7 Tips for Choosing the Right Jogging Stroller

We don't do very many posts dealing with babies and toddlers, but since I have a baby, I wanted to share with you some tips to find the right jogging stroller for you. I read TONS of articles and reviews, as well as, "test drove" several before making my final decision. After all, if you are like me, you will use your jogging stroller at least 3-4 times per week for cardio and maybe even for the occasional jaunt at a local festival or fair.

This is a guest post written by Tiffany.

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Check out these additional mom resources, also written by Tiffany!

• 5 Tips for Busy Moms to Squeeze in Exercise
• How to Occupy Children During Runs
• 7 Tips for Choosing the Right Jogging Stroller

7 Things to Consider When Shopping for a Jogging Stroller

1. Determine Your Strollers Function - What will you be using the stroller for? Is it strictly for running or will you need something to attach to your bike or even cross-country ski with?

If the stroller is strictly for running, proceed with a jogging stroller like the BOB Revolution or the Baby Jogger FIT.

If you need your stroller to function in multiple ways, perhaps a jogger/bike trailer is more appropriate for you. Consider brands like the Allen Sports Premiere or the Aosom Elite.

2. Fixed Wheel vs. Swivel Wheel -  This is your number one concern when determining which stroller you will buy. NEVER run with a stroller that does not have a fixed wheel or a mechanism so that the wheel can be locked in the fixed position. This is VERY dangerous and could harm your child. Strollers with swivel wheels are made for walking and strolling.

3. Frequency of Use - How often you will use your jogging stroller really will determine the quality you will need to purchase (and most likely, the money you will spend on the jogger). If you are a marathon runner and plan to take your child on long-distance jogs, you will need a more durable stroller designed specifically for this purpose. Strollers like the Mountain Buggy Terrain may be more appropriate for you. On the flip side, if you are planning to use your stroller on days that you can't get to the gym to do your cardio, you can go with a more fitness oriented model, such as the Kolcraft Sprint Pro Jogging Stroller.

4. Storage Space - If you are tight on space in your home or plan to transport the stroller in a smaller vehicle, you will want to ensure your stroller folds down. If it doesn't, you will need to find a place to keep it fully assembled in your home and have a vehicle such as an SUV to transport the stroller.

5. Handlebar Height - Since I am short (5'2''), I really pay attention to this one! My husband is on the taller side (6'2''), so if he and I are both using the stroller, we either have to find a comfortable height for both of us or find a stroller with an adjustable handle.

6. Child Positioning - This is something you really can't afford NOT to look at! First off, think about your child. Do they like to take naps in the car or stroller? Will jogging be any different? Do they need a cup holder or a belly bar to hold on to so they can comfortably look out the stroller? Finding a stroller that offers a range of positions from upright to reclining may be your best bet. If you plan to use the stroller to walk prior to your child's 6 month birthday, I suggest looking for a system that also allows you to clip an infant seat into the stroller. Just remember: You shouldn't jog with an infant seat attached!

7. Brake vs. No Brake - Do you like in a hilly area like me? Your stroller should have a tether strap that you will wear, but if somewhere along your normal route, you encounter lots of downhills, I would suggest a brake. Momentum can be fierce, especially when you are pushing 50+ pounds of jogging stroller and child!

REMEMBER: Most pediatricians, as well as jogging stroller manufacturers, recommend that you do NOT jog with your child until 6 months of age.

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Review of Baby Jogger FIT

The Baby Jogger FIT.

(Update: 2/2/18) Here is a link to the newer version.

From the moment I received the stroller, I knew I was going to like it! It was very easy to put together - no help from the hubby required! The best part - I could use it right away. I didn't have to go to a bike shop to have the front wheel inflated. 

To test it out, Bryce and I went on a short run - a 2.5-mile jaunt in the nature preserve in our neighborhood! I have to admit, I have a snazzy Britax stroller system for everyday use and was a little anxious to try the fixed wheel of the jogger. I had visions of not being able to turn and potentially tipping Bryce over in the stroller. NOT the case at all! The fixed wheel of the Baby Jogger FIT seems to have a little give in it. I did have to rear back on the handlebar to turn, but much less than I expected! Speaking of the handlebar, it doesn't adjust but it is comfortable for myself and also for my husband. 

