Suggestions for purchasing a jogging stroller?

January 3, 2005 9:04 AM

My wife and I are looking to purchase a jogging stroller. Any suggestions?
posted by mudhouse to Shopping (11 answers total)

A swivel mount for the single front wheel is key. Believe it or not, most jogging strollers have a fixed wheel. While I suppose this is more structurally sound (and cheaper), it means you'll have to either make very wide turns, or pop wheelies every time you want to change directions. Our first jogging stroller left the house only three times or so because of this seemingly minor hassle.

I suppose lots of folks jog on long, meandering jogging paths, though. We were insane enough to try one of these in an urban environment.
posted by pzarquon at 9:50 AM on January 3, 2005

I'm going to disagree with the swiveling bit here and throw out the Bob stroller as a suggestion. I love ours. Many jog strollers are not made for jogging, but this one is.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 10:19 AM on January 3, 2005

I'm going to second pzarquon on this: we got a swiveling front wheel that can be fixed for jogging and it's great. I walk past all the "fitness moms" who have to lift their strollers' front wheels off the ground in order to make a turn. When I'm in stores with narrow aisles, I don't have to worry about which stroller to use.

As far as price goes, we did some research and ended up with phil and ted's most excellent buggy. The explorer 3, I think it is. Total cost was around $250. Another nice thing about this stroller is that they sell an attachment that turns it into a double if/when you decide to have another.
posted by aberrant at 10:25 AM on January 3, 2005

Two other advantages: it folds up really nicely, and it holds a child up to 70 lbs -- so you won't grow out of it. The sales guy (who was probably 180-190) actually sat in it and had us push him around to show the durability. Most jogging strollers we saw only went up to 45 lbs or so.
posted by aberrant at 10:29 AM on January 3, 2005

I suppose lots of folks jog on long, meandering jogging paths, though.

Yes, yes they do. And people with their baby SUVs on them drive us nuts. Whether you're one of the stroller-joggers that just toodles along, blocking the path, or one of the ones that tears up behind you unexpectedly, nearly sending you into the underbrush, my suggestion is this: regardless of what kind of stroller you buy, please try to be more considerate of the regular runners than most people are. If that means staying off the more populated trails, so be it.
posted by majcher at 10:31 AM on January 3, 2005

Majcher, lighten up. Why direct your wrath at those of us who want to remain in shape but have to take care of kids? Your statements can apply to ANYONE on a jogging path -- couples, the elderly, folks with pets, running groups, etc. Why single out parents with strollers? I'm a long-time runner and have yet to have a bad encounter with a stroller, though I've had miserable (tempo-throwing) experiences with the other groups I just mentioned.

Sorry for furthering the derail, but at least I contributed relevant answers above.
posted by aberrant at 10:43 AM on January 3, 2005

My wife and I went with the Allo Marbella jog stroller because the front wheel can lock or swivel. It is amazingly useful in tight situations but can also be used like a traditional jog stroller as well.

It's also on the inexpensive side and is well made.

But it doesn't stow in a very small place so keep that in mind.

And, to make majcher happy, maybe you should outfit it with a bell?
posted by fenriq at 11:38 AM on January 3, 2005

I'll second the vote for the BOB, although I was actually going to qualify my statement that while it's an awesome _hiking_ stroller, you could probably find a lighter rig if you were really looking to log some miles. We had marathoner friends who got a very lightweight stroller to use for road-running--I forget the kind.

We've been through the single and double BOBs, and as our kids have outgrown the whole stroller vibe, passed them along to friends who appreciate them just as much. The couple who just inherited our three-year-old double BOB just took it to the bike shop to get it looked over, and the guys were amazed in what good shape it was still in. (And we used it a _lot_, in some pretty rugged conditions.)

Finally, regarding majcher's point, there _is_ just a baseline level of courtesy that anyone on a jogging/hiking trail should observe, stroller or not. We've always tried to be careful not to be too much of a hassle with ours, and stuck to wider biking/hiking trails with it. I think majcher's plea to "try to be more considerate" is totally justified. (Even if the requirement that you not go substantially slower, or faster, than his preferred pace really isn't.)
posted by LairBob at 12:20 PM on January 3, 2005

Make sure the handles are tall enough for the tallest parent.
posted by mecran01 at 4:53 PM on January 3, 2005

What LairBob said about, well, the BOB: It's certainly more of an offroad stroller.

Aberrant: " When I'm in stores with narrow aisles, I don't have to worry about which stroller to use."

I suppose, but I figured why compromise? I can't imagine one stroller being ideal for jogging, store aisles, and weight/portability. I recommend Maclaren for portablilty. Or, better yet, a carrier for the younger ones.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 5:20 PM on January 3, 2005

RTT: "I suppose, but I figured why compromise?"

See, that's the thing: you don't really have to. It's got air wheels, a lockable front wheel, and a full suspension for offroading, and is narrow enough and has a pivoting front wheel for indoor use. It's light enough for one person to fold up, baby in-hand, has a height-adjustable handle, and storage space. I haven't found anything (outside a cup/bottle holder) that's missing.

In any case, I've done enough shilling for the Explorer :) Check it out if you have time.
posted by aberrant at 6:46 PM on January 3, 2005