Average Price: $140-160
Availability: Available online and off.
Rating:
Product Link: Safari TT Jogging Stroller

While Instep called their Safari TT a “jogging” stroller, I am more comfortable referring to it as an “off-road” unit since it is higher and has a more blocky shape than those designed for the true jogging set. Also unlike true joggers with stationary front wheels, this unit allows the front wheel to be either locked in place or set to the generally more useful free swivel position. That said, an off-road type vehicle is far more applicable to most parents lives—both in the city and out. I’ve taken it up and down flights of stairs (WITHOUT the baby in it), over curbs with a quick tilt, on grass, gravel, over tree roots, and other off-road activities.

While it doesn’t have any actual shock absorbers, its light and pliable frame has a natural springiness that helps lessen the bumps for baby a bit. This light frame also makes it great for running quickly across intersections and through crowded sidewalks. A light frame not only makes it easier to push and maneuver, it also lets you add those extra pounds of cargo without feeling it in your back.

We chose this stroller mainly based on three criteria: Low price, smaller dimensions when folded, and lighter weight. It folds to 14×31x19, which is smaller than many other strollers. It also takes up less vertical room than most umbrella strollers and not a whole lot more width/depth than some umbrella strollers—NICE! All three wheels and both trays are easily removed to make for even more compact storage when needed (or fit into the trunk of a smaller car). And it’s a svelte 21 pounds compared to the 28 pound monsters that seem to dominate the field.

RESTRAINTS

The Safari offers a 5-point harness. As with all jogging strollers, the Safari recommends that your child be at least 6 months old before using this stroller. I began using it with my son at around that point and- at 8 months old he still doesn’t quite fit the restraints even when they’re pulled all the way in to the smallest settings. He’s also able to loosen the lap belt simply by pushing against it in order to sit up and play with something of interest on the front tray. So while the harness keeps your child in the stroller, it’s not the most secure of harnesses, especially on smaller children. You’ll also want to exercise great caution when buckling your baby into this stroller as the latch snaps in so quickly and so firmly that I’ve pinched my fingers painfully in it on more than one occasion.

WHEELS

The wheels are basically smaller bicycle wheels. They inflate and provide as cushiony a ride as you can get without suspension. The rubber is thick, durable, and holds up well to use. 8 months into daily NYC and off-road use and I’m still seeing very little wear and tear. Each wheel has a lever that can be used to pop the wheel off- However even when the wheel is in the unlocked position the wheels don’t come off too easily- which makes you feel really good about the safety of the product.

RECLINE

The Safari TT offers a good amount of recline control- from almost fully upright, to almost fully flat. The mechanism that adjusts the recline is two strong cords and a sliding plastic clip that holds the cords in place. At first I had some concerns about it, as it seemed like something that would easily shift/wear down over time or with a heavier child. But those concerns seem to be unfounded as the clip locks down on the cords rather firmly and even pushing against the back with quite a bit of force doesn’t cause them to slip. Additionally, the gentle action of the recline is quite nice. If your baby falls asleep sitting up it’s simple to adjust the recline without waking the child.

One note of caution- if you’re going for a bumpy ride or transporting your baby over curbs or up/down stairs- you’ll want to have the stroller in a slight recline, as the fully upright position puts their face/head dangerously close to the front tray. My son has pulled against his harness and loosened it to the point where he’s head-bumped the tray more than once– fortunately it’s rounded shape kept him from even noticing.

HEIGHT/ADJUSTABLE HANDLES

The handlebar of this stroller flips lower or higher, going from a completely downward position which is great for storing or for shorter stroller users, to a completely upward position which is great for taller users. Both my husband (5′6) and I (5′11) can comfortably use this stroller with the mid-range positions, which means that people taller and shorter than us should find it a pleasant option as well.

Even nicer, the wide wheel base of the stroller, and the height of the wheel bar and brake make it so that you take long natural strides without your feet hitting the back of it.

