Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 Stroller Review

Baby Jogger City Mini GT2

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How it Compares

The Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 is a robust, yet versatile stroller that can hold even our tall 6-year-old grandson. It was just light enough at 20 lbs that we matched up against strollers in the “umbrella” category, but easily competes as a “full” stroller as well.

Note: This stroller is not intended to be a jogging stroller. “Jogger” is part of the brand name only.

Baby Jogger is a subsidiary of Newell Brands which also owns Graco Baby. Baby Jogger products are generally higher-priced and higher-quality than the sister Graco products.

The Downsides

Let’s address the complaints first. In the table below we show how our own findings compare to criticisms in the thousands of customer reviews on the web.

Criticism	Our Experience
Small storage basket	Not exactly. We measured the storage capacity at .88 cubic feet which is more than any other umbrella stroller we tested, and equivalent to normal strollers.
Difficult to put things in storage basket	True. See pictures later in the article.
No cup holders	True.
No place to store phones or small items	False. A mesh pocket on the back of the stroller seat has plenty of room for a phone, wipes, etc.
Can’t open one-handed	It is possible to open one-handed by pulling the latch and grabbing and pulling the frame apart in the same motion, but we agree that it is challenging.
Doesn’t stand folded	True.
Doesn’t easily fit through some doors	The rear wheels are 25.5″ from edge to edge. It fits through most interior doors which are typically 28″ to 32″ wide. It is not as narrow as many strollers.
Canopy doesn’t cover legs	The sunshade has good coverage compared to many strollers, but it is true that it doesn’t cover the legs.
Veers to the side	In our veer testing, we found that the GT2 stays on a straight path longer than most other strollers.
Harness buckle uncomfortable	Disagree. It is padded behind the buckle and the buckle itself is flat on the back.
Tips when hanging a bag on the handle	Disagree. We hung a 12 lb bag on the handle with no child in the stroller and it did not tip backward.
Heavy	Disagree. It is 20 lbs. This is heavy for an umbrella stroller and average for a regular stroller, and light for a stroller that accommodates kids up to 65 lbs as this one does.
Difficult to buckle	We found it to be average. The shoulder and hip clips stay together so you only have to clip in two things instead of four.
See too far reclined	Agreed. When upright the seat angle is 56 degrees. We would prefer it to be between 65 and 75 degrees.
Brake is hard to operate	The brake isn’t exactly difficult to use, but is on the side of the frame and is not intuitive.

Testing and Research

We purchased the GT2 to compare it with 19 other lightweight strollers. We ran each stroller through more than 100 tests and measurements, comparing them side by side to improve the accuracy of the ratings. Our review team includes multiple parents and kids to collect a variety of feedback on performance in kid comfort, parent ease of use, folding, maneuverability, and quality.

Weight and Folded Size

The City Mini GT2 is 20 lbs and folds down to 5.5 cubic feet. It was the heaviest and largest in folded size of the strollers we compared in this group.

Steering and Maneuverability

The City Mini GT2 steered easily for us despite its weight compared to other lightweight strollers. Ease of Steering:

It’s not perfect offroad but we found the big front and rear wheels had less trouble getting stuck in cracks and going over sticks and branches than most other strollers in the group.

It pushes smoothly on sidewalks and flat streets. It was also easy to push on the grass of a soccer field.

Jumping over curbs took 11 kg of downward force with an empty stroller. This is more than most strollers require but it is also heavier than others in the group.

The GT2 stays straight when pushing on flat surfaces. Here are the results of our Veer Tendency testing. Bigger numbers mean less veer.

Overall Maneuverability Rating:

Ease of Use

The biggest complaint about the City Mini GT2 is that it has a small basket and it is difficult to squeeze a diaper bag in it. The basket is actually comparatively large at 0.88 cubic feet and has a 10 lb weight limit, but it is very difficult to access.

On the plus side, items don’t easily fall out of the basket.

There is a mesh, elastic pocket on the back of the seat that is nice for wipes, keys, mobile phones, and a few diapers.

When folded you can carry the GT2 by the handle or by the fold strap as we demonstrate below. Unfortunately, there is no shoulder carry strap and no carry bag included.

There is a nice, mesh peekaboo window on the top of the canopy. I love the magnet that is used to keep the window closed when not in use.

The handle adjusts from 36.5″ to 44″ which makes it operable for shorter and taller parents. The handle is made from sturdy and comfortable rubber.

The frame and handle feel rigid and don’t twist even when we push heavier kids.

It took us 5 minutes to unbox and set up this stroller. The manual is well illustrated but the pictures are separate from the written instructions which makes it less usable.

The parking brake is on the right side of the stroller mounted on the frame. We found that it stops the stroller quickly and operates smoothly. However, it takes practice to learn how to use it, and you would never think to look for it where it is located.

The shoulder and hip straps on the 5-point harness are a bit awkward to adjust. The harnesses have to be rethreaded through the upper slots as your child grows.

Harness buckle operation we rated 8 out of 10 stars. The shoulder and hip harness clips slide together and stay together, which is better than having to clip four different things. However, it isn’t quite as smooth as some other strollers.

The seat can be reclined with one hand to variable heights. It takes two hands to make it incline but it is intuitive.

Under ease-of-use for parents we have to mention again that there are no cup holders!

The Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 is available in these colors:

• Jet
• Opulent Green
• Black
• Slate
• Pike
• Stone Grey

Folding and Transport

Our “How to fold the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2” video:

I am able to fold the City Mini GT2 in literally 1 second. It folds automatically by pulling the fold strap on the seat. Because it is big and a little heavy, you may have to fold it from the side rather than reaching over the handles from the back.

Unfolding takes 2 seconds and although it’s possible to unfold with one hand, it is easier to use pull the folding latch with one hand and raise the frame with the other hand.

It stands while folding but is pretty shaky.

You can take the front wheel off easily by pressing a release button, and then have it stand on the handle and rear wheels as I did below:

This stroller has to be carried when folded. It is not made to be pulled folded, rolling on its wheels.

Kid Comfort

In our accelerometer test to measure bumps and vibration, the City Mini GT2 had one of the best scores. This means it offers a smoother ride than most other strollers in the group. Lower numbers equal a smoother ride in this table:

This stroller accommodates bigger children well. The seat width is 12.5″, seat depth 9.5″, seat height 20″, and front of seat to the ground is also 20″. Those numbers may not mean anything to you but collectively they mean the stroller is big enough to grow into and is bigger than the umbrella strollers in this group.

The stroller is rated for children from 5 lbs (using a car seat adapter) and up to 65 lbs or 44″ tall.

The canopy does a good job of protecting the child’s torso and upper body. It extends over the knees but certainly doesn’t cover the legs fully.

The seat is padded well but is not super thick or extravagant. The shoulder and crotch straps and buckle are padded, but not the hip harness straps.

When fully reclined the seat goes back to a 20 degree angle which is flatter than the other strollers we tested.

The seat recline and extendable leg rest make this stroller comfortable to nap in.

No cup holders are included with the GT2 but you can buy a snack tray with a cup holder separately.

Quality and Safety

We are very impressed with the fabric and part quality on the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2. The frame is solid. The folding mechanism is simple and reliable.

The wheels are large and made of thick rubber. The wheels and all-wheel spring suspension make for a smooth and quiet ride. Average Decibels in our sound test:

The GT2 performed well in our pinch-point testing. We looked for hinges and moving parts with the potential to pinch little fingers or toes.

We also performed backward and sideways tip-over testing. This stroller was less likely to tip over to the side than other strollers in this group. It did not tip over with a 12 lb bag hanging from the handle either.

Pinching and tipping over are two of the most common safety hazards of strollers.

Although some customers have complained of missing or broken parts, ours arrived with everything in working condition.

The canopy fabric is thick, and the supports and hinges are well-made. When we open it completely up, it stays in place and the fabric stays taut.

Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 vs City Tour 2

Many people are rightfully in love with the Baby Jogger brand and are choosing between the City Mini GT2 and City Tour 2. The GT2 had an overall score of 71, and the City Tour 2 was 70.

See our full review of the Baby Jogger City Tour 2.

The City Tour 2 is 6 lbs lighter than the GT2 and that makes a big difference in usability when you are pushing, folding, and taking it in and out of the car all day. The City Tour 2 isn’t as wide and is easier to push through small doorways and navigate in crowds and while shopping.

The City Tour is also much smaller when it is folded, 2.2 cubic feet vs the City Mini’s 5.5 cubic feet.

Both strollers fold with one hand. The GT2 is faster to fold and unfold but takes a little more muscle.

Both strollers are easy to push and have responsive, low-force steering. We were surprised that the City Tour scored as well in our rough-terrain test as the City Mini.

The City Tour has less storage space than the GT2, and the City Tour basket isn’t much easier to access than the GT2’s. Oddly enough the City Tour’s storage basket is rated for 15 lbs while the larger GT2’s maxes out at 10 lbs.

The GT2 has a smoother ride and handles bigger children (65 lbs vs 45 lbs).