Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller Review
Whether you push your stroller over country roads or sidewalks of a big city, you can always rely on Baby Jogger City Mini Double. It is multifunctional and every baby will surely find it comfortable. I can see why this particular model enjoys such huge popularity and is among the best selling double strollers in America!
Baby Jogger City Mini Double is multifunctional and every baby will surely find it comfortable
Contents
About The Product
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double could be described as your average Side By Side type stroller, the performance of which was so good that it scored above the average in more metrics than less, although it still wasn’t a result that could leave us impressed. What I do like about the Baby Jogger City Mini Double is its fabric and seat paddings, which are really satisfying, the front suspension as well as the huge canopies are nice, too. I also enjoyed the storage compartment as well as the back seat pockets, although I do wish it had an adjustable handle bar or a leg rest, so it wouldn’t look so bad next to its competitors. The plastic wheels, with their dual front design, have a negative impact on the stroller’s maneuverability, and if you ask us, I’d much rather have it with rubber wheels, or a handlebar that can actually be adjusted.
Ease Of Use
The Double City Mini is pretty easy to push along plus steering is a piece of cake, too. It seems that most of reviewing parents agree with us on that one, as not one of them complained about any kind of problems when pushing it, even with two babies in it! The stroller also gets a lot of praise from parents for how easy it is to push it with a single hand! On top of that, its seats are pretty comfy for babies, the ventilation of the entire stroller is pretty decent too, thanks to the vented seat tops it has.
The Double City Mini stroller is pretty easy to push
Handle Bar
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double comes with an adjustable handlebar, something that makes pushing the stroller very easy for parents of all heights. If you are taller, you can always adjust the stroller’s handlebar so that it’s higher and you don’t get sore wrists and back due to having to hunch over all the time.
What I really loved here is how the handlebar wasn’t covered with some foam but instead the grip had rubber rings, which makes it more durable, plus you don’t have to worry about it tearing when being stored away or transported.
If you ask me, though, it would be better for it to telescope and not rotate, as something like that would provide parents who have longer legs with more space. For really tall parents with really long legs, this stroller means having to walk pretty close to the stroller’s back, which may sometimes result in kicking it with own feet.
You can always adjust the stroller’s handlebar so that it’s higher and you don’t get sore wrists and back
Storage Basket
This particular stroller comes with a pretty spacious storage basket that sadly has a bar going down the middle of it. Which means that despite the large size of the basket, it’s not even big enough for a medium sized bag of diapers. It is actually more suitable for many smaller separate items. It’s certainly enough to keep the baby’s essentials (personally, I’m okay with only taking some snacks, a sip cup and few diapers rather than a whole bag of diapers), or mommy’s purse.
This bar actually blocks the access to the storage basket, which prevents you from using the storage space to the full extent. That’s a major flaw for this stroller if you ask me, considering that the double City Mini was made with things like shopping and running errands in mind! Still, it does come with two extra pockets located on the backside of its seats where you can put personal items like wallet, keys, cellphone etc.
Baby Jogger City Mini Double stroller comes with a pretty spacious storage basket
Canopies
The City Mini Double comes with a very neat adjustable sunshades with SPF of over 50, which protects your kids from the damaging ultraviolet rays. Both canopies can open and close individually, which allows one baby to have a nap, and the other to enjoy the views outside. The canopies can be pulled down pretty far, which is pretty good at protecting your little one’s eyes from the sun. On top of that, the canopies are pretty big, to the point they can cover the babies’ legs, too!
Each of the canopies comes with two peekaboo style windows, which allows you to watch the baby while on your trip. If there’s one thing I’d have to complain about in the canopies, it’s the Velcro-type closure used in the peekaboo style windows which is quite noisy to be honest. A magnetic closure would work much, much better.
Both canopies of Baby Jogger City Mini Double can open and close individually
Seats
The City Mini Double comes with 2 seats that are padded with a very soft fabric, making strolls quite comfortable for your babies. It also comes with adjustable 5 point harnesses, which ensures the babies’ safety. Each of the seats can hold a baby up to fifty pounds (the total capacity of the stroller is 100 pounds).