BRAKES

The parking brake on this unit is a push-down bar that extends across the rear base and locks into cogs on both rear tires. When the brake is down the unit has to be lifted forcibly in order to move the stroller- which means it’s quite safe. And the brake would have to break at multiple points in order for it to accidentally release.

No hand brake is offered, so there is no way to slow the unit down when you’re going downhill. It can be quite a workout keeping it from rolling off without you.

WASHABILITY

The stroller is made of a rough nylon-like material that is permanently affixed to the Safari frame (which helps keep it safe). It is easy to wash clean with a hose or just scrub it down. In the 8 months that it’s been living in the dirty city with us and acting as our primary stroller, it hasn’t needed washing yet.

The seat pad is another matter. Up close to the baby it’s guaranteed to get dirty quickly. It’s very simple to remove however- just some velcro and threading of straps. Unlike some seat pads, it doesn’t require a manual to get it out or back in. It holds up well in the wash, and seems to be somewhat stain resistant as my son’s multiple failed attempts to dye it carrot-orange can attest. I have a feeling that come kool-aid time it won’t be quite so stain resistant… But then what is?

Both the top tray and front tray pop off easily for washing. This makes it very easy to remove the once soggy, but now hard-dried cheerios from the front tray, and the spilled iced coffee from the top tray.

DURABILITY

NYC is a true test of a stroller’s durability. When our son was born we were using a Graco car seat stroller frame, which we used sporadically for a month or two, and by the time we phased it out, the wheels were nearly worn down to nubs. The potholes, the curbs, the random bits of glass and other trash that adorn the streets, the crowds, maneuvering around a million things, the dirt and grime, the bouncing up and down flights of stairs. It all takes a toll on strollers.

So far the only issues of durability that we’ve noticed with the Safari TT is that the brake seems to have loosened and has started to ride a little bit on the wheels after we go over a bump or pothole. This is to be expected in a city that murders car suspensions daily—how can a stroller hope to compete? We’ve been in contact with InStep’s Tech support to resolve this issue. They instructed us to tighten two side screws which seems to have done the trick.

STORAGE

The Safari TT has a fairly generous under-basket that fits my gianormous diaper bag (full of diapers, bottles, food, toys, receiving blankets, etc.), digital SLR camera, picnic blanket, some reading material (mine and hubby’s) and the rain cover. It doesn’t look like it fits much because it seems sort of shallow, but you’ll be surprised what you can fit in there. The mesh under-basket is well made with a solid bottom, and it seems to stay (mostly) dry even in torrential downpour. Let’s put it this way- I’m perfectly comfortable going for a walk in the rain with the camera in the under-basket. There is also a pouch on the back for more storage. The pouch isn’t quite as well made and it tends to pull open if it’s too heavily loaded. But hey, it’s an extra.

SUN CANOPY

The sun canopy functions quite well, and the only time we feel the need to use extra sun protection is when we’re walking directly toward the sun at certain hours of the day. Otherwise it keeps my son very well shaded. The canopy has a flap that lifts to reveal a flexible plastic window that you can use to keep an eye on your child without having to pop around front. I don’t use it often, but it’s nice option.

ACCESSORIES

We had originally looked into purchasing a different Schwinn/Instep stroller which had slightly smaller dimensions, but settled on the Safari TT because of the availability of accessories- namely the weather shield. It’s surprising how many strollers don’t have a compatible rain cover. Fortunately the Safari TT offers a rain cover and a sun cover (available separately).

The three things that I found lacking in the Safari TT’s accessory-arena are a wrist strap (a MUST have for for this speedy stroller); a toy bar (Instep opted for a tray with a cup holder. The tray does provides an extra security), and the hand brake mentioned above (most jogging strollers omit this, unfortunately.).

THE CITY TEST

City dwellers put some rather unique demands upon a stroller: 6th floor walkup apartments, cramped and near closet-less living spaces, the narrow aisles of restaurants and stores, public transportation hurdles, potholes that eat SUVs. Pair those obstacles with the fact that NYC is very much a walking city and baby’s going to be spending quite a bit of time in the stroller. Few strollers can live up to such challenges. How does the Safari TT hold up?

THE STAIR TEST

Other than heavily carpeted or very narrow stairs, this stroller is VERY easy to get up and down stairs. Simply pull it up backwards or push it down forwards—making sure that only the back wheels touch the steps! Then grasp the handle and roll it gently. I’m able to single-handedly get our son into his grandparents apartment without waking him up- and that involves quite a few stairs. I find this stroller easier to get up and down stairs than most umbrella strollers—odd but true.

THE ELEVATOR TEST

With the exception of some truly claustrophobic elevators (think old-time phone booths), this stroller is compact enough to maneuver onto an elevator and turned around to face the door without requiring more than one hand or the dreaded “pick up and reposition” move. It’s a bit shorter than a lot of jogging strollers, but it’s the swivelling front wheel that really makes it work.

THE BUS/TRAIN TEST

You’ll never manage to get this stroller onto buses or trains during rush hour, but a mouse would have difficulty finding space then. On off-hours it’s definitely do-able. Public transportation is best left for the umbrella and other smaller strollers.

THE STORE/RESTAURANT TEST

Originally we were intending this stroller to be an outdoors-only stroller, surprisingly we’ve taken it with us into quite a few restaurants and smaller stores. It’s a tight fit though, and unless you’re a regular the waiters and waitresses might become a bit irked with you. Also, be careful entering grocery stores- this stroller’s wide wheel base will have some issue navigating tight aisles of city grocery stores… I sometimes find myself having to go back out the “in” door.

THE COLLAPSE TEST

This stroller offers one-hand collapse (pull a bar and step on a lever and the stroller quickly collapses forwards) I found it to collapse as easier than most umbrella strollers. The way it collapses also means that some number of items can fit into the storage basket underneath (as long as one of those items isn’t an expensive digital camera!). I can easily leave a few changes of diaper/clothes and a receiving blanket in the storage basket while the stroller is folded. This capability is of tremendous value.

Some Problems: There is a fabric leg rest at the front of the seat. When closing the stroller down this flap consistently has to fight its way through the tray above it. A quick push solves the problem, but it is an obvious design flaw.

Also worth noting is that once closed, the unit is held by a single swing latch—not unlike an old fashioned latch/eyelet design. This gets the job done but is not a terribly secure solution.

THE CAR TEST

As previously mentioned, the stroller collapses to 14×31x19, and it can fit into the generous trunks easily, but it also fits really well into the trunks of many compact cars. You can squeeze it into even tighter spaces by popping off the wheels using the quick release levers.

COMPANY SUPPORT

Support at InStep has been excellent. Our stroller arrived with slightly damage front swivel lock (not Instep’s fault). InStep support immediately shipped out a replacement part and told us how we could safely use the stroller until the part arrived. After 8 months of use, we had the slight brake issue mentioned above. Again, a quick call to customer support, and a quick resolution of the problem was provided. Their staff was so very polite and helpful I was getting flashbacks to another era. They even made sure to encourage us to call them for any and all issues related to the stroller, and actually seem to mean it.

Compared to the support of some other stroller makers that we’ve interacted with (where replacement parts were promised and never received despite repeated follow-ups), we’re very happy with InStep. It should be noted that we never identified ourselves as product reviewers, so we got the same treatment you should expect to get.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Like most products this stroller is not perfect. But it is safe to say it has fewer problems than many. Some people may feel that the unit has a bit too much “play” in its structural frame, and instead prefer something more rigid. However it is the Safari’s light frame that helps make the whole stroller so nimble and a pleasure to use.

The Safari TT offers a large, lightweight and safe product at an unbeatable price—it’s really a great value. Add in the thoughtful extra feature sets and top-notch customer support and this stroller is a real contender.