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Baby Jogger City Mini Double vs Elite Review by Theresa

 

The Baby Jogger City Mini double is a popular choice of double for many reasons. It has good sized seat units, excellent sun coverage from Baby Joggers fabulous extending hoods and the patented Baby Jogger Easy fold system which makes it a breeze to fold by pulling on two straps in the seat units.

I currently have a Baby Jogger City Elite Twin (the mini’s older brother) and have recently purchased a Baby Jogger City Mini so I have carried out a side by side comparison to highlight the differences between the two models. The Baby Jogger City Mini Double (BJCM) is on the left of the pictures in Black and the Baby Jogger City Elite Double (BJCE) is on the right.

Size wise the Elite is the larger pushchair, as you can see from the pictures the footprint is quite a bit bigger but there is only a fraction difference in the width. The seat unit sits higher on the Elite due to the larger wheels, the BJCM has 8″ solid wheels, the BJCE 12″ air wheels. The front wheels can be swivel or locked depending on your needs, there are individual locks on each wheel of the Mini and a lock or swivel switch on the front plate of the Elite, all the wheels are quick release on both models.

There is a a fixed position handlebar on the Mini compared to the multi-position height adjustable handlebar on the Elite. Both the City Mini & Elite have the full extending Baby Jogger hoods and the latest 2011 Mini version now has two separate hood units like the Elite, this was updated to allow the use of carrycots in the Mini.

The Mini has peekaboo windows in the hoods, allowing you to keep an eye on your little ones.  These are secured open  by velcro (which is quite noisy) whereas the Elite ones are magnetic and can be done without the fear of disturbing your sleeping child.

The BJCM seat units are a great size and would fit a child of five/six years old (maybe more) with ample room, the BJCE ones are a fraction bigger all round – but only by a cm or two. The seat units are nicely padded with an easily adjustable 5 point harness and the 2011 City Mini has backboards on the seat backs to make them firmer, this allows the child to be more upright in the seat. The recline on both pushchairs is a simple one handed drawstring recline, positionable at any angle from lay flat to upright. There are large mesh pockets on the rear of both seats which are great for storage, although are difficult to access when the seats are fully relined. There is no parent console on the Mini (although one is available to purchase separately) but the Elite has a 12 pocket console included, this is incredibly handy for keys, drinks, mobile phone etc. There is no adjustable footrest on the Mini but the Elite has an option to raise the footrest level with the seat – very useful for small children – and also allows access to the shopping basket from under the footrest too.

The shopping basket on the Mini is a good size but access is quite restricted. The Elite basket is similar although rear access is slightly better as there are no straps in the way, due to the central bar at the rear of the basket I find that it’s easier to place things in from the sides, both baskets can hold a fair amount – providing you can squeeze it in that is!

The fold is a very simple pull on two handles in the seat units, it is a two handed job though and both pushchairs are quite heavy, the Elite being the heavier of the two. The folds are both quite bulky – although the Mini has the smaller fold – but if you were happy to remove the quick release wheels each time you could get it much flatter – but I’m not sure you’d want to do that after each use.

In summary I think both pushchairs are FAB, but I would consider your lifestyle when choosing the right one for you. The Mini is perfect for shopping and short walks but if you are a keen walker or like to go off road then the Elite is the one for you. The Mini has front wheel suspension but the Elite’s suspension is superior in my opinion, it literally bounces along, across bumps and stones etc and handles very well off road – it copes well with the shops and the extra storage comes into its own on shopping trips but if you’re not using it for walks or off road use then the Mini will work just as well for you.

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