In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Schwinn Arrow Review

One of the hardest to run with and more difficult to push and turn with fixed wheel
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Schwinn Arrow Review (The Schwinn Arrow is a fixed wheel jogging stroller)
The Schwinn Arrow is a fixed wheel jogging stroller
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
Price:  $240 List
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Manufacturer:   Schwinn
By Juliet Spurrier, MD & Carrie Vickers  ⋅  Sep 30, 2019
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OVERALL
SCORE
  • Run-ability - 35% 3.0
  • Ease Of Use - 25% 4.0
  • Maneuverability - 20% 6.0
  • Quality - 10% 5.0
  • Weight/Folded Size - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Schwinn Arrow was discontinued in April 2017. You can no longer find it in stores or online.
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Easy to use harness
Cup holders that really grip items
REASONS TO AVOID
Possible pinch hazard
Poor run-ability
The Schwinn Arrow is a fixed wheel jogging style stroller that came in last place. In general, we feel this stroller performs poorly in some of the most important metrics for a jogger, including run-ability and maneuverability. Given that is has a list price in the upper half of the products tested, we feel it should have ranked higher. In the end, it feels like a cheaper product getting by with the Schwinn name to make sales.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Schwinn Arrow is not made by Schwinn, rather their name is “rented” as a way of drawing the interest of parents to a sub-par stroller created by a second company. It is actually part of the Pacific Cycle company that includes InStep which coincidentally (or not) makes strollers so similar to those from Schwinn you can plainly see they are virtually identical.

Performance Comparison


schwinn arrow - the fixed front wheel is considered the preferred style of stroller...
The fixed front wheel is considered the preferred style of stroller for serious runners, but it definitely decreases the versatility of the stroller for other activities
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Run-ability


Our professional runner stated that “this is a terrible running stroller… that is not fun for runner or passenger.

The Arrow has an adjustable handle that helps create the right biomechanics for running. The suspension is average and isn't adjustable which is better than no suspension. It also doesn't offer adjustable tracking, which makes it frustrating to keep on track. It is easy to tilt back to turn while running.

schwinn arrow - the handle can be easily adjusted by pushing in on the side buttons...
The handle can be easily adjusted by pushing in on the side buttons while moving the handle up or down
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

This stroller is easy to push and tracks relatively well. Our stroller has a ton of flex in the frame, so we had to exaggerate our turning motions to compensate. It can take time to get used to the loose frame, but even with bigger bumps, it stays upright. Our professional runner says this stroller is unstable and difficult to control, resulting in extra work for the runner.

schwinn arrow - a good size storage bin on the schwinn arrow is hard to use thanks...
A good size storage bin on the Schwinn Arrow is hard to use thanks to a support bar that spans the back of the stroller over the bin. We were not able to fit a diaper bag inside
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Ease of Use


The Schwinn comes in last place for ease of use.

schwinn arrow - the space between the two black plastic portions of the frame on the...
The space between the two black plastic portions of the frame on the Schwinn Arrow are a potential pinching hazard when opening the Arrow from a folded position
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Fold and Unfold


We feel there is a potential safety risk with the fold and unfold mechanism where the product bends. The two frame portions are attached to the folding mechanism that allows the stroller to fold in half. The hinge fold can potentially pinch fingers or small hands when opening.

schwinn arrow - folding is a double action process of pressing the button on both...
Folding is a double action process of pressing the button on both sides simultaneously. the company that makes the Schwinn Arrow claims this type of fold is safer
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

This stroller requires two hands to fold and is somewhat awkward to manage. It doesn't feel like a natural movement, and the seat has to be reclined to make it fold. It has a manual locking mechanism and while it doesn't technically have a self-stand mechanism, it will self-stand if required. The unfold is easier, but it has the potential for pinching. We think this is a potential safety problem.

schwinn arrow - the brakes on the schwinn arrow are double action and require both...
The brakes on the Schwinn Arrow are double action and require both sides to be engaged before the brakes are considered set
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Brakes


The Arrow has double action brakes that are hard to set and parents might forget to set both pedals which mean the brakes are not set. You must make sure the brake is engaged when you push down because it tends to pop out of position fooling you into thinking it is seated.

