Review: Baby Jogger City Select

If you know a double stroller might be in your future, you should check out the Baby Jogger City Select ($500). This innovative, top-notch stroller starts out as a single but quickly — and easily — transforms to a two-seater.

With 16 possible seating options, the City Select offers unsurpassed versatility without sacrificing quality in the process.

Courtesy of Baby Jogger

Click below for our review!

What we like:

As a single stroller, the City Select is super sturdy. The easy-to-maneuver wheels make it a breeze to get through crowds or busy areas. You can also lock them for a smooth, solid ride over bumpy surfaces. Another plus for a day out: storage options. The stroller comes with a sizable basket with side zippers to keep bags and other belongings in place.

The seat is comfy, nicely padded and can surprisingly accommodate an older child, thanks to an adjustable five-point harness and a sun canopy that clips on at two height positions. And just one push of a button lets you choose between four reclining positions.

Folding it up is also a cinch. Just pull up on the two levers marked “fold” and the stroller collapses unto itself, with the seat on or off. A manual lock holds it in place.

But what’s really special is how quickly (and easily) the City Select converts into a double. All you have to do is remove the two covers on top of the front two wheels, insert additional frame pieces, and then slide the second seat into place.

Unlike some double strollers, the second seat is full-sized, which is great for twins. With each seat able to carry up to 45 pounds, you can safely push two large toddlers.

Plus, when you set it up as a double, your seating options seem endless. You can have two children face-to-face, both facing forward, both rear-facing, one child in a stroller seat and another in an infant carseat, two infant carseats, one stroller seat and one bassinet, and so on.

What we don’t like:

The seat doesn’t recline to a flat position, making it only suitable for babies 6 months and up. And while we appreciate the flexibility of two canopy positions, the canopy itself is somewhat difficult to get on and off.

Lastly, the adapters for a doubles conversion kit are only available with the purchase of a second stroller seat. It would be great if Baby Jogger sold the adapters separately, even though eventually you will need that second stroller seat.

Moms and Babies rating:

The City Select is pricey, but worth every penny. So if you’re currently in the market for a high-end single stroller but know you’ll need a double in the future, we highly recommend this style.

It’s user-friendly, extremely versatile, built to last and a gem to push. Get yours here.

Comments

Robin M. on March 28th, 2010

Very cool. I would love to have something like this if I had another baby. Love the style of it.

Casey NZ on March 28th, 2010

Woah. Very nice!!!

Romy on March 29th, 2010

the style looks great. I didn’t need the completely flat position for young baby, just good recline. even in the carseat they aren’t flat. The front seat looks like it won’t last long. it looks like it is only equipped for a pretty small baby/kid.

mary on March 29th, 2010

This stroller is gorgeous and amazing. I have tried it out in person. The biggest downside for me and the reason I didn’t buy it? The seat back is too dang short and my 2 year old barely fits in it. Also, the leg rest is too short for my two year old and her legs were scrunched up a bit. Our second baby will not be born until Sept and at that point my barely 3 year old would literally not fit in the stroller – at least being at all comfortable. So… I LOVE this option for twins or kids super close in age but it is not a once-only purchase for families – you WILL need another stroller when your kids get older as these seats just don’t accomodate big toddlers and older kiddos.

hillary on March 29th, 2010

i’ve seen it in person too and it is quite big/wide especially as a single at 28 lbs….can’t image using it for quick trips we ended up with a baby jogger city mini single AND double, they are just amazing light strollers (16 and 26 lbs) i think the city select is a cool idea for young newborns but it does have downsides like not being able to recline the seats in doubles mode (super important imo). i think we’ll stick with the baby jogger city mini’s!!!

maggie on March 29th, 2010

This stroller is very simular to the one that we just got it for our twins. The one that we got, it’s called ABC Design Zoom Stroller. It is made by the German company ABC DEsign, the only problem is that this stroller is not available in US and we had to get it from Germany. It is pretty expensive but it has all the same options and combinations with carry cots and car seats for twins. So everybody check it out it is called Zoom by Abc Design( leebruss).

Christina on March 30th, 2010

I have this stroller and hate it! Can’t see my second child too well and the seat practically drags the ground. It’s cumbersome and the seats seem short like it won’t last too long and I have small infant twins. It’s overpriced for what it is. A side by side is a much better choice.

