Jog Comfortably With Baby With the BOB Wayfinder Stroller
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There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
The Product on Trial
The BOB Wayfinder Jogging Stroller
The Tester
Cat Bowen, runner, mom, aunt and godmother to we think an infinite number of children.
The Brief
I am a mom and a long-distance runner, and you'd think with the masses of jogging strollers on the market, it would be easy to find the perfect fit. That's simply not the case. However, BOB strollers have long made wonderful, high-quality jogging strollers, so when I heard that this perennial favorite was releasing a new stroller — the BOB Wayfinder— I knew I had to test it out.
BOB Wayfinder Jogging Stroller
$579.99
strolleria.com
When I first had children, the BOB Revolution was really the only stroller in the game for serious runners, so I eagerly bought one, ready to get the heck out of the house. It was a great stoller. The glide was spectacular, the ride easy, pushing a breeze. But it did lack a few things, such as a hand brake, an easy-locking front wheel, and a simple folding mechanism. The BOB Wayfinder has all of those things and more.
Jogging strollers aren’t just for jogging anymore. Many parents who like a more streamlined stroller that’s easy to push chose to grab a jogging stroller now that most have car-seat adaptability including the BOB Wayfinder. They’re also extremely useful if you live in a very hilly area, where you want a handbrake to slow down the stroller when you’re headed downhill. They are bulkier than many other strollers, but not by that much, and they often have a higher weight limit. The front wheel in most of them, including the BOB Wayfinder, has two positions for the front wheel, either locked or unlocked for running or strolling. Locked is for running, giving stability to the wheel and keeping it on-track, and unlocked for strolling and easy turning.
Specs
Height and weight limit: Up to 44 inches and 75 pounds
Easy hand brake
3 harness positions
Car seat adapter fits most infant seats (sold separately)
Wheels: Air-filled tires with locking front wheel
Easy fold style
Stroller weight: 31 pounds
When I first opened the stroller, one thing popped out faster than any other, and that was the softness of the handlebar, and the obvious way it would adjust. Handlebars are tricky things — the wrong wrap can really ruin your run, and the wrong height can hurt your back and screw up your stride. The handlebar adjusts with the press of a button, and the wrap on the handle is grippy and squishy, and doesn't get spongy when your hands start to get warm and sweaty.
The next thing I noticed was the huge undercarriage basket. It was significantly larger than the Revolution I ran with, and much larger than many other jogging strollers that I have tested. The amount of things that can be stored under there is impressive. Just a few days ago I loaded it up with a 12-pack of Diet Coke, a half gallon of soy milk, three bags of salt and vinegar chips (family size), and a big box of matzoh. The basket didn't exactly zip up all the way since it happened to get overfilled after a trip to Target (my running track runs right past a Target, and I needed to refuel after clocking 15 miles while pushing a toddler.)
The canopy is just as oversized as the removable zip-up basket, made of UPF 50+ fabric with peekaboo window and multiple positions. It feels like it hugs the stroller, giving baby a ton of sun coverage.
The ride isn’t even the best part about the stroller, though. Pushing it is a dream. I’ve done runs with kids of several different weights and heights ranging from a 20-pound 8-month-old all the way up to darn near the maximum weight and height. It is not that much more difficult to push the heavier child than the lighter one on flat surfaces. Uphill is another matter, but that’s the case with every stroller on the market.
I run it primarily on blacktop and sidewalks, but I’ve tested it on boardwalk planks, cobblestones, and a trail, and it performed well on all the different surfaces. It does get a bit harder on the trail, but again, I challenge you to find a jogging stroller that isn’t hard to manage on a trail. Unlike many jogging strollers, locking the front wheel to run, and unlocking the wheel to walk with the BOB Wayfinder is easy to do, and the mechanism on the wheel is easy to locate. The wheel feels secure when it’s locked, without the “jiggle” I have felt sometimes in a two-position wheel.
And yes, I did test it on a long walk with a baby in a car seat, and it's easy to do. The adapter is intuitive, and it clicks in stable and ready to go. My baby goddaughter fell asleep almost immediately, and her mom and I had a lovely time walking through Coney Island with an oversized lemonade in the cup holder and a bottle of water in the undercarriage basket.
A few things I will say is first, even when it’s folded, it’s still kind of bulky. It’s slimmer than many jogging strollers, and easier to fold than most of them, but there’s simply no way to make the big wheels any less bulky. They do tuck in, which gives a bit more space, but it’s never going to be a compact model. And second, BOB strollers are spot-clean only. The fabrics are not machine-washable. They are pretty waterproof and stain-resistant, so it’s not a huge issue, but there have been times when I’ve just wanted to toss it in the machine.
The Final Verdict
The BOB Wayfinder is the perfect midrange jogging stroller. It has a lot to offer for the price, including one of the best rides around. It lacks some of the sophistication and finishes that higher-end models have, but I can almost guarantee you that you won't miss them. It's a great jogging stroller, a great everyday stroller, and a wonderful gift for the running parent in your life.
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