Which Running pushchair to buy????

I would like anyone's information regarding pushchairs I can run with.  Ideally I would like one I can use from birth, and run with when the baby is old enough, and use off road to walk around the countryside - I've seen the 'Out and About Nipper Sport' but it looks far too big to navigate while around town shopping etc Mountain Buggy and Baby Joggers all look ok, but not sure where I can go and try one and that can be versatile enough for all my needs. Maybe I'll have to buy two different types??? On ebay perhaps. Can anyone help?  Jude

Hi Judith,

I haven't got any experience with a proper running buggy but I used to run with my daughter in a Mothercare My3 with pneumatic tyres (is a pram / pushchair which is suitable from birth). She used to love it and it would often send her off to sleep!

It wasn't designed for running obviously but it worked amazingly well and i used to be able to knock out sub-30 parkruns with it without too much hassle.

Judith we had an Out n About double buggy, admittedly didn't run with it although it was no problem in terms of manoeuvring around town. Great wheels and good suspension too, highly recommend their stuff.

I got into running once the kids were walking, however I see loads of mums and dads running with these buggies.

I'd suggest, if you haven't, go to your local park run and look at what people use there and ask about as you'll be with running parents. I go to Black Park, there must be a dozen buggy runners every week.

One tip I can give advice on, go to your local bike shop and buy the tyre mousse and put it in your buggy tyres if you're going off road.

Also, some of the buggies have long lead times so be prepared to order early or buy second hand. We sold ours online through local parents website, must have had 15 couples wanting it.

My advice would be to buy 2 pushchairs.  One for running/walking and one for in town.  I would recommend a small umberella fold type such as a Maclaren for in town and an alternative type for running.  My running pushchair is generally caked in mud and bulky so goes no where near my car, a small pushchair enables you to visit friends and family and go shopping without worrying about space or dirt.

Which running pushchair to buy is a very tricky question and totally depends on your budget and requirements.  You can run with pretty much any pushchair if you really want to and if the ground is relatively hard and smooth.  Two of my friends currently have bike trailers which have the option to use as pushchairs and they are very good running pushchairs because of the large and inflatable wheels.  One friend has a double croozer with a fixed front wheel which is very light to push but I find it has a very long wheel base and is only good if you are going in a straight line.  The other friend has a single chariot (not sure which model) but it has a detachable fixed front wheel which she uses to rollerblade on the road and then 2 small swivel front wheels which she uses for cross country walks and in town - I love it but it is pricey!

I have run with a fixed front wheel schwinn but found I did not like the fixed wheel.  I was running on the road at the time but even so the pushchair kept veering left because of the cambre of the road and I had to keep bumping it to keep it straight.

I am currently running with a Phil and Ted's I borrowed and going on tracks and fields and it works perfectly well but wow I can tell the difference when I run without it! 

Running with a pushchair is hard work and I prefer to walk the dog off road during the day and run in the evening without the children!

I'm facing the same question myself. I can't really afford to buy (or have the room to store) two seperate buggies, so it would be good to be able to find something that can be used in most/all scenarios (bearing in mind I'm not really one for trying to squeeze round New Look/Top shop or wherever) and also from birth (even though I wouldn't be running with the baby then). I've been looking around, and my you can spend a lot! Some of the BOB buggies caught my eye, but it seems you have to import those from America, so not much hope of having a look at it before parting with the cash!

I was using a BabyJogger II. Great buggy for running with the Little One. A really good buggy but couldn't be used in Town though. Would just fit into the back of our Mazda 3 so definitely nothing smaller.

However, the Little One is now not so little anymore (just turned 5).

Will be getting rid of mine in Spring.

Mingo_the_flamingo - I have recently moved back from America.  The BOB was used in major cities over there in that same way that large 4 wheel drives are used in the UK - mainly for show/status and rarely for function, whilst I am sure that many people did run with them I would guess that the majority of owners did not and used them as an around town/park stroller.  I would definitely say that they are very nice and have some great features that would make them suitable for running with but they are still a bulky item and there are plenty of UK pushchairs which can do the same job if you are concerned about buying a product without seeing it.  I have seen BOB's advertised on UK ebay so possibly worth having a look for second hand ones which you could go and look at.  Alternativelty consider any front swivel 3 wheel pushchair with inflatable tyres.  The bigger the wheel the easier it is to run with and the more awkward it is to take into town with you.  Fixed front wheel = tricky out in town.  It depends how brand conscious you are - there are plenty of cheaper copies of the more expensive pushchairs.  I still stand by the fact that the average person who maybe runs 5-10km a few times per week, walks the dog maybe and pops into town every now and then does not need a specialist running pushchair; any all-terrain type will be perfectly good.

Thanks Butterfly Garden! It's such a minefield...and not really knowing what we need doesn't really help!! Certainly don't want something just for show  Function is by far the most important aspect, and if we can find something that does a good job for less money, I'm all for that.

I suddenly remembered that friends of mine have the Baby Trend Expedition LX Jogger, which is a really great price.  They both run with it and I was really impressed by what a smart looking pushchair it was when I saw it in person.

But if anyone is brand conscious it might be like comparing a Graco to a Bugaboo!