Vanessa on April 1st, 2010

Love this stroller! It’s a terrific stroller for what it does. You won’t find another on the market that can hold 2 kids comfortably with so many seating options.

bicole on April 2nd, 2010

I have this stroller and love it. It snaps together very quickly and my 2 1/2 year old – who is quite tall – fits quite in the seat comfortably (something we had issues with when trying other strollers such as Phil & Ted’s). The bassinet is sturdy and comfy for my 2 month old. It is a dream to push as well. Worth the price.

leena on April 3rd, 2010

I tried it out in the store the other day, I love the look of it but I don’t think it’s that practical. The seat is a little small for a bigger toddler and I worried that my little one could slip out and drag on the floor and I wouldn’t even know it.

Mary on April 5th, 2010

I have this stroller and I absolutely LOVE IT! I am a self-proclaimed stroller junkie. I have tried them all and this one has been the best and PERFECT for my now 1 year old and almost 3 year old. Much better then all of the other doubles I have tried!!

Melanie on April 5th, 2010

I have this stroller and love it. I have a 2 year old and 6 month old. I love how sturdy it is but how well it handles. Although I do sometimes have a hard time pushing it with one hand or going up larger curbs. BJ does recommend the larger child to be in the top seat and right now I have my baby in the carseat adaptor on top so it’s a little bottom heavy. The basket is very large. I love having a hand brake opposed to a foot pedal. Much easier to use. The fold is fantastic, quick and easy. Seats are roomy. I would totally recommend it.

Sumi on April 14th, 2010

Thier customer service is terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this stroller 2months ago, but I avent been able to use it, because the second seat kit is back ordered(4times!!!!) and without that kit it doesn’t work. Now they are saying the estimated deliverly date is in July and by then, my baby will be 5-6months!!!
This is not a cheap stroller but it’s in my storage collecting dust, it’s been so hard to go without a stroller with two kids, and all they can tell me is that they are sorry for the inconvenience.
Zero effort to improve the problem….

Sumi on April 14th, 2010

I just hate their customer care.

Jennifer on August 16th, 2010

Sumi-

So sorry to hear of your frustrating experience with the back order…as the City Select is one of our customers favorites.

These past few months have been crazy with stroller and stroller accessories back orders. But it is not just limited to Baby Jogger. Many brands have been having back order issues and it has been extremely frustrating for us here at Let’s Go Strolling and our customers as well. There have been many factors that have played into all of these manufacturers’ lack of product availability.

But I know that you can probably call around and find the seconds seats in stock now. It might just take a little checking.

Best of luck and Happy Strolling!
Jen

lolita on October 7th, 2010

I just bought this troller after a lot of research. I have a child of 4 years old and am having a baby soon. This is by far the best choice for a couple of reasons: is super easy to storage, converts to double when we need it, super easy to push and turn, very comfortable for a toddler and it has the possibility to add the infant car seat and the baby bassinet. I could not be happier with my choice!!!!

leslie on October 26th, 2010

does anyone know if bassinet can be in top position facing me while the second seat in front faces forward? I have the stroller already but would like to order bassinet only if it can work with front seat facing out. Thanks for the help

frugal mommy on December 24th, 2010

First of all, the color Diamond should not be sold to any parent. It shows dirt too easily. I’ve had this stroller for about 8 months now, and I think it’s been through normal wear and tear, I don’t use it every day, really probably less than normal, and it looks horrible now. Even though this is a nice, expensive stroller, you wouldn’t think so because of the dirt on the canopy. I’ve tried to wash it by hand, you can’t put the canopy in the washing machine, according to Baby Jogger. but it definitely does not get off all the dirt this way. I did not realize this when we purchased the stroller, that the parts cannot be machine-washed. Who wants to hand wash, anyway?

This is a great stroller for what it is, though, as a possible double stroller. It has a lot of basket room, which I didn’t think I’d need initially, but comes in handy so often. I’ve only used it as a single stoller, though. It maneuvers well, and is able to handle somewhat gravel paths, sand and snow. It folds close nicely, which was important to us, since we noticed with cheaper strollers this became an issue after a while. This seems like it will last for multiple children no problem. Very sturdy stroller. It folds up compactly if you take off the wheels, that is nice for when we travel to Europe, where people drive smaller cars generally.

I just don’t understand why Baby Jogger sells this color. As a first-timer, I didn’t think about things like dirt showing on the stroller. I thought also since it is a light-gray, it wouldn’t be so bad, but it is. Baby Jogger would not exchange my seat for a different color when asked. It’s very disappointing, because when you purchase all of the extras, like the bassinet and the car seat adaptor, etc., this stroller is expensive. You still have this stroller that looks terrible because of the color. I wrote Baby Jogger and told them that they should not sell this color, they did not address this issue. Even though I think the product is worth the money, in this color it is not.

