Baby Jogger City Tour stroller review

Babyjogger has dabbled in the ultra-compact, urban stroller category before with its City Mini Zip. But the City Tour firmly pitches itself at the travel market against competitors such as the Babyzen Yoyo or the Mountain Buggy Nano, boasting a folded size so small it fits into most airplane overhead lockers.

It also comes with a well-designed storage rucksack, making it super-easy to transport.

On first glimpse, I didn’t think the City Tour was as much of a looker as some of its competitors, although the Violet and Juniper colour options might add more of a wow factor than the black one I tested. Its design is in the same vein as its City Mini cousins -- the family resemblance is obvious in the rounded footwells, the padded seat fabric and its impression of quality and durability.

Buy the Baby Jogger City Tour from Amazon and Kiddies Kingdom.

Is the Baby Jogger City Tour stroller lightweight?

Yes, the Baby Jogger City Tour is lightweight, at at 6.45kg, it's actually easy to pick up and walk around with it.

I must declare that I am a big fan of Baby Jogger. My trusty work horse, the Baby Jogger City Versa, has taken care of my two little ones for a number of years.

It has stood the test of time, with its sturdiness, ease of pushing and well thought-out design. So I had high hopes for the City Tour, Baby Jogger’s venture into the popular travel buggy niche.

Unsurprisingly, at 6.45kg, the City Tour feels much lighter than its robust Versa stable mate. It’s not quite as solid – the 5” wheels seem extremely light and flimsy on first impression, and there is a certain give to the chassis – but it is well made and stable.

On the move, the Baby Jogger sturdiness becomes apparent. I ended up testing the City Tour on most terrains, tackling kerbs and all manner of bumps in the road unchecked. The wheels are also lockable for longer distances and the front wheel suspension is noticeable, as it makes for a very smooth ride.

Is the Baby Jogger City Tour stroller compact is it when unfolded and when folded?

Yes, it is. Baby Jogger has pegged most of its City Tour publicity on its compact fold, which measures an impressive 56x25x45cm.

This is a tad bigger than the revolutionary Babyzen Yoyo (52x44x18cm), but still corresponds to the exact dimensions currently allowed on numerous airlines, including British Airways and Easyjet.

However, as with all of these compact folding buggies, it’s worth double-checking with the airline if you’re allowed to take them on-board, as allowances do vary – and airline staff is still getting used to the sight of travel-bag sized folded buggies.

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Is the Baby Jogger City Tour stroller fold system really one-handed?

The City Tour is very easy to fold with one hand. You press a big handlebar button to fold it forward. Then you press a red safety button under the seat, which allows you to lift the in-seat fold strap to finish the fold.

The strap always needs a bit of a tug, so I could never get the movement to look as smooth as in the promotional videos, but folding is nonetheless satisfyingly simple.

Unfolding needs to be done with two hands. You release the safety catch and then unfold the chassis and hood. I tried to unfold it with a one-handed flourish, but couldn’t make that work.

How easy is it to store?

The City Tour is a pleasure to store, whether at home or on the go. Even unfolded, it sits neatly in small corners or narrow hallways, and in its bag it can go in any room in the house, tucked out of sight.

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Packing it in the car is also satisfyingly simple. Admittedly, we have a decent-sized boot, but it makes a difference when the buggy doesn’t take up most of the space. The City Tour even fits in the footwell behind the driver’s seat or by the passenger seat.

Can you use the City Tour on public transport?

It is, travelling on public transport is one of the key areas the City Tour is designed for, and it really fulfils its promise on this front. The folded buggy fits onto train luggage racks, on or behind seats or even on laps, and getting on and off a busy bus is also a doddle. I can’t wait to give it a go on my next Eurostar trip to the continent.

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With the City Tour I no longer dread flights of stairs or have to work out step-free routes around London. It’s so easy to lift and carry, baby strapped in, that city attractions have become much more accessible. As I nipped up a few steps to a local store, an employee actually remarked, “you’re strong!”. Nope, just the proud owner of a lightweight buggy.

Would you be able to take the City Tour away on holiday?

