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Baby Jogger City Elite Double vs Mini Review by Theresa

The Baby Jogger City Elite Double (BJCE) is the Big Brother of the City Mini Double (BJCM).

I have the Elite and have recently bought the Mini too so have put them side by side to offer a comparison between the two models. The Stone coloured Baby Jogger City Elite is in on the right in the pictures and the Black City Mini is on the left.

The Elite & the Mini both have the fantastic easy fold system and the Baby Jogger hoods which offer brilliant sun coverage and viewing windows so you can keep an eye on your little ones. Very cleverly the Elite has magnetic fasteners on these so no fear of disturbing a sleeping baby, however the Mini viewing windows are opened and secured with velcro, therefore being quite noisy to do, I’d love to see those changed. There are 2 generously sized padded seat units with an easily adjustable 5 point harness, seats have a single handed drawstring multi position recline from lay flat to upright. The Mini seats are a fraction smaller all round,  but only by a cm or so. The seat backs have large mesh pockets on them for extra storage and the handlebar features a 12 pocket parent console for drinks, keys, mobile phone etc. Whilst the Mini does have the mesh pockets it doesn’t have the parent console – although a smaller one is available to buy separately if required. The handlebar of the Elite is height adjustable unlike the fixed height handlebar of the Mini.

The Elite has 12″ air tyres compared to the 8″ tyres on the Mini, both have 4 quick release wheels and the option of locked or swivel front wheels, a single switch operation does both on the Elite and individual switches can be found on the front wheels on the Mini. Front suspension is in place on both but the Elite one feels superior, it literally bounces along over stones, bumps etc.

The Elite is the only one of the two that has an adjustable footrest, it can be raised up to the same height as the seat unit – very useful for small children. With the footrest raised you can gain access to the shopping basket underneath it, handy for putting smaller bit & pieces in from above.

The shopping basket is a good size although access is quite restricted due to the central bar, on the Mini it is further restricted due to the seat straps along the rear of the pushchair. I have found it easier to push items in to the basket from the sides and it can hold a fair amount of shopping, you just have to fiddle around to get it in there!

The Elite is the larger and heavier pushchair of the two and you can see that it has a bigger footplate too as it’s longer. The fold on the Elite is bulkier too although that can be reduced by removing all the wheels – but realistically you won’t want to do that every time you fold it.

The Elite is a great choice for those with an outdoor lifestyle, if you like walking lots and going off road then this is the Baby Jogger pushchair for you, don’t get me wrong, it works well in shopping centres too but if you use the car regularly and just use your pushchair for short walks or in shopping centres and the like, then the Mini will do all you need it to.

Either way, a Baby Jogger Elite or Baby Jogger Mini are a great choice of double pushchair.

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