Thule Urban Glide Sport Stroller

The Thule Urban Glide Sport Stroller is a great choice for active urban or suburban dwellers who want to bring the little one along on their daily run or walk while looking trendy.
It’s no secret that the most important requirement for any baby item is that it is fashionable and stylish for the parents. Never mind the baby. Usefulness, practicality, baby comfort, price, durability, etc., take a distant back seat to the parents’ perceived fashion sense and coolness. To look lame is death. OK, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But the Glide looks cool. It comes in gray, blue and red—all with light gray interior. With its sleek metal frame, it is sure to turn heads and get you some much needed and well deserved attention from fellow parents. In fact, we were paid flattering compliments on several occasions when we had the Glide out at the local farmer’s marker and in the park.
But that’s not all the Glide has going for it–it’s actually a great sport stroller. Assembly was a glide in the park. Really, the only steps are unfolding the stroller body and popping on the three wheels.
For all you feature-mongers out there, the Glide has lots of them. It has an ergonomic handlebar with a range of heights, offering comfort for either parent. It also has a huge sun canopy that folds in and out and may be set at several positions along the way. The canopy has a peekaboo window with a Velcro flap that allows you to check on your child from the helm of the stroller. There is also a mesh wind/sunscreen at the front of the canopy that drops down and protects your child from the hurricane-force winds generated by your running.
The seat back adjusts easily from vertical to horizontal and anywhere in between.  The seating area, as well as the rest of the stroller, is made from a nice, water-resistant fabric that will stand up to the unavoidable spills, regurgitations and bowel evacuations.
The Glide has giant wheels–the front is 12” in diameter and the rears are 16”.  And the rear wheels have individual spring suspensions. The tires are inflatable, not solid rubber, so the Glide can handle any terrain your urban wilderness throws at it. The Glide felt solid and dependable over all of the bumps on my usual run in and around the local park.
The front wheel has two settings. The first is a swivel setting, which is great for city streets, easy walks and light jogging. If you want to be a hero, spin the front wheel out and pull/turn the blue knob to lock it in place for running. This gives the Glide a nice, wide base for your attempt to crush the baby land speed record. The glide also has an easy to engage footbrake.
The Glide has a lightweight design, weighing in at 23 pounds, but it can support a human being weighing up to 75 pounds if you want to give it a go. I wouldn’t recommend trying to break any records with a 75-pounder in the Glide, however.
The Glide is chock full o’ storage, handy for packrat parents who insist on taking all of their worldly possessions with them every time they step out the door. (Or, for the hero-parent, adding weight to the stroller for sprint training.) First, there is a large basket under the seat with a large flap on top that zippers and Velcros into place. You can store a ton of stuff in there. The rear face of the basket also has a zippered pocket. Second, there is a mesh pocket on the back of the seat, which is easy to access while standing at the helm. Third, there are mesh pockets on both sides of the seating area for baby’s sippy cups, toys, games, etc.
Folding the Glide for storage is easy. You flip open the padded footplate, grab the blue handle, pull it toward you (toward the front of the stroller), and turn. The Glide folds like a pancake. There is a locking tab on the left side of the stroller that keeps it from opening while carrying or storing the Glide. The rear wheels also have a quick release for even more compact storage.
The Glide will set you back about $400, but that’s roughly what you’re going to pay for any premium jogging stroller—and many don’t look as cool.
Price: $400
To buy: thule.com