Baby Jogger City Tour 2 Review: Months of Real Daily Use

The first time I traveled alone with June, she was four months old and I was terrified. I had a diaper bag, a pump, a car seat, and a stroller that took two hands and a running start to fold. By the time I reached the security line, I was sweating and the stroller was half open. I told Mike that night that we needed something smaller, something I could actually manage by myself, and I started reading about the Baby Jogger City Tour 2.

Months later, after trips to the airport, walks around our neighborhood outside Knoxville, and a long week at my sister's house in Nashville, I have a clear picture of what this stroller does well and where it falls short. This is the honest version, the one I wish someone had handed me before I bought it.

How I've Used It

I have used the City Tour 2 almost every day for the past five months. Some days it is a true travel stroller: through security at McGhee Tyson, onto a regional jet, and into the overhead bin without a fight. Other days it is just our everyday stroller for a walk to the mailbox or a slow loop around the block with Biscuit sniffing along beside us. On Wednesdays I take Eli to preschool drop-off and then walk June to the little park near the school, and the City Tour 2 is what comes out of the trunk every single time. The full-size stroller stays home unless we are going somewhere that needs the bigger basket.

The first real test came in March, when I flew to Nashville to see my sister. June was five months old, the flight was full, and I did not have to gate-check a thing because the City Tour 2 went into the overhead bin with my carry-on. I remember standing in the aisle, folding it with one hand while holding June, and the woman behind me saying, 'I need to get one of those.' That moment alone made the purchase worth it.

June is eight months old now, and she has ridden in it for everything from a quick errand to a full day at the zoo. I have pushed it with one hand while holding a coffee in the other. I have folded it in the rain, unfolded it in a cramped hotel hallway, and loaded it into the back of our 2019 Honda CR-V more times than I can count. I have also handed it to Mike, to my mom, and to my sister, and watched all three of them figure out the fold without instructions. The zoo day was the real workout. We parked at the far end of the lot, walked the full loop, stopped for lunch, and June napped in the seat for an hour and a half while we ate. The stroller handled the paved paths and the little hills without complaint, and when we were done, it folded into the back of the CR-V next to a bag of groceries without me having to rearrange anything.

My honest take is that this stroller lives in a specific place. It is not a replacement for our full-size stroller on long neighborhood walks, and I would not use it as a primary stroller for a newborn who sleeps long stretches in the bassinet position. But for travel, for quick trips, and for anyone who needs a stroller that disappears when you are done with it, it has been exactly what we needed.

The Fold Is the Whole Story

The Baby Jogger City Tour 2 folds into a package that fits in the overhead bin of most planes. That is the headline feature, and after months of use, I can confirm it is the real thing. I have personally put it in the overhead bin on a regional jet, and it fit with room to spare, which surprised even me. I have also watched a flight attendant look at it, nod, and move on, which is the highest compliment a travel stroller can get.

The fold takes about three seconds. You pull two triggers, the frame collapses, and the stroller folds into itself. It locks into place on its own, and it stands upright when folded, which matters more than you would think. You can set it against a wall, tuck it under a restaurant booth, or slide it behind the passenger seat in the car. It does not flop over, and it does not take up the whole trunk. In our CR-V, it sits behind the passenger seat even with the infant car seat installed, which is something the full-size stroller could never do. When we fly out of McGhee Tyson, I fold it at the curb before we even walk in, sling it over my shoulder, and carry June in the other arm. No wrestling with the trunk, no asking Mike to hold the door.

The one-hand claim is mostly true. I can fold it with one hand if I am holding June in the other, but it is easier with two. The trick is the trigger on the handle, which takes a little finger strength. The first week, I had to think about it. By the end of the second week, it became muscle memory. Now I can do it without looking, which is the real test of a travel stroller. Mike can do it one-handed too, and he has bigger hands than I do, so the trigger is not just for smaller grips.

The carry strap is a small detail that makes a big difference. When the stroller is folded, you can sling it over your shoulder and keep both hands free for a baby, a boarding pass, or a coffee. I have walked through three airports with it over my shoulder and June in a carrier, and it never felt like a burden. The strap is padded, so it does not dig into your shoulder, and the stroller is light enough that you forget it is there.

The unfold is just as easy as the fold. You flip the latch, pull the handle up, and the frame clicks open. It takes about two seconds, and it does not require bending over, which sounds like a small thing until you are doing it one-handed in a hotel lobby at 6 AM. I have unfolded it on the floor of a rental car lot, in a crowded gate area, and in our narrow front hallway, and it has never once fought me. The first time I unfolded it in the dark at my sister's curb, I did not even need the porch light.

