Thule - Cougar 1

4 in total, with two children. I don't drive and we walk daily, in all weather. I had a Graco Comfy Cruiser as my daily driver. Less than $200 and it was an absolute workhorse. I used it for over 6 years, between the two kids. Huge basket was perfect for grocery shopping. We also had a Joovy Caboose, for the short period of time when my older child was not a reliable distance walker, and needed a place to rest. And then two running strollers - a Chariot Cougar 1 and Cougar 2 (single and double versions of the same stroller). My youngest is 4 and we are still using the Cougar 1 for runs together.

Thule, for sure. I've been using a Cougar 1 for 7 years, and also had a Cougar 2 when I was able to push both my kids. I'm the third owner of the Cougar 1 and it still pushes like a dream. So smooth, so easy to maneuver, comfortable for my son, and not heavy. I've trained for multiple half marathons with it, and pushed it in five or six races of various distances.

Thule Chariot, hands down. I had a Cougar 1 and a Cougar 2. I'm still using the Cougar 1 with my 4 year old. Pushes like a dream, and all the weather covers are built in. I love the mesh cover because it prevents toddlers from throwing all their crap out and making you stop 47 times to collect it.

I have owned both a single and double Chariot, and still run with the single. I love them. Hands down, best child related purchase(s) I've ever made.

If you're runners, get a dedicated stroller just for running. A decent running stroller is not a good daily driver. I LOVE my Chariot Cougars (currently using the one seater, previously had the two seater), but I'd never use it daily.

Thule Chariot, hands down. I had a Cougar 1 and a Cougar 2. I'm still using the Cougar 1 with my 4 year old. Pushes like a dream, and all the weather covers are built in. I love the mesh cover because it prevents toddlers from throwing all their crap out and making you stop 47 times to collect it.

We use the Thule Chariot Cougar 1 as a regular stroller and love it! Used it all last winter with the little one. The regular wheels at the front worked for us fine, sometimes you just have to pop up the front and use the two back tires if you are going through ruts or drifts. We did use the jogging tire when we went to Zoo Lights but could have easily used the regular ones. It keeps them warm, toasty and protects them from the elements, so just watch out for overheating. The storage pouches in the back are a good size. We can stash a diaper bag and more in them, so it should be good for daycare drop off.

What a good question. For me, lying flat/newborn compatibility, and the amount of space it took up in the car trumped all other factors in the end. We had a secondhand baby jogger and it was just TOO BIG. Carseat compatibility is like negative important in my mind, and totally irrelevant if you have a lie-flat stroller or bassinet. My kiddo basically stopped wanting to be in a stroller as soon as she could walk at 10 months so now the stroller is a glorified bag/luggage cart and I'm so happy I didn't get sucked into snack trays, reversible seats, suspension, baskets, wheels. We ended up with an Ergobaby Metro+. I will add we also have Thule Chariot single that we use walking in the snow and on the ice. I was hellbent on being a one stroller household but I don't mind this because it's also for biking and will outlive our stroller by a lot. But unless you really live in the country I don't think it's a reasonable sole stroller.

Are you looking for a single or double? True jogging or just all-terrain? If a single, the Guava Roam folds a lot more compact than a BOB! I don’t think it will fit in a backseat though if you’re looking for super small. I have a Thule Chariot (single) and yes it does come apart and fold kind of flat but it’s still a huge footprint especially if you’re using the jogging attachment. It’s not terrible to take apart and put back together but I wouldn’t want to use it for regular errands and such. I love it but it is not small especially if you mean the double. It’s also quite heavy to load and unload. This might sound crazy but if you really have to pile into one vehicle with the dog on occasion maybe look at hitch-mounted cargo carriers that you could strap a stroller to or something lol (you would need a hitch on your car though). I could see the Chariot working with that when it’s folded down.

Tandem for the win (I have the gazelle and it is the workhorse). Side by side doesn't really work in an urban city. It is more like a FU to pedestrians on the sidewalk as you literally block it.  I also have a Thule chariot and veer which takes up as much space as a side by side. Maybe the wagon XL is a tiny bit more narrower. It is unwieldy to navigate and good luck if you go to small shops because you can't navigate through the aisles.  

It'll work for most days when there's light snow or everything is packed down but if there's ever several inches of snow it'll be a tough push. Also after snow clearing there's sometimes big chunks of ice blocking the sidewalk which usually don't get cleared for a few hours that always correspond to when I needed to get somewhere lol.

They honestly both have their merits. I have the uppababy vista, the Thule urban glide (side x side), and Thule chariot (side x side). I use the Thules for running and dog walks, but the main problem I'm having with side x side right now is just the amount of stroller drama (they are 12 months but this has been going on for a few months)..this includes biting, toy stealing, etc etc. The uppababy is good for the rare city outing (especially as they are still in their infant seats so they click right in), but I find it more difficult to steer, it is LONG (sorry door frames), and it has no breaks which I find incredibly useful living in a very hilly area!

I LOVE my thule chariot for our lifestyle.  We are outdoorsy people and go on flat nature trails or paved paths all the time. I couldn't lift it until 3 months PP to get it in and out of the trunk because its a little heavy but it is SO nice. Great for snow on the ground or gravel. Can be used as a bike chariot or stroller. The infant sling is an additional $100 Price is up there but I got it for $500 off marketplace.   It takes up a big portion of our mini van trunk. I couldn't imagine using it for errands because it is pretty wide.

I have a baby jogger city mini and it's pretty solid on different surfaces. I've pushed it through sand, snow, slush, and rocky trails with minimal problems. My best purchase though was my Thule chariot. It can handle any surface easily and we convert it to bike and ski too. It doesn't hold a car seat but you can get an infant sling. I have friends who use the Thule jogging stroller and bugaboo fox and say they're wonderful in the snow.

What you are planning and what your baby wants is completely different. We got the Nuna Mixx and it felt like a waste initially cause we were always pushing an empty stroller around with her worn on me. We live in a neighborhood with rough terrain so wanted one with big wheels and suspensions. At one year old she finally could sit for 10 minutes in the stroller without fussing. Then we caved and bought a second travel stroller because our primary one was heavy and massive and felt too big for trips to the mall/grocery. And proceeded to purchase a third Thule chariot for bike trips. It really depends on your lifestyle, but if your aren’t planning on daily long stroller walks, you could probably swing babywearing for the first couple of months.