Cybex

Cybex is a German baby gear company that makes strollers and car seats. It is owned by Chinese baby gear conglomerate Goodbaby, which also owns the stroller brand Evenflo as well as manufacturing strollers for other brands.

Cybex was founded in 2005 by Martin Pos. Pos got his start in the baby gear business as the Director of Global Sales and Marketing for the German car seat maker Concord in 1993, later becoming the brand's CEO in 2000. When Concord became part of the Spanish baby gear group JANÉ, Pos left to start his own company.

In an interview about Cybex's foudning, Pos said the inspiration was his two young children. Why start a stroller company?

"Through my own painful experiences. The things we needed for our kids had the chic of a lifting platform. Everything was too heavy and too ugly. That's exactly what we wanted to change. Design and technology in one—that was new in the baby industry."

Cybex has the misfortune of launching in the US in 2009, amid the economic downturn that sent sales of high-end strollers plummeting. The company's efforts at high style fell flat—the first Cybex strollers featured white frames and wheels, which while unique, meant they were soon to be become scuffed and dirty. Subsequent Cybex models had more traditional frames (silver), yet high prices still turned off parents.

The company had more success in the car seat market, especially with its Aton infant car seat.

In 2014, Cybex was acquired by Goodbaby, with Martin Pos continuing his involvement with Cybex's design and manufacturing (Pos also now serves an executive director at Goodbaby). Pos commented: "The founder of Goodbaby has been a good friend and mentor for many years. I just wanted to take Cybex to a whole new level internationally, not start from scratch."

Goodbaby itself started in Kunshan, China in 1989 as a manufacturer of baby strollers, at a time when many companies (like Evenflo) off-shored their production. According to Forbes, Goodbaby has a complex of 11 factories that churn out over 10,000 strollers day under 15 different brand names (Goodbaby sells both its own strollers under Evenflo and Cybex as well as contracting out manufacturing for other brands).

Cybex divides its stroller line into two price categories: gold and platinum. The latter features design collaborations with such designs as Jeremy Scott and DJ Khaled and higher prices.

As for function, Cybex makes strollers in several popular categories: full-size, lightweight, double, e-strollers and sport (running). Even though Cybex is based in Bayreuth, Germany, all Cybex strollers are made in China.

Flagship Model: Cybex Libelle 2 Ultra Compact Stroller

The Cybex Libelle 2 (13.7 lbs.) is an ultra-compact stroller designed for travel, with a small fold that the company claims is carry-on complaint (and can fit in an the overhead bin of most planes).

The Libelle 2 is very similar to the gb Pockit+ All City (13.2 lbs), which is made by Goodbaby (Cybex's parent company). While the basic stroller design is the same, the Libelle features different wheels and fabrics. It sells for about the same price. The Libelle 2 is very similar to its predecessor (the Libelle), with the main difference being fashion that now includes contrast stitching.

The Libelle 2's key features include:

• Large canopy with UPF 50+ rating.

• Compatibility with Cybex Cloud Q or Aton 2 infant seats (adapters are included)

• Near flat recline.

Unlike other travel strollers, however, the Libelle does not come with a travel bag (which is sold separately as an accessory). The Cybex Libelle is part of the the Cybex Gold Collection.

Full-size Strollers: Priam, Gazelle S, Mios, Balios, Melio

Cybex sells a series of full-size strollers both in its Gold (basic) and Platinum (premium) price points.

The most famous of these models is the Cybex Priam (28.1 lbs), which like many mult-function strollers can be customized with a stroller seat, car seat or bassinet. A series of accessories include the usual (parasol, kid board for older siblings to stand on) and atypical (Priam Skis to turn a stroller into a snowmobile).

The Priam has gone through several iterations, with the latest model dubbed the Priam 4. This model is mostly sold in independent baby stores, while older models like Priam 3 are sold online on sites like Amazon.

The difference between the Priam 3 and Priam 4 are slight, with the latter having a new one-pull. harness on the stroller seat. Also new: the Priam 4 bassinet is about five inches higher with a new zippered pocket. As usual for strollers in this price range, the fashions (colors) for the seat change with new editions, although in this case the stroller frame colors remained the same.

The Cybex Gazelle S (27.7 lbs) is a single-to-double stroller, much like the UPPAbaby Vista. The strollers have similar functionality—a modular stroller with a seat that can face forward or rear . . . and the ability to add a second seat to hold two children.

The main difference is the Vista includes a bassinet, while the Gazelle S has a bassinet that is sold as a separate accessory. The Gazelle includes accessories that aren't included on the Vista, such as car seat adapters, a shopping tote and cup holder.

The Gazelle costs somewhat less depending on the configuration and no adapters are needed to convert it to a double stroller. The included accessories are also a bonus. On the downside, the Gazelle has a complex fold that requires several steps. And the bassinet is not included—and is not approved for overnight sleep (the Vista includes this and the bassinet is approved for overnight sleep).

The Cybex Balios S (27.7 lbs) is a multi-function stroller that does not convert to a double, much like the UPPAbaby Cruz. As such is less expensive to the Gazelle, despite having similar features.