Baby Jogger City Elite Stroller Review

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Baby Jogger City Elite is an award-winning luxury stroller that can be used every day for running errands or going to the park. It has all the bells and whistles of City Mini GT plus some.

It features a fabulous canopy, adjustable footrest, roomy seat, and adjustable handlebar. With 12″ forever-air tires and front-wheel suspension, the City Elite model can be taken off-road. It will provide a smooth ride going over grass, uneven pavement, or playground mulch.

This stroller has an almost flat recline and accepts a car seat adapter meaning you can convert it to a travel system. You can use it from birth to up to 75 lbs. Although you can put your newborn right into the seat from a very early age, I would recommend using an infant insert for extra support.  

You can also convert it into a travel system with the most popular infant car seats like Graco, Peg Perego, Britax, Chicco, Evenflo, and Maxi Cosi. 

OVERALL

I gave it 5 out of 5 stars because I absolutely love its huge canopy, adjustable handlebar, roomy padded seat, adjustable leg rest, and the easiest fold in the world.

The only thing I would change is the basket. It’s a little small for my taste and is not easily accessible. I also would like Baby Jogger to include a bumper bar and a cup holder (can’t live without that cup of coffee. LOL.).

There have been a few changes (that I will go over below) for 2012 models, but it stayed the same for 2013. All this goodness comes at a higher weight of 26 lbs and a higher price than the GT model.

The Elite can be purchased for about $280-$399. It has cool accessories like a pram and glider board that you can purchase separately. If you have two kids, you are out of luck. There is no double version anymore for 2012 or 2013. You will need to find a previous model.

Buy  Baby Jogger City Elite Stroller »

Features

CANOPY

Like all strollers in the City series, Elite has a huge canopy that provides full sun coverage.  Many parents don’t realize how important a good-sized canopy is. My daughter Sophia starts crying right away if the sun gets into her eyes.

With this canopy, you can be sure your little one is well-protected at any time of the day. It has three sections with one peekaboo window. (The previous model had two peekaboo windows).

To everybody’s delight, this window has a magnetic closure, unlike noisy velcro on City Mini and GT models. I hate waking up my child because of the velcro. I feel so guilty! Did I really have to look to see what she was doing?

There are also two nice mesh windows on both sides of the canopy with magnetic closure. Once open, the closure can be secured to the side of the canopy. These mesh panels allow for more air to circulate from the sides and for the child to look out.

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HANDLEBAR

Unlike the City Mini model, the Elite has an adjustable handlebar that can be easily adjusted by pushing two buttons on both sides of the bar. It goes from 33″ – to 46″ making it very convenient for taller and shorter parents.

There is a run-away strap that is attached to the bottom of the stroller in case you lose a grip on the handlebar while going down the hill.

I like that is connected to the bottom of the stroller and not the top. If it’s attached to the handlebar, the stroller can flip backward if you fall.

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SEAT

The seat is very roomy. It is 14″ wide and 26″ high from the back of the seat to the top of the canopy. The seat can be easily reclined with a one-hand strap system that allows you to place the seat in any position.

It reclines from an upright position to a nearly flat. It is made out of the same plush fabric as the City Select model. It’s nicer to the touch but is more difficult to clean. This seat can hold a child up to 75 lbs (it’s like a 9-year-old).

Once the seat is reclined, you can see a large mesh window at the top. It allows better air circulation during hot summer days but can be covered with a hidden cover when the weather gets cold.

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There is a large mesh pocket in the back of the seat where you can store your parent’s essentials.

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HARNESS

Like most modern strollers, it has a 5-point adjustable harness that attaches to the seat with clips, so there is no need to re-thread it. The harness straps have nice padding for additional comfort.

Before the 2012 upgrade, you had to re-thread the shoulder straps, but they were removable. While a 5-point harness is a necessary safety feature for a younger child, it is very restricting for a toddler.

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PARENT CONSOLE

Finally, the parent console is included. For all the money you are paying, I would also expect at least a belly bar. It is so frustrating that all of the accessories are sold separately.

This parent console is made out of fabric and has three separate compartments that will hold your drink and all of your small items like keys, phone, and sunglasses.

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FOOTREST

I love the fact that you can lift the footrest to make it flat for smaller babies. If you recline the seat and lift the footrest, your child can comfortably take a nap. Not many strollers have that feature.

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BASKET

The underneath basket has been improved from a previous model and now fits a large diaper bag. The side of the basket is now made out of elastic material and the cross bar in the back has been curved.

Even with all these great changes, it is still a pain in the behind to get things in and out. For me, it’s a pain in my back. (Ever since I had my daughter Sophia, I’ve been having back problems).

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WHEELS

It has a single 12″ front swivel wheel that can be quickly locked straight when you enter tougher terrain or go for a power walk.

Elite has three 12″ forever-air tires, meaning you will never get a flat! All tires are filled with lightweight foam instead of air. While these tires make Elite very maneuverable and easy to push, they add extra weight.

