Customer Reviews

InStep Grand Safari Swivel Wheel Jogger

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I already have a travel system stroller, which I love, but needed something to actually go running with. I also know that I want to have more than one child, so I didn't want to spend a ton on a jogging stroller when I knew I'd need to upgrade to a double someday. This stroller met many of my requirements, works great and best of all is a great price.
I have had the stroller about 3 months and go running on average 10 miles a week. Here are my pros/cons:
Pros:
-Great price
-sun shade moves all the way forward and back so no matter what direction you're facing, the child's face is always shaded
-Handle bar is adjustable, great for my husband who is taller
-front wheel has remote swivel lock so you don't have to go to the front to actually lock it, just press the button while it's moving and you can lock/unlock
-has a child tray
-mp3 mini speaker for child (I don't really use this though because my child doesn't listen to my audio books)
-smooth ride (nice big air tires and springs) and easy steering
-has a wrist strap (good for if you don't want the stroller to get ahead of you going down hills)
-The wheels come off and on super easy for storage
-child seat reclines
Cons:
-the handle bar is plastic, so when your hands start sweating it becomes obnoxious to grip. I solved this by buying a foam, zipper on handle from stroll-air
-the mp3 speaker cord is not very long, so if you have to move the sun shade all the way forward, chances are you won't be able to leave your mp3 player in the cup holder to reach the speaker (but it comes out of it's little pocket on the sunshade, so you could just put it in the cup holder as well)
-the manual says most infant car seats will fit. It comes with a strap, but if your car seat doesn't have notches (like my Chicco Keyfit 30)to fit in the cup holders, then it's not very stable. I think as long as it has notches though, it should work fine. My child is 9 months anyway, so she doesn't need to be in her infant seat.
-Compared to my Chicco travel system stroller, it's a little on the heavy side. I don't take it shopping with me because it's a little awkward to get in and out of my car's trunk (and heavier). For running though, I don't mind. The ride is so smooth and the little added weight gives me a good workout!
Overall the pros outweigh the cons for me and I would definitely recommend this stroller if you want the features without the price.

Awesome product! The movable shade is what sets this stroller apart from others for me. Handles great and keeps baby safe. Is a bit bulky for loading up in a car and storage but that seems to be a general thing about jogging strollers. I've had NO trouble with the wheels getting wobbly or brakes being twitchy on this stroller, those are problems I've heard other strollers having.

I have used this stroller for 6 months now, 2-4 times a week on average I'd say. I loved the value of it - in terms of the features it has for the cost. It came down to getting this or a Bob... which is a LOT more money, and I'm frugal and a SAHM on a budget, so I went with the Grand Safari. I bragged to all my friends about how silly Bob's are to not even come with cup holders! Haha, joke's on me!

While out on a 4-miler yesterday, the front wheel came clear off. Just... popped off. LUCKILY I had slowed down to a walk as I was going around a 90-degree corner downtown. I was planning on popping into the library really quickly, so I was going to go into swivel mode. I had just flipped it to swivel mode from locked (as I was WALKING)... and then the thing lurched. I looked down to see that the wheel and the metal U-shaped thing that holds it were all bent at a funny angle. I just thank God this didn't happen while I was at full speed. We both would have crashed... badly.

I had to do my best to reattach the wheel so that we could walk home. I had to cut my run short, this happened 2 miles in. As I walked home, the fact that I nearly crashed set in, and I decided that I was NOT using this stroller again no matter what. It just did not feel safe anymore and I did NOT trust it. Also, even just walking home, it didn't push quite right anymore. Something had gotten bent/broken on it when the wheel came off.

Now, I need to say that I've been training for competitive races for 3 years now. I've been running with a jogging stroller of some kind for a year. I've used THIS model for 6 months. I'm not an idiot. I know HOW to run with a jogger. I check the air pressure on all tires every other run.

Yesterday morning, I put air in all the tires (which is a HUGE pain in the ass on the front wheel, even with a specially-designed pump). That's all I did. I didn't mess with the quick release wheel mechanism. I NEVER have messed with it. EVER.

