Baby Jogger City Mini 2 Combo Review

Wanting to jog with their babies, new fathers designed and created the jogging stroller of their dreams, launching the Baby Jogger company with their first product. From the beginning in 1984, baby Jogger has produced more than jogging strollers with a variety of options including full-size and double products. Baby Jogger is owned by Rubbermaid.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Attaching Car Seat

this lighter weight stroller is compatible with a variety of popular brand infant car seats with the purchase of an adapter. In fact, it is one of the most compatible strollers with a long list of potential seat contenders making it good for parents who haven't made up their minds just yet. The potential seats include options from Britax and BOB with Click & Go adapters, Chicco, Graco, and the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35. We tested our stroller with the Chicco Keyfit 30.

The Chicco adapter requires some assembly but no tools and it isn't difficult (above left). You don't need to remove the seat but the canopy on the stroller has to go for the car seat adapter to attach (above right). The process is fairly straightforward and also requires no tools. Attaching the carrier isn't difficult but you'll need to put some pressure on it to get the click connect; this is especially true if the carrier is empty and light. You can't install it incorrectly unless you skip the secondary strap step. We aren't big fans of straps for this reason. The connection isn't the best in the group, but it isn't the worst either.

Weight and Folded Size

While not as lightweight as a frame stroller and heavier than the original City Mini, the 2 is still a relatively lightweight stroller coming it at 15.5 lbs without the canopy in place. This weight makes it fairly easy to carry and lift.

This stroller is also smaller than much of the competition with a folded size of 8,472 cubic inches which is compact enough for travel and commuting.

Maneuverability

The double wheel front leg (above left) on this stroller is a design flaw we aren't fans of as it can easily and frequently gets caught on small rocks and random bumps in the road making somewhat of a bumpy go. While you can lock the front wheel in place (above right), it doesn't help the plastic wheels traverse the off-road obstacles much better than without the locked wheel. This stroller isn't the hardest to push in the group, but moving over any surface that isn't flat can be frustrating if it lasts a long time. If you stick to the flat areas it can be easy to push and turn in tight spaces or otherwise.

Ease of Use

The City Mini 2 is one of the easier options in the group to use despite having an oddly designed storage basket access issue.

Fold and Unfold

The fold on the Mini 2 is a 2 step process of unsnapping the frame locks and pulling the handle on the center of the seat. You can do this easily with one hand. The stroller locks automatically upon folding and comes with a carry handle to make it easier to move.

Brakes

The brakes are single-action and easy to set and release with a design that requires lifting up from the bottom to unlock. This design can cause foot pain to the tops of feet or damage fancier shoes.

Storage

The Mini 2 bin looks large (above left), but it has some access problems and only holds 10 lbs max. While this is average for the group it can't compete with some of the competition that allows more than 20. The new Mini 2 has front access to the bin (above right) which is a useful feature, but the crossbar over the back and the smaller front make it challenging to fit larger items in the bin. Ther is also a pocket on the back of the stroller seat for smaller items like phones and keys.

Sunshade

The canopy on the Mini 2 must be removed to use the stroller with an infant carrier.

Ease of Setup

The Mini 2 set up is straightforward and only takes around 4 minutes to complete.

The user manual is good compared to the competition and it doesn't require any tools.

Quality

Overall the quality of this option is on par or slightly better than the price would indicate, but it isn't on par with higher-end products. the frame is sturdy and the fabric fits it nicely in a groove giving it a sleeker overall look than the old Mini. The wheels are foam filled plastic which may save money but negatively impacts maneuverability and overall quality.

Manufacturer's Video