Baby Jogger City Select - Product Review

04/21/2020

Five years ago, I had a one-year-old and was expecting another baby. Our kids would be just 20 months apart, so I knew I'd probably need a double stroller. But we had a smaller 3-row SUV at the time and I was worried about them fitting in our tiny trunk. As I tried out all my friend's double strollers in the trunk of our Acura MDX, I found just ONE stroller that would fit-- the Baby Jogger City Select. It's considered a pricier stroller, but purchasing a $600 stroller is significantly cheaper than buying a new car to accommodate a larger stroller! Haha

While we initially bought the stroller because it was the only thing that would fit in our trunk, we have come to really love this stroller. I rarely recommend ANYTHING whole heartedly until I've used and abused it for over a year. Well—after five years of regular use, our Baby Jogger City Select is still going strong! Our toddler at the time of purchase is 6 years old and has now outgrown the stroller, but we've filled it up with a few more babies 🙂 This stroller has a spot for all of my three youngest kiddos (ages 12 months, 2, and 4).

Besides having a compact fold, its adaptability is hands down the thing I love most about the City Select. If I have one baby with me, I just pop in one seat. If I've got a baby and a preschooler with me, I snap in a seat and have my older child use the glider board (note that the Baby Jogger glider board is an accessory purchased separately). I love how accessible the over-sized basket is in this arrangement—perfect for loading up at the Farmer's Market!

Most often I use the two seats for my 1 and 2 year old children. But you'll notice the small set of wheels pulled up in the rear of the stroller—that is the Baby Jogger glider board, which I always leave attached to the stroller (but pulled up and attached to the stroller's frame) as insurance for the occasional preschooler meltdown when he refuses to walk one.step.further. I don't like to get stuck in those types of predictments, trying to carry a screaming preschooler while pushing a double stroller. 😕

I have found that this stroller is easier to maneuver when I place the heavier child in the rear seat. There is a bar on the back of the stroller to push down on to get leverage to hoist the stroller up curbs, which is very helpful.

The foot rests can be adjusted up or down, depending on what is most comfortable for your child. In the front seat, I have my baby's feet propped up a bit more, whereas my toddler is most comfortable with his feet down. There are also two footrest lengths, adjusting about an inch up or down to better cater to your child's needs.

You'll see my back seat is sporting snack tray, sold separately. I have a love/hate relationship with this accessory.

Pros—it holds a child's Camelback water bottle perfectly, it's a nice place to put some snacks, it gives my toddler some extra security so I'm not worried about him falling out

Cons—there isn't enough clearance between the seats to allow the tray to be opened (it swings forward) when it is directly behind the other seat. It's sold separately—and this is already a pricey stroller!

Also note that I've got a cup holder attachment velcroed onto the handlebar. The City Select does NOT come standard with ANY cupholders; having a place to put my phone, water bottle, and keys was important to me... so I made this additional sold-separately purchase.

Another sold-separately accessory I purchased was the infant car seat adapter. Note that you must select either a seat OR the adapter (the car seat won't sit on top of the stroller seat, as you'll see on many other stroller models). I personally like this, because it's far lighter to travel with merely the stroller frame (with small adapter) and an infant car seat than having to lug around a stroller seat that isn't being used.

You may have noticed in the photos above that the Baby Jogger City Select allows the flexibility of facing either seat forwards OR backwards. This is a fantastic option, and I frequently change up how the seats are faced.

Both seats forward: when we're at the zoo or on a fun walk when the kids want to look around

Back seat rear-facing, front seat forward: when the kids are kicking at each other or won't leave the other's pretty blonde locks alone, it just works better with their backs to one another...

Both seats rear-facing: when one (or both) babies are napping, this configuration allows both seats to be simultaneously fully reclined. And these seats offer a fantastic deep recline that have yielded some wonderfully long on-the-go naps!

The sun canopies pull over top and in front of your child. There are two positions that allow the sun canopy to be risen up or down approximately an inch. The ability to adjust the height of the sun canopy is somewhat uncommon on strollers, but is a feature I really appreciate! There is room for my preschooler to sit comfortably under the sun canopy when it is adjusted to the higher position, whereas my baby's eyes are adequately shielded from the sun when it is adjusted to the lower position. Changing the height requires quickly snapping the canopy off and onto the seat frame.

 Another thing worth mentioning is Baby Jogger's customer support. I really value companies that stand behind their products and work to make consumers happy. About a year after we purchased the stroller, one of our back wheels seemed a little wobbly (maybe our trunk was slammed a little too hard when we were shutting it one day?). A quick call to Baby Jogger's customer support, and they sent me a replacement rear wheel free of charge with very few questions asked. A+ for customer support!

REBECCA'S STROLLER BUYING CRITERIA

Smooth, solid push? Yes.

Easy and/or compact fold. I wouldn't consider the fold on this stroller to be "easy". It requires two hands, and the seats have to be removed (which adds more steps and time). Grandma still asks me to fold up the stroller when we go on outings together.... But the fold, as I mentioned, is pretty compact (once all the seats are removed).

Does it recline, and if so, how far? The seats recline deeply, but aren't "rated" for newborns.

Does it accommodate an infant car seat? Yes-- with an adapter, sold separately

Does the stroller have a worthwhile sun canopy? Yes! And the peekaboo windows have magnetic closures.

Is the basket large enough to accommodate the things I need, and is it easily accessible? One of the largest baskets I've seen, which can be easy accessed by simply pulling down the sides. It is NOT a structured basket (with anything hard to help it keep its shape), so I don't load it with anything incredibly heavy though.

What kind of wheels? Air Wheel with Sealed Ball Bearings. Zero maintenance (doesn't require refilling it with air, and they cannot pop), but still give a smooth ride over a variety of terrain.

Does the seat face forwards AND backwards? Yes, both seats can be faced in either direction by removing the seat (which can be accomplished in a matter of seconds)

-Bottom line-

I have been very happy with the Baby Jogger City Select stroller, and I think you would be too! It offers a ton of flexibility in seating arrangements, has features (like the extended sun canopies and recline) to keep your baby comfortable, and it has a sturdy push with wheels that can adapt to a variety of surfaces.

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