lb — that figure is most likely without accessories, so this article uses the current chart figure of about 16.25 lb.

Can the Joie Nutmeg go in an overhead bin?

No. Folded it is 12 x 19.5 x 30.5 inches, and 30.5 inches long is longer than an overhead bin allows. It is a gate-check stroller, not a cabin stroller.

What age and size is the Joie travel system for?

The stroller suits children up to 50 lb (22.7 kg). The Mint car seat suits babies from 4 to 30 lb and up to 30 inches.

Can the Mint car seat be used on a plane?

Yes. The Mint is FAA-compliant for airplanes and installs by baseless LATCH, so there is no base to carry. Check with your airline before you fly.

How big is the storage basket?

The under-seat basket holds up to 10 lb — enough for the day’s nappies, wipes, and a bottle, with the flight bag carrying the rest.

Should I check the price before buying?

Yes. Prices and versions change, so check the current price before buying, and confirm you are looking at the Nutmeg + Mint set — about 16.25 lb, not the 22 lb Ginger + Rue system.