She has fallen asleep in it more times than I can count, which is the best review a baby can give.

How It Rides, Day to Day

The ride is smoother than I expected from a stroller this light. The wheels are small, so I do not take it on rough trails, but on sidewalks, airport concourses, and paved paths, it rolls easily. The suspension is minimal, but it handles cracks and bumps well enough that June stays happy. She has fallen asleep in it more times than I can count, which is the best review a baby can give. One afternoon in April, we walked two miles along the greenway by the river, and she slept the whole way. When we hit the one rough patch of gravel near the bridge, I slowed down and she barely stirred.

The push is light and easy to steer with one hand. The front wheels swivel, which makes it easy to navigate through narrow store aisles and crowded airport terminals. When we are on a sidewalk with a slight incline, I can still push it with one hand while holding June's cup in the other. It does not feel tippy, and it does not wander. I have pushed it through the produce section at our local market, down a crowded terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson, and across a gravel parking lot at a pumpkin patch, and it has never once caught a wheel or veered.

The seat reclines, which is essential for a baby who still naps in the stroller. June naps in it almost every day, and the recline is enough to keep her comfortable. The canopy is generous and blocks the sun well. The storage basket underneath is small, but it fits a diaper bag and a few small items, which is enough for a travel stroller. I keep a small changing kit, a blanket, and a couple of toys in it, and that covers most outings.

In the car, it lives behind the passenger seat, and it does not slide around when I brake. The fold lock holds it tight, so it does not unfold itself on a bumpy road. I have checked the rearview mirror more than once expecting to see it tipped over, and it is always exactly where I left it.

What I Would Change

No stroller is perfect, and the City Tour 2 has a few honest tradeoffs. The storage basket is small. I cannot fit a full grocery bag in it, and I have to be careful about what I put in it. A full diaper bag fits, but barely, and if I add a jacket or a water bottle, I have to get creative. On the zoo trip, I ended up hanging the diaper bag from the handlebar instead, which worked fine but changed the balance a little. The seat is a little narrow for a bigger toddler, and the harness is a little fiddly to adjust. The handlebar is not adjustable, which is fine for me at 5'4", but Mike, who is 6'1", has to bend slightly to push it comfortably.

The wheels are small, which means the ride is bumpier than a full-size stroller on rough terrain. I do not take it on gravel trails or cobblestones. The brake is a little stiff at first, but it loosens up with use. I remember the first time I tried to engage it in my parents' driveway, I had to push hard with my foot. After a few weeks, it broke in, and now it clicks into place easily. It holds on a slight incline, which I tested once on the hill by our mailbox, and that gave me confidence on walks where I need to stop and help Eli with his shoes. The fold takes a little practice to get the trigger just right, but after a few days, it becomes second nature.

The biggest honest limitation is that it is not a full-size stroller. It does not have the storage, the suspension, or the all-terrain capability of our big stroller. But it is not supposed to. It is a travel stroller, and it does that job better than anything I have tried. I would not trade our full-size stroller for it, but I also would not want to go back to traveling without it.

Who This Is For

The Baby Jogger City Tour 2 is for the parent who travels, the grandparent who needs a stroller that fits in the trunk, and the mom who wants a lightweight option for quick trips. It is for anyone who has ever stood in an airport terminal wrestling with a full-size stroller and thought, there has to be a better way. It is for the parent who wants a stroller that folds small enough to carry on a plane, and who does not want to spend a fortune on a second stroller.

It is also for the parent who wants a stroller that is easy to use every day. The City Tour 2 is not just for travel. It is light enough to lift into the car, compact enough to store in a small entryway, and smooth enough for daily walks. If you live in a two-story house like ours, it also means you can keep a stroller downstairs instead of hauling the big one up and down. Ours hangs on a hook in the laundry room, ready to go, and I do not have to think about where it is or how heavy it is. If you have ever skipped a walk because the big stroller was too heavy to load, this is the stroller that fixes that.

Who Should Skip It

If you live on a farm, if you run on trails, or if you need a stroller that can handle a full day at an amusement park with a toddler and a diaper bag, this is not the stroller for you. The City Tour 2 is a travel stroller, and it is honest about that. The small wheels, the small basket, and the compact frame are all tradeoffs that make sense for travel, but they are real limitations for other uses.

If you are looking for a primary stroller for a newborn, or if you need a stroller that can carry a heavy toddler and a week of groceries, skip it. The full-size stroller in our garage is better for those jobs. The City Tour 2 is a second stroller, a travel stroller, a quick-errand stroller. It is not a replacement for a full-size stroller, and it does not pretend to be.