Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 Review

Parents launched Baby Jogger in 1984 when they couldn't find a great jogging stroller for getting on the road with their babies. In addition to jogging strollers, Baby Jogger has been making a variety of different strollers for different needs since the beginning. The company is now owned by Newell Rubbermaid and continues to create family favorite strollers.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

The GT2 is easy enough to use with straightforward features, but some design choices inhibit true ease of use like a crossbar blocking great storage access.

Fold and Unfold

Baby Jogger offers an easy folding process compared to some competitors with a straightforward process of unlocking the frame and pulling the handle on the seat bottom. It auto-locks, self-stands, and has a carry handle.

The GT2 has a handbrake instead of a pedal foot brake. It is a unique feature and one that can save your footwear some wear and tear.

Brakes

The GT2 has a handbrake only that runs along the side of the frame. It is obviously sandal-foot friendly as it doesn't involve your feet, but it somewhat feels like it will snap on your hand when you release it. We didn't experience that, but it did give us pause during testing.

The under-seat storage on the GT2 is large enough and has a max limit of 12 lbs, but the crossbar on the frame limits accessibility.

Storage

The storage bin is large enough, but they've redesigned the frame with a crossbar that inhibits what can be placed inside despite the 10 lbs limit. There is front access unlike the previous version, but it doesn't make much sense to place a bar over the bin access and larger diaper bags aren't going to fit in easily. The GT2 also has a back of the seat pocket with a 2 lb limit suitable for quick access items or a water bottle.

The GT2 canopy is large and sports 2 peek-a-boo windows for full viewing coverage.

Sunshade

The UV 50 sunshade on the GT2 hasn't changed much and is as impressive as ever. It is a large, full-coverage canopy with dual peek-a-boo windows with magnet covers.

The buckle on the GT2 is stiff and harder to press than some of the competition.

Harness

The harness on the GT2 is more challenging to use than the one on the previous version, which we already didn't like. This harness has the same rethread as before, which is difficult to use with a sliding button design. The new buckle is harder to push and the shoulder straps separate from the waist straps at the buckle and it's not always easy to get them back together for buckling.

The GT2 seat reclines with the use of a toggle you may be able to manage with one hand to lower but it will require two hands to raise.

Seat

The seatback can recline almost flat with two hands on a toggle that has straps from each side that come together. It requires 2 hands to easily lift and lower without trouble. The footrest props up for flat napping which is new over the previous version, but it isn't as nice as competitors that have more available positions.

Car Seat Compatibility

The GT2 is compatible with a wide range of infant car seat carriers with the purchase of adapters. It comes standard with the ability to add a Baby Jogger brand car seat, though none of the Baby Jogger car seats performed well in our infant car seat review. Baby Jogger offers click-in car seat adapters for the following brands and seats: Britax; Chicco including the Chicco Fit2, Chicco KeyFit 30; Cybex including the Cybex Aton 2, and Cybex Cloud Q; Graco including the Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 Elite; Maxi Cosi; the Nuna Pipa; the Peg-Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35, the UPPAbaby Mesa; and Clek brand.

Ease of Setup

The GT2 comes almost totally assembled and took us only 4:47 minutes.

The manual is easy to follow, it requires no tools, and you only need to snap on the wheels and canopy to be ready to roll.

Maneuverability

The single front wheel of the GT2 is a "forever fill" rubber tires and it has all-wheel suspension. This design makes for better maneuverability over the dual wheel design on a single leg on the non-GT City Mini. The GT2 is marginally better for pushing and turning on bumpy services and performs well on flat services with smooth transitions. If you need to move over greenbelts or the occasional park trip this one can master that, but it isn't the right choice, in our opinion, for gravel roads or off-road hiking.

The GT2 also has an adjustable handlebar which can be useful for parents of significantly varying heights. However, it is a rotating design that can place taller pushers closer to the rear axle.

The GT2 folds fairly compact but is still much larger than the previous version which is a bummer.

Weight and Folded Size

Historically, the GT2 has been relatively small and lighter than much of the competition, albeit larger than the non-GT City Mini. This stroller weighs about the same as the previous version at 21.6 lbs, but it is significantly larger in folded size at 9,462 cubic inches over the previous size of closer to 8,400 cubic inches.

The GT2 is a nice stroller with quality on par with price.

Quality

The GT2 offers a slightly below the average quality stroller compared to the competition. It is good for the price and what we've come to expect from Baby Jogger, but the devil is in the details and some are lacking here compared to pricer contenders. The frame is sturdy and a new shape that allows for the fabric to look sleekier overall; the fabric is softer than the old GT. Design choices like the foot prop and toggle seat recline hurt its overall quality and appeal in side-by-side comparisons.

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