You can be sure this stroller will handle any rough terrain while providing your child with a smooth ride. If you need to make it more compact, you can easily remove the wheels with just a push of the button.

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The front-wheel suspension system will absorb some of the bumps. I wish it had an all-wheel suspension.

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BRAKE

Just like the GT model, Elite has a hand brake located on the side of the stroller. Great for those of us who wear flip-flops and always struggle with a foot brake.

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FOLD/UNFOLD

Elite has one of the easiest folds for an all-terrain stroller. Yep, it can be folded with one hand! All you need to do is pull on the strap in the middle of the seat.

The automatic lock engages right away locking the stroller in place. Folded dimensions are 26.5″W x 33.5″L x 14″H.

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The Elite weighs 26 lbs which is a lot in my opinion. There are a lot of other strollers full of great features that weigh way less than 26 lbs. I am just wondering what makes Elite so much heavier than Citi Mini which weighs only 16 lbs. It must be the wheels and a larger seat.

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Cons

-Inconvenient basket. I am not sold on this basket although it is not a deal breaker for me. I think it is still hard to access.

-No Belly bar. For the money you are paying for this stroller, I would expect at least a belly bar to be included. All of the accessories have to be purchased separately. After you pay $400 for the stroller, snack tray $20, belly bar $30, and cup holder $28, the whole thing will cost you $478!

-No cup holder. I think the cup holder doesn’t cost much and should be included.

Changes for 2012 City Elite Stroller

  • New material. Seat made out of new material that is used in the City Select model. Before, the material was the same as in City Mini. The fabric is more plush, but is harder to clean in my opinion.
  • Viewing window. Canopy now has only one peekaboo window instead of two. It is a downgrade for me. Why take away a window? I think they wanted to save some money since they’ve added a parent console.
  • Parent console. Elite is an expensive stroller and for that kind of money, I expect to get some extras like an adult console, belly bar, and snack tray. Well, finally Baby Jogger decided to include a parent console.

    It is made out of durable material and has three separate compartments. There is no cup holder, but you can place your drink into one of the compartments. It is great for small items like keys, wallet, and cell phone.
  • Black frame. The frame used to be silver like in City Mini now it is black. I personally like the black one more.
  • Basket. They’ve curved the crossbar in the back to make access to the basket easier. I still think it is hard to access. The basket sides now are elastic and are easier to get things in and out.
  • Footrest. Now, the footrest is secured with magnets instead of velcro.
  • Color. Elite now comes in three solid colors: black, red, and gray. No more stripes!
  • No double version. There is NO double stroller for 2012. So if you have two kids and want to get a double stroller, you will have to buy a previous model. I guess it wasn’t that popular.

Video Review

Here is a great video review of Baby Jogger City Elite from Baby Gizmo. Note: Although they say in the video that this stroller has an all-wheel suspension, it is ONLY on the front wheel.

Specs

Stroller weight: 26 lbs
Weight limit: 75 lbs
Folded dimensions: 26.5″W x 33.5″L x 14″H
Handlebar height: from 33″ – 46″
Seat to canopy height: 26″
Overall length: 47″
Overall width: 26.5″

Warranty

The Baby Jogger has a lifetime warranty on the frame of the stroller and a 1-year on small parts and fabric.

Available colors

For 2012 it comes in 3 colors: black, red, and gray. The stripes are gone, but you can still buy them.

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Here are previous models with stripes. I was never a big fan of those stripes… I expected them to be on sale since they don’t have the new upgrades, but surprisingly they cost the same.

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Where to buy it

You can get City Elite in one of the three beautiful colors for around $300 – $399.

Buy  Baby Jogger City Elite Stroller »

6 thoughts on “Baby Jogger City Elite Stroller Review”

  1. i’m considering the elite or city gt, but from your review’s negatives, i’m rethinking it. i like: all-terrain, one hand fold (huge plus but not necessary), large basket, use with infant seat, large canopy. would the bumbleride indie be better? we’ll use it for walks, maybe flat ground hiking or light jogging (or we can buy a used jogger). we’re in the suburbs so it’ll mostly be at home or in our car.

  2. Hi Erin. The Indie is much better stroller that you can jog with. You can NOT jog with Elite or GT. It’s like comparing BMW and Honda. I would go with Indie for sure.

  3. Hi,

    I am looking some information about the harness strap of City Elite stroller. What should be look like? The one that I have it is look likes different with catalouge and website. The harness strap is sepersted and release from the seating area. Therefore, the harnesd buckel doesn’t have five fixed point. Also, in the back of the stroller it is not black simple likes the catalouge. It has lot of information in different languages. is it the same with yours moms?

  4. Hi. You can run with the elite. Most strollers have an adjustable footrest, it’s all terrain pushchairs that are lacking in this department and it is NOT safer to put a newborn in a car seat rather then flat in the elite seat.

  5. Hi Katie. This is not a jogging stroller. So no, it’s not safe to jog with it. It’s just made by a company “Baby Jogger”. Not all of their strollers are joggers. True safe joggers have air-filled tires. This is just an all-terrain stroller with three wheels.

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