I should preface this post by saying I’m not a huge fan of strollers. I like to wear my babies when possible, but there’s times and places where a stroller is the better answer. We’ve owned a grand total of two strollers in almost 11 years of raising kiddos. Keep reading for a description of the strollers we have and why we like them.

BOB Sport Utility Stroller

When Sunshine was a baby we bought our BOB sport utility stroller (similar, but newer) and it has been worth every penny. We’ve taken it walking, running, and hiking. BOB has traveled on airplanes and in our vehicles.

While BOB has carried all three of our children, Sunshine has ridden in it the most: on a regular basis until she was 4 or 5 and sporadically after that until she was 6. Once I got pregnant with River, I told her she no longer got to ride in the jogger. I wasn’t about to push a 6 year old in a heavy jogger while pregnant.

We’ve had it for 10 ½ years now and haven’t had to replace anything, not even the tires or tubes. Occasionally we have to re-inflate the tires, but that’s been the extent of the work we’ve done.

BOB is big and bulky, but folds down pretty compactly, though I have to take the front tire off to get it in the back of our Camry hybrid. Like many hybrids, the batteries are in the back, so the trunk is on the small side.

I’ve run many races while pushing one kiddo or another in Bob. The fixed front wheel does take some getting used to, but I’ve been doing it for so long that I unconsciously make the little adjustments needed to follow whatever road I’m on, and I can even do it one handed.

The only thing I don’t like is the less-than-effective hand brake, but in the more recent models that has been fixed with a rear axle brake, which is much more effective and safe.

BOB’s sturdy frame and large tires make it ideal for navigating hiking trails. Obviously it’s a workout pushing a kiddo in the jogger on trails, but it is definitely doable. BOB even has a suspension system for a smoother ride. When we started hiking regularly last year, I hiked with Ocean on my back and River in BOB. After a couple months River started hopping out of BOB towards the end so he could hike a little. One day he decided he didn’t want to get in BOB, and ever since BOB has stayed in the car while we hike.

We needed a double stroller

When we got pregnant with Ocean, we realized we needed a double stroller. The boys are less than 2 years apart and I knew it would make life so much easier to have them both strapped in the stroller when we’re out and about.

But which double stroller to buy?

Inline double strollers are long and awkward to maneuver, and most are not jogging strollers- they’re just regular strollers. Whatever stroller we bought needed to be able to go for a run with me.

I know BOB strollers are great and I seriously considered a double BOB, but their double strollers are just so wide. They can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces or even get through some doorways. And I was pretty sure it wouldn’t fit in the trunk of our Camry.

After more research I found a couple brands that have inline seats but aren’t as long. Mountain Buggy Plus One  and Phil & Teds Sport stroller seem to dominate that particular market. According to reviews, the back seat in Mountain Buggy Plus One could be pretty tight to get in and out of, especially if the kids are wearing boots. Phil & Teds back seat was much easier to get in and out of, but neither brand was marketed as a jogging stroller.

Both strollers are expensive, but the Phil & Teds was a little cheaper and at the time that we purchased it there was a sale that included the second seat for free, saving us $150.

Phil & Teds Sport Stroller

After testing out a Phil & Teds stroller in a local store I was sold on it, and purchased it then and there (shop local if you can, but if not, use my link and I’ll receive a small commission, at no additional charge to you). It may not be a “real” jogging stroller, but I’ve run with it in multiple races, pushing one or both boys, without any problems.

The swivel front wheel is nice for navigating around oblivious people who decide to stop and walk right in front of me during a race. You can lock the front wheel in place, but it still has a little play in it, which makes it a bit more maneuverable than our fixed wheel BOB. This makes one-handed steering more responsive, but it can also allow the stroller to veer off if I don’t pay attention.

I love the versatility of Phil- the seats can be configured in multiple ways, depending on the age of your child(ren), making it useful for a longer period of time. Even though it has the seat in the back it doesn’t take up any more space than a standard stroller, which was one of my main concerns. I was also concerned that I would run into the back seat while running, but again, that hasn’t been a problem.

The handle is adjustable, which is great when one spouse (me) is super short and the other spouse (Jeremy) is super tall. Our 10 ½ year old BOB does not have an adjustable handle, though I believe some of the newer models do.

I don’t think Phil’s frame is as sturdy as BOB’s, and I wouldn’t take it out on hiking trails, but the all-terrain tires are much more forgiving than the hard plastic tires found on many strollers. I don’t hesitate to take Phil on a dirt or gravel road if I know roots and rocks aren’t present.

Phil may not have the beefy frame that BOB has, but it feels well-made and folds more compactly than BOB. Phil can easily fit in the trunk of our Camry hybrid without the back seat in place. Even with the seat in place, I can still get it in the trunk with some extra wiggling and pushing. I usually just remove the seat.

My one real complaint about Phil is the absence of a chest buckle. There is a 5-point harness, but a determined child can get out of that without the extra security of an additional buckle that can fasten at the chest. BOB has one and I’ve never had a problem with River climbing out of the straps. Which he may have tried to do in Phil…

Both strollers are heavy, but since they’re all we’ve ever used, we don’t know any different. The extra weight makes it possible to do things we wouldn’t be able to do with a flimsy umbrella stroller.

What’s your favorite stroller and why?

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Being part of the 52 Hike Challenge helps me stay motivated to keep hiking, even if there’s a kiddo strapped to my back and one in the stroller. Want to join the 52 Hike Challenge yourself? It’s not too late. The 52 Hike Challenge does not operate on a calendar year, so you can sign up at any time throughout the year, and you have 12 months to complete 52 hikes. Sign up using my link and I’ll earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. You can also click on the 52 Hike Challenge image in the right sidebar.