Joovy Zoom 360 Jogging Stroller

I’m a first-time mom of a one-year-old, and while I’m not back to running half marathons, I do take my two large dogs and my little one for walks and light jogs around my neighborhood (couch-to-5k anyone?). Over the past year, I’ve used a hand-me-down jogging stroller that had a wobbly tire, and I still don’t know how to collapse it. Let’s just say I was so excited to be able to review the Joovy Zoom 360 Jogging Stroller.
The stroller came almost completely put together in the box—the only assembly needed was attaching the tires and some accessories. Before even pulling out the instructions, I was able to almost completely assemble the stroller. Every step was intuitive and easy, which makes me feel better as someone who can’t ever remember how to collapse these things or locate the lock buttons. When I did need those instructions, they were clear and simply outlined with numbers and bullets. I was able to scan quickly and find what I needed as I finished my assembly in about five minutes.
The assembled stroller is quite large, but not bigger than I expected. I am pleasantly surprised by how small it can fold up to fit in storage or in my car. Even with all the wheels still in place, the Joovy Zoom 360 folds up smaller than my hand-me-down jogging stroller. And let me just tell you how easy the wheels are to take off! Collapsing the stroller is quick and smooth, but it does take two hands. I’m not always in a place where I can put the baby down, so having a two-handed release is not ideal. Once you have those two hands free, though, it only takes one quick pull to collapse, and the stroller locks together on its own.
Overall, the stroller really is pretty. I’ve noticed, as a mom, I tend to like products that are simple, straightforward and don’t have a lot of extra features that aren’t needed. Can I even say “back to the basics” when we’re talking about a fancy jogging stroller? Either way, it’s really nice. I have the blue model that’s actually a great color for a boy or a girl.
I immediately put my little girl in the seat before I adjusted anything. I needed to adjust the straps a little bit, but was unable to do so while she was seated in the stroller. Once she was out, however, it was easy to adjust the straps—everything was on the front of the baby seat (not the back), so it didn’t take long. The seat doesn’t sit completely upright; there’s a slight recline even when fully in the upright position. With my inquisitive little lady, I thought she’d fight the straps or try to sit up the entire ride, but she didn’t! She was actually quite content.
The seat does recline completely horizontal for a napping baby, although this was the hardest part of the assembly for me. It was difficult to pull and release the strap, and I had to consult the instructions to make sure I was attempting it correctly. Hopefully the straps will loosen as we use the stroller more and more. My girl doesn’t quite nap on-the-go, so I can see myself using the recliner more for diaper changes or getting out and about when I have a brand new baby (Perhaps with baby No.2?).
There are no extra pads or support for small children, but again, I don’t want the extra bulk. I’d prefer to add a blanket or stuffed animal. She has more than enough room on either side of her, which works well because there are two pockets (to the left and the right) for drinks, snacks, toys, anything! Her head almost reaches the top of the canopy, so while there’s room to grow horizontally in the upcoming years, unfortunately, I’m not sure she’ll be able to add many more inches before outgrowing this stroller.
Moving to the mom highlights; those are almost as important as the baby features! The handle bar doesn’t adjust, but I’m ok with that. I’m 5’7” and it seems to be a good height for me. I like the fact that it’s one bar and not two (one for each hand). This allows me to have more control as I push the stroller with dogs in tow. There’s also an emergency strap to wrap around my wrist if the stroller gets away from me. (I’ve never used a stroller with this feature before!) It has gone to good use; there are some hills around Atlanta, and my dogs tend to bolt towards squirrels!
The parent organizer rocks, too! It’s made of fabric, not plastic, and the drink pockets are nice and deep, built for water bottles. There’s also a zipped container in the middle for a phone or keys. My previous running stroller was plastic with shallow cups—completely impractical for actual running.
The canopy is probably one of my favorite things. We’ve never had as much coverage as the Joovy provides. There’s a tall large canopy, and it also has a small extender for extra coverage. My little girl has fought the sun with our previous running stroller, as well as our standard stroller. Underneath, the storage basket is large and shallow, and it’s easy to get to from every angle. I’m used to only being able to squeeze stuff in directly from the back, so the fact that I can get to it no matter which side of the stroller I’m on is a major plus.
The wheels are rubber, air-filled, and the front tire swivels or locks in place; it’s up to you. And guess what? It comes with a tire pump! The best thing about this tire pump is that the Joovy Zoom 360 includes a spot to Velcro the pump to the storage basket, which means no losing the tire pump! Thank goodness! There’s also a foot pedal brake underneath the storage basket. It is only on one side (the right), but it’s easy to engage and disengage.
All in all, I’ve really enjoyed using this stroller. It’s simple and easy to use with almost every aspect. At the price point, it’s not as expensive as a lot of jogging strollers, and I would absolutely recommend this to a friend.
Price: $270
Where to buy: joovy.com