Bumbleride Speed Jogging Stroller Review
Price $699
BUY NOWBumbleride is one of those companies I just like. Their mission is to bring beautiful, highly functional, well-made and eco-friendly strollers to the world. They are not a corporate giant, like most, and they have amazing customer service.
Unlike some brands that claim to be eco-friendly, Bumbleride strollers actually are. They are PVC & phthalate free with no fire retardants and no polyurethane foam. Their fabric supplier is Oeko-Tex certified & a bluesign partner.
Their bread and butter, the Bumbleride Indie, has long been a cult favorite in the all-terrain stroller world. The Speed was introduced in 2016 to serve the population of joggers, runners, and outdoor enthusiasts who need a little more.
Their strollers are little pricier than most, but built to last.
These strollers are constructed of lightweight yet heavy-duty aluminum frame. Yes, you can go buy a Baby Trend or a Schwinn for half the price — and they will rust out and end up in the landfill in a few years. With a higher-quality stroller like this, you can re-sell it (later on) for a high value knowing it will last for a very long time.
Bumbleride Speed Jogging Stroller
What sets the Speed apart from other jogging strollers like BOB is a stylish, upmarket look that isn’t purely sporty. They are currently offering 4 patterns that are all subtle and sophisticated.
Seat
The fabrics on the Bumbleride make me purr. They are made with 100% recycled plastic bottles spun into polyester. The black color is made with a special solution dye process that reduces water use, water pollution, energy used and improves fade resistance. Yeeeah.
The seat itself is 19” tall, which is average for a jogger. While the max weight limit is 65 lbs, I’d be surprised if you can fit a child (height-wise) who is heavier than 55 lbs or so. Although, a few years ago, Bumbleride increased the canopy height by 1.5″ resulting in more headroom for older children.
For reference sake, with the previous model, Lucie, who is 6 years old (at time of publish), about 50 lbs and on the tall side for her age, barely fits (shown above, right). Alice, my almost 4-year-old (at time of publish), fits perfectly (shown above, left). Oliver, my 16-lb dummy son, was happy as well and didn’t make a peep (LOL). Again, this is on par (size-wise) with the other popular joggers. It also has an adjustable leg rest for older infants.
The seat has a secure, 5-pt breakaway harness and a convenient one-handed recline. Fully reclined, the seat lies nearly flat — suitable for 3+ months (not for running, please, until 6-8 months).
Car Seat
You can purchase an optional car seat adapter for the Euro seats (currently out of stock): the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max 30, Maxi-Cosi Mico AP, Maxi-Cosi Mico, Cybex Aton Q, Cybex Aton 2, Cybex Aton and Nuna Pipa.
Adapters for Chicco and Graco seats are available that fit the Graco Click Connect Snugride 30 or 35 and the Chicco KeyFit 30. They also make one that fits the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 NIDO and 4-35 car seats.
Another option for your 0-3 month-old is to buy the bassinet (currently out of stock).
An aside: you do not need to remove the seat fabric to attach the car seat adapter (or bassinet). It is optional 🙂 The seat fabric is removable without tools!
Canopy, Storage, Braking, Accessories
The canopy is also lovely. It’s UPF 45+ with a magnetic viewing window, pop out extension, and a removable back panel. Nice, full coverage indeed (below).
The storage basket is HUGE for a jogging stroller. I managed to fit my giant computer bag back there so I could jog down to the café. Amazing.
It doesn’t come with a parent organizer, but a few years ago, Bumbleride added more pockets; one for the pump in the cargo basket, one in the stroller for your kiddo and there is also a large pocket and sippy cup holder on the back of the seat which is apparently good for princess wands. Don’t leave home without those.
The handlebar is PVC-free and adjusts by rotating up or down.
The parking brake is a simple one-step brake that links the rear wheels. Unlike the Summit X3, Mountain Buggy Terrain or BOB Revolution Pro/Blaze, the Speed does not have a hand brake of any sort. Thus, it’s not our favorite for jogging on hilly terrain.