Yes, and I can’t wait to take the City Tour on holiday. I love its extendable SPF 50+ hood with added sun visor, and the buggy’s suspension and manoeuvrability mean it can take on most city surfaces.

Airports will be a pleasure, even those that ask you to put buggies through the x-ray machine, which happened to me in France. With a bulky travel system this is a palaver, but the City Tour’s easy fold means I will no longer dread such measures, and the fact that I can take it all the way onto the plane is a huge positive.

A slight negative is the somewhat clunky raincover. It allows access to your child through a zip, which is quite fiddly to open and close due to the very thick material.

The zip and material also make it tricky to fold very small, so I might just opt for a flimsier cover when on the go or rely on the hood to hold off the weather.

Is the Baby Jogger City Tour buggy travel system/infant car seat compatible?

No, it's not. This stroller can not be used with an infant car seat, it's more likely to be used a as a secondary buggy with and older baby, toddler, as the seat unit can only be used from 6 months +.

What do you think of the seat size?

The Baby Jogger City Tour’s seat was a bit of a disappointment. Its depth is one of the first things I noticed, and I measured it at only 21cm, compared to, say, the Babyzen Yoyo’s 25cm.

It meant that my seven-month-old was left with oddly dangling legs. As he grows, his legs will become more supported by the foot- and lower leg rest, but for now it looks a tad uncomfortable, and he was flapping his legs about quite a bit. I would prefer my baby to be more sheltered and ‘tucked in’ to his seat.

In addition, even though I like the multi-recline function – which is easily adjusted with a toggle strap to your preferred height – the most upright position has too much of a recline in my opinion.

Having said that, little one did end up falling asleep when he needed to, so that was a relief.

What do you think of the straps?

The straps are nicely made in a secure five-point system. One quirk is that the two shoulder straps can be removed from the main fastener separately by sliding them off the two waist strap fittings. At first I thought this was handy, as it meant slightly less digging around under baby’s bottom for the straps. But a few times, they slid off the fastener of their own accord as I was trying to click them into place, which became a bit irritating.

Is the frame strong, durable?

Baby Jogger makes solid buggies, and the City Tour is no exception. Despite being super light-weight, it feels incredibly sturdy. It dealt well with even my tall elder child, so I would trust it to last for a long time. There is also a lifetime warranty on the chassis.

Tell us about the City Tour carry bag.

The buggy fits very well into its travel bag, and the rucksack-style straps make carrying very easy. However, my husband thought it was suitable more for a quick ‘A to B’, rather than a major hike. He wouldn’t want to carry it for an extended period of time.

It would also be great to add a carry strap to the buggy itself. In many situations, such as getting on or off transport, you don’t have time to put the buggy in the bag, but just want to sling it over your shoulder and go.

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What do you think of handle?

The handle bar has a slight squared off shape and is covered in a hard, rubbery plastic rather than foam. It’s easy and comfortable to grip and handy to hang changing bags or shopping from (although this is never recommended by manufacturers). One oddity is the handle bar folding button, which is located bang in the middle of the bar. My friend mistook it for the brake, and it is a bit in the way, if you like your grip unencumbered. But once you’re used to it, you don’t really notice it and it does mean that the fold mechanism is very easy to locate when in a hurry.

My husband and I are relatively tall (6’3’’ and 5’7’’, respectively), and the handle immediately felt low to us. I measured it at 96cm, 10cm lower than our Versa’s handle in its highest position. As the buggy is such a pleasure to push, and you don’t need to grip the handle bar that hard, it’s only a minor problem, but we would both prefer it higher.

How is interacting with your little one when in the buggy?

Even though the City Tour only faces the world, it’s easy to check on little one, thanks to a generous mesh window. Or just tip it backwards to say hello, as it’s so light.

What do you think of the hood?

The hood is fantastic, providing great coverage with an easy mechanism. Its SPF 50+ protection fabric is very handy, especially in a buggy designed for travel, and the peekaboo mesh window provides a good view of baby.

Baby Jogger has provided a little toggle to allow you to roll up and fasten the mesh window cover. I thought this was a superfluous design feature, as I don’t tend to bother with fiddly bits. But then I noticed I kept the window open most of the time, so the toggle allowed me to keep its cover out of the way.