The stroller’s seats are pretty spacious and they also come with long back rests, too. The maximum head height here is 26 inches, actually surpassing quite a few other double strollers in this regard. From what I have read in multiple reviews for double City Mini, there are parents who actually use the stroller for kids as old as four or five! Which means you can also use it as a stroller for bigger children.
Baby Jogger City Mini Double’s seats are pretty spacious
The stroller’s seat comes with a multiposition recline that can go nearly all the way down. Reclining the seat requires using a strap with a buckle that is located on the back of it. However, you have to remember that even at the lowest position, it is still not completely flat, which means that these seats aren’t good for newborns and only for babies old enough to have neck and head control (about three to six months old). If you completely recline the seats, it is possible to uncover the seat-back vents, which provides extra ventilation, useful in the summer.
Each seat reclines individually, which means that one baby can rest in an almost flat position, while the other one may just sit upright, enjoying the views around. It is called the “infinite recline”, as in allowing you to stop it at any desired angle. Keep in mind, though, that even in its most upright position, it is still reclined by several inches.
Harnesses
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double comes with two identical five point harnesses. The harness isn’t difficult to put on, taking it off is pretty easy, too. Its rethreaded shoulder straps come with 4 different height levels, with a 5 inch range. There is only a single strap in the crotch strap, but it’s adjustable which helps enhance the adjustment abilities of the harness. This harness can be easily tightened with a pull of the strap and not much fiddling with the adjustments is needed. The buckle, however, will require you to manually take the strap parts out of the buckle, as the straps don’t just spring out after pressing the buckle as they should.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double comes with two identical five point harnesses
Ease Of Setup
It only took a little over eight minutes in total to set up the Baby Jogger City Mini Double. The instruction manual was actually average at best when compared to its competitors and certainly nowhere as good as single instructions for the Baby Jogger City Mini. The most difficult part to put together was the canopies, although at least no tools were required for that. The Baby Jogger City Mini Double’s dual front wheels were not exactly most helpful for maneuvering, since they can go off the course when running over certain small things.
Folding And Unfolding
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double is said to be self-folding after unsnapping its safety straps. Although I have my doubts about it, the folding process is indeed easier when compared to its competitors, which is something that left me quite impressed. Once the stroller’s safety straps are removed, you just have to lift its fabric handle located in the seat’s center.
While you need both of your hands with this one, it’s enough to bend halfway, plus it self-stands as well as auto-locks, which means very few extra steps are needed. It’s also more lightweight than most other models, something that makes it easier to lift and to carry around. Unfolding it also requires both hands, although it was rated as easy, comparing to its competitors. There are 2 steps and it only required bending halfway down to finish it. My advice to all the parents out there is that they always make sure they resnapped the safety straps, and never leave them lying undone.
Lift the straps and the Baby Jogger City Mini Double folds itself
Maneuvering
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double’s front swiveling wheels can be easily locked in place, which makes it easier to push it over rougher terrains. The Baby Jogger City Mini Double definitely goes much better over flat surfaces than over rough terrains. For a Side By Side type of stroller it’s pretty narrow, with its wheels not any wider than the stroller’s frame. It allows it to fit easily through most doors, and no problems with it were observed during the test whatsoever. What I didn’t really like too much were the foam-filled tires, as they seemed to be making the overall riding pretty wobbly. It makes it much more difficult to push, at least on gravel or grass, plus the double-front style of wheel design contributes to dragging the stroller off the course, too. And although it can be partially avoided by locking the swiveling wheels, it also means that turning the stroller will require lifting its front wheels off the ground. The front wheels also had problems going over grates or even curbs as low as 1 inch.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double definitely goes much better over flat surfaces than over rough terrains
Weight & Folded Size
Although it’s not exactly the most lightweight stroller available on the market today (if you are looking for really lightweight strollers, click here and check my list), it’s not really that bad, considering that it’s a double push chair that will be suitable for many different types of terrains. Its weigh is 32.6 pounds and the dimensions are the following: 44 inches by 29.75 inches by 30 to 43.5 inches. Some parents may possibly have trouble lifting it up and placing it in their car’s trunk, though.
