Baby Jogger City Select 2 Double Review

From its humble beginnings in 1984, Baby Jogger began with two fathers' goal of jogging with their babies. With no jogging products on the market, the dads created the first stroller designed to jog with. The company offers strollers we include in our full-size strollers review for activities other than jogging, and in 2015, the Newell Rubbermaid company purchased it.

Ease of Use

The Select earns an ease-of-use score just below average. It is one of those performances that seems good until you compare it to the competition and realize how amazing some strollers are. Baby Jogger had an opportunity to work out the kinks of previous versions, and we don't see much improvement here.

The folding knobs on the Select are clearly marked.   Credit: Abriah Wofford

The City Select has an automatic lock to help keep the stroller closed when you move it.   Credit: Abriah Wofford

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Fold and Unfold

To initiate the one-handed fold, the rear seat needs to have the leg rest twisted all the way back and at its shortest setting. Otherwise, it can't fold past the front seat. This is a hassle and is not typically shown in video descriptions since it is already in the best position for folding. The stroller folds in half using the marked knobs on either side; we found it challenging with shorter arms. Lifting the entire stroller slightly makes folding easier. Once folded, it automatically locks, but if the front wheels aren't in the correct position, it won't self-stand.

Unfolding is easier and can be done with one hand after the auto-lock is unlocked. We had to use our legs to pry the taco'd stroller apart, since it doesn't pop open easily without assistance. It also feels heavier than competitors, making us more tired over time.

Storage

The Select has a relatively large storage bin under the seats with a maximum capacity of 15 lbs. The weight limit is a bummer because the size makes you think it is better than it really is.

The back of the storage bin has zippers on both sides to provide slightly better access to larger items. The zippers aren't the easiest to use, and our knuckles rubbed on the frame. The idea that you'll need to utilize them every time you want to get something from the bin is annoying.

A crossbar over the storage bin somewhat prevents larger items from being easily placed in the bin. The basket would be far simpler to use if this bar weren't there. The rear passenger can also impede access to the bin, depending on their position, as the seat's leg area extends into the basket, so items could get dirty from grubby shoes above.

The back fo the Select seats have elastic and mesh storage pockets with a 4 lb capacity.   Credit: Abriah Wofford

We think you will need to use the zipper every time you want to access the bin.   Credit: Abriah Wofford

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The seats also have mesh pockets on the back and have a maximum weight capacity of 4 lbs each. We suspect that anything of significant weight will cause the pocket to stretch over time.

Harness

The Select's harnesses are 5-point and require rethreading for height adjustment. The harness straps nest together before you can put them in the buckle, which could be challenging when you have a crying or wiggly child. The belly bar on the seats is pretty close to the child, making it harder to use and adjust the harness. It almost felt like there wasn't enough space between the child and the belly bar for our hand to fit. Tightening the straps requires pushing toward the back of the seat and is less convenient than pulling toward the parent. The buckle is easy enough to release, but again, the nesting of the shoulder and hip straps before you put them in the buckle is more complex than competitors.

Brakes

The Select has single-action brakes with a large pedal in the center of the back of the stroller.

The pedal is easy to access, set, and release with no safety concerns. Setting the brake is a press of the pedal, while releasing is done with the top of the foot. This process is easy and does not hurt.

Maneuverability

The Select is challenging to maneuver and has lower performance scores. This is largely due to its longer length. It makes the whole package feel heavy and cumbersome, with no ability to make tight turns or get out of the way of anything. All maneuvers take planning ahead and often some jostling of the stroller to get where you want to go, even on flat surfaces.

You can push this stroller with one hand, but we couldn't turn it or move very far this way. This stroller put a lot of strain on our hands, and we were happy to be done with it. It is only more challenging if you move off-road to grass or gravel. When we started out, it required extra initial force and was a workout for the wrist with a curved handlebar that didn't feel very ergonomic. The handlebar is thin and not round, and lacks the kind of wrap we enjoyed on other contenders. Given the challenging maneuverability, it turned pretty well on grass, but overall, we suspect parents will avoid taking it off flat surfaces.

Putting the City Select 2 into the trunk of our test sedan proved impossible with the second seat attached and we had to remove the second seat to get it to fit.   Credit: Jessica Riconscente

While removing the second seat on the Select to fit it in the trunk wasn't hard, it is a hassle, and we think a single parent with more than one kid and supplies for two will be frustrated a the extra step.   Credit: Jessica Riconscente

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Transporting and Storing

While the Select 2 folds somewhat compactly as a single-seat stroller, it is significantly larger when folded with the second seat. It's huge! We think you'll need to remove the second seat to fit it inside most vehicles. If you hope to take it on public transportation, it isn't much smaller when folded than when open, and it could be a huge hassle.