A note: you need to get the Gate Check bag if you plan on flying. We did not, and on the way back from a flight, our stroller was dropped. The airline stated they normally don’t reimburse for strollers, but they were really negligent this time, and we are getting a reimbursement. The front wheels broke, but luckily we were able to order new ones for not too much money. At least it was for on the way back from a vacation. Imagine a vacation without a stroller. Just buy the Gate Check bag.

I would have given a much higher rating if it were not for the color!

Simcoe on January 27th, 2011

People complaining about the seats not reclining clearly did not do their homework. You can just get the car seat adapter and put the car seat into the City Select. Who uses the seat when the kids are under 6 months????

t purrier on March 15th, 2011

I have a 19 month and a 1 month old. I bought the Combi Double last week. Its o k but not “really” what i want. It was between the Combi and the Contour. Combi won only because of the folding and the weight. I wanted the Contour because of all it could do but it was much too heavy and wouldn’t fit in my car, as I was told. Plus the price wasn’t bad.

The city select seems to be my dream come true except for the huge price tag. its all i was looking for in the contour and more. love that it can be n look like its just for one child…. even with that I am still indecisive. The price is killing me.

Meghan on April 14th, 2011

tpurrier, I completely agree w/ you I am currently on the hunt for a double for my 15 month old and newborn and the kolcraft is my runner up next to this however I just cant get past that price tag. SOOO expensive and there are still soo many things you have to buy separate:(

Cheap Dad. on May 17th, 2011

To T purrier and Meghan. Our $150 stroller broke, and my wife fell in love with this stroller. I was EXTREMELY reluctant to buy this, in fact I was a little mad when we bought it, being that it was a hefty price tag. HOWEVER, i have completely changed my feelings about it, and am very glad I did. This for sure is NOT a cheap stroller, it’s definately HIGH end, and it’s one of the CHEAPER HIGH end strollers. Compare it to the bugaboo strollers, and it’s no comparison. I do agree that all the extras are a pain to buy, but I keep my eye open for deals on craigslist and ebay and get the stuff cheaper. 10X better than our last stroller, people stop us and ask us about it all the time. 100% WORTH EVERY PENNY! Even for a CHEAP dad!

Yvette on July 30th, 2011

We have just purchased a Baby Jogger City Select, which our 22month old loves-very comfy as a single. Unfortunately when we attach the maxi cosi-for our 8week old, the canopy cannot fit over the toddlers seat and not much foot room for our toddler either. Does anyone else have this problem? Are we doing something wrong? Would really apprecitate any help with this please!

Leanna on November 11th, 2011

I was wondering if anyone can compare the Mountain buggy plus one to the city select with second seat?

I am currently in the market for a double stroller, i have a 9 mth old and one on the way so the kiddies will be 17 mths apart. I currently have the BOB revolution and absolutely love it however i do not like how wide the double is and would prefer a stroller that converts back to a single quite easily.

Thanks

jennifer todd on November 11th, 2011

I got a city select 2010 on sale with the 2 seats for $800 and although yes thats exxy for a pram, i think its worth every dollar. i bought a maclaren techno for my twins and it was nearly 800 anyway but with the twins being 2 they are fighting in th eside by side and i just love the big basket of the select, i can get heaps of groceries in it…i couldnt be happier with mine…i have had one mishap though where th espring in the front wheel has come out, but they are sending me a new one no problems, wish i knew about this pram when i was looking and then got the maclaren

Leah on January 24th, 2012

I have this stroller and absolutely love it! I have had too many strollers to count, and this one is by far the best. Wish I would have gotten it when my older son was first born, (although it wasn’t around then), but I now have a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old, and they both fit perfectly in it no problem. My baby hates being in the stroller but loves this one cause I can face him towards his older brother and he’s totally entertained and doesn’t feel alone I suspect. It’s SO easy to fold up, and yes it is heavy to lift with both seats attached, (but so are almost all doubles), but you can take the seats out so it ends up not even being an issue. The only this that would make this stroller 10o% perfect is if they included a REAL cup holder with it.

del on June 10th, 2012

I have this stroller and although at first it was great as it served all my needs, there is an ISSUE with the seat frames. I have the second kit and the bassinet kit. Everything was great WHEN they worked. My stroller is less than two years old and the recline button on BOTH seats has stopped working. I was hoping that it can be fixed but apparently the seat frames are covered only up to 1 year as they are considered wear-and-rear items. WHAT??? The recline buttons are operated by bicycle cables and the recline mechanism has locked in place. Mind you, there is no way to service the frames or replace the cables, which slacken with use

Kelton on May 10th, 2013

Good to know. I have a 1.5yr old that was the size of a 2 year old at 6 months so needless to say I have big babies! Can you recommend a good alternative?