Baby Jogger City Select Review

Baby Jogger launched in 1984 with a desire to go jogging with babies. With a lack of potential jogging options, a couple of parents designed the first stroller jogging stroller. From its inception, the Baby Jogger company has offered various strolling options for versatile activities, even those outside of jogging. In 2015, the company was bought by the Newell Rubbermaid company, and they continue to create popular strollers, though very few you can still use for jogging.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

Overall, the Select struggles to keep up with most of the competition in this metric, especially high-ranking competitors .

Fold and Unfold

The fold on the Select requires two hands, does not self-stand or auto-lock, and doesn't come with a carry strap. It requires only two steps but is average for difficulty. You will need to bend all the way to the ground to unfold this stroller.

Brakes

The Select has single-action brakes that are very easy to set and release with a hand brake located on the right side of the frame lower than the handlebar. This brake is sandal and barefoot-friendly as it doesn't require feet. It is one of the few handbrakes in this review, as this feature is more common on top-ranked jogging strollers.

Storage

This Baby Jogger has one of the best storage bins in this review. It is very large with a maximum allowable weight of 15 lbs! It easily fit our extra-large diaper bag and still had room to spare. It is accessible from all sides, with an elastic back and a zippered front. It also has a medium-sized pocket built into the back of the seat, which is suitable for small items like a baby pacifier, keys, or a phone.

Sunshade

The sunshade is the smallest among the Baby Jogger strollers in our review. It is medium in size and has a UV rating of 50+. This canopy has extra ventilation and a mesh peek-a-boo window. Still, the overall size hurt the Select's score in this testing metric, and it's considerably smaller than the sunshade on the BOB Revolution Flex 3.0.

Harness

The 5-point harness is easy to put on but somewhat challenging to take off. It offers adjustable shoulder height options and an adjustable crotch strap for a better fit. The buckle snaps together easily, but the release has a knob on the back of the buckle that makes it challenging to depress the front buckle release button without pressing the knob at the same time. Doing this prevents the buckle from working.

Seat

This stroller has an adjustable leg rest with multiple lengths and angle options. The fabric on the leg and footrest looks durable, but neither has padding. The Select has an adjustable seatback recline that operates with one hand and one button. This stroller can convert to a double stroller.

Car Seat Compatibility

The City Select is not compatible with and seat from our best infant car seat review standard as it comes. You will need to buy an adaptor to use a car seat with this product. However, on the bright side, it does offer adaptors good for a significant number of seats from various brands, which is a plus. This stroller can work with some Britax/BOB seats; the Chicco KeyFit 30; the Cybex Aton, Aton Q, Graco Click Connect Models; some Maxi Cosi models; Nuna Pipa; Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35; and the UPPAbaby Mesa.

The assembly for the Chicco adapter is easy and doesn't require tools. After removing the toddler seat and canopy, the adaptor connects to the stroller frame. The car seat sits on the adaptors and clicks and straps in place. We have some worry that parents will skip the strap part because it is time-consuming and feels like overkill, but we caution parents not to do this and to follow all instructions for the sake of safety. We aren't big fans of the strap-in options for this reason.

This seat is about average for installing and removal. It isn't hard, so much as it isn't as easy as it could be. It does feel stable after installation. The Chicco Keyfit 30 won an Editors' Choice award in our Infant Car Seat review and we think most parents will like it in combination with just about any stroller.

Ease of Setup

The Select is more challenging to set up than most of the competition.

Setup time for the Select is approximately 10 minutes with documentation that is average. The manual is the same as other Baby Joggers, with more steps that make the process significantly longer and more confusing. We somehow skipped steps we had to go back to and found snaps we hadn't fastened after assembly was complete (and we are experts at this).

Maneuverability

This Baby Jogger isn't as easy to maneuver as most of the competition, including the other Baby Jogger options in this review.

For pushing and turning on the pavement and other flat surfaces, you could feel the extra weight and size of the Select. It is harder to push than its siblings, and we had difficulty in tight spaces. The handle adjustment button is in the center of the handlebar, which makes pushing with one hand awkward. Pushing this stroller with one hand is not possible through tighter spaces but is feasible in the wide-open where precision isn't necessary. The longer wheelbase makes it difficult to turn sharply, resulting in obstacle bumping and trouble course correcting. This stroller rolls surprisingly well over non-flat surfaces, but the added weight makes it harder to turn and negotiate. However, thanks to the longer handle, the stairs weren't too bad, and there was little flex despite its heft.

This stroller sports front-wheel shocks that are not adjustable and don't provide as much comfort as strollers with four shocks or adjustable suspension. The wiggly seat and the limited padding reduce overall comfort as well. However, the larger rubber wheels make the ride better than those with plastic wheels.

Weight and Folded Size

Where the Select starts to struggle is weight and folded size. Some of the things that help the Select perform well also add size and weight that make it hard to lift. This stroller weighs about 29 lbs, which is higher than the average for the group.

The seat is removable before folding to make a smaller package, but then the difficulty of folding or carrying increases. The stroller we purchased wasn't as smooth to open as our previous Select, and the frame seemed to catch. Unfolding is also average and requires two hands to do two steps. The Select has a smaller folded package than we expected, but it is still 11,835 cubic inches compared to smaller folded strollers under 6,500.

Quality

All of the Baby Joggers offer better than average quality in our tests. The fabric on the seat and canopy of the Select are the same and feel like canvas. It feels softer and more breathable than some of the competition, but it doesn't wipe clean as easily, so there is a trade-off. The peek-a-boo window is an odd combination of mesh and vinyl that makes seeing through the window harder. The basket bottom is a durable canvas with a stretchy, fine mesh on the sides that snagged easily in our tests, making us worry about long-term durability. The basket extends all the way to the front, but this leaves it exposed to shoe dirt and being stepped on.

The frame on this stroller is sturdy and feels well built. It doesn't rattle or flex, and it has limited connection points. The overall fit and finish of the stroller are disappointing despite the sturdy frame. It looks cumbersome, and most of the fabric wraps loosely around the frame. The wheels are foam-filled rubber and do not wobble when in motion. The rubber improves the comfort of the ride and potentially its maneuverability. The foam filling takes away some performance, but you won't suffer a flat if a tire gets punctured.

The adjustable handlebar on the Select is average for comfort. The rubber on the bar is not as comfortable as the foam on much of the competition, and it gets hot in sunlight. We do like the shape of the bar, but not enough to choose it over a foam option. We also didn't care for the handlebar adjustment button being in the middle of the bar because it precludes the stroller from one hand management. When you grab this bar in the center, you are inherently depressing the button that makes it shorter as you push.

Should You Buy the Baby Jogger City Select?

The Baby Jogger City Select isn't a bad stroller, but it doesn't check off all the boxes. Compared to others, it's hefty and mediocre in nearly all categories we tested. We think you should pass on this stroller as less expensive options perform better in our lineup.

What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?

A few attractive alternatives include the Thule Urban Glide 2 and Thule Spring. Both options are award-winning and weigh less than the Select. The Urban Glide delivers fantastic maneuverability and a more enjoyable experience when strolling. Its list price is slightly higher than the Select, but we think it's worth the investment. Otherwise, the Thule Spring can save you more money without jeopardizing high-performance.

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