Need Feedback About Jogger Strollers

I'm a bit late on this, but I really suggest listening to the other responses. Please be careful and start out slowly when you first start exercising again and I wouldn't jog with a newborn. Most, if not all, joggers and even strollers aren't safe for a newborn, because they don't lay flat and their neck muscles aren't strong enough yet.

I have a Phil and Ted, which does lay flat, and I love it, but be warned that it is not made for rigorous joggers, only maybe the occasional jog. It's excellent for multiple children though. My pick for a jogger is the BOB revolution. I debated between the two, but ended up with the Phil and Ted. The BOB has a roomy seat with nice pockets for the child and is absolutely great to handle.

Good luck with the training and let us know what you decide to do.

I have the BOB jog stroller (Ironman) and I bought the carseat adapter for my graco "bucket"/infant car seat. I would not have felt safe for him to be open in ANY stroller until he is 4-5 months old and can hold his head up well. My son was a late spring baby and I went every where with this stroller and we put in some serious runs too. Keep in mind that they need to eat often and once you are far enough away from the house and forgot extra diapers then that is when all hell will break loose and you will do the fastest run home! Good luck!!!

BOB Revolution stroller. the best!'
get the car seat adapter.
Well worth the money, you won't need another stroller. (up to 75lb)

Congratulations! How exciting.

Bob Revolutions are very nice. They are a bit pricy, but worth it. The front wheel locks or pivots and all the wheels come off. We have a civic and it fits fine in the trunk. It's also very light.

I think they make a kit that you can attach any car seat to.....Pricy, yep. 359. However, REI usually runs a sale sometime in May or June and you can get 20% off an item. Too bad you're not having a girl...I have a pink one I need to sell.

Also, Phil and Teds makes a very good looking one. the one lies completely flat for newborns. it also has a kit when number 2 comes that you can purchase to make it into a double stroller. That you can get at Bella Bambino in Downtown Ft C. if you are in the area. (still trying to figure out how local this board is).

Anyway, one caution about hitting the pavement though. If you get back into rigorus excercise too soon, especially high impact stuff you can REALLY hurt yourself. A friend of mine started her aerobics before the 6 weeks was up and her pelvis fused back incorrectly. Anyway, it took them 3 or 4 years before they could figure out what was wrong with her and the only way to fix it was to get pregnant again and go without the major pain meds for the first trimester. Once her pelvis loosened up, she was fine....but just be careful.

Good luck!

J.

I have bought so many strollers during my life with my 4 kids. I wish I had bought this one first! The one I like is the Chariot Carrier. It is sold through REI and some bike shops, you can see it on REI.com. It is really pricey, but it is a fabulous stroller. They make a 1 or 2 seater. My one and two year old just love to go out in the stroller, It is comfortable for them, and when he was a baby we used a sling that is sold seperately for the chariot. Honestly, I told my hysband that I never wanted to part with this stroller. Even though we have had our last baby, I told him that I wanted to use this stroller when I am 80 to walk to the grocery store with. It also doubles as a bike trailer, and if you are feeling adventurous, you can use it cross country skiing.

Hi R., I use to go jogging all the time with my
4 boys. The stroller/jogger I recommend is a brand named
Burley. it has a hookup for jogging and biking. It was
great. has rain/wind gear holds up to 125lbs. folds down
to fit into a trunk. check it out i ave used my for 27 yrs.
M.

I have a BOB and I love it. It'a not cheap but it's worth it. (You can probably find a used one for less money) You can purchase a car seat adaptor that you install on the jog stroller (about $35) which allows almost any car seat to be used with it. This is a must for infants under 6 months old. I bought my stroller and adaptor at Babinski's in foothill village but I think they have them at Baby USA also. Good luck.

If you are planning on having at least one more kid I would definetly recommend the Burley stroller/bike trailer. i used it for the bike trailer reasons. But when my son was just three weeks I was able to take him. It is big enough that you can put the entire carseat inside safely. Then later on down the road you have a place for both of them. I also had a jogging stroller but I wasn't able to put an infant in I looked around for one. Burley's are expensive but I actually found mine at DI. You could also look on craigslist or ksl. There are other brands but I wouldn't recommend one that is all plastic when they are out of thier carseat they hit their head on the plastic.
Hope that helps

It has been almost 4 years since I shopped for a jogging stroller, but I remember that none of them were made for newborns. I can't remember what the youngest safe age was, but maybe 3-6 months or so. I remember one (I think it was Graco) that you could use with an infant seat but the instructions indicated not to jog with it until the baby was a certain age; or not to jog with the infant seat at all. I can't remember. Make sure you read reviews, etc. before you buy one. in any case, you may not be able to use it until the baby is several months old.

