I own a Bugaboo pram anyway and the Runner can be purchased as a chassis (RRP 349) which converts any Bugaboo seat into a running buggy. Great Idea.
I love the idea of being able to purchase just a chassis to convert the pram to a jogging buggy. I think cost wise and storage wise it is an excellent idea. I have a separate jogging buggy that I use with my daughter and storing two prams for some people may can be problematic.
I was a little unsure as to the target market for the Bugaboo Runner……I was introduced to it through Trail Running Magazine and thought it would be a trail and off road type running buggy. Also features like suspension, one hand breaking, mud guards and larger wheels would indicate this.
I run with a Trends For Kids Joggster iii - I think it is the most amazing off road buggy around and I have taken it all kinds of places happy in the knowledge that it is robust and Juliet is happy and comfortable in it.
With the Bugaboo I felt it was more of a road running / park run type buggy….which is perhaps Bugaboo's largest audience. Mums who have a stylish pram and want to jog with their children probably for up to 10K distance.
One of the first downsides to the Bugaboo runner is its width. The Bugaboo runner is rather wide, I really struggled to get it through gates made for wheel chair users without having to lift up the pram at steep angles and tilting sideways. I see that width can add to stability but this caused a few issues on narrower tracks.
Having said that the pram is really light and can be pushed with one hand easily. I did get blisters on my hand from the handle bar which is something I have not experienced with other running buggies.
I love the long brake that runs the full width of the handle bar and found this excellent on steep downhills at controlling the speed.
The five point harness and the fact it unclips without having to extract the child's arms from the shoulder straps is simple but incredibly effective. I also love the fact the child can face parent or away - I don't know of other running buggies that do this.
The mudguards seemed a little unnecessary to me, but then I am someone who would never have a mud guard on my bike either so perhaps that is a personal thing.
The seat I don't think is supportive enough to go on bumpy trails - there is no head/ neck support and the child rolls about too much. I don't know if there is extra seat padding with side cushions available as an option to purchase. But even at 11 months I felt Juliet (Who is a big baby) wobbled too much in this pram on rougher ground. I wouldn't want a 9 month old to use it on rough ground as I think it would be uncomfortable.
I really liked the Runner as a pram for smoother tracks and it steers really easily, it looks stylish, and the option to buy just the chassis is excellent. We had a great time testing out the Runner and if anyone is looking for a running pram to use on roads or smooth trails without having to purchase a separate buggy then this is ideal.
For people who want to run off road trails then the Trends For Kids Joggster iii which I use is a better option for rougher terrain and for prolonged use on longer distance runs or on rougher tracks.
