Joie Ginger dlx Review

Ease of Use

The Joie Ginger is somewhat quirky in its ease of use. While it isn't frustrating per se, it did perform below average for the group.

Fold and Unfold

While the Ginger can be folded with one hand, we suspect most users will need two. Smaller hands or less dexterity might make it more challenging than other strollers, and it gets harder if you are holding a diaper bag and juggling a baby.

Removing the cup holder makes things easier, but the leg rest gets floppy and doesn't really stay folded in our tests. Folding has seven steps, not counting the cup holder, and it requires time and patience you might not have. Of course, the more you use it the easier it will become, but it will always be more challenging than most competitors. Unfolding is a breeze and requires only two steps with both hands.

Storage

The Ginger offers an extra-large storage basket, but its 11 lb capacity severely limits what you can put inside, making grocery trips less likely. While the main basket is easily accessible from the front and back, a plastic piece under the seat back, over the bin, can get in the way. Pushing items to the back of the bin can raise the leg rest if they are tall, but we could still access our diaper bag even with the seat reclined and a child asleep.

There is also a smaller covered storage section with a Velcro closure and a cupholder inside the bin, but the location is not ideal for quick-access items and is better suited to items you don't want to accidentally fall out.

Harness

The easy-to-use 5-point harness offers a pretty solid design, but feels a little cheap. The shoulder straps and crotch buckle are easy to adjust with a slide buckle and feature padded covers that snap on and off for comfort. Removing the covers makes adjustments easier.

Unfortunately, it is a rethread for the shoulder-height adjustment, which requires feeding the straps through slits in the fabric and the seat's plastic back. If you only have one child, this isn't a huge deal, but rethreading the harness will be time-consuming, difficult with larger hands, and it isn't our favorite.

Brakes

The Ginger has a single brake pedal that is intuitive and easy. There are no color indicators for when the brake is engaged, but there is plenty of space (even for Crocs), and there are no sharp edges underneath to mar shoes or hurt bare feet.

Car Seat Compatibility

The Joie is compatible with the Joie Rue and Mint latch car seats. The necessary car seat adapters are included.

Ease of Setup

It takes less than six minutes to get ready to stroll with the Ginger. The written instructions are great and also include illustrations. Conveniently, it also notes how to remove the pieces.

Maneuverability

The four-wheeled Ginger scores above average for maneuverability on flat surfaces and below average for uneven terrain.

The Ginger smoothly traverses flat pavement, goes over carpet, and off thresholds with minimal effort. Front wheels lock in place for increased stability, but you can feel the weight when the carpet gets thicker. One-handed turning was harder than two-handed, but doable if required. Taking turns too fast caused one of the wheels to briefly lift in our tests, but taking our time headed this off. Thanks to the shorter wheelbase, tight turns were easy to navigate.

When heading off the beaten path and flat surfaces, the Ginger does okay for what it is, but it doesn't impress in a way that makes us long for grassy beltways and gravel. Larger rocks or bumps pose a slightly greater challenge but are still doable, though you'll want both hands. Large curbs require some muscle and care to lift the front wheels up or off the curb. Overall, it isn't terrible for quick off-road trips at the play park, but it isn't great for long strolls down gravel roads.

Transporting and Storing

The Joie Ginger ranked below the average for transport and storage. While it wasn't the worst at any one thing, it isn't one we'd want to take on public transportation regularly.

The Ginger is heavy for what it is, weighing in at 24.9 lbs. However, our weight was almost 2 lbs lighter than the manufacturer's listed weight. While lighter than many jogging strollers and some traditional strollers, there are lighter options if weight matters to you. Lifting and moving it is okay if the weight isn't an issue, but it is large, and the leg rest sticks out, so it takes up more room than some competitors.

The folded size is a little bit larger than the average at 18,153 cubic inches. The width is about 24.5" (minus the cupholder), and the height is about 35" due to the rubber on the footrest sticking up. If you need to take or store it in a space with limited space, there are smaller or flatter folded options available.

Quality

The Ginger features above-average quality in all its components, offering maximum bang for your buck. We were really pleasantly surprised at what it offers for the price.

The thicker polyester fabric may not be the softest, but it feels nice against the skin, is adequately padded, and there is an obvious focus on quality assembly and durability. The leatherette handlebar is adjustable, and the footrest has a durable rubber lining.

The trademarked PunctureProof all-terrain rubber tires feature all-wheel suspension, are 8" in the front and 10" in the back, with a less-than-ideal tread, making them generally average compared to other strollers.

The frame appears to be aluminum, and while there is a little play in the handlebar and the folding mechanisms, it was within normal limits of what we typically see. The fit and finish of this stroller are decent. For the price, it offers a cleaner, finished look than most.

Kid's Comfort

The Ginger is more comfortable for passengers than the average stroller, but there is room for improvement if we get nitpicky. However, as we've seen so far, it punches above its price point, paying closer attention to comfort than we expected.

The seat can recline flat, is adequately padded, and includes padding on the sides. This stroller features a double recline system. There is a strap adjustment recline, as well as a lever system. It's simple and works as intended; they didn't overcomplicate here. The lever is mainly used to get the seat from upright to flat. The full recline will only work for smaller kids because the footrest will be too short for tall kids. The strap adjustment lets you further adjust the seat back recline, and the adjustable seat height offers three settings but only affects the seat back, not the leg rest.

The leg rest has two locking angles or just tucks under for taller kids using the lowest foot rest area, this last setting doesn't lock. The leg rest ends in a large footrest with a rubberized bottom that indents slightly for longer feet. The area from the seat edge to the leg rest is abrupt, with no rounded transition area for comfort.

The Ginger canopy offers nearly full coverage with ample adjustability. There is a zippered extension option, as well as an additional small area of fabric that can be pulled down or tucked up. The mesh window on the back of the canopy is covered with a flap that doesn't secure shut but seems to stay open and closed. With the zippered extension in use, two additional mesh side vents are visible to ensure adequate airflow on hot days.

Continuous Sleeping Comfort

One of the best parts of strolling is snoozing babies. While most kids can sleep anywhere, it helps to consider the potential for wake-ups when strolling on everyday surfaces like concrete and asphalt. The Ginger performed about average for the group, providing a smoother ride and fewer potential wake-ups with its stabilizing 4-wheel design and useful suspension that we suspect better absorbs most jarring terrain changes.

Should You Buy the Joie Ginger dlx?

Budget-conscious parents will love the Joie Ginger with its sleek design, quality materials, and relatively easy-to-use features, offered at a price that won't break the bank. This stroller features impressive all-terrain maneuverability, thoughtful passenger-comfort details, and seating-adjustment options, including bassinet mode. Compared to several more expensive options, this stroller might cut some corners, but it doesn't miss the mark in any way. The Ginger is a fantastic choice for families that want an affordable stroller for everyday use.

What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?

If your budget isn't tight and you want the best of the best, the UPPABaby Cruz v3 is a top-of-the-line four-wheeled stroller with impeccable quality, fantastic maneuverability, and stand-out comfort, but it will cost about twice as much as the Joie, and we think most families can save their money for other things. If you plan to head off-road or jog, the three-wheeled Baby Trend Expedition might be a better choice.

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