First, let me commend you on your eagerness to get back into a fitness routine post baby. I am a fitness instructor, personal trainer and former owner of a post natal fitness program - and my advice is to WAIT until your baby is AT LEAST 6 months old before you put him in a baby jogger. The information that I have researched in the past (I have two kids - 5 years and 2 years) is that it is harmful to the infant who has not yet had the chance to develop neck strength and head control to be jostled in a jogger. Even at 6 months - most of the higher quality joggers are challenging for their size.

For exercise (and what I did a lot) was fit it in EVERYWHERE and EVERYTIME I could. That meant (despite lack of sleep), getting up early when my husband was home before work and going for a jog; working out when baby napped...doing simple high intensity intervals in the house. Many gyms have daycare - and this might be an option for you (some take babies as young as 6 weeks, so do research).

I love my joggers - and it is a great exercise, but remember, your baby is only itty bitty for a truly short period of time. Exercise will ALWAYS be there...

I work at Babies 'R' Us in the stroller department, and the training that I have received is that you should never jog with a newborn. Actually, you shouldn't jog with an infant until they are at least 6 months old. The reason is that, even on a smooth running surface, they don't have the muscles to support their head and they can get neck injuries, even laying down in the stroller. That is part of the reason why there aren't many options for the jogger travel system! I wish you all the best with your training. Hope you can find some other place for your son to hang out while you do it. :)

I started running 5 weeks after having my daughter using the BOB suv with the car seat adapter. It worked great. I even took her out in Jan snow!! She loved it. This stroller has given me so much freedom,it saved my sanity. My daughter is now 16mos and loves going out for runs. I log 50 + miles a week with the thing and it really isn't so bad running with. Hills are an extra challenge but that's the whole point! You can probably find deals online. That's what I did. You can also find them used. It was and still is the best investment I made for both me and my daughter.

Most jog strollers state that they are for kids 6 months and up. Prior to that (depending on how big your baby is), the straps are not secure enough for a little baby. I just walked briskly with my stroller/carseat combo. And once big enough put the kids into the jog strollers. BTW- Bob strollers are the best. (in my opinion).

I don't know about jogging with such a small infant. I waited until mine was 6 mos before jogging with her. We didn't even buy a jogger until she was 4-6 mos. In the meantime I always used a wrap to carry her around. We ended up buying a BOB Revolution and I just love it! It is relatively lightweight and we use it at the zoo, mall, etc. It is a very smooth ride for both of us.

Until your little man is older I would wait to bring him along on your jogs. I would count on jogging when your hubby is home to watch the baby, that's what I ended up doing and it was just a great break from being mommy anyway.

Hi R.,
I had a baby boy 4 months ago. Before he was born I was planning on getting right back to working out, but I ended up having a C-section and wasn't able to do so until 8 weeks after his arrival. My advice to you is to take it easy, even if you have a regular delivery, with excersising. Belive me, I wanted to fit in that size 0 couple of weeks after he was born but it takes time to get back in shape after you had a baby.
As to the baby joger, we just got one (Jeep) and it seems to be still a bit to big for him and he's not enjoying it as much as I do and he prefers his baby seat stroller. It said that you shouldn't put the infant in the baby jogger until they can hold their head up. And since their necks are very delicate when thay are born putting the infant in jogger with all the shaking may cause them serious injuries.

Hope this helps.

Hi R.

I don't have any recommendations on a stoller to purchase but really hope that you'll read this nontheless.

I couldn't agree more with the other moms who have recommended that you give your body some time to recover. 6 weeks is the minimum prescribed by most doctors and books. The reason this is so is becuase during pregnany and childbirth, hormones are released to loosen your ligaments to allow the body to streth to accomodate the baby in the uterus and then to allow the pelvic bones to stretch for childbirth. The loosening of ligaments is all over - that means the ones in your knees are also loosened. If you start exercising before the hormone rush has subsided and your ligaments are back to pre-pregnancy tautness, you risk injuring yourself when you do vigourous exercise.