Although it is as wide as all the other side by side double strollers, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting it through most doorways. At certain stores, however, it might be difficult to navigate among narrow aisles.
Folded Dimensions (L x W x H): 41” x 30” x 41.9”
Quality
The strollers made by Baby Jogger tend to have just enough appeal to reassure the user about their durability without their price tag making them out of reach for an average family’s budget. It is no different for the Baby Jogger City Mini Double, which is made of components and materials that make it seem durable.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double is covered with a smooth fabric that almost feels slick to the touch with the seats covered with woven canvas. The padding is better than in another product from this family, the Baby Jogger City Select Double, and it might seem like the choice of materials wouldn’t really make it breathable but it can actually be pretty comfortable for the babies. The material covers the stroller continuously, going around the stroller’s frame and creating the canopies and the leg rest. I have to admit that the fabric really feels pretty easy to wipe down, plus it wouldn’t take it long to dry after getting quickly cleaned. The foot rest feels like it was made of a sturdier, durable material, just perfect for withstanding the merciless kicking of little feet. The stroller’s canopies are equipped with 2 medium-size peekaboo style vinyl windows with added elastic going around the joints where the canopy folds. The stroller’s storage basket is made of a material similar to the one on its seat, although slightly thicker, with sides made of mesh.
The material covers the stroller continuously, going around the stroller’s frame and creating the canopies and the leg rest
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double’s frame is sturdy and simple, and the finish is neither too flashy nor too understated. It’s quite similar to that in the Baby Jogger City Mini GT, except for the handlebar and the color. The stroller’s wheels are made completely out of plastic, with the dual-plastic design for the front wheels, which has a negative impact on maneuverability, and can usually be found on the more budget models. The Baby Jogger City Mini Double has pretty nice fit and finish that aren’t actually showy and all of their components and materials come together really well, providing a finished look which, unlike some of its competitors, doesn’t look frumpy.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double’s handlebar is stationary and located 41.2 inches above the ground level. It’s also covered in rubber, unlike many other models which use dense foam instead. It isn’t exactly above the average in terms of comfort, plus the black rubber may actually get pretty hot on summer days, even without going outside too often. On top of that, the rubber has grooves on it, which gives it a rough kind of feel when being pushed over longer distances. Its durability is probably better than the foam version, but in the end, only time can tell. The bar gets cut in two by its middle section, which makes it harder to push it with one hand, something I find rather pointless considering that many of its competitors didn’t need to have a crossbar running through the middle of the handlebar.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double is covered with a smooth fabric
This particular model of Baby Jogger only has a front suspension, and one that isn’t even adjustable at that, it could also use all-around shocks as well. Compared to some of its competitors that don’t come with any kind of suspension at all, however, it doesn’t actually look so bad, since suspension makes rides easier on babies as well as the parents’ hands, cushioning bumpy roads or preventing part of the vibrations when going over rougher terrains. The padded sling-style seats will certainly make the ride cozier for the babies, too.
You can also use the Baby Jogger City Mini Double with one baby car seat of many different brands, as long as you get some car seat adapters.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double’s frame is sturdy and simple
Ease Of Attaching A Car Seat
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double can go with many different car seats from Maxi-Cosi, Baby Jogger, Graco or Cybex.
Each seat required having the canopy removed on the Baby Jogger City Mini Double in order for the car seat to sit in its place properly, although thankfully the adapters don’t require any assembly at all. All the seats easily click into their places on the adapters but attaching them is never easy. I had the most difficulty with seats from Graco, as one of their sides would always smoothly go in, whereas the other one was extremely difficult to line up properly. The Maxi is better here, it may not be perfect but still easier to install, plus once you get it attached, it actually feels pretty secure. The canopy on the Baby Jogger City Mini Double can be difficult to move with a baby car seat installed, which depends on what car seat model you have.
