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Baby Jogger City Mini 4

The Baby Jogger City Mini 4 is as near the perfect stroller as you can get. It is lightweight, flat when folded, simple to open and even simpler to close. It is packed with features such as a huge hood, large basket, large mesh pocket, large seat and a lie flat recline.

The Baby Jogger City Mini 4 is almost identical to the City Mini 3 but with the addition of an extra wheel at the front which gives it greater stability, especially in car seat and carrycot mode, and if you push one handed, maybe whilst holding a toddlers hand. The Baby Jogger City Mini 4 is solid and stable!!! The 4th wheel does make the Baby Jogger City Mini look a little bit more like the City Select at the front.

I think people are often a little put off by the look of the City Mini, but the pushchair is just so easy to use, so logical and well thought out, and offers a good seat for all children from newborn to school age.

To run quickly through why the City Mini is so good:

  • The one handed fold is amazing – awesome in fact. We often joke that if it takes 3 seconds to do then that is too long! You can quite literally scoop your child out of the seat, grasp the “pull” handle and start walking. The pushchair will simply come along with you in your hand. The caveat to this is that you are supposed to put on two poppered safety straps each time you erect the pushchair, and these are meant to be unpoppered before folding (which takes two seconds longer) but in reality I know very few people who use these.
  • The seat is tall, roomy and has a good depth and leg length for older children. But yet, babies and younger toddlers do not slouch like in some other pushchairs.
  • The seat lies flat, so is suitable from birth.
  • There are the options (in 2012) of a choice of 3 carrycots for the Baby Jogger City Mini 3 or 4. There is a hard bodied carrycot which is very pram like or a choice of a compact carrycot, or a compact plus carrycot (slightly bigger). These can be attached with the fabric in situ, or else the fabric can be easily removed.
  • The Baby Jogger City Mini can take a Maxi Cosi Cabriofix or Pebble car seat, or the Baby Jogger City Auto MB. The Baby Jogger City Mini 4 is more stable with a car seat on than the 3 wheel version which could feel a bit top heavy and “tippy” with a car seat on.
  • The hood is huge. I have had 3 City Mini’s and I do not believe I have ever yet used the raincover on them. For most light showers or in winter with a cosy toes on, the hood will protect a child for a short walk. The fabric is waterproof enough to stand a light shower.
  • There are two large peekaboo windows on the top of the hood. We would like to see magnetic closures on these because they are a bit noisy to open!
  • There is a toggle recline which we like because we can easily recline a child to any level. Compared to other pushchairs with toggle reclines, the City Mini is quite easy to sit the child back up again. Cleverly the recline and fabric is on the outside of the pushchair seat so that the fabric doesn’t bunch up around the child’s head.
  • There is a roll up / down cover for the rear of the seat. This stays on very well but when rolled up reveals a mesh which gives a child ventilation.
  • There is a large storage basket. Access is not the best but it is better than the average stroller. There is also a large mesh pocket on the rear of the seat which is very useful for your purse, phone, keys, drinks etc.
  • There are 5 different harness height settings and a long harness with a good buckle. The harness adjustment could be a little easier though.
  • The Baby Jogger City Mini 4 has the 2011 additions of the ‘Sit upright’ strap which allows a child to be sat up to almost 90 degrees upright; and the PE board in the rear of the seat to give it rigidity and to stop a child slumping.
  • The brake is a foot one and is coloured red. However I still find it hard to find and I wish it was a little more decisive when applied. I look forward to the handbrake on the Baby Jogger City Mini GT.
  • I have been asked if the 4 wheels makes the City Mini 4 less manoeuverable, but I actually think it makes the City Mini 4 even more nippy than it was before.
  • All the wheels can be popped off very quickly (and back on again just as easily) leaving an extremely flat chassis. This makes the City Mini a fantastic pushchair for holidays or when space in a car or home is at a premium. The City Mini could even be hung up behind a door.
  • The handle height is fixed – it is on the tall side. I am 5ft 6ins and it is a little tall for me – but its better tall than short!
  • The fabric on the Baby Jogger City Mini can be very easily removed and washed if necessary.
  • Baby Jogger products have a lifetime warranty on the chassis (1 year on the wheels and fabrics) no matter who bought the pushchair or when.

However as suggested, the Baby Jogger City Mini is not quite perfect – for that we need to look towards the new Baby Jogger City Mini GT for perfection!! But meanwhile the Baby Jogger City Mini 4 does still stand head and shoulders above most other strollers on the market at present and we highly recommend it.

 

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