In the months before my son was born, I became very excited about the idea of running with him. I’ve been a runner my whole life, and I admired the moms in my area who would tackle the San Francisco hills with a baby in tow. I was excited to get back into an outdoor routine after pregnancy, and wanted my little guy to be a part of it.
But when I went to shop for strollers, I couldn’t find any information about moms using a running stroller as their everyday stroller. I didn’t want to take on the cost of two strollers, and I started to feel nervous that my running dreams would need to wait. I never did find reassurance at stores or online, but my husband and I went for it anyway — we bought our Bob Revolution Pro and use it for everything from errands, to walks, to active adventures.
What’s special about a running stroller
Running strollers typically have a three-wheel design to make them easier to push at speed, while maintaining high stability. Many also have larger wheels and shocks in place to ensure a smooth ride regardless of terrain. Safety and ergonomic features are also common: you’ll find adjustable push handles, safety straps, and some even have hand breaks. Runing strollers are large and heavy — they certainly aren’t travel stollers — but so are many of the high-end strollers on the market.
The basics still work well
We love our running stroller for runs, hikes, and beach days, of course, but also for its ability to tackle the basics. The basket other the seat is spacious, the 5-point harness is adjustable and comfortable, and our tray attachment can handle and mix of snacks and drinks. I can navigate it easily enough through the narrow aisles of our local pharmacy, or while waiting in line at the grocery store. When my son was smaller, the car seat adaptor was quick to learn and allowed for simple attaching and detaching.
What’s missing
There certainly are a few features we miss out on by opting to use our running stroller as our primary stroller: the seat is only forward facing and not reversible, the basket doesn’t sit as far back so isn’t as easy to load and unload, and the weight makes putting it in the car a little unweildy. That said, for our lifestyle (one that doens’t regularly inclue driving, and where we’re pretty comfortable bending down to access the basket), we’re so happy with our choice. I’ve been able to fulfill my dream of morning runs with my kiddo, without having an unnecessarily large collection of strollers.