Storage


The storage is large and has rear and side access. It has a max weight limit of 10 lbs, but it is hard to access. The bin is terrible because of the bar in the back that blocks access.

schwinn arrow - while the cup holders are better than average, the storage...
While the cup holders are better than average, the storage compartment will not work with most smartphones
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The cup holders are some of the best because they have a rubber gasket that helps hold taller bottles in place. The covered center compartment is small and doesn't hold a bigger phone. The canopy speaker is hot glued and free-standing with no cover. It looks flimsy, and the sound is worse than the speaker that comes with your smartphone. It isn't weather resistant or loud enough for little ones to hear over passing traffic or wind.

schwinn arrow - the schwinn arrow has a small sun shade, small peek-a-boo window...
The Schwinn Arrow has a small sun shade, small peek-a-boo window, and sort of a weird useless clear sun visor
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Sunshade


The canopy is the smallest in the group. It does not cover to the knees and the sun visor is clear, so we think maybe this is for rain, only it isn't large enough to work for rain. It offers good ventilation if you roll up the back flap and the small, vinyl peek-a-boo window has a Velcro cover. Also, if you fold the canopy back it interferes with opening and closing the parent console compartment.

schwinn arrow - the 5 point harness on the arrow is easy to operate, adjust, and...
The 5 point harness on the Arrow is easy to operate, adjust, and release
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Harness


The 5-point harness is fairly easy to put on and adjust. It has nice padding and seems cozier than some of the competition. It also offers multiple shoulder adjustment points with an adjustable crotch strap.

Seat


The seat on the Arrow has a one-hand recline, but it is stiff and not intuitive. The front edge of the seat curves down nicely with an adequate hard plastic footrest.

schwinn arrow - the arrow has a quick release front wheel that makes setup and...
The Arrow has a quick release front wheel that makes setup and compact folding easier
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Ease of Setup




It took about 8:30 minutes to get the Arrow ready to stroll. The documentation is clear and concise and everything is easy to assemble but requires a Philips Head screwdriver. The manual doesn't indicate an attachment point for the safety lanyard leaving parents to guess the correct attachment point.

schwinn arrow - the arrow has significant flex in the frame when tilted for turning...
The Arrow has significant flex in the frame when tilted for turning and while it is lightweight, it still maneuvers poorly and scored low for this metric in our tests
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Maneuverability


This stroller isn't the easiest to maneuver. The surprising factor is that it is slightly better off-road than on. It is pretty easy to push but it is harder to turn because of the fixed wheel. It moves well over gravel and easily rolls over bumps. However, there is a lot of flex in the frame that makes it less responsive and a pain to push for long distances.

schwinn arrow - to get a smaller fold that is more likely to fit in your trunk you...
To get a smaller fold that is more likely to fit in your trunk you will need to remove the wheels of the Arrow
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Weight/Folded Size


The weight and folded size of this stroller are good compared to the competition. Its folded size is around 20,000 cubic inches which is one of the largest folded products we tested. This means it might have trouble fitting in some trunks. On the upside, this stroller is the second lightest.

schwinn arrow - the schwinn arrow has a lot of riveted sections keeping the frame...
The Schwinn Arrow has a lot of riveted sections keeping the frame together as well as a large side hinge for folding. This makes the whole stroller sort of rickety and full of flexing
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Quality


The quality of the Arrow is not great. The Arrow has smooth “plastic” feeling fabric that snagged easily in our tests. While this kind of fabric might be easier to clean, it is not breathable. The frame has a lot of flex and rattling because of the use of rivets. The wheels are aluminum with adjustable spokes and pneumatic tires, which are nice but have a lot of wiggle in the axle. The fit and finish are not tight or well-fitted. The canopy is not great, and the frame feels loose. All of the fasteners are exposed instead of nicely hidden.

schwinn arrow - the rubber handle covering on the schwinn arrow gets slippery when...
The rubber handle covering on the Schwinn Arrow gets slippery when wet, and we found ourselves accidentally grasping the brake cable when we didn't want to
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The handlebar is adjustable and covered in a textured rubber grip. The grip can get slippery when wet, but it is comfortable in the hand when not moist. The downside is the brake cable gets in the way of the handle, and it gets annoying to keep grabbing it.

schwinn arrow - the suspension on the arrow is not adjustable unlike much of the...
The suspension on the Arrow is not adjustable unlike much of the competition
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The Arrow doesn't have adjustable suspension, but it does have a sling-style seat with light padding, but it isn't the most comfortable.

Juliet Spurrier, MD & Carrie Vickers