If you cannot wait to start your active lifestyle jogging or running after the birth of your baby, you need a stroller that is car seat compatible. You will find many advising that it is safer to run or jog with newborns in a jogging stroller when they are old enough to hold their heads upright by themselves. Attaching an infant seat to a compatible baby jogger changes this otherwise sensible advice.
Infant car seats are designed with superior safety features that protect babies from crash impact, and when used with strollers that are fitted with infant car seat adapters, you can start enjoying running and jogging with your newborn at an early age.
There are many baby joggers in the market that can be used with an infant seat, but only a few are easy to use and work seamlessly with infant car seats. We will show you a great jogging stroller that is compatible with car seats.
Why you need a jogging stroller with car seat
Parents often ask how old their babies should be before they can safely ride in a stroller. The age can be different for every baby, just as the answer to the question is different from manufacturers. Baby Jogger recommends using their strollers with babies on smooth surfaces from 6 months.
And BOB advises parents that without attaching a compatible infant seat, children should not be taken for jogging or off-road strolling until they are 8 months old.
These recommendations are for very good safety reasons. Though strollers are designed with excellent shock absorbers and suspension, newborns are too tender to take even the smallest knocks and bumps experienced when you jog or run with them.
Car seats however, are designed to protect babies from side or front impact forces of a car crash. They provide excellent head and neck support for your baby, and undergo rigorous safety tests and certification before they are sold. Manufacturers have transferred some of these safety benefits to jogging strollers with the use of car seat adapters.
Parents are now able to safely go for a gentle jog or run with their baby from an early age with the use of a good infant seat that can be attached to a jogging stroller.
Features of a good jogging stroller with car seat 
Some jogging strollers come complete with detachable infant car seat. Strollers like this are often referred to as travel systems. Other strollers have optional seat adapters that are purchased separately, allowing you to use many brands of car seats with your jogging stroller, turning it into a travel system.
Infant car seats are one of the early baby stuffs purchased by parents with the arrival of a newborn in the family. If you have already invested in a good seat, a jogging stroller with an adapter that will allow you use your existing car seat is a good choice that will save you money.
These are the things to look for in a good jogging stroller that is compatible with car seats:
- Can you buy an adapter for the stroller that can be used with different brands of car seats?
- Check the weight limit? Manufacturers often specify the weight capacity of adapters as the combined weight of the baby and the car seat.
- Is the car seat adapter easy to fit and secured safely on the stroller? Some brands can be quickly snapped on, and easily removed from the stroller without complicated assembly.
- And here is the one parents really love, can you fold the jogging stroller with the car seat adapter still attached? This removes the hassle of frequently removing and re-attaching the adapter when travelling, or folding the baby jogger for storage.
And which is the great Jogging Stroller that is car seat compatible?
Baby Jogger and BOB brands of jogging strollers are one of the best strollers that are car seat compatible. They have adapters for several popular car seats. The car seats they can use include popular brands like Peg Perego, Britax, Graco, Evenflo, and many others.
Each adapter has a full list of brands and model of car seats it can be fitted with, so it is worth checking before making a purchase.
We set out to look for a great stroller that is car seat compatible, our review however found the Bob range of single and double strollers offer the best choice for parents. Each BOB jogging stroller has a car seat adapter with semi permanent fitting that secures it safely to the strollers. BOB adapters are sturdy and folds completely with the jogging strollers unlike other car seat adapters that will require removing the adapter before folding the strollers for storage or travelling.
The ability to fold the stroller with infant seat adapter still attached is lacking in the Baby Jogger jogging strollers.
If you are a parent eager to start exercising soon after the birth of your baby, BOB range of jogging strollers are great car seat compatible jogging strollers that will get you jogging, running or just strolling the malls with your newborn.
Are there any that are any good that are not almost $500 for a single stroller, no offense but not everyone is made of money, to insist that the only/best stroller that anyone should consider for this type of thing is also one of the most expensive, give me a break. Any chance you could do a realistic review with some REASONABLE priced joggers?
Hi Cheapo,
Thanks for your feedback. I totally agree many parents may not be able to afford a BOB or Baby Jogger stroller, though you will find that parents who have purchased and used them, rate the brands very highly.
Of course there are far less expensive alternative jogging strollers to the BOB and Baby Jogger that are good, and are also infant car seat compatible. They may not be as sturdy as a BOB or Baby Jogger, or have fine features like adjustable suspension, but they are very good value for money.
The Instep Grand Safari and the Schwinn Turismo jogging strollers are my favorite cheaper alternatives. Both joggers look alike in design, and that is because they are manufactured by the same parent company.
Instep Grand Safari single jogging stroller has a list price of $199, but as write this reply to your comment, it is selling for $129 on Amazon, a whopping 35% discount.
The Schwinn Turismo is slightly more expensive than the Instep Grand Safari with a list price of $239.99 for the single stroller. Again as I write, the Schwinn Turismo single stroller is being sold for $169 on Amazon.
The major difference between the Schwinn Turismo and the Instep Grand Safari is the aluminum frame and wheels on the Schwinn Turismo, and the molded plastic wheels on Instep Grand Safari. If you can stretch your budget a little, I would recommend going for the Schwinn Turismo Single Jogging stroller.