At 7 months and 20lbs, Bryce seemed comfortable in the stroller and has tons of room to grow. The stroller adapts to a reclining position and has a nice angle for its upright position.  The sunshade is adjustable and quite substantial. It did wonders for keeping the wind off of his face since we did a later afternoon run. The stroller seemed to effortlessly glide along our jogging path, with little disturbance at a bump or crack in the path. It was challenging pushing it up our monstrous hills in the neighborhood but nothing I couldn't handle. The brake was a MUST for the downhills of the same size - it provided some much needed reassurance that I wouldn't lose control.

Do you have a jogging stroller? If so, which did you choose and why? What types of activities do you do with your stroller?

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park
Our Travel Dates: September 12 – September 13 (2013)
Grand Teton Totals: 18.9 miles & elevation gain of 4,900 ft

This trip to Grand Teton National Park was part of our trip to Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park in September. Over 11 days of hiking we hiked over 140 miles with an elevation gain of over 25,000 feet. This was a trip of a lifetime and well worth the 2 lost toenails.

RELATED: Read about days 1-5 in Glacier National Park & Read about days 6-11 in Yellowstone National Park

Day 11 – Cascade Canyon to Paintbrush Canyon Loop (18.9 miles, 4,900′)

Unfortunately, we were only able to spend one day hiking in Grand Teton National Park but we made the most of it and did Cascade Canyon to Paintbrush Canyon Loop. Yes, all 18.9 miles of it…in one day! It was absolutely breathtaking! It was a pretty gradual climb at first but then became very steep to get to the top. Everyone we passed couldn’t believe we were doing the whole thing in one day, let alone at the end of our trip!

We saw an Osprey and an Osprey nest at the very start of the hike. We were also able to see more glaciers and I even slid on some ice/snow!

After leaving Grand Teton National Park we stopped by Mormon Row.

We stayed one night in Jackson Hole, WY and fell in love! We were so disappointed we could only stay one day. We left Thursday morning to make the trek back to UT. We stopped and stayed in Logan, UT so we wouldn’t have quite as far to drive on Friday morning. The trip from Jackson Hole, WY to Logan, UT was unreal! I can’t get over how much beauty there is in these states! I’m truly in love and can’t wait to move there!

– Whitney

Yellowstone National Park

Trip Date: September 2013

This trip to Yellowstone National Park was part of our trip to Glacier National Park and Grand Teton National Park in September and over 11 days of hiking we hiked over 140 miles with an elevation gain of over 25,000 feet.  These are not technical reviews – just my opinion and favorite parts!  This was a trip of a lifetime and well worth the 2 lost toenails.  Now, on to the review {awesome pictures}!

Yellowstone National Park
Our Travel Dates: September 6 – September 11 (2013)

Our Yellowstone National Park Recap:
Yellowstone Totals: 61.8 miles & elevation gain of 14,600 ft

{You can read about Day 1-5 in Glacier National Park here}
Day 6 – Drive down from Glacier to Gardiner
Day 7 – Pebble Creek (7.8 miles, 1600′) & Petrified Trees 2x (4.5 miles, 1,800′)
Day 8 – Bunsen Peak (11 miles, 2,900′) to Osprey Falls (5 miles, 600′), Hoodoos (5 miles, 600′) & Mammoth/Hot Springs, drive to West Yellowstone
Day 9 – Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, & Artist Paintpots (2.5 miles, 500′ total)
Day 10 – Mount Washburn (7.5 miles, 1,400′) & South Rim of the Canyon (5.7 miles, 700′)
Day 11 – Big Horn Peak (12.8 miles, 4,500′)

Scott spent a lot of time planning our hikes and our cabins.  I swear he picked out the MOST STRENUOUS hikes he could for each park.  This book helped with our planning: A Ranger’s Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes. Also, this is an amazing website to check out if you are going to Yellowstone!

Day 6 – Drive down from Glacier to Gardiner

This was just another beautiful drive in Montana!  We stopped in Bozeman for lunch and fell in LOVE!

