Advice for Jogging stroller

[stephnola]

I would like to buy a good jogging stroller and was wondering if anyone had any advice on them? Has anyone found one they really like or dislike? What should I be loooking for? Thanks.

[ecmay]

I am also shopping for a jogger. I haven't purchased one yet, but am strongly leaning toward a BOB Sport Utility Stroller. It's expensive, but the suspension system is supposed to be great, and I worry about my baby's head being jostled. I've read that the bumpy ride can be unhealthy, so stability is worth paying for in my opinion. Apparently people also rave about the Mountain Buggy. I think those two brands are the best. Mtn Buggy is even more expensive, and I believe it doesn't have suspension.
There's some basic info about picking a jogger on strollers.com:
http://www.strollers.com/choose-jogging-stroller.php

Good luck! Hopefully someone with experience will post a reply...

Elizabeth
Mom to Charlie 2/16/04

[masetane]

Gosh - everyone here will confirm what a crazy mom I was in picking a stroller. I got the Bob SUS deluxe in red from www.joggingstroller.com WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This stroller is perfect - nice handle height (I'm 5'7), great basket, got the cup console so I have a place to put my keys/drinks, great great great hood, suspension, window. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this stroller. so light weight and my kids who are 16 months and 3.8 years love it. The suspension is amazing - I don't think my kids even move when I go over anything. I also decided on this b/c it is supposed to be great quality and I liked that it didn't look all "souped up" and wasn't as long as the other strollers were. It's kind of compact so I can actually go into stores after running to the village. Big wheels are going over everything in sight smoothly. Dreamer Design is also supposed to be another great brand but I just did n't like how it looked (too many racy stripes and the bubble canopy looked so high) and the suspension was only on the top model. Check out www.joggingstroller.com b/c they have reviews and definitely call them and ask their advice! Oh Kelty does not recline, has a split handle bar and sits, in my opinion, pretty low. I didn't like it at all but my friend does like hers. I think the wheels on it are more slick/thin for true runners but you can also check out Bob's Ironman. Phew - feel free to ask any questions!
caroline

[bubbaray]

Love my Chariot Cavalier (available from Joggingstroller.com).

DH and I run marathons and he also does Ironman distance tri's. We needed a jogging stroller that was comfortable for baby to withstand long runs, yet be lightweight so I could lift it by myself. Also, it had to meet DH's picky PICKY standards about all things that closely resemble bikes.... LOL!

We looked at the BOB, the Dreamer, Baby Jogger, plus a host of cheaper joggers. NOTHING out there matches the quality construction of the Chariot. Before we saw the Chariot, DH wanted a BOB, but after he saw the Chariot, there was no way he'd buy a BOB.

The Chariot also has some nice features you don't find on other strollers -- like a coolmax seat to keep baby cool, a sun visor, add ons like a baby supporter, hydration kit.

It has a height adjustment, but not at the handlebar -- I'm 5'9" and DH is 6', so we don't really need to adjust it, but it is a nice feature. I've found adjustable handlebars to be "wiggly" and it drives me nuts! The height adjustment also increases the angle of recline for the baby, so we've had it on the lower height (with more recline) and had the baby in the stroller since she was 2m old (for walks only, not jogging).

We also found that the seat is wider for baby, but the overall dimensions of the stroller don't seem wider than the BOB -- and it goes through doorways easily.

The Chariot does not have suspension, but we didn't think this was a huge thing. Most of our running is on roads or smooth trails and I won't let DH take the baby on narly singletrack, LOL!

Good luck with your shopping!

Melissa

[ktdid74]

Hi-
I have a BOB single and a Dreamer Design Ditto (double) and love them both! I don't run but walk and jog and they both work well. I'm 5'2 and have no problems pushing either. The BOB has great suspension which is nice where I live (no sidewalks, bad roads) but the DD Ditto takes the terrain just fine, too. They both have nice baskets underneath, good hoods and my kids seem to like to ride in both. The BOB folds easily but I've never tried to fold the Ditto. We keep them both parked in the garage.
I bought my BOB through joggingstroller.com 3 years ago. I bought my Ditto through Marilyn at arunningstroller.com. I highly recommend both strollers. Good luck with your search- let us know what you decide!

[hipmaman]

Basic wants and needs in the jogger depend on you, but here are a few things to consider...

- Do you need big wheels for bumpy rides? There are a few wheel size options: 12", 16", 20" and even 24". For walking, 12" and 16" are fine. For jogging, you might want bigger (16" is the minimum for jogging, imho). There are those with suspension that also helps smoothing the ride, but if only doing smooth surface, why spend the extra $$$, kwim?

- Do need the seat to recline all the way or just partial? This mostly depends on how old your child is. Newborns definitely needs flat recline and the Mountain Buggy and Dreamer Design are two that I can think of. Others like Baby Jogger, Kool Stride has partial reclined (unless things have changed in the last year that I don't know). And the Kelty doesn't recline at all.

- Do you need the frame to be rust-free? If yes, then you definitely need aluminium frame, aluminium or polymer wheels and spokes. Aluminium is also lighter, but more expensive.

- If you are transporting it often by car or need to store it folded (instead of open), then you might want one that folds up easily. Not all joggers fold up the same way. Some are super easy by pressing a couple latches, some takes up to 5-6 steps. Some folds up compact (even with wheels on), some takes up the entire trunk with no space to spare, etc.

- What about other things like big canopy that goes down low (Kelty, Dreamer Design), big basket, padded seat, cup/bottle holder, etc.? Are there any features that you need...

I'm sure others will add to the list. If you can start with the list of what you need and what you want, people will quickly filter out brands and models for you.

Hope that helps.