It’s spring! Kinda. Since the weather has been thawing (and let’s face it—we had a totally mild winter), little poo bear and I have made it out a few times in the stroller. Now, I wrote a post on how to run with a baby in a stroller, but I’ve picked up some new tips that I’d like to share. The biggest one is how to pick a stroller cover!
First off, if you’re going to run with your stroller-baby in the spring and fall, you really need a shield for at least the wind. I don’t usually run with Wally if it rains, but while shopping for my new cover, I knew it would be a bonus to find one that had good coverage and added ability to keep out rain.
My existing cover? I had a cheap, clear plastic stroller cover that I picked up from one of the local baby stores. I used it last year when it was still a little chilly. It ripped after one use. I made it work for a few runs, but it was basically garbage after about 5 uses. Wally and I are planning a trip in a few weeks and will be doing a lot of walking and using public transit, so I knew we needed a much better cover—at least for our regular stroller, if not for the jogger, too.
I looked at all of the stroller covers on Amazon and pondered which one we wanted. I didn’t want to spend $35 if I didn’t have to, but if I could find a cover that would fit our huge jogging stroller and our regular stroller, block wind and rain, look cool AND not rip, I’d pay that much. There are a lot of $25 options, but they just didn’t look any better than the cheap one we first tried, so I took the leap and tried this one. It’s the Manito Elegance Plus (yeah, super fancy name, amirite?) and it was $34. I thought about getting a really snappy color, but ultimately settled on gray. I figured one that didn’t show as much dust and dirt would be ideal.
I just tried out our stroller cover for the first time and it is amazing! I wasn’t even sure it would fit our stroller because the jogger is 20″ deep and it says this one only goes 15-19″, but it fits no problem. The material is flexible and strong. I don’t have to pull it as tight as the crappy plastic one. Plus, there are stretchy cords and Velcro to keep it in place (even without them, it stays in place pretty well). The only bummer is that there isn’t a window on the top to see through the window on the canopy to see the kiddo. But, it’s a stretchy area, so I can stretch it forward a little and see the top of his head. I mean, at almost a year and a half old, he tells me when he’s not happy. I don’t need to rely on sight.
When we went out, it was 40 degrees outside, but sunny with little wind. I bundled Wally up in his snowsuit and hat, and put a blanket alongside him. Of course I did the usual setup of snacks, a toy and book, and sippy cup. I set out for about 3 miles with my friend, and Poopie was grumpy and ready for a nap from the get-go.
Well he hit the nap jackpot because the cover kept out the wind, kept him warm and snuggly inside, and gave nice shade. He passed out quick and had an awesome sleepy ride while we ran.
So I have to keep running with this for a while and see how it does, but I am super impressed so far. I’m sure this stroller cover is going to last us a lot longer than the first one we tried.
Manito Elegance Plus Stroller Cover
Pros
- The front panel blocks 99% of UV. How cool is that!?
- Lots of straps for customized fit
- Plenty big enough to fit a mega stroller
- Super easy in-out area with big zipper around front window
- Side vents
- Lots of cool colors
- Durable!
Cons
- Doesn’t have a top window for viewing from above
- Costs a little more than crappy plastic wrap