As a little kid I can remember living in the suburbs outside of Dallas, Texas. During this time it was a daily ritual for my mom to load my little sister and I into the jogging stroller and off we’d go. We would go to the park, to the gym for her aerobics class, and all around the neighborhood.
I now understand that there are two reasons we did this just about every day.
First, because how else is Mama going to get a workout in?
Second, it is the only time of day where both of my hands are free and silence is almost guaranteed.
I’ve always enjoyed getting outside for a run, but since becoming a mom it has become as important as my morning coffee… and I think that says a lot.
We go for a run (or at the very least) a walk every single day and it’s what I look forward to most. Magnolia loves it too as she does a happy dance every time I strap her into the jogging stroller. Sometimes we’re thwarted by the rain (which cracks her up because she stays completely dry in her luxurious stroller) and other times we turn around due the the FL (or Guam) heat.
I’m certainly not an expert on the subject, but since this is such a vital part of my mom routine I wanted to share my opinion on two of the more popular running strollers out there at the moment.
I’m only sharing this because they are the exact same price and I feel one majorly outshines the other. Again, my opinion. We purchased both of these strollers on our own, nobody asked me to write this, don’t come for me.
I’m talking about the BOB Gear Alterrain which I have at my family home in Florida and the Thule Urban Glide 2 which we purchased for our time spent on Guam.
Thule Urban Glide 2 –
Pro 1 – The Thule is a sleek and lightweight jogging stroller. It’s pretty and I appreciate the fact that it only weighs 25 lbs which is very convenient for loading in and out of the car.
Pro 2 – The Thule Urban Glide 2 comes with a blue hand break at no extra charge. I don’t necessarily need a hand break living in Florida, but if you’re in an area with hills I can see a hand break being vital.
Pro 3 – This stroller comes with a wrist strap.
Pro 4 – It has a storage compartment that zips closed underneath the child seat.
Con 1 – The max child weight for this stroller is 49 lbs. For reference, Magnolia is 9 months old and I cannot see her growing comfortably into this stroller over the years. Her legs already dangle over the sides.
Con 2 – The previously mentioned hand break. I don’t like the functionality of this hand break compared to others. The break is placed in the middle of the push bar and it’s easy to accidentally grab the stroller and trigger the break.
Con 3 – The alignment on the Thule is controlled by a little blue dial behind the front wheel. Don’t you dare let this little dial get out of line even slightly. You have to keep it just right in order to avoid veering to the right or left.
Con 4 – I don’t feel an overall sense of confidence in this stroller when hopping on and off curbs or running over broken up pavement like I do in other strollers.
Overall: This stroller is very nice but it just doesn’t do it for me when it’s competitor the BOB Gear Alterrain is the same price. I’d say it’s about half as good as the BOB Alterrain, therefore I would recommend it if it were half the price. Just being honest, yall!
BOB Gear Alterrain –
Pro 1 – The Alterrain is a heavy duty jogger. You definitely feel a sense of confidence when navigating rocky terrain or hopping on/off curbs.
Pro 2 – I have never had issues with the alignment. Truthfully, didn’t even know this was a thing until we bought the Thule on Guam.
Pro 3 – Probably the most important factor to me, the Alterrain is capable of supporting children up to 75 lbs. Much better, right?
Pro 4 – The high quality of suspension on this jogger is very noticeable.
Pro 5 – The Alterrain also has a storage compartment underneath the child seat and I feel its far more functional than the Thule as it does not have a zipper cover on it. I can easily throw my sweatshirt, sunscreen, baby snacks (whatever) under there without fumbling around with a zipper cover.
Con 1 – The Alterrain is heavier than the Thule weighing in at 31.3 lbs.
Con 2 – The BOB Gear Alterrain does not have a hand break. If you want this feature you can purchase the BOB Gear Alterrain Pro which is approximately $60 more.
Overall: I feel very confident in the durability of the BOB Gear Alterrain and feel my baby is comfortable on our outings. She has plenty of room to grow with this stroller in the years to come.
Each of these strollers has other important features, but these are what have been the most important to me. If I had to recommend one of these joggers to a friend, I think it’s pretty clear which one I’d endorse. The BOB is a perfect fit for my baby and I on our running adventures.
