Mountain Buggy Terrain {Review}
Back when I decided to attempt to do the Sun Run I knew that I would need a better jogging stroller to run with. I did a lot of research, and tried out many different ones in stores. I decided that the Mountain Buggy Terrain was the one that I wanted to go with. My Mom purchased it for me as a belated birthday and early Christmas gift, and Mountain Buggy very kindly offered a discount on the Terrain for me when they found out my goal of doing the 10 km run and working my way towards a healthier me. This post has been in the works for some time because I wanted to fully test out this jogging stroller before sharing a review on it with all of you.
Some details about the Mountain Buggy Terrain
– Weight: 29 lbs, made of aluminium
– Sim Frame: 25 inches wide
– Hand drum break and a foot park break
– “gate opening” bumper bar for easy access
– zip seat fabric for getting it on and off the frame easily
– shock absorbing suspension
– 2 bottle holders
– follow the sun adjustable hood with a flick out sun visor
– seat adjusts from upright to full recline (for a newborn or sleeping child)
– age range from newborn to 6 years old (max. weight load is 55lbs)
In our original search for the stroller we would use every day I wanted one that would work for someone who is taller than average but also for other height ranges too, so we needed one with an adjustable handle. Again this was something that was important to me that I knew I wanted in a jogging stroller. I really wanted to find a jogging stroller with an adjustable handle so that anyone could use it and find a handle height that was comfortable for them. The mountain buggy had exactly that, it was also the only jogging stroller I found at the time of our search to have this feature go high enough for me to feel comfortable. I like to have the handle bar be a bit higher than most. This one is great because it can go to all sorts of height positions and you still have great stride room when jogging or running. I never found myself kicking the stroller.
While the seat may appear to be shallow, it’s really nice to have it be like this as compared to other joggers. My daughter does not have to fight to sit up if she is wanting to look around or change position. She is reclined at just enough of an angle to be comfy and not feel like she is stuck in a reclined position. It is also great for if she falls asleep in the jogger. If needed you can also recline the seat more. The straps on the seat took a bit of figuring out for how to adjust them for tightness and make sure it stays tight. Adjusting the height was very easy as you slide it up or down as needed. I really like that there is a child safety feature for the buckle. You have to press down one set of buttons while squeezing the other in order to release the buckle. My toddler has not figured out how to escape from this stroller.
The canopy on the Terrain is a follow the sun style, where you can angle it forwards and backwards as needed. It also has a flip out sun visor for a little more shade from the sun. I really appreciated the peekaboo flap that I could flip up and easily see my daughter when we were out and about, especially when I did the Vancouver Sun Run and she fell asleep. I was able to see her while jogging, and not come to a complete stop in order to go to the front of the jogger and check on her.
The front wheel can swivel or be locked into place. I prefer jogging with it on swivel, but either way is great. I found that my daughter did not rock back and forth a lot in this jogger, unlike others, when going over different bumps. The ride for my daughter was as smooth as it could be when transitioning from pavement, to trails, boardwalks, in the snow, and even on the sand. This stroller handle everything very well! This is thanks to the shock absorbing suspension, as well as the 16 inch air filled tires. If you want, you can even order the smaller 12 inch rear wheels if you want to take your Terrain from an active jogger, to an urban stroller.
For breaking there is the hand break located in the center of the handlebar, that controls the drum breaks in the rear wheels. There is also a safety strap on the handle bar too so that if you have a moment of distraction, the jogger is connected to you. If you want the jogger at a complete, secure stop, there is a foot break located at the base of the back of the jogger. Simply flick it down with your foot and the jogger is locked. It is easy to flick down and up with runners on, if you are in flip-flops its not so comfortable to release the foot break but I had no problems with it.
There are two things that we would love to see improved upon in future models. We found that some dirt, and even rocks would get into the drum breaks. We’d have to check the drum breaks and clean them out fairly often. We would also like to see this jogging stroller fold down a bit smaller. Currently the front wheel is what folds under. We wish it would fold down a bit more compact so that it would take up less space in our car when we travel with it.
It has proven to be great both for jogging, and going on walks. There are many accessories you can get to add to this jogger. From a face-to-face rear facing seat for little ones, to a stroller board for older kids to ride on. If you live in a rainy area like us be sure to get the rain cover, it is great with how much area it covers over the jogger. I never had to worry about my daughter getting soaked when we went for walks or jogs in the rain. It also comes with two soft shell water bottle holders, but if you want a solid cup holder you can get that which is great if you are doing a coffee run. Overall we love this jogging stroller from Mountain Buggy.
Some posts where the Mountain Buggy Terrain can be spotted:
Vancouver Sun Run 2014
Spring is Coming Get Running
Going for a Run
Whistler Mini Vacation