When I got home, I put my son down for his nap and IMMEDIATELY contacted In Step... thinking that surely a company who makes BABY products would have excellent customer service and be eager to help me be as safe as possible. I asked to talk to someone about a warranty claim, as this stroller supposedly has a 1-year warranty. The rep I was connected with was vaguely sympathetic, but very firm in that it was somehow MY FAULT. She was convinced that either I had loosened the quick-release wheel or had been running with it in swivel mode. I argued with her, and told her 3 separate times that I had not messed with the wheel and that I'm not stupid and was NOT running in swivel mode. The very suggestion of it is kind of laughable, as the stroller wobbles dangerously at even a fast walk in swivel mode - it would be pretty much impossible to really run with it. She finally said that what they could do under the warranty was send me replacement parts. I said thanks but no thanks, I am not using an unsafe product with my first born son in it, and that I will not be giving In Step any more of my money ever again (we have a bike trailer from them that we LOVE though).

Thank goodness for Amazon. I called them up and explained what happened, and how this is a BABY product which I have SERIOUS safety concerns about. They allowed me to return the stroller for a full refund, with prepaid shipping, even though my return window expired 30 days after I bought it. I'm so glad about this. I would not feel good even selling this stroller on Craigslist.

Now I am going to be taking my refunded money and investing in a Bob Revolution. With as much running as I do, I probably should have gotten one all along... but I was trying to be frugal. I will say that this is a good stroller in terms of features & function - my son loved the comfy seat pad, the tray & cup holders, the mp3 speaker. I enjoyed the adjustable handle bar, the cup holders & small storage on the parent try. I found the basket size to be adequate. I liked the colors and the adjustable sunshade with the peekaboo window too.

If you are just looking for a stroller that's NOT a travel system one and don't plan on doing any serious running with it, then it's probably fine. But please be CAREFUL with it. Check the wheel attachments and air pressure every time you go out, and only switch from locked to swivel with caution. I wouldn't run with it at all. If you are interested in jogging or running at ALL, just save yourself the time & trouble and get a Bob... avoid this stroller and In Step's awful, careless concept of "customer service" and "warranties" like the plague.

ETA: I did wind up reporting this incident to the CPSC. Unfortunately, it seems that InStep/Pacific Cycle continues to pass the buck on this matter. But, it's there... if more parents run into this issue, please report it. If enough people have the same problem - and REPORT it - then a recall will happen, and InStep/Pacific Cycle will be forced to make this product safer.

You can look up my report on saferproducts.gov under this number: 20110701-AE9B4-2147477653.

I absolutely love this jogging stroller. It was really easy to put together, which is great because i am no handy man. I was also impressed by the quality of the stroller. It is very sturdy! This stroller has a latch unlocking the front wheel making it move side to side. Then it re-locks by itself when you are done with your turn. I love being able to unlock the wheel and make my turns. I had a previous jogger whose front wheel was locked and it made turning very difficult sometimes, so this is a very nice feature. The jogger comes with very nice padding which is really soft and i can imagine it is really comfortable for baby. It also has an extension pack for the harness if your baby/toddler is on the bigger side. I would definitely recommend this jogger to anyone and for the price it is a steal!

I almost never leave reviews on products, but this stroller is just fantastic. I was between this and the Jeep Overland Sport and I find this to be the more sturdy of the two and having the swivel wheel is just such a huge benefit. I have only 2 things of note. When walking at a brisk pace you need to make sure the front wheel is in the locked position, otherwise it will wobble on you. This being our first jogging stroller it is sort of a learning experience for us and I didn't think about this. Second, there are decorative caps that cover the front axle, and when you bind the quick release it compresses the plastic caps into the wheel hub. This makes the front wheel not spin 100% freely. I didn't find this to be a problem per se, but it made me wonder if I had installed the wheel correctly or not and wondered if they were supposed to be there or if they were supposed to be removed since the instructions and the photos on Amazon did not show them on the product. Apparently they are decorative and can remain on the wheel if you choose, or you can take them off. Otherwise it is just a fantastic stroller that my daughter seems to really enjoy to ride around in and I highly recommend it.

