In the spirit of being transparent, I want to begin by sharing that I was provided the Bumbleride IRONMAN Stroller and paid for this. BUT I only represent brands I believe in, and have turned down many many other brands in the past, even when they have offered payment because I do not feel good about them. I am a fan of Bumbleride for many reasons more than their products, and I will explain below (and yes, there are some negatives included in here). I am honest.
A few months ago, I was interviewed by a major publication asking about running strollers. That article has come out yet, the interviewer, a mom to be, was going to test out some strollers of her own before it did, but one of the questions was, do you think a stroller is needed by every mother?
My initial reaction was,
Of course! How could you possibly not have one? (A very privileged thing to say, I realize, but being honest, that was my first thought).
Before I responded, I took a moment to think it through, something I am trying to do more often. I then switched my thinking to,
No….actually, in this pandemic world, do you need one?
Without constant travel, trips, and extended activities out for the day, could you get away with not having one?
Maybe, but then I settled on yes, I do in fact think it is a need, or maybe not a need, again, being able to afford a stroller is something I and many mothers take for granted, but that said, with the way we live in 2020 in the US, I would argue we do NEED one for our mental health, even if not to spend 8 hours out of the house.
During the final months of my pregnancy and in the early postpartum period, going out for a walk with Bailey in the stroller was a cherished part of my day. Being out in nature, out in the fresh air, some time with my first daughter, was special and needed. I felt better in every way upon my return (except for one time I REALLY needed to go to the bathroom and had to concentrate hard for about 15 minutes, that part was not fun!).
During this year, it has been all too easy for us to stay in the house day after day, without ever stepping outside to put our feet on the ground or feel a cool breeze or see the beautiful blue sky. But as humans, I genuinely believe we NEED that to thrive, to survive.
And then there is the benefit for our kids. In this screen dominated, electronic world, they get enough technology throughout their day, even from an early age. Being outside, seeing the colors of the leaves, the animals out in nature, or even just taking it in, is something they too, need to develop. I find a lot of the time Bailey is just quiet, sometimes for up to 45 minutes, taking it all in, looking around.
When we purchased our first stroller, we went for the well-known models we could get in the big baby stores, and of course that made sense, we didn’t know any better. But now, I rarely use that stroller, as I just find it clunky to use and I much prefer the 3 wheel running stroller type. I wish I had done a little more research to going outside the major brands.
When Bailey was about 6 months old, I started to take her out in a running stroller, and I look forward to doing that with Chloe soon too. When Steve was working a lot, that time out in the stroller was treasured, and often, it was the ONLY way I would get out in nature or any exercise in. There was a woman on my street who would always sit on her porch and cheer for me, saying something like you go mama! or you are my hero! Those comments truly made my day (which of course, is a lesson for us all in random acts of kindness, and how our words, even to a stranger, can mean so much).
That is the reality for many mothers (or fathers who are at home), that we do feel isolated, alone, trapped in the house, dictated by our children.
Having a decent running stroller that you can take out and get outside to clear your head, listen to a podcast or some music, or just do something for yourself (especially if your little one is struggling with sleep, so getting up earlier is only going to put your body and mind in a worse state with sleep deprivation), is magic. It can make all the difference in the world. Now Bailey is bigger (and a lot heavier) having a stroller I love has become even more important. A heavy, awkward stroller when they are young is nothing compared to when they get bigger.
For the past few months, I have been busy testing out a new stroller I had the opportunity to try out. I feel it is really important, especially with a big purchase item like a stroller, that I find one I feel good about and that I genuinely believe is worth the price tag. That is why I do not tag brands immediately and do not give people the answer when I am asked which one I am using through comments. But I am excited I can now share that I am in love with the Bumbleride IRONMAN Stroller.
Before I even go into the use of the Bumbleride IRONMAN, I want to note some things that made me squeal with joy when this opportunity came about, the fabric of the stroller is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles (how cool!) and 25% of the plastic components are sourced from ocean plastics like recycled sea nets. They have chosen every material that makes up their products with thought and care. Making sure they are durable (which is important, what is the point of using sustainable products if you have to replace them often!), safe, and of course, function well. I love that they focus on environmental impact, especially as the manufacturing industry can be one of the worst.
I never dreamed of a children’s travel products company putting environmental impact as one of the foundations of their business, and the fact Bumbleride does put this first, just makes my heart happy.
But beyond that, there is a lot to love about it, it features 3 front wheel lock modes, including a 360 swivel, partial swivel, and locked. You can also tweak the alignment in the locked position if you ever needed it (running on a cambered road).
There is an extended sun canopy too, which is something I appreciated so much after using multiple strollers that did not have that….and complaining ensued. It is funny when I envisioned my future child and I taking a walk with a stroller, I thought about a blue sky, but forgot about the other part of a blue sky….the sun is out, and kids tend to not like the sun being on them! This extended canopy made it easy, even at sunrise, which was the worst time for sunlight beaming in a child’s eyes.
So yes, you could say I am happy with my Bumbleride IRONMAN stroller, especially as it is the only all-terrain stroller I have used. I have to admit, I have not yet tried it on any kind of trails, but with all-wheel suspension, and the three settings for the wheel lock, I feel confident it could handle rougher terrain than any of the strollers I have used. It comes with a pump, which is really helpful for keeping in the mesh pocket underneath if I were to need it.
I promised some negatives, so what could I find?
There wasn’t much, to be honest. It is longer than the other running stroller I have used, which would make it a little inconvenient in stores or busy places…but with social distancing, that has not been a problem! And for me, the other negative would be that I do not have the carseat from Clek Liing, which pairs with bumbleride, so Chloe is not able to ride in it yet, as mine would not work with it (although you can get an adapter to convert).
I really have enjoyed it, and look forward to many hours of solo time with each of my girls in the future. We have also got the Bumbleride Indie Twin Double Stroller….something I always said I would never get, but now we have it…..ooooh do I love it!