Weight
The weight of the Speed is 26 lbs, which is about 2.5 lbs less than BOB or Baby Jogger Summit X3. Again, the lightweight aluminum frame does it for me.
Folding
The fold is one step but requires two hands. Once folded, it auto-locks conveniently in place. With some manipulation of the front wheel, the stroller can stand on its own.
Wheels/Suspension
The Speed rolls on 16” air-filled tires in the rear and a 12” air-filled tire in the front. It comes with a pump (yay!), because as you may know, air-filled tires are fairly high-maintenance. Each wheel has suspension, which makes for a very smooth ride.
Like the Valco Baby Tri-Mode, the Speed also has 3 modes; I have come to appreciate all three of them 🙂
The wheel can swivel 360 degrees or lock out to go perfectly straight. Optionally (listen up!), you can put it into “30° mode,” which allows the wheel to swivel up to 30°(only) in each direction. This is very useful for jogging or walking/hiking on rough or hilly terrain. It prevents the wheel from swiveling out of control and flipping around, as it can do under high speed and in rough terrain where it loses contact with the ground periodically.
The fixed wheel mode is useful for fast and/or distance running. YES, there is a control on the front of the wheel that allows you to fine-tune the drag from right to left. Very important!!!
In fixed wheel mode, I found I still had to make little course corrections along the way, especially on uneven pavement. The heavier your child, the more of an arm workout you’re going to get. With my 50-lb Lucie, fixed-wheel mode was quite an arm workout. With 35-lb Alice, it was easier – and easier still with my 16-lb weighted dummy (my buddy Oliver).
I found the 30-degree mode to be very comfortable with all 3 “children,” ahem.
To adjust the mode, you have to kneel down and adjust the switch on the tire itself. This is true for all joggers except for the Summit X3.
Conclusion
All in all, we love the Bumbleride Speed. Like the Indie, it has beauty and brains. It’s lightweight, compact(ish), eco-friendly, very well made and easy to fold. It lies nearly flat and has wonderful storage. The canopy and fabrics are delightful. The only conveniences it lacks are a hand switch (for wheel modes) and a hand brake for hilly terrain and high speeds.
With car seat compatibility, this could be the one and only stroller for an active parent. The three wheel modes allow you to do it all.
Enjoy!
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Thank you so much for the honest and in-depth review Meg! We greatly appreciate your feedback!
Which parent organizer did you buy? The one that I see in one of these pictures..
I really like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLO5F78 Stroller makers charge crazy markups on branded accessories, so I tend to go generic 🙂
This sounds awesome. I’m expecting my first April 2017 and am researching strollers like crazy. Thanks for turining me into the Bumbleride Speed Stroller. I’ll be looking more into this!
Hi! How secure would you say the harness is? I noticed your mention that the BOB can be easy for curious toddlers and I definitely have a curious little one so I need to make sure the harness isn’t easy for him to undo.
the one on the Speed is pretty darn secure!
When will the Brixtax seats be compatible? 🙁
Hi Kim! Bumbleride is currently in development for other car seat adapters – no word yet what brands they are testing – but we know it won’t be until 2018 until anything is released.
Hi! I am looking for a stroller that will sit as close to upright as possible. What do you think with the Bumbleride Indie and its seat? I am not a fan of the City Mini GT for this reason – even with as much tightening as possible, the seat does not sit straight up enough. I have been going back and forth between a Phil and Teds and the Bumbleride Indie, and I’m at a loss as no stores near me carry them in stock to test out! Thanks!!
Hi Anna! All sport strollers have an incline, unfortunately, it’s just the name of the game. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how “upright” the Indie sits. So, you might have better luck with that stroller. Another option is to just prop your kiddo forward with a pillow. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the awesome and honest review! I’ll be looking into this stroller I am in the market for a new replacement!