I'm a little older than you are and like you, was in a rush to get back to shape as soon as I could after baby. I did yoga (very mild exercise!!!) the day six weeks had passed after I had my boy. I ended up twisitng my hip bones so that they were not aligned. It was a mild twist but sifficient to give me backaches that made even changing diapers a challenge! I had to see (and still see) a physiotherapist for manipulation and exercise therapy (talk about a setback)!

On another note, Shaken Baby Syndrome applies just as much to babies jostled in stroller (as it is to babies directly shaken). Shaken Baby Symndrome can lead to brain damage and in very severe cases, death. No matter, how good a stroller you get and how smooth the roads, jogging with mom will still be a bumpy ride for a newborn. Try lying down in your car while someone drives along and you'll find that no matter how good the suspension in the car, you can still feel the bumps in the road - ditto baby in a stroller. If you really want to run before baby is 6 months, please, please do so without baby.

BTW, the recommendation by most stroller companies that you should not put a baby younger than 6 months in a jogging stroller is not so much to wait till they can hold their heads up but to allow sufficient development of babies brains and skulls so that they can withstand being "shaken". It is the same reason that peds and books do not recommend any horseplay or rough housing of young infants even though they can hold their heads up on their own.

Good luck with baby!Motherhood is a great experience!

Cheers
J.

Please be careful with how much you exercise right after giving birth. I know you want to get right back into it, but having a baby is hard on your body. You really need to give yourself some time to recover.
As far as jogger's go, I have always read that babies aren't supposed to go into most until they are 6 months old. There are some that are built for smaller infants, but most just aren't good for small infants. They don't have the support that a normal stroller has.

I highly recommend looking for a higher-quality used stoller. I have an older model Baby Jogger that I found on craigslist for $25. It has 20" wheels, and works great on both concrete and not-to-rough dirt bikepaths. My daughter is 7 months old, and I was still able to train for a marathon. That being said, I think I waited until she was about 2 months before I put her in the jogger. I know it was not until she could hold her head up. I think most jogger manufacturers officially recommend waiting until 6 months.
If you are not opposed to running in the dark, I snuck in a lot of runs in the early months in the very early morning hours. I would find that I had just got the baby back to sleep around 4 AM, so I'd put my husband on duty for if she woke up, and I'd sneak in a run.
Good luck!

I put my infant in my jogger with a head support (the soft u-shaped one) and pad the sides with an extra blanket. I did wait until he was about a month old, but it seems to work. Before then I walk/ran with the regular stroller. That was about all my body could take as well until about a month.

I researched very heavily and bought the Bob Revolution Duallie. I LOVE this stroller although I didn't put my kids in it till they could hold there head enough. I am an ex professional athlete and exercise every day also. I also asked every jogger could find in Boulder and they all recommended the Bob.

I would also like to commend you on getting back into fitness after the birth of your baby. Let me tell you about my experience after the birth of my first child. First of all, I too was in a huge hurry to get back into my vigorous exercise routine. However, no matter what you feel and say NOW (pre-birth), you have no idea what you will feel and say AFTER the birth. Perhaps you'll breeze through a vaginal birth with no major tearing or anything. If you have a c-section you will most surely not be able to be training for a triathalon for awhile! Not to mention, the first baby, no matter how prepared we think we are, is a challenge! You will be tired beyond belief from the birth and subsequent feedings and restless nights.
My point in all this is simple: Give yourself time to recover! You are carrying a new life that will require a lot of stamina -- even more than physical fitness!
You'll be great, I'm sure.
On the jogging stroller: Babies aren'y supposed to be in a jogger until they are 6-months-old!

HI!
I have a 20 month old and we love our BOB jogging stroller. They have a few different models, depending on the needs. We have the one with all-terrain tires, rear shocks, and a hand brake, which I think is "a must" when getting a jogging stroller. So, we have been using it running on dirt and asphalt and it has been great for us. Cheeriot (spell?) is also a nice stroller if you want to use it with atachments for XC skiing or as a bike trailer.
Hope this helps!
T.

I have a Baby Jogger City Series jogging stroller, which I love love love. I put my baby boy in it when he was just a week old, and away we went. It reclines, has a floating sunshade for maximum coverage, and a front wheel that can swivel or be set for straight. I did have to purchase a wind/sun shade separately b/c of the crazy wind/sun here in CO. Highly recommend!

Get a bob, it will be the only jogger you'd ever need! Our's has lasted through 3, and is still in great shape.