Weight and Folded Size

The Select is big and heavy, making it one of the hardest to stow or lift. At 35.5 lbs, it's one of the heaviest doubles.

When folded with both seats in place, the Select 2 measures 24,462 cubic inches, making it one of the largest behemoths in the group.

Kid Ride

The seats themselves are comfy enough, with multiple adjustment points. Still, the proximity of one seat to another makes most adjustments useless and impossible when transporting two kids in toddler seats.

Seat

The two kids' seats on the Select are frames with adjustable leg rests. They are lightly padded sling-style seats that recline and can be attached to the frame in various configurations. While the seats themselves are ok for comfort, they are too close together and cannot recline very far without interfering with or hitting the second seat. The recline adjustment is hard to reach, with the mesh layer of the canopy getting in the way.

No matter how you try to arrange these seats, one passenger can hassle the other, and neither can recline very far or have their leg adjustments (length or angle) moved much. It is not ideal for super-comfy napping. While you could put your younger/or smaller child in the back seat since it has less space, they will have limited legroom as they age.

You can see in this picture of the Baby Jogger City Select that the front seat is unable to recline without impinging on the rear passenger's seating space.   Credit: Abriah Wofford

The Peek-a-boo cover on the Select 2 have covers with magnet closures that hold them closed and open.   Credit: Abriah Wofford

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Sunshade

The sunshades pop open easily and are UV 50+. They have nice peek-a-boo mesh windows with magnetic closure covers. They cover to about the knee and are on the thicker side for weather protection.

Continuous Sleeping Comfort

There is great value in a stroller delivering a smooth ride for passengers, and unfortunately, when we tested the City Select 2 on average terrain, we recorded 17 potential wake-up events on rough pavement, bumps, and cracks. The front seat offers a slightly smoother ride due to the front-wheel suspension, but the lack of suspension on the rear wheels means no axle damping, resulting in fairly significant back-seat passenger vibration.

Quality

The City Select 2 earns its top score in the quality metric with an average performance. The overall fit and finish are better than some, with no weld points, some internal Allen-head and Phillips-head screws, and rivets. Surprisingly, a product this long did not have significant flex in the frame.

The fabric on the seats and canopy feels sturdy and easy to clean. It fits the frame and other parts well, and the canopy can be pulled taut without looking rumpled. The fabric connects via buttons, which we prefer over Velcro. The magnets are nice and offer secure closure with a silent mechanism.

The toddler seats have memory foam for a comfy ride, and the shoulder straps have comfort padding not found in all competitors. There is also a more durable material at the footrest that feels better for dirty feet.

The front and back wheels are plastic, and we didn't experience any wobble during testing. The front wheels are about 4 inches smaller than the back wheels.

Car Seat Compatibility

The Baby Jogger works with two infant car seats. With the purchase of click-in adapters, the stroller is compatible with seats from Baby Jogger, Graco, Britax, Chicco, Nuna, and UPPAbaby.

Ease of Setup

The manual for the City Select 2 setup was average, and it took us about 20 minutes to complete the process.

We struggled to put the Select together and ended up with the lap bar on the wrong side, requiring a do-over. It took almost half the time to fix this error. So, we suspect most folks will experience half the setup time.

Twins

The Select accepts two infant car seats simultaneously, making it a viable option for parents of infant twins. Parents have a variety of infant car seats to choose from. The main seats also recline pretty far back, allowing 6-month-old babies to nap and lie flat. The main drawback of this stroller is the already-mentioned close seating positions that place one child right behind the other, at a distance that could allow for kicking or pestering. The proximity also limits the reclining of either seat, which could cause problems between bored or squabbling siblings. So, while it will work for twins in car seats and later in standard seats, we suspect frustrations will begin to occur as children get older and interact.

Should You Buy the City Select 2?

Despite the well-known name and our appreciation for other Baby Jogger models, we've never been big fans of the Select, and this version is no different. This inline stroller is more challenging to maneuver and requires a thoughtful approach to turn. It also has some seating configuration issues that limit recline and comfort for both passengers. Last, the fold is ridiculously bulky, and we couldn't get it in our test trunk without removing the second seat. Overall, we think there are better options in our lineup, both inline and side-by-side, that offer more.

What Other Double Stroller Should You Consider?

If you want an inline stroller that fits in narrow spaces and can spend more, we prefer the UPPAbaby Vista v3 Double. This high-quality stroller has seat extenders that spread the front and rear seats apart to reduce conflicts and increase comfort. The UPPAbaby also offers bassinets and is compatible with two infant car seats from various manufacturers. The Vista has the largest storage bin with a capacity of up to 30 lbs, and overall, the stroller is much easier to push and turn. No matter what you're looking for in a double stroller, the Vista has it in spades over the Select and would be the inline we recommend to a friend.

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