What are the basket and storage pockets like?

By their nature compact buggies need to compromise on basket size, so I didn’t expect much of this feature. The City Tour’s is comparable to other products in the same niche – maybe a tad shallower than some, but certainly not a deal-breaker.

In addition to its basket, the City Tour has a zipped pocket designed to store its rucksack carrier, but which is also handy for additional everyday items. I’m not sure it’s necessary, but it’s a nice touch. A seatback mesh pocket provides additional storage, which is invaluable for quick access to water bottles, wipes, wallets and so on.

How easy is it to push?

The Baby Jogger City Tour is a pleasure to push. It feels sturdy, yet nippy. It has a solid grip of the road, yet is easy to steer with one hand, while holding phone, door, luggage or elder sibling in the other. It copes extremely well on a variety of terrain, including extremely uneven pavements and wet grass. The wheels didn’t misbehave once, and tackled all kerbs, dips and bumps with aplomb.

Our previous experience of lightweight buggies was a few months with the Bugaboo Bee, which my husband and I hated for its unstable handling and rickety temperament. We ditched it in order to return to our Versa, so the City Tour was a delight in comparison.

It even stood up to the test of carting around my tall-for-her-age three-year-old. She looked decidedly oversized for the frame, but found the ride comfortable, and pushing her remained extremely easy.

What do you think of the wheels – does their small size affect how it pushes?

Following my initial reservations about the flimsy-looking 5” wheels, they coped remarkably well in real life. They are slimline and light, but tackle surfaces as well as any and better than many competitors. The front wheel swivel is secure and it’s great to have the option of locking them.

Tell us about the brakes.

The brake is located on the right-hand back wheel and is straightforward and intuitive to use. I didn’t have any problems with applying or releasing it, a crucial point with such a lightweight buggy, as it is quick to roll off when unsecured.

What age child is it best for?

The City Tour is aimed at children from six months to roughly three years, with the seat taking up to 15kg. It doesn’t recline flat and isn’t compatible with any car seat.

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My three-year-old was definitely too tall for it (although she is very tall for her age). Having said that, she didn’t complain and found the ride very comfortable. So if older siblings need an emergency nap en route, the City Tour will do the job.

Personally, I rely a lot on my Baby Jogger City Versa to cart my older child along, either on the brand’s Glider Board or in the seat itself, with little one in a sling. As the City Tour is officially not compatible with any buggy board (it certainly didn’t work with my Lascal Mini, although I didn’t test the Maxi), these travelling combinations are not an option for me.

What’s in the box?

• Ready assembled chassis, seat cover and hood
• City Tour rucksack carrier
• Instruction manual

Is it easy/hard to build the product?

The City Tour is incredibly easy to build. It is pre-assembled, so all you need to do is put the wheels on and unfold. As the instructions were tucked inside the buggy, I set it up without them in five minutes. If you do need them, they are well illustrated, with additional written explanations.

Is this buggy good value for money?

Yes and no, at an RRP of £249, the City Tour is at the higher end of the ultra-compact travel buggies market.

It cannot be used from birth and is not car seat compatible, so many potential buyers will be considering it as a secondary buggy, or just for travel, which makes the price tag quite considerable. You also have to pay extra for the rain cover (£19.99), belly bar (£24.99) and cup holder (£19.99).

However, in my opinion, the option of taking it on the plane, and the ease of steering and manoeuvering is worth paying a little extra for.

Are there optional extras?

• Raincover - £19.99
• Belly bar - £24.99
• Cup holder - £19.99

MadeForMums verdict

The City Tour is a great addition to the Baby Jogger range. It is ideal for travel, and is sturdy enough for everyday use and abuse. For our family, it works perfectly as a secondary buggy, for holidays and easy days out or quick trips into town on public transport, rather than as a main buggy. However, I would also happily recommend it to a city-dwelling parent or carer of one child above six months. It is a pleasure to use and it shows all the signs of the trusted Baby Jogger longevity. I would certainly prefer it over an umbrella stroller in the lightweight category.

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