BOBs are amazing! Schwinn also makes a jogger that you can put a 6-week-old in. As far as safety, that has to be your call :-) good luck training

I personally would reccomend walking for the first 6 weeks with the baby in a bjorn, if you are nursing this would be more comfortable when you are getting used to that. I had ( and still do, my youngest is 5) the baby jogger brand which I purchased on e-bay brand new 5 years ago, it wasn't the trendy style like I see now but the original baby jogger. These strollers rock, they can ride as a young infant( yes they will slump a little at first but they are fine!) They are lightweight and easy to push, like I said I am still using mine now! Good luck with the triathalon, that is a great goal!

R.,
My pediatrician told me that you are not really supposed to jog with babies until they are older. Their necks muscles are not strong enough to support their heads.

The BOB Revolution Stroller are fantastic. That's what I used after my son was born with the car seat attachment. He was secure in his car seat w/out a lot of jostling around. I would recommend that you stay off of the bumpy, dirt trails until your baby has better head control (anytime around 3-6 mos.).

If price is a concern, then try Play It Again Sports near the intersection of Fairview and Cole or craigslist.org to find a good used one. Then you can get whatever accessories you need for it from REI and maybe even on the BOB website. I'd sell you mine, but I'm not ready to part with it because I love it so much!!!

Good luck!

R.,

I purchased the Chariot Stroller the XC Model(top model) and I purchased the baby sling for it and was running after 6 weeks. (I had a c-section) It's an extremely smooth stroller and I love it. You can buy kits for it so it turns into a regular stroller, jogger, bike trailer, and you can even attach skis to it. It's amazing. It's expensive but I feel it's been one of those huge purchases that's worth it. You'll get so much use out of it. Ive taken my now 9 month on many bike rides in it already and it is amazing behind the bike. You can't even tell it's behind you and my son loves it. You can also zip it all shut when it's cold, put the sun shade down, or leave the breathable cover on it. Many options for the crazy elements of Colorado. I ran all winter with it as I trained for a 1/2 marathon. Good luck.

The jogger stroller we have (I think it is made by Bell)is great for bigger kids, but not for a newborn--there are no supports, and the harness is too big for a baby that small. We started using it with my daughter when she was about 5 months old, and we had to roll up blankets around her so she wouldn't slide around. We got our jogger stroller about 4 years ago, though, so maybe now they have ones that are more geared to newborns. I found this website that offers some info. Congrats on the baby!

http://www.joggingstroller.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?page...

That's a tough one. My hubby and I bought the Baby Trend Expedition jogging stroller ($129) and our infant carrier clicked right into it. I have not seen one for an infant that isn't for the carrier bucket first (none I have seen allow you to lay them into the stroller). As my daughter has grown, I have really enjoyed having it. I pushed her around the neighborhood right after she was born (in her bucket) and I continue to walk with her in the stroller seat now that she is 22 months old. We have taken it to the mountains and push it along trails too. It's great - I think it's because the wheels are like bicycle wheels. They can take the uneven ground and it's a fairly smooth ride.

The only thing I would change about our jogger stroller is the front wheel. The one we have has a fixed wheel in the front, and so turning can be awkward. You have to tilt the stroller backward a little onto the back two wheels to turn it. I have gotten used to it, but knowing that now, I would have chosen one with a front wheel that turns more easily.

Really, your baby is in the infant bucket for such a short time in comparison to when they are bigger and can still ride in the stroller for years. It really feels far safer to have them in the carrier, and it's so much easier to take them from car to stroller, or if they're asleep when you get home, you can leave them in the carrier until they wake up.

Good luck - they can be expensive. Try out the stroller in the store - walk around with it! Fold it, unfold it, check the storage, click in the infant carrier (bring yours along - sometimes infant carriers fit into other strollers) carry the stroller - feel how heavy it is, check for additional options the company may offer. They can cost a lot, but there are some good ones out there that won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Something I never knew, how much of a workout you get by hauling around a baby. I can understand the desire to keep up with the routine and have the baby fit your schedule instead of the other way around. You will probably re-think things when the baby is is in your life and making demands, as babies do. Something to keep in mind, get a baby carrier like the Ergo with an infant insert and take some vigorous walks/hike going uphill. You and the baby will get to know each other and you'll get quite a workout, way better than you would ever expect.

Looking back I loved the time we spent together wandering around, going hiking and having a chance to point things out to her in the great outdoors. Within a year I was back to fourteenering and climbed Pikes Peak faster than I ever had when I was 'training'. Carrying all the extra weight helped.

I now use two different jog strollers. All the above suggestions are fine, my only addition is to get one that easily folds/fits into your car so you can get out a little.

Good luck on the upcoming birth and finding your balance.

R.,
I'm a runner too and wore out 2 joggers before investing in the BOB stroller, which is extremely sturdy. I started putting my 2nd baby in the BOB at about 3 months old and put a blanket around him to keep him snug. However, this is kind of young - I'd stick to a regular stroller and walk while your body recovers.

On a side note, while it is good that you have the goal of a triathon coming up, be realistic about it and listen to your body. I'd be willing to say with 99% confidence that your body won't be ready by the end of the summer. I had expectations like you as a first time mom (I'd never even held a baby, so was completely clueless). I was pretty depressed about the reality. After the birth of the 1st baby, I had severe tendonitis and I was unable to run like I had for 1 year. So, just keep your expectations real and you'll feel more positive about whatever you can accomplish exercise-wise.

A lot of people have given good advice. I used the BOB sport-utility stroller from week 2 onward, with the carseat adaptor. It fits any carseat, and your baby then is completely cradled and safe. While they're about $300 new, you can often find them used on craigslist,ebay, or other sources. The adaptor is about $35. If you're in the denver area and want to try mine out for a day or 2, or want to have my adaptor (my gal now rides without it...) let me know, (____@____.com)and we can work out a meeting place. Good luck! -Rebecca

We have the BOB Sport Utility Stroller and we love it. My son never fusses in it and we are training for a marathon so we run quite a bit with it. We also did a lot of research and asked tons of people - even random strangers we saw out with different strollers - and BOB seemed to always get rave reviews. They do have an attachment that holds the infant carrier. However, like the other moms, I have also read that you should wait until baby is 4-6 months old before putting them in a jog stroller. I know you're eager but it's one thing to get out and run postpartum and it's a whole different thing to get out and run pushing the stroller, losing use of your arms. It's probably best to wait for your baby to get a little older and just start getting out there yourself, whenever you can, to get going. Go easy on yourself. You're already a hero - you're a MOM! There's no need to push it too far.

We have the Baby Trend Jogger. I actually found it on the Walmart website. I searched everywhere for a jogger that I could take on/off road. I think the cost was approx $200. It is a travel system and infant jogger with the all terrain wheels (3). The front wheel can swivel or be locked in place. I started running with him 2 weeks after he was born and he loved it! Even now at 8 months he loves the jogger (without using the car seat). Good luck in your search!

we have the bob which is excellent if you are an avid excerciser. the front wheel swivels which is KEY! you can buy the adapter to click your carset in when they are little. it is very expensive, but worth the money if it is something you are going to use almost every day, which we do!

Hi,

we bought a valco stroller with a bassinett since I was
concerned about laying flat and having good back support.
It converts later into the normal jogging stroller, where the baby
can almost lay flat (we haven't used it in this mode.
I wanted air tires, for good damping. I'm not sure anymore if this
is really necessary.
I don't think that this is a serious jogging stroller, but I used it as
one if I had to take the dog for a walk and couldn't leave the baby at home. I think if you avoid gravel trails then the suspension is not so crucial. The basinett was fine for us since we are around a lot of dogs, and so they couldn't sniff into the stroller.
Overall the valco stroller (we ordered it online) is high quality, we were surprised. We paid around $350 for the stroller, and then the basinett was extra. It came with sun protection and moscito netting (nice for CO).

I am using an Baby Trend Expedition LX (with reclining seat; no carseat attachment) & it is working out well. I got it as the group gift from my baby shower, but I think it was around $180 at Babies R Us. I started jogging again at 3 months postpartum with the stroller. I know 6 months is the recommendation, but my baby has strong neck muscles for her age & I'm careful about going over bumps. Just pay attention to your body. I was getting clogged breast ducts in the first couple months, which can be a sign to take it easy. As for doing a triathlon, I thought about doing one this summer too, but as I read about safety for both trailers & bike seats, I decided it was too unsafe right now to go biking with the baby. Maybe I'll do a triathlon next year? This year I'll be doing a 10K & 1/2 marathon with my baby in the jogging stroller.