So Cheapo, there are good jogging strollers out there that are infant car seat compatible, and far cheaper than $500 that many parents would find difficult to spend on a stroller.
This review though looked at a GREAT jogging stroller that is infant car seat compatible, and for parents that can afford it, the BOB, for me remained the preferred choice.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I called Instep but the rep wouldn’t recommend specific brands and models of infant car seats that are compatible with the Instep Safari Lifestyle Stroller – they only state that Safety 1st and Cosco and Eddie Bauer are compatible.
Do you know which specific models of the above brands are compatible?
I received the jogger as a baby shower gift and I’m bummed because my Britax Chaperone care seat isn’t compatible with it. 🙁 So I’m thinking I’ll just buy another car seat.
Thanks in advance,
Rosie
Hi Rosie,
I am really surprised that Instep could not tell you the specific models of Infant car seats to purchase for your Safari Lifestyle jogging stroller. The manual could have been helpful if it were more specific, but it only states that “The stroller is compatible with most infant car seats including but not limited to Safety 1st, Cosco and Eddie Bauer”
I am not very familiar with the actual models of Safety 1st, Cosco or Eddie Bauer infant car seats that will work with the Instep Safari, but you can use either the Graco Snugride 35, or Chicco Key Fit 30 with the stroller. Both infant car seats have notches on the bottom that fit into the grooves of the child tray cup holders, and you then safely secure the seat with a strap provided on the stroller.
The Graco Snugride 35 is my preference, and a popular choice with parents. Though cheaper than Chicco Key Fit 30, it is a #1 Best Seller. Since you already have a Britax that did not fit the stroller, I assume you probably do not want to spent too much on a second infant car seat – if you don’t have to. I will admit though that the Chicco Key Fit 30 is more richly padded, and it has more variety of colors to choose from.
Be sure to check out the instructions on how to fit infant car seat on Instep Safari Jogging Strollers. The instruction can be found in section 5 of the user manual.
Jeff
Graco Snugride 35 and Chicco Key Fit 30 are two popular infant car seats that work well with the Instep Safari Lifestyle Jogging strollers.
Thanks Jeff!!
I’m glad you told me.
They’re being very vague over there at instep. The rep that I spoke to said to look for seats that don’t rock on the bottom. But that doesn’t help me too much.
Thanks so much for the recommendations!!
Best,
Rosie
Hi Rosie,
I’m glad you found the information I provided helpful. Instep should have been more specific to your questions.
Jeff
Hi I just got a safari stroller model 01AR130 by a friend cause I’m having a baby but I’m looking for a car seat adapter that will go with it for a newborn and I really don’t know where to get one anyone her can help me plz
Hi Mirreile,
I can’t find an Instep Safari with the model number you posted. Could you check that the model number is correct?
Jeff
Jeff, I read in the above article that there are adapters for Baby Jogger and Bob for the Evenflo car seat to be used. If so which stroller as the adapter for that particular car seat?
Thanks
Erica
Hi Erica,
The Baby Jogger Car Seat Adapter Guide is a comprehensive list of Infant Car seat make/model matched against Baby Jogger strollers and the adapter model number that go with it. The Evenflo Discovery and Serenade Infant car seats has up to 4 different adapters, and the one to choose depends on the model of Baby Jogger stroller. Check out the Car Seat Adapter Guide for Baby Jogger strollers.
Hope you find this helpful.
Jeff
What is your opinion of the BabyTrend Manta jogging stroller? The user guide says not to use with car seat attachment, but per your artical you say it’s safe. Is this just a manufactur warning to avoid lawsuits, or can ahead and start jogging with my baby?
Hi Stephanie,
I have reviewed these Baby Trend Jogging strollers – Expedition, Expedition LX, and the Velocity, but not the Manta. So I am not quite sure where you got the information that I have written a review on it.
I have however taken a quite look at the Baby Trend Manta, and what a cute stroller. It may not be as sturdy as the Expedition and Velocity, but it is much compact and so much versatile. It can be used for jogging but only with the stroller seat adjusted in the upright or reclined position. The seat can be adjusted in a carriage position, but you are warned in the user manual not to jog with your child when in this position. You can only use the Baby Trend Manta for strolling when the seat is in the carriage position.
You are also warned not to jog with the stroller when you place your child in an Infant Car Seat attached to the stroller. These warnings are typical of any jogging stroller with seats that can be adjusted in multiple positions. The warnings are boldly written in red in the user manual.
My conclusion from what I have read from the user manual is that you can certainly jog with the Baby Trend Manta, but you must adjust the seat to the recommended upright or reclined positions.
I hope you find this quick review helpful.
Jeff
The Baby Trend Manta is cute, compact, lightweight and it can be used for jogging with the seat adjusted in upright or reclined positions. The Manta is also Inafant Car Seat compatible.
Hello! I just purchased the double BOB stroller and have the Eddie Bauer travel system car seat and stroller. Does any adapter fit this car seat?
Hi Lorin,
BOB don’t have an adapter for that is compatible with the Eddie Bauer infant car seat. You can see the complete list of current and older versions of BOB adapters and compatible car seats at BOB Stroller Car Seat Adapters
Jeff