Have you scoured the internet looking for a stroller that can both work as a walking stroller and a jogging stroller? Well, the Thule Spring Compact stroller is just that. You can easily transition from one to the other and this makes exercising after childbirth a walk in the park. Read on to find out more of my favorite features of this stroller.
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Travel System Adapter
At first glance, it would seem that the Thule Spring Compact Stroller doesn’t have the option of having a travel system. It isn’t an obvious travel system pairing anyway. However, with the aid of an adapter, you have the option of using the stroller in conjunction with either the
- Maxi Cosi
- Chicco
Can Other Seats Work?
Many parents also say that other car seats work with it as well, but these are the ones that Thule explicitly suggests. If you want to try out your existing car seat with the adapter, then by all means do it before you go out and buy another one.
The Maxi Cosi adapter is for car seats that latch at the bottom of the handle. The Chicco car seat adapter is for car seats that have a latch in the back. So if you have a different car seat than one of the suggested models, check where the latch is and buy accordingly.
Ease Of Use
You might think that the adapter would be fairly straightforward, but it can be a little tricky to attach at first. It might take a minute or two of finagling before you figure out the right spot that it should be in. Many parents have complained that it seems a bit insecure. However, if you install it correctly, it should be completely safe and stable. The trick is to make sure that you follow the instructions explicitly and make sure you hear a click when you install it on your stroller.
Compactable
As the name would suggest, the Thule Spring Compact stroller is very easy to compact. In fact, it takes up a surprisingly small amount of space. You would easily be able to fit your stroller in any car; a minivan or a compact car alike. This is a very important feature to most parents, who might have limited space in their trunks or their homes and want to take up as little space as possible.
When you can get a stroller down to this size, you do have to wonder what are you giving up to get this great feature? The Thule Spring Compact stroller may fold down incredibly small, but that does mean that you are foregoing some features like a parent tray and a child tray. If this isn’t something that bothers you, then full steam ahead!
However, if you love this stroller but wish it had a bit more storage space, then you do have the option of purchasing a removable parent tray.
Wheels
One of the features that I absolutely love in the Thule Spring Compact stroller is that you can either have the front wheel fixed or swiveling. This feature alone makes this stroller worth the purchase in my humble opinion.
In all seriousness, please, please, please consider getting a stroller that has an adjustable front wheel. It will save you so much sadness and pain in the future. Let me break down why this is important.
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Fixed Wheel
A fixed wheel is for when you want to use your stroller as a jogging stroller. It offers more stability than a swivel wheel. You can guide the stroller lightly with your hands as you run and it won’t go serpentining all over the path. This is the only way you can safely use this stroller as a jogger.
Swivel Wheel
If you have a swivel wheel, then you can walk at a normal pace comfortably. If you try to walk with a fixed wheel, then you will have to tip the stroller back and change direction similar to a lawnmower. The swivel wheel allows you to go around corners smoothly.
Which One Do You Need?
Well, obviously, you know that I’m going to say that you need both a fixed and swivel wheel. Do you always like to run? Do you always like to walk? You may think that you’re going to spend all your time running after your baby is born to get that body back to your prepregnancy weight, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll find out pretty soon that it is a gradual process to get back to running. You’ll be going on a lot of walks before you start running again. And in that period of time, you’ll have a swivel wheel that you can walk with comfortably.
In fact, sometimes you only want to jog for like 5 minutes at a time. No judgment here! You can switch between the two different wheel settings easily, and the Thule Spring Compact Stroller allows you to do this.
Foot Brake
qIf you’ve read my latest review of the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 stroller then you will know that there are about three different kinds of brakes that you might find on a stroller. There is a foot brake, a brake on the side, or a handle brake that you can use constantly throughout your run similar to a bike brake.
My ideal brake for a jogging stroller is one that is up by the handlebar, just because it can be a little tricky to handle some of the downhill portions of runs when you are jogging with a stroller. It takes a bit of getting used to.
The Thule Spring Compact Stroller has a foot brake, but that shouldn’t be something to deter you from buying it. A lot of jogging strollers don’t have a handlebar brake. So the foot brake is more of a parking brake and you will only use it when you are at a complete stop.
Again, the handlebar brake is a nice feature, but it isn’t completely necessary, especially if you run on a mostly flat surface.
Adjustable Handle
I hadn’t seen adjustable handles a whole lot in my wanderings through the interwebs looking for strollers, but there are actually two–that’s right, TWO on my reviews that have adjustable handles. The Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 is the other stroller that I’ve reviewed with an adjustable handle. That one is more of a pivoting handle and the Thule Spring Compact Stroller has an extendable handle. Either option is just lovely.
The two extremes, short people and tall people, will love this feature. In fact, it is perfect for families like mine where I am super, super short and my husband is super, super tall. We can easily adjust between the two of us. It’s even easier than adjusting the seat in your car, so no complaints here!
Handle Strap
Many jogging strollers have the added feature of a handle strap for added safety. This is a little loop that goes around your wrist similar to a leash and connects to the stroller, usually at the handlebar. The Thule Spring Compact Stroller has one of these leashes and I do love this feature in a jogger. It is nice to always have that loop attached to your arm, just in case you ever accidentally let go of the stroller for any reason on your run.
In fact, it can be very difficult to run with a hand on the stroller at all times. Many parents will use the leash and slightly push the stroller every few strides. This strap does make running easier and safer with your baby in tow.
The only complaint I have specifically for the Thule Spring Compact Stroller is that I wish the leash was slightly longer. There are some strollers with a longer leash that gives you a bit more flexibility to figure out your gait.
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Canopy
The Thule Spring Compact Stroller has a great canopy, that can expand to be larger than most. It has a normal-sized one initially, but you can undo a zipper at the back to expand it even further and expose a mesh peekaboo window for your child. This is great especially on windy, sunny, or rainy days where you want to keep your child protected from the elements. You never really know what the weather is going to hash out, so it’s great to be prepared!
You can check out this cool canopy in the video below:
Mesh Peekaboo
There is a mesh peekaboo window as I mentioned before. While I do love the peekaboo feature, I prefer to have a plastic see-through one, just so that I can keep it out while it rains, etc. With the mesh fabric, you would need to cover it in bad weather. Of course, you could argue that you don’t usually run in bad weather, but depending on where you live, you might get caught a time or two in a storm!
Recline
The Thule Spring Compact stroller has a far-reaching recline that lies nearly flat. It is very easy to move it up and down. In fact, you can pinch the strap and recline the stroller with one hand. This is very important to parents who are transferring a sleeping child to the stroller and want to lay them down without waking them up. You will need two hands to push the back of the seat back up, however.
Magnetic Back Peekaboo
There is one thing that the Thule Spring Compact Stroller has that I haven’t seen in many strollers and that is a back peekaboo window. This is mesh fabric like the window on the canopy. It has a fabric flap that you can roll up and attach at the top to keep it open or you can lay it flat and it will magnetically close on its own. This is a nice feature for both you and baby so you can keep an eye on your child and they can look out the back from time to time.
Padded Seat and Belt
Comfort is very important when it comes to our little ones and there is almost nothing so cringy as seeing a seatbelt dig into your child’s neck. It just looks like the most uncomfortable thing ever, especially when you know how sensitive those little baby rolls are. The Thule Spring Compact Stroller has a padded seat belt that is thick and cushy. It shouldn’t cause any problems for your baby’s skin.
The seat is also well-padded, which is important if you want to be able to really take advantage of the time on your walks.
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Conclusion
Ultimately, the Thule Spring Compact Stroller is exactly what many parents are looking for in a stroller that can function as both a walking and jogging stroller. It has ample space, a great canopy, and a comfortable design for your child. It may not have a lot of features like a child tray or parent tray, but you can always purchase your own and this makes it compact much smaller. Still, it has storage space, so as long as you don’t need a cup holder, you’ll probably do just fine with the basic features. This stroller is easy to use and you and fold it down and set it up easily on your own. It is lightweight and most anyone could carry it.