Baby Jogger City Mini Double Travel System
Baby Twins
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double can only work with one baby car seat and although it is technically compatible with few different brands, only getting to install one seat doesn’t exactly make it a perfect choice for baby twins. It could technically work nice for older twins, considering how the two seats can offer the same features and riding experience, which means it’s less likely that the kids would fight over the better seat. What should parents of baby twins do, then? One option is to get one car seat installed while carrying the other kid in some baby carrier, or you may also buy a quality double-frame stroller, like the Joovy Twin Roo+, which would let you transport two babies in car seats this way. You can use this stroller for babies aged nine to twelve months, plus it is fairly reasonably priced at only 130 dollars.
Bottom Line
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double is a Side By Side type of stroller with back-of-the-seat type storage pockets, big canopies and underseat storage. This particular stroller’s score was slightly above the average in majority of the metrics but there are sadly also certain glaring flaws that severely impact its position in this ranking. The Baby Jogger City Mini Double comes with dual front wheels with plastic tires which sadly makes it somewhat harder to push or turn. I really wish this stroller had a four-wheel suspension instead of a two-wheel one. It could also benefit from having leg rests and an adjustable handle bar, which would provide an overall more comfortable experience for the parent and the baby alike. So even though the Baby Jogger City Mini Double isn’t a bad stroller by any mean, it’s not really anything to write home about, either.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double is a stroller with back-of-the-seat type storage pockets, big canopies and underseat storage
Other Versions
- The Baby Jogger City Select Double is an inline type of stroller which also made a cameo in this very review. It got a lower score than the Baby Jogger City Mini Double while actually costing 250 dollars more than it. Thanks to that comparison, the Baby Jogger City Mini Double gets the Best Baby Jogger rank in my tests for two babies.
- Another noteworthy stroller by Baby Jogger is the Baby Jogger City Mini GT Double. The Baby Jogger City Mini GT Double is quite similar to the Baby Jogger City Mini Double, but it also comes with certain superior elements compared to the plain Baby Jogger City Mini Double, like a hand brake or rubber wheels. Sadly, neither of the City Mini variants can take two baby car seats which means the Select remains the best choice for parents with twins.
- If you’re into jogging, you might want to check out the Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double, which comes with all terrain wheels, a hand brake, three wheel suspension and a remote wheel lock, which is pretty unique. The Summit won’t accept baby car seats, it can accommodate 2 compact prams, though. In fact, if you are looking for a jogging stroller, you should check my ranking.
Baby Jogger City Mini Double – The Accessories
Despite its relatively high price tag, the City Mini Double Stroller has no accessories enhancing parents’ or babies’ convenience whatsoever. There are quite a few additional accessories you can buy separately, though.
- Compact Pram – one or two bassinets can be attached to the stroller, making it more suitable for your baby or even twins. You can use it for babies up to six months of age. It comes with an apron and a canopy to protect the baby from wind and sun. The price is around 165 to 175 dollars.
- Double Carry Bag – a very useful extra accessory for those planning to travel with the City Mini Double Stroller and it also simplifies storage as well. The price tends to be from 90 to 100 dollars.
- Child Tray – an ideal place for the baby’s sip cup and snacks. It is pretty easy to install and to clean, plus you can also attach a tray to each of the seats. The price is around 20 to 25 dollars.
- Parent Console – a perfect extra storage space that enables the parent to store their personal belongings within a reach. It comes with 2 beverage holders plus a closed pouch to keep your keys or cellphone in. The cup holders may also double as storage pockets as well. The price is around 30 to 35 dollars.
All pictures belong to Baby Jogger. Source: babyjogger.com
Welcome to my blog, dear moms! I'm Lindsey, happy mother of two, keen blogger, traveller who likes to cook and spend time reading a good book. If you have any questions or find it difficult to make a choice, feel free to message me - I'm here to help!