Day 7 – Pebble Creek (7.8 miles, 1600′) & Petrified Trees 2x (4.5 miles, 1,800′)

Coming into Yellowstone on the first day we got caught in a “traffic jam” of bison!  The traffic was backing up so far they had to call in a ranger to move the bison out of the way!  After the minor delay we proceeded to Pebble Creek!  We planned on doing the entire Pebble Creek hike but once we got to the part where we had to keep crossing creeks we turned around after the second one because we didn’t have on the right gear.  We still did 7.8 miles and it was gorgeous.  It is quite the climb to begin with but then levels out and you are in the valley for miles.  After finishing up Pebble Creek we tried to eat lunch but the restaurant we planned to go to was actually closed so we had to just keep munching on what we had on hand (more details below).  After eating we went to do Petrified Trees.  We got about halfway up the mountain when it started raining so we can down the mountain and waited until the rain slowed down.  Once it started clearing we made our way back up.  We thought this was going to be an easy hike but it fooled us!  It was VERY steep but we made it to the top finally!

Day 8 – Bunsen Peak (11 miles, 2,900′) to Osprey Falls (5 miles, 600′), Hoodoos (5 miles, 600′) & Mammoth/Hot Springs, drive to West Yellowstone

The Bunsen Peak part of the hike was a pretty typical hike for us but once we got to the trail to Osprey Falls things changed!  I was scared to death – it was so steep and the trail was so narrow.  I literally cried one time.  It is just switchback after switchback that takes you down into the falls.  What a gorgeous view once we made it.  We sat and ate a snack and then headed back out of the falls.  We went to lunch and explored Mammoth/Hot Springs before heading back out again to hike The Hoodoos.  The Hoodoos is one for the books!  When we saw Hoodoos, we though of Bryce Canyon type Hoodoos but that is not what we saw.  Oh, and did I mention that we were exposed on top during a lightning storm?  This was another mountain that we had to run off!  We even tried to hitch hike down to our car!  Maybe that has something to do with my negative view of this hike!  After being soaked on this hike we headed out to change cabins again – this time in West Yellowstone so we could explore the hikes on that side of the park!

Below was the double rainbow we saw after hiking the Hoodoos and leaving for West Yellowstone.

Day 9 – Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, & Artist Paintpots (2.5 miles, 500′ total)

We actually had a big hike planned for this day but I was exhausted by this time so we decided to do a few shorter ones and more “touristy” things.  The daily total for the hikes was only 2.5 miles but we were able to see a lot of really cool things!  We hiked up to see Grand Prismatic Spring, climbed up the side of a mountain on the side so we could get a better view – it was truly amazing! Then we went to Old Faithful and got there with pretty good timing because we only had to wait about 10 minutes before it did its thing!  After Old Faithful we went to Artist Paintpots.  Words can’t describe this, only pictures so I’ll include them below.  I’ll just say that Yellowstone is a crazy, crazy place!  I felt like I was on a different planet most of the time!

Day 10 – Mount Washburn (7.5 miles, 1,400′) & South Rim of the Canyon (5.7 miles, 700′)

Everyone told us that we had to do Mount Washburn and it was really cool but it was also similar to the hikes we have in Georgia.  It was a wide, paved road for the most part instead of narrow steep trails.  It was nice for a change of pace!  After hiking Washburn we went to South Rim of the Canyon only to find out that our camera was dead and Scott forgot the extra battery.  We drove back to our condo, got the battery, and headed back to South Rim.  Scott thought it was magnificent but I think that is because he has never seen the Grand Canyon!  It was beautiful but seemed to be just a smaller scale of Grand Canyon.  I have visited the Grand Canyon but that was before our hiking days so we plan on going back soon to hike!

Day 11 – Big Horn Peak (12.8 miles, 4,500′)

Big Horn Peak is actually not in the “official” entrance to the park but is on the way to Big Sky. This was one of our favorite hikes!  It was one of the hardest 12.8 miles I’ve ever hiked!  It was so pretty, part of the time we were in the valley, part of the time we were in the forest, or climbing the mountain!  At the top it was pretty steep and scary because of the narrow ledges! After hiking we headed to Big Sky to eat dinner.  Big Sky was another gorgeous Montana town!

After leaving Yellowstone National Park we spent one day in Grand Teton National Park and hiked 18.9 miles.

– Whitney