Running with a jogging stroller doesn’t make your run any easier. However, there are jogging stroller accessories that make your run easier in regards to storage, safety, efficiency, and keeping your baby or toddler happy in the stroller.
In this article, we tell you which jogging stroller accessories have earned sacred status during our stroller runs, walks, and everyday errands.
Here is our list of the best jogging stroller accessories for running
10 Essential Jogging Stroller Accessories
Any jogging stroller worth your investment should already include the following:
- Sun canopy
- Undercarriage
- Handbrake
- Safety strap
- 5-point harness
We don’t take safety lightly around here. In fact, two children are injured every hour in the U.S. due to carrier and stroller injuries.
The jogging stroller accessories listed below are additions we highly recommend cramming onto your baby registry or purchasing separately to get more out of your jogger runs.
Stroller Caddy
A stroller caddy (also called a “stroller organizer”) is a compact storage bag designed to loop around your jogging stroller’s handlebar for convenient access.
You can shop an abundance of jogging stroller caddies based on your needs and personal style.
Simple caddy designs, like the Baby Jogger Parent Console, include cup holders and a sealed storage compartment for your phone, keys, bribery snacks, and other small items you want within arm’s reach during your run.
Enhanced designs, like the Momcozy Universal Stroller Organizer, include cup holders, a middle storage compartment, a mesh slot for your phone, plus a mounted wristlet wallet you can detach and take with you for light travel.
Regardless of which caddy captures your heart, get one with the essential characteristics listed below:
- At least two cup holders—for baby’s water and yours (some stroller caddies include an insulated cup holder as well)
- Sealed storage pocket to keep your primary items safe from the elements (especially rain)
- Easy to wipe clean or toss in the wash
- Compatible with your specific jogging stroller
Water Bottle Holder
A nylon water bottle holder, like the Mountain Buggy Bottle Holder, is small enough to fold with your stroller while also accommodating most regular-sized water bottles (not Stanley Cups—come on, now).
Sturdy Velcro straps let you customize where you place this bottle holder on your jogger’s frame, and its use is not exclusive to strollers. The same bottle pouch also attaches to bicycles, chariot-style buggies, and even some diaper bag straps.
A water bottle holder offers an extra pocket of organization without the bulk of a full stroller caddy.
As runners, nursing moms, and overall exhausted people, staying hydrated is essential to keep our bodies healthy and functioning well.
Equipping your jogging stroller or buggy with an extra water bottle holder or two is a weightless way to enhance its features and keep you healthy.
Mesh Cover or Weather Shield
A mesh cover and weather shield are different from a stroller’s sun canopy. Unlike a sun canopy, these special shields encompass your jogger’s frame, while allowing proper ventilation and visibility for your tiny bundle.
Whether you need a mesh cover or a weather shield for your jogging stroller is dependent on your local climate and weather conditions. Both types of covers offer protection from different elements:
Mesh Cover
Protection from mosquitoes and other flying insects, harmful UV rays, and light rain.
Weather Shield
Waterproof protection from high winds, significant rain, snow, and cold.
Even with Michigan’s unpredictable weather, my SummitX3’s sun canopy and plenty of winter layers kept baby comfortable during our jogger runs. However, if you expect extreme weather while stroller running, a full shield is a must-have accessory.
Car Seat Adaptors
Car seat adaptors are absolutely necessary if you plan to run with your baby in the jogging stroller before they are 6 months old.
Car seat adaptors convert compatible jogging strollers into a travel system, which lets you transfer baby’s infant car seat in and out of your stroller with a simple click.
Jogging strollers that are travel system compatible require their own unique set of car seat adaptors. Make sure you find ones that accommodate both your jogger brand and infant car seat.
I consider car seat adaptors a non-negotiable addition to my jogging stroller. I knew I wasn’t going to wait 6 months for my daughter to develop Hulk Hogan neck strength before I could run with her in the jogger.
Being able to stroll—then eventually run—with my daughter in the early weeks of motherhood was very helpful and it allowed me to stay ahead of my lurking postpartum depression. Eventually, it led me to start training for a marathon after giving birth.
Jogging Kit
A jogging kit is an essential jogging stroller accessory that applies to multi-sport bike trailers, like the Thule Chariot Sport 2 or a Kid Bike Trailer from Burley.
A jogging conversion kit includes:
- A fixed front wheel
- Mounting brackets
- Adjustment knobs
Bike trailer/stroller combos offer an all-in-one option of pushing your kids in a jogging stroller or pulling them on a bike without investing in two pieces of pricey baby gear. Plus, transforming between functions is easily done in minutes and requires no extra tools.
Chelsea Light, OTM running mom of two who lives in Australia, has conquered all sorts of terrain with the jogging kit on her Thule Chariot Sport 2, including rocky paths, sand, grass, and hills. She says a jogging kit is a must if you plan on running with your stroller or taking it on rough terrain.
Jogging Stroller Snack Tray
There’s no point in neglecting the power snacks have on babies and toddlers when riding in the jogging stroller. Besides being an attachable snack table, the best jogging stroller snack tray serves as an easy-clean surface for coloring, toys, drum solos, and more.
A jogging stroller snack tray also takes the brunt of snack messes that kids can’t help but make. It’s easier to wipe down the aftermath of a food pouch explosion from a detachable snack tray than to deep clean the nooks and crannies of your jogger’s seat.
Bike Lock
A standard bike lock, similar to the best bike lock on Amazon, comes in handy if you’re like me and your jogging stroller becomes an extension of your being.
I’ll often merge running workouts with regular outings. While having a jogging stroller’s cargo space in a grocery store is rather nifty, it’s a pain to maneuver its wide load through a crowded street fair or cozy eatery.
Instead, I’ll park and lock my jogging stroller to a bike rack or a trustworthy tree. Then, I’ll pop my daughter in a carrier or let her roam by my side as we explore.
For extra security, lock your jogging stroller’s wheels as well, and take your valuables with you.
Stroller Footmuff
A stroller footmuff or bunting bag, like the Orzbow Warm Bunting Bag, is an insulated cocoon that attaches over your jogging stroller’s frame.
It provides your little one with a sleeping bag of wind-resistant warmth when it’s freezing outside.
Universal footmuffs have precisely placed slits to thread your jogger’s harness straps, so you can keep baby bundled and secure.
If you run with baby in an area that seasonally endures temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, a footmuff compatible with your jogging stroller is essential for protecting your precious cargo from the cold.
Small Air Pump
A jogging stroller achieves its noteworthy smooth ride thanks to three rubber air-filled tires. So, it’s never out of the question to experience a flat tire.
Storing a small air pump in your jogging stroller’s undercarriage can provide relief knowing you won’t be stranded anywhere with a flat tire.
You can always inflate your jogger’s tires with the same air pump you use on your bike tires.
However, adding a small portable air pump to your jogging stroller accessories ensures you’ll be able to repair flats no matter how far from home you roam.
Hands-free Dog Leash
A hands-free dog leash is a game-changer if you’re doing double duty by walking your dog while also pushing your baby in a jogging stroller.
A hands-free leash buckles around your waist and frees both your hands for pushing baby in the jogging stroller.
Benefits of a Hands-free Dog Leash
- Gives you more control over keeping the jogger on