The Baby Jogger Summit X3 has been one of the most popular jogging strollers available for several years and has been a useful addition to our household during testing, making it easy to go out for a run while my son sleeps.
It’s an expensive purchase and there are areas where the design could be improved, such as the non-adjustable handlebars, but the Summit X3 is a great pushchair that holds up well on routes and off-road rides.
Baby Jogger Summit X3: Price and Availability
The Baby Jogger Summit X3 was originally released in 2016 and costs $549.99 in the US and £529 in the UK.
How I tested this jogging stroller
I’ve been running with the Summit X3 regularly for the past four months and my wife has also used it during that time. I’ve used it mainly for runs in local woodland, which was muddy for most of my testing, as well as runs on paved surfaces.
Design and Assembly
The Summit X3 is a stroller with three air-filled wheels, all of which have suspension. The large front wheel can be set to fixed, which you need when running, or swivel, which is more useful for everyday use. You can change the wheel setting using a lever on the side of the stroller.
There’s a brake on the handlebars and a strap you can use to tie into the stroller, both of which are important for keeping control when running downhill. The handlebar height is not adjustable and was a bit low for me when running—I’m 6ft and my wife is 5ft 8in and her height was a better fit.
The reclining seat is padded and the five-part harness, while difficult to lift at times, keeps your child in place comfortably and, most importantly, safely when running. There is a large adjustable hood that provides protection from the sun (it has a UV rating of 50+) and folds down enough to keep the wind off the child’s face when running. There are mesh windows on the top that you can use to check on your child while they run.
There is a rear brake pedal that you can use to anchor the stroller. Once it got muddy, I struggled to operate the brake with my foot and often had to reach down to press it into place with my hand. Although the instructions weren’t particularly clear, it was easy enough to assemble the stroller in about 10 minutes.
Running with the Baby Jogger Summit X3
The Summit X3 is smooth to run thanks to the large wheels with suspension, even when going off-road. Most of the runs I did with the stroller were on forest trails with muddy and rutted sections and it handled them well. The cart is solid and I have no punctures.
One problem with runs in the mud or on leafy trails was that the front wheel can clog up quickly. On one outing I had to poke a stick through the gap in the top of the wheel several times to clear it. My wife also experienced some front wheel wobble when running the Summit X3, which hasn’t been a problem for me yet.
Running with any stroller isn’t the most natural movement, but this was made worse for me by the fixed handlebars, which were low for me. The stroller is wide and has some heft to it, which is good for stability, especially over rough terrain, but means it can feel heavy when pushing up hills on the trails. However, this wasn’t as apparent of an issue when you’re on tarmac, and you can run pretty fast with the Summit X3 when you’re on hard, flat ground. I’d rather save the speed sessions for when I’m not pushing a stroller.
I can’t speak for every kid, but mine always fell asleep quickly when running with the Summit X3 — it was generally an easier and more reliable way to get him down for his afternoon nap than pushing him in his stroller.
Foldable and Daily Use
The Summit X3 has a one-handed folding system where you pull up on the strap in the center of the seat and the entire stroller drops into place. There is a skill to it. First you pull the small loop with one finger, then the larger loop with the rest of your hand.
It can be done with one hand, but only with practice, and then lifting the stroller with one hand is not so easy, since it weighs 28.4 lbs / 12.8 kg and is large and awkward. I needed two hands to unfold it because of this. The wheels are so big that they are not easy to store even when folded, especially since it is not supported, but it fit comfortably in the trunk of our small car.
The wide wheelbase is useful for running, but it makes the Summit X3 difficult to maneuver at times, especially in narrow store aisles. While we’ve used the Summit X3 regularly when we’re not running—and it’s great for walking over rough terrain—it can be cumbersome to use around town compared to a non-running stroller.
There’s a large under-seat storage compartment, which is useful for shopping, and a mesh pocket on the back of the seat where you can pop a water bottle when you’re running, although I had a hard time reaching the pocket without stopping .
Is the Baby Jogger Summit X3 worth it?
The Summit X3 is an expensive purchase, but it can make a huge difference in fitting into your exercise while taking care of the kids. My wife and I enjoyed using it for regular rides and it was perfect for the forest trails we mostly used it on. I used an Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport (UK only) with our eldest and found the Summit X3 to be an improvement on that, with a smoother ride especially when off-road, although the Nipper is cheaper.
