Baby Jogger City Select Review

The Baby Jogger City Select was our first stroller purchase when our little one, Niamh, arrived. After countless hours of reading product descriptions and reviews, I decided the City Select was the best fit for our family and here's why:

• The City Select is a single stroller that has the ability to convert into a double stroller as our family grows. The stroller itself sells for $499.99 with a second seat, sold separately, at $169.95 or bassinet, also sold separately, at $89.95. Don't make the mistake of shelling out serious dough for a nice single stroller that renders itself useless once baby #2 comes along!
• With the second seat attached, the stroller still handles like a single and easily passes through doors, down aisles, etc. Have you ever seen someone try to maneuver a side-by-side double BOB through a mall or grocery store??
• Countless combinations that could accommodate newborn twins, an infant and toddler, two toddlers, etc.
• Large undercarriage storage that is easy to access. Many of the single-to-double strollers compromise storage when converted because the storage space becomes leg space for one child. Additionally, the placement of a second seat on other models (notably the Britax B-Ready) builds off the back of the stroller and could easily get in the way with a taller parent. The City Select even has an extendable handle to offer a few more inches of leg room.
• Huge sun canopy with a covered peek-a-boo window
• Easy hand brake

That said, the City Select does have a few drawbacks:

• It is large and quite heavy. I drive a VW Jetta Sportwagon and the stroller, when folded, takes up the majority of my trunk space. Makes for a tight squeeze when loading groceries or other gear.
• It does not have a compatible parent cup holder. Laugh if you will, but this was a HUGE con for me. Baby Jogger sells a universal cup holder, but it's not actually compatible with the City Select - so much for universal, right? Trick of the trade: The Bugaboo parent cup holder works like a charm! It comes with several attachment clamps and one just happens to be the perfect shape and size for the frame of the City Select. It also allows you to place the cup holder on the outside of the frame or the inside to keep your profile a little sleeker. You can even fold and store the stroller with it attached.
• Now that Niamh is old enough to sit in the toddler seat, I realize that it doesn't seem to have a particular cushy place for her to rest her head. So far, this hasn't seemed to be an issue and she appears comfy, for the most part.
• All the accessories are sold individually. However, I'm the type of person that hates clutter and unnecessary gear, so I'm willing to spend the extra few dollars on the accessories I really want and not have to worry about storing things I won't really use. 
• Don't let the "Jogger" in the name fool you - the City Select is NOT a jogging stroller. I love this model for shopping and errands, but it starts to get bumpy on uneven surfaces. Walks around the neighborhood are fine, but if you're hoping to pick up some speed, your little one might bounce right on out when you hit your first pothole!

That's my take on the Baby Jogger City Select - so far, we've been very happy with it and I'm looking forward to years of use! Check out just a few of the combinations it has to offer: