Meet Colugo, the lightest and most compact stroller I've ever used - and I've gone through a lot of strollers

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Colugo

• The Colugo Compact Stroller weighs only 60 pounds yet can support a kid weighing as much as 55 pounds, so you can use it for years as your child grows.
• The stroller folds down with just one hand and packs away into a backpack for easy transport or storage.
• Colugo offers a 100-day, risk-free trial during which any of their products can be returned for a full refund.

Shopping for a stroller kind of... how should I put this... it kind of sucks.

There are so many options on the market these days that the process is easily overwhelming, and most halfway decent strollers cost hundreds of dollars. Your baby stroller is no place to go cheap; you'll depend on the thing during travel, shopping, outings, visits to friends and family, and as a tool to give yourself a few minutes of sanity as your child sleeps and you stroll.

Even if you have identified a trusted brand and you're ready to shell out a few hundred bucks on your new baby conveyance device, which type of stroller should you choose? An umbrella stroller? A jogger? A convertible car seat thingy? Ah, if only there was a stroller small enough for use in the city or during travel, sturdy enough for years of use with growing kids, and affordable enough to prevent sticker shock.

Ok, I set things up painfully obviously, so this is no big reveal, but guess what? There is. And if you haven't heard of it yet, that's because it's the new kid on the block.

The Colugo brand was launched by a dad named Ted Iobst who found himself entirely frustrated during the gear-shopping process when his first kid was born. It being the 21st century, shopping for things from eyeglasses to meal kits to mattresses is only supposed to take a few quick clicks, and the goods delivered are supposed to be, well, good. Ted found that the process of researching and procuring baby gear was, by and large, anything but quick or efficient, and that was especially true when it came to finding a stroller.

Like a damn fine American should, instead of complaining then rolling over and hitting the proverbial snooze button, instead Ted formed a new company dedicated to selling affordable, reliable baby gear. And with a painless, simple shopping process, too.

Colugo sells one stroller (that comes in a few different colorways), one baby carrier (same deal), and a few accessories. Pick the look you like, buy a product, and it shows up in the mail. If you're unhappy with said product for any reason, send it back within 100 days for a full refund. End of story, commerce wise.

While the Colugo lineup will expand in coming years and the backpack, carrier, and accessories are all high quality and worthy of coverage in their own right, it's the Colugo Compact Stroller that takes center stage. At $285 this Compact isn't cheap, but when you use the stroller in person, you'll quickly agree that nothing about its construction is cheap, either.

Despite weighing in at a mere 16 pounds, the stroller feels solid and handles itself well, whether deftly navigating the aisles of the grocery store or trundling down a city sidewalk. A decent-sized storage area underneath the seat can hold a diaper bag, some groceries, or the makings of a picnic lunch, while the seat itself can hold a baby six months or older, or a kid who weighs as much as 55 pounds - a size most kids don't hit until well after their fifth birthday.

But the real highlight here is how amazingly compact this stroller becomes when folded down - a process that you can complete with one hand in about two seconds, by the way.

Once collapsed, you can tuck the Colugo Compact Stroller into a backpack (which comes included) that is comfortable enough for hours of wear and that will fit in the overhead bin of an airplane, into the trunk of any car, and that won't have fellow subway or bus passengers looking askance at you as you lumber your way down an aisle.

Long story short: This ultra-compact and -lightweight stroller could well be the only stroller many families need. That's worth my $285 any day.

Buy The Compact Stroller for $285 from Colugo

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.