Before I even start talking about choosing a jogging stroller, here are some questions I think you should ask yourself:

• How often are you planning to use the stroller? Once or more per week, once a month, when the opportunity comes up? This could decide the quality of the stroller you want, besides just the features. You know the saying, you get what you pay for! The more you use it, the higher quality stroller you would want. (always check reviews!) If you’re not planning on using it much at all, maybe going with a used one is a better option!
• Are you planning on having a second child and when? This can decide whether to invest your money in a new or used, top of the line or a less expensive version. If you’re planning on the second one pretty soon, then buying the top of the line single jogging stroller may not be the best option financially. With the second child, you would probably want to upgrade to the double stroller.
• What activities are you planning on doing with the stroller? Are you mostly a walker or runner, what type of surfaces are you planning on covering with it? Again, this decides the durability you would want to expect from the stroller. Many people use their jogging stroller to walk on the paved path in their neighborhood or at the mall. Well, then you don’t need a top of the line, highest quality stroller. If you’re planning on running on the beach or over uneven surfaces, like the wooded paths, grass, rocks…, then you would want something sturdier, with quality wheels that won’t twist or pop and would deliver according to your expectations.

Like I was saying in my previous post, before purchasing I would strongly recommend to physically check out the item at the store, if available. You will get to try it out, see how it works and get a good idea of what it would be like to own it.

If this option is not available or even if it is, second best thing is to look at the product’s reviews. This will give you a good estimate of stroller’s durability and expected problems that might come down the road. Amazon.com and Babies’r'us are couple of popular sites to check out. I usually go with a product that has at least 15 reviews. This way I know that the product is not brand new, it’s been tried by others, and I get to find out how well it works from real people. Even if a product has a good rating, still browse through some poor reviews. If you see that a certain complaint repeats itself, you know what to expect, and whether that particular feature is important enough to you to make a “move on” or “no big deal” decision.

So with this in mind, here is my take on it. I actually bought a used running stroller with my first for the cost reasons, I wasn’t sure how often I would actually use it, and I also knew that we were planning on a second one in a near future. It’s made by Expedition and has a fixed front wheel rather than the swivel type. It was already pretty beat up, the back wheels were a little twisted, making it wobbly. I also was not excited about the fixed front wheel. Fixed wheel will only go straight. If you have any sort of a turn or a curve in your path, you have to lift the front of the stroller to elevate the front wheel, while making the turn, so the stroller can stay on the path. Not very convenient! Because of such poor maneuverability, I can’t take it for shopping or a casual walk in smaller spaces. One of the benefits of the locked wheel is it does go well over rough or uneven surfaces, like grass or sand.

Now that we’re expecting a second one, I am looking into a double stroller with a swivel wheel that can also be locked in place. I actually purchased one from Baby Jogger, but was disappointed and returned it. I wrote a blog post about it if you’re interested.  My next choice is either Schwinn Free Wheeler 2 Double Swivel Wheel Jogging Stroller or InStep Safari Swivel Double Jogging Stroller. Both stroller are similarly priced and both have some issues. Now I’m trying to negotiate with myself which flows I’m okay to put up with, and which I would rather walk away from. By reading some average reviews, 3 out of 5 stars, I found that Schwinn stroller has seats that are too deep and too reclined. In the InStep Stroller, the seats are apparently too close together and the older kid ends up occasionally wacking the younger one. Apparently there is also not enough support between the seats, making kids slide toward the middle.

With this in mind, I still can’t justify spending nearly $600 on a BOB stroller that appears to have a perfect 5 out of 5 rating.

If you do choose to get a jugging stroller as an every day stroller, I would recommend following:

• Going with a swivel wheel stroller that locks in the place for jogging or rough terrain.
• Look into a stroller that is car seat compatible.
• If above is not an option, make sure you can use this stroller for a newborn without the car seat.

This is it for now. In my next post I’m planning on talking about the rest of the baby gear and its usability. So stay tuned!

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