Welcoming opinions on joggers

[JakesMom]

Hi all!

I was hoping some of you could weigh in on your favorite (and not-so-favorite) joggers. We are finally looking for one to use for our 2 1/2 yr old son -- my husband likes to take him when he Rollerblades, and with the blades and a jogging stroller, he can get Jake to the zoo in 15 minutes. We are expecting baby #2 in two months, but not planning to get a double stroller.

We have looked at the Bob stuff (looks really expensive), InStep and BabyTrend models online, and I've seen Cosco a few places. Some of the features we'd like are:

* easy fold
* good for city streets
* recline for sleeping
* sun canopy
* carry basket underneath

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
JakesMom
Chicago

[lindsey1mom]

I've also been looking for a jogging stroller with the same features. I've seen MANY offered on ebay but I'm not familiar with most of the name brands, especially those offered by bicycle manufacturers. Can anyone offer any reviews on the joggers made by bike companies?

Thanks!

[KathyO]

I'd suggest to both of you that you re-post this question on the Baby Bargains stroller board - there is a woman there, HipMaman (aka Tam) who knows joggers inside and out.

I don't know a lot about joggers per se, but if you're interested in the bike companies' joggers, I'm a huge fan of the products of Chariot Carriers (www.chariotcarriers.com). They have a line of joggers-only (the Cavalier) and of joggers that also convert into bike trailers (the Cheetah and Cougar). All of these come in single and double versions. They are beautifully made, although the Cheetah and Cougar do not match up with your list of desired features, oh well. Chariot's products are also sold in the States by Trek, under Trek's branding, but I have noticed some differences between the Chariot versions and the made-for-Trek versions.

Happy Hunting,

Cheers,

Kate

[magpie]

We have been using the baby trend expedition happily for 2 years and it has been great for sidewalks, fields, gravel, grass, the beach, . . . The only thing it's not too good for is stores as it doesn't swivel. I was a little concerned that it wouldn't run straight since its not as expensive as some higher end strollers, but that hasn't been our experience. It folds fairly compactly but is a little difficult for me to do since it reqires pushing in a button with one finger while depressing two other buttons with your thumbs simultaneously and my hands are a little weak. We've usually just left it set up where I can load Anne and walk away. It's kinda heavy too, but I haven't had to lift it very often. I'm 5'8 & husband 6'1 and it's comfortable for us both. It pushes much more easily than my friend's double maclaren that I tested last week (we had #2 girl 3 weeks ago and are searching for the perfect double stroller)- I kept hitting my foot on the center wheel unless I awkwardly adjusted my stride- pretty impressive considering the price difference.

Ours has a nice storage basket and wrist strap along with a hand brake. I think the tires are 16". We're now looking at the mountain buggy urban twin as recommended in the baby boards- much more expensive but seems to have all the right features for us.

[riostoker]

I absolutely love my Two Ways Jogging Stroller by Safety First.

You can use it rear facing or forward facing. When your second child is just beginning to sit in it, you'll appreciate being able to have it rear facing. The toddler will most likely want it forward facing though. Since it can face both directions, the sun shade moves a lot to accomodate that. What is great about that is as you are walking, you can keep moving the sun shade to keep the baby in the sun. I love that feature.

It also comes with a cup holder, water bottle holder, and odometer. It also has great height adjustable handles.

As for the things you want...
easy fold - yep.
good for city streets - yep... great! rolls super-easy.
recline - not a big recline, but my 1 y.o. sleeps in it just fine. The recline for rear facing is more than the forward facing recline, so if you anticipate your child wanting to sleep, you may want to start your walk out rear facing.
sun canopy - fantastic... one of the big pluses!
carry basket - yep. I use it to walk to the grocery store fairly often and bring home all my groceries in the basket.

This is not a high end jogger, so it may not be the best choice for serious runners or trail runners, but for around the neighborhood, walking on gravel paths, etc, it is perfect! Ithink it would be great for roller blading.

Here's a link to a pic: http://store.babycenter.com/product/gear/strollers/jogging/4053

We bought ours at BRU after seeing it in person, but I don't see it on their website any more.

[lvp49]

I got a basic, no frills jogger from babycatalog.com for $88 and no shipping charge. It is a Babyjogger Twinkle, and it has worked great for us. It has all the features your looking for except the recline, but it does not seem to be a problem. I do not jog though. DD really loves it. I could'nt really justify another stroller, but for the price its perfect for those park and bay trips. I am not at all disappointed with it. (although it only came in green, perple sold out)

Lucy

[candybomiller]

Don't know if I'm posting this too late, but have you thought about the mountain buggy urban or terrain? These strollers are expensive, but they are worth every penny. I have the urban and I adore it. It's my favorite stroller. Easy to steer, plus everything you mentioned in the original post. Check them out!
www.mountainbuggy.com

Candy
-SAHM to Matthew Nicholas, born 5/22/02