Price: MSRP $649
Weight: 37 lbs
Prior to the Thule Urban Glide Double coming onto the scene, the Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double Stroller and the BOB Revolution Flex Duallie were our top two favorite double jogging strollers. Though it’s no longer a top pick (per se), the Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double Stroller is still a solid double jogging stroller option that may serve a specific niche of parents who are OK sacrificing some options to save a little money. Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of this Baby Jogger Summer X3 Double Stroller review…
Note that the 2016 version is still the current model.
Price-wise, at ~ $650, it competes most closely with the BOB Revolution 3.0 Flex Duallie ($700). Right now, the Thule Urban Glide Double is coming in at $730, so the Summit X3 is a bit less.
Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double Stroller Review: Size & Weight
Weighing in at 37 lbs, the Summit X3 is now about a pound heavier than the Bob Pro and 3 lbs heavier than the Urban Glide Double. It’s also 2″ wider than the BOB – yikes.
Note: the Summit X3 does NOT meet Disney size requirements… boo. (Neither does the Thule Urban Glide 2.0 Double… however, the BOB Revolution 3.0 Flex Duallie does!)
Though the Summit will fit through a standard 36” door frame, it is sure to be a tight squeeze. So if you need to get this stroller through a bunch of doorways on a regular basis, forget it – you’ll be really frustrated.
Because the Summit X3 is shorter length-wise (back to front), it felt a bit easier to turn than the BOB, but we found it harder to run with than with the BOB or the Thule Urban Glide. That’s because the weight on the Summit isn’t evenly distributed: it falls predominantly on the back wheels, which makes it feel very back heavy. Several reviewers reported that the stroller felt like it would tip backward with both seats fully reclined.
The weight of the BOB and the Urban Glide, on the other hand, is more evenly distributed over both the back and front wheels. Unless you’ve used many different strollers, you may never notice this — just FYI.
Seats
The seats on the Summit X3 have a support bar going down the middle of the stroller, which makes the seats more supportive and prevents them from sagging toward the middle.
The seats on the Summit X3 both recline independently (and nearly flat), and the mechanism is easy to use.
Car Seat Compatibility
Nope! The Summit X3 does not have any car seat adapters, mainly because the company feels that babies should not ride in jogging strollers until they have excellent head and neck control and can sit in the seat directly. They’ve been saying for years that they’re working on one… but I don’t believe it will ever happen.
As an alternative, you can purchase one Baby Jogger deluxe pram for your 0-6 month-old newborn. The Summit X3 used to be able to take two compact prams… but Baby Jogger no longer makes the compact pram, so now your only option is one deluxe pram. Bummer — especially if you have twins.
Canopy, Braking, Storage & Accessories
The Summit’s canopies are sturdier and smoother than those on the BOB, though they are on par with the Urban Glide’s. While the canopies on all three strollers are VERY generous, the Summit and the Urban Glide canopies have clever ventilation windows on either side, which help keep kids cooler on hot days.
Head-height: While technically the BOB is a longer stroller and should work better for taller kids, its bunchey canopies get in the way of taller kids (literally impeding head space), so we think the Summit’s roomier canopies allow for more space in general and is therefore more compatible with taller and/or older kids. (The canopies on the new BOB are totally different, so… keep that in mind.)
Canopy-wise, the gold metal goes to the Thule Urban Glide Double, whose canopies provide even more coverage (they detach and rotate down!).
The Summit X3 has a parking brake as well as a handlebar brake. This is an upscale feature found on all the strollers in our top double jogging stroller lineup (except for the Baby Trend). This stroller also has a runaway strap that is secured to the bottom of the stroller, so the stroller won’t travel away from you if you fall or accidentally let go. Since it’s at the base, if you were to fall while running (yes, it happens), the whole stroller won’t go toppling backward.
The storage on this stroller is about the same as the BOB, though the underbasket storage on the Thule Urban Glide blows both of these out of the water. Just like the BOB, the storage on this guy is bisected down the middle by a bar, so there’s no way to get a large bag in there
It does not come with a cup holder or a parent organizer, but those items can be purchased separately.
The Summit’s handlebar is made of rubber and easy to wipe clean, but does not adjust for height. If you are very short (under 5’2″) or very tall (over 6’1”), I would steer you (no pun intended) to the BOB Revolution Pro or Flex or the Thule Urban Glide Double.
Wheels/Suspension
The Summit X3 has large 16” air-filled tires in the back and a 12” air-filled tire in the front. Like with all of them, you’ll need to keep a pump handy to re-inflate the tires every so often.
The Summit X3 features a switch on the handlebar that allows you to swap from fixed-front wheel mode to swivel mode — this is awesome, and something that the BOB and Urban Glide don’t have. So much better than having to bend down on the ground and switch it by hand — much cleaner too!
Folding
The Summit X3 folds with Baby Jogger’s signature fold (i.e., “the fold”), which is sooooo easy and elegant. Simply pull the handle in the bottom of the seat, and the stroller folds in two (the Urban Glide does this as well). Reviewers unanimously agree this is an easier operation than folding the BOB.
While the Summit X3 is a large, heavy stroller, it actually fits pretty nicely into trunks. You’ll need a larger trunk, but I would say the Summit X3 would take up about ¾ of a medium-to-large SUV’s trunk.
Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double Stroller — Bottom line:
Baby Jogger does some nice little things with the Summit X3 double, like the super-quick fold, the awesome canopies, the hand brake, and the hand-operated switch for the front wheel. Downsides: the Summit X3 doesn’t take an infant car seat (at all, ever), is heavier and more sluggish than the BOB and Thule Urban Glide while running, and you can’t fit a large item, like a big diaper bag, into the storage basket. Also, the handlebar does not adjust for height for very tall or short parents.
That said, it’s still a very nice double jogger that parents have enjoyed for years. If you can get over these shortcomings, you can save a little money with the Baby Jogger Summit X3 and go on your merry way.
It comes in green/gray and black/gray.
Happy jogging!
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Are the summit x3 only for infants?
Hi Denita,
No the Summit X3 Double can hold kiddos up to 75 lbs.
Thanks!
~ M
Clarifying on the pram…so, you can use a pram/bassinet on the double? (If you have a toddler and a newborn). Thanks!
Hi Emily,
That’s correct! The Summit X3 is compatible with one Deluxe Pram.
Thanks!
M