If you’ve ever tried to take a baby or toddler on a trip abroad – or even just on public transport – you’ll know that lots of pushchairs really aren’t geared up for being carted around.
This becomes even more apparent when you’re doing things solo and trying to carry your baby, their usual paraphernalia and their pushchair down 30-odd steps because the train station you’ve stopped at doesn’t have a lift.
Thankfully there are a variety of lightweight strollers on the market which are appealing to parents even more as their little ones hit the six-month mark.
Many of these pushchairs are cabin friendly (perfect for air travel), easy to fold and much lighter than others on the market. Some even come with straps, bags and handles to make the process of carting them around a whole lot easier.
Over the course of the next few weeks we’ll be sharing our very honest reviews of a selection of lightweight strollers on the market. This week it’s the Baby Jogger City Tour 2. How does it compare to the rest? Read on to find out.
Baby Jogger City Tour 2
How heavy is it? 6.5kg
Price: £284 from Baby Jogger (price correct at time of writing)
Does it come with accessories? A cover bag. Any extras – like rain covers, umbrellas, etc. – need to be purchased separately.
A quick lowdown:
- Suitable for babies from birth up to a weight of 22kg
- 5-point harness
- Has adjustable calf support and multi-position recline
- Easy to steer and manoeuvre
- Comes with an extendable uv50+ canopy with peek-a-boo window.
The review
The stroller feels larger than the others I tested in terms of seat and frame size, which makes it a great option for people with bigger babies and toddlers who seem to grow every five minutes.
There’s a good-sized canopy to help shield little ones from the sun, complete with a peek-a-boo flap that you can fold back to check in on them, and the seat also reclines fully flat for nap-time. (All you have to do is pull a toggle on the back of the seat, et voilà, you have yourself a horizontal child.)
Once they’re awake, the seat sits pretty far upright, meaning snack time in the pushchair is less of an ordeal.
But arguably one of the best features is how easy this is to fold away – you press a button on the underside of the handle and it collapses easily into a compact shape. There’s a clip on the right-hand side of the frame which you have to snap into place to keep it altogether.
It’s also super easy to open up again – another genius feature. Simply undo the clip and it sort of springs open. With the right force (and a bit of luck), you can get it to snap back into place one-handed while carrying your little one. This has been a godsend when travelling around London on the tube and navigating the many steps the underground has to offer.
Unfortunately the pushchair doesn’t have an over-the-shoulder strap attached to it like the Babyzen YOYO2 (which was very handy), but it does have a small handle built into the seat so when it’s folded you can easily pick it up and lug it down some stairs. There’s also a shoulder strap attached to the carry bag that it comes with, making it easier to transport around airports (providing you remember the bag).
The underneath storage compartment is a decent size – enough to fit a couple of bags of shopping or a fair-sized changing bag – and the brake system is easy to work. You just push a button on the back right wheel with your foot to keep it stationary and then flick it up again to get going.
While the handle isn’t height adjustable, my partner (who is 6ft) and I (5ft) both find it easy to use and comfortable. The wheels are a good size, but not too large, and the overall riding experience is pretty smooth.
This is one of my favourite lightweight strollers purely because of how easy it is to fold away, as well as how comfortable my toddler looks when she’s strapped into it – I think this has a lot to do with the adjustable calf support.
The price of the Baby Jogger isn’t cheap, but it’s also not the most expensive stroller out there, so I’d definitely say it’s worth splurging on. All in all, I’m a big fan.