subject: Baby Jogging Stroller - Which Jogging Stroller Should I Buy? [print this page] When it comes to baby and toddler strollers things have changed drastically over the years. Thank goodness!
It wasn't too long ago when you had limited choices if you wanted to take your baby out. It was usually an old English-style pram. While these looked alright they are cumbersome to handle and very difficult to manage for anybody living in the city or even with a moderately active lifestyle. Taking these into elevators or up a flight of stairs was a nightmare.
It wasn't too late when people realized the need for compact prams they needed for their strolls. That's how the term stroller came about. The strollers became collapsible, more lightweight and came with plenty of bells and whistles. These days with the super-busy lives that all of us need fitting in time to exercise can be a hassle. This is where the newest innovation - 'jogging strollers' come into the picture. A lot of parents wonder what to look for when they think about jogging strollers. After three kids and looking at several dozen strollers this is what we look at what we found to be most important:
Fixed or swivel wheel - This is an important distinction among strollers. It might seem that a swivel wheel might be the better option because it gives greater mobility. But if you have ever actually used the stroller while running or jogging you will realize that the fixed one is the way to go. If you are primarily looking for a nice looking stroller to take your kids out on a walk then a swivel wheel will do just fine.
Cushioning and Suspension - Look for a stroller that has a seat/head/back pad or cushion. While running, you want your baby to be comfortable especially for the cases where the ground might not be even or you run into a pothole. Extra padding for the head, back and seat are highly recommended. Strollers these days are pretty fancy and a lot of them offer great suspension usually rear and sometimes in the front too (just like your car).
Safety Features - This is probably the most important feature and most parents prioritize this at the top anyways. We wanted to specifically mention certain features that we found tremendously useful. The minimum you should be looking for is for padded adjustable shoulder/chest straps with a belt.
Stability - The stability will depend partly on the wheel as we mentioned above. In addition it helps a lot if you have the ability to brake using your handle. This helps if you have to make a a stop. Your momentum will carry you through a bit so it wont be a complete stop but it'll be a little smoother than you putting in all the effort.
Storage - You always need to carry goodies and basic essentials for your little angels. Make sure this storage area is spacious. You will need to store some of your basic running gear in there too.