The price for this stroller is at the lower end, so I expected to have some inconveniences. But there are a couple that need to be addressed by the company. Like another reviewer, I tried to inflate the tires the normal way, and ended up walking half a mile to a gas station, spending 75 cents to use the air hose, and there was no way to access the valve for the front tire. Walked another half a mile to a hardware store to hopefully borrow a smaller hand or foot pump, but none would fit within the open area of the front wheel to engage the valve. I was finally able to inflate the two back tires, and just left the front one flat. I've been looking all over the internet for an adapter or a small pump that might have a short enough valve that would connect to the front tire valve. But so far, to no avail. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Meanwhile, InStep should at least get a clue and ship the front tire already inflated or ship it with a valve adapter.

I bought this stroller after purchasing a Baby Trend similar version. The Baby Trend stroller was very wobbly and not very heavy. This stroller is AWESOME! It is very heavy duty and perfect for walking/ or even running! I bought it as my one and only stroller, to take shopping and go out on walks, and so far.... have no complaints. It is heavy so probably not the easiest to pick up and take places, but I leave it in my car and get it out when I need it. A much better product than the Baby Trend line!

I am so glad that we purchased this stroller as opposed to the $400+ model from the competition. I was concerned that this would be inferior quality and have less functionality given that it was several hundred dollars cheaper and that I would be sorry that I didn't get the higher end model. While sometimes it does pay to get the more expensive version, this was not one of those times. The stroller goes together in a snap -- we had no problems with the directions -- I think it took maybe 20 minutes from out of the box until it was ready to pump up the tires. The front tire is very hard to inflate as there is not much room for the pump cap within the radius of the wheel. We have about 4 pumps and none of them worked. But we took it to our local bike shop and they pumped up the tire without any problem.

The jogger is very well built and sturdy. I am sure that it will last many years. Most importantly, the stroller handles great. The fixed / swivel wheel is terrific and makes turning a breeze. My son was immediately comfortable in it and loves the ipod speaker feature. We have gone on several 3 hour walks on the gravely C&O canal path. It is very easy to push and my son gets a smooth ride so that he can sleep in the stroller. The seat adjusts up and down very easily. Also, the handle adjusts so that it is very comfortable for me at 5'6" and my son's dad at 6'5". The basket is also a nice size and holds things securely.

My only disappointment is that they don't make a fleece bootie for this model as I am sure that we will use it all winter.

It is a little heavy but folds up very easily. It is not a stroller I would use at the mall because of its size, but a great outdoors option.

I am changing my rating on this to 2 stars, down from 3. Original review is first, and revised review is at the bottom:

Original review: As a jogging stroller itself, this is OK. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, but, as another reviewer said, unless you want to spend a LOT more money, then don't even try out the other, higher-end strollers as you will be disappointed with this one. You get what you pay for.

My issues are mainly in its quality. One of the rear wheels went flat after 4 runs. I only run on smooth sidewalks and so far have gone for short (2-mile) jaunts. If the wheels can't accommodate what is probably the ideal, clean running surface, then it's just not good quality. Fortunately, my husband, a cyclist, had a patch kit for his bike and was able to fix the flat. Still, though, very annoying and not what I expected from an essentially brand new stroller.

Second, the front wheel is made in such a way that almost no air pumps fit. It's the plastic "spokes" that are too small to allow an air pump to fit over the inflation tube. We tried 4 different gas stations, and every single air pump in our local sporting goods store, and all of them were too big to fit on the front wheel. I ended up having to buy a small ball pump, and pump that wheel up manually, which was a HUGE headache.

Third, the front-wheel hand brake is iffy at best. It's so loose that just by touching it, it will release. I haven't had to use it yet, but based on how easy it is to release, I don't have any confidence that it will hold if it's engaged.

It's also extremely bulky and only fits in my trunk with great struggling.

My daughter Does Not Like being in it, but I can't hold that against the stroller, since she doesn't like her car seat, either.

All in all, it's "Eh."

*** Revised review: Turns out the front tire is flat, too. Again, we had to remove the tire and patch it. So, 2 of the 3 tires went flat after 5 walks. I would return it if it weren't such a pain to pack up and ship back. Crappy quality. Boooo!

Like pushing air, and so easy to steer and move up stairs and such. I get many compliments on how cute it is, but it is also super functional... unlike my other stroller the cup holders actually hold my water bottle. Bonus: I thought I was waiting til my lil guy could sit up better before using, only to discover that this actually holds most car seats. Excellent!