Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller Review
Posted by: Sara Hodge on: 2011-11-03 Permanent Link: Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller Review
Attending a major 3 day conference with a newborn in tow is no small feat, but it’s exactly what I did with the help of a Baby Jogger City Mini stroller from Snugglebugz
Have you ever traveled with your baby and all of his or her baby-related paraphenalia? It’s not easy.
I recently had to do this in preparation for Blissdom Canada, a fabulous annual social media conference for women, held in Toronto. There was no way I was going to miss Blissdom this year, even though my baby is exclusively breastfeeding and so would have to join me. I had seen other women with babies at Blissdom last year and thought “If they can do it, so can I!”. But they made it look a lot easier than it is!
A week before Blissdom I started making a list of all the things I was going to have to pack to make my trip successful, and it dawned on me. What was I going to do with baby? Despite having 2 carriers and 2 slings, I’m not very coordinated in the art of babywearing and still prefer a stroller. But the logistics of having my baby in my stroller (a Quinny Freestyle 4) at a conference were less than optimal. While I love my Quinny, it is humongous and not at all appropriate for a conference setting. Nor is it handy to pack into a compact vehicle (I had the opportunity to borrow a Chevy Orlando for my trip- more on that in another blog coming soon!), or to store in a hotel room.
I needed something smaller. Something that I could take into the conference sessions with me, that would allow my baby to sleep comfortably beside me. And, most importantly, it had to be lightweight, easy to store, and hopefully stylish too.
Enter my good friend Tanya Burmaster, owner of the fabulous Snugglebugz baby store. Have you been in there yet? (click here to take a peek at the huge variety of fabulous baby gear she has). Remind me to tell you sometime about the last Blissdom conference in 2010, where Tanya and I dressed up as a pair of lightbulbs for the ever popular Blissdom Halloween costume party! But I digress…
No sooner did I explain my dilemma to Tanya when she immediately had a solution. This is what makes her so awesome. Not only did she meet me AT the conference with a stroller to borrow and hand it over in person, but she picked the ideal one for my needs and even guessed right at my favourite colour- purple!
Here’s what she brought:
The Baby Jogger City Mini stroller (in purple / gray)
This stroller is known for it’s ease of use and urban mobility, and for being ultra lightweight, and that it was. I was so thrilled with how easily it instantly folds up just by grabbing onto one handle- very helpful for my mom, who came along with me to help with the baby. She has arthritis and was concerned she wouldn’t be able to fold it up, but was equally impressed when she did it in a snap when it was time to put it away.
Another feature I really loved about this little stroller was the reclining seat. There were several instances during the conference where my baby fell asleep in the stroller, and I was able to quickly (and gently!!) lower him into a reclining position without waking him up. He slept through most of the sessions thanks to that, which allowed me to actually participate in some of the discussions, which I hadn’t been able to do in another conference I took him to just weeks earlier. It also had an impressive amount of room in its storage basket for the various brochures, booklets and samples I received.
In comparison to my beloved Quinny, the City Mini excelled in many areas. One handed steering and actually maneuvering quickly into (and out of) elevators are definitely at the top of the list of the City Mini’s abilities.
Here is the full list of features City Mini boasts:
- Patented Quick-Fold Technology – allows you to fold your stroller in one simple step
- Swivel front wheel for quick and agile maneuverability can lock into place for long distance strolling
- 8” quick-release EVA wheels with sealed ball bearings
- Padded seat that reclines to a near flat position with a vented seat top and retractable weather cover
- Patented universal accessory mounting bracket – so you can easily accessorize your stroller
- Large multi-position sun canopy with windows
- Rounded handlebar for pushing comfort
- Front wheel suspension for a smooth comfortable ride
- Seat back storage compartment
- Under seat storage basket
- Adjustable five-point safety harness with shoulder pads and buckle cover
- Rear parking brake
- Fold strap to keep stroller folded for transportation or storage
- 50 lb. weight capacity on stroller
After the conference, packing the stroller into the Orlando was a snap thanks to the quick release handle- something I’m not used to with my bulky stroller. I was sad to see it go on the day I returned it safely back to Tanya, and have to admit I’m seriously considering going back to buy it. Not too sure what my husband would say, but it’s so small… maybe he wouldn’t notice?
For more information on the City Mini, contact Snugglebugz, and tell them Sara sent you!
Special thanks to Tanya Burmaster and the wonderful staff at the Snugglebugz Milton store- your help and knowledge were much appreciated! Tanya didn’t ask me to write this review, but I was so impressed by the stroller I was compelled to do it! If you’re considering a stroller that is lightweight and packable, I hope you’ll consider checking it out! ~Sara
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