Designed to give a smooth, cushy ride at higher speeds and over uneven terrain, jogging strollers are preferred not just by runners, but also by caregivers who simply like how easy they are to push and maneuver in everyday use. After testing half a dozen models, we found that the Thule Urban Glide 2 is the best jogging stroller for people who are traversing mostly paved terrain, though the Glide can handle the occasional off-road detour, too. If the Thule isn’t available, or if you’re jogging primarily on dirt, consider our runner-up pick, the BOB Gear Alterrain.
Our pick
Thule Urban Glide 2
The best jogging stroller
Of all the jogging strollers we tested, the Thule Urban Glide 2 was the most pleasurable to push over pavement, and its light weight makes it easy to maneuver and convenient for day-to-day use.
The Thule Urban Glide 2 is lighter than almost all of the other strollers we tested, which, combined with its high-quality construction and excellent maneuverability and suspension, made it the most satisfying to push on paved roads, and one of the most versatile and convenient strollers in our testing group. The Glide 2 is comfortable for both child and caretaker, with more padding and adjustability in the harness than other models we looked at. It also has a unique curved-handlebar design, with an integrated hand brake that helps runners maintain good form while moving quickly. Adjustable tracking, a mechanism you can use to fix any tendency to veer to one side, helps ensure that the stroller goes straight during long runs; the swiveling front wheel locks, which will keep the stroller from wobbling at high speeds. The Urban Glide 2 has a few flaws, though: The canopy doesn’t offer quite as much coverage as some of the other models we considered, and its sleeker wheels mean it’s best used while jogging on pavement. And although the Thule stroller, which has a decent system of springs and shock absorbers, can handle the occasional off-road dash just fine, our runner-up pick, the BOB Gear Alterrain, may be a better choice if you plan to run on trails regularly.
Runner-up
BOB Gear Alterrain
A solid backup
If our main pick is out of stock, the BOB Alterrain is a solid second-best option. Its suspension and tire treads make it perfect for off-road adventures, but it’s heavier than our top pick and missing a few key safety features.
With treaded tires and hefty shock absorbers, the BOB Gear Alterrain excels at keeping kids comfortable on bumpy roads. While our top-pick Urban Glide 2 handles like an SUV, the Alterrain feels more like a pickup truck, and at 31.3 pounds (versus 25.3 pounds for the Thule), it’s less nimble and less convenient to lift and put in the car. A few things we liked: The Alterrain comes with a bigger canopy than the Urban Glide 2, and its seat design allows the passenger to sit more upright than in the Thule stroller. Like the Thule, the BOB has a front wheel that swivels, which is helpful for everyday use, but you can also lock the wheel while you run to prevent wobbling. However, our top pick handles on trails almost as well as the BOB Alterrain, which also lacks some of the Urban Glide 2’s important safety features, including a hand brake to slow you down when you take downhills at high speed. (If you think you’ll run on trails most of the time and anticipate encountering steep downhills, you might consider paying more for the BOB Gear Alterrain Pro, which does have a hand brake). The Alterrain is an updated version of the BOB Gear Revolution Pro, a jogging stroller we previously recommended, but it doesn’t have the adjustable suspension feature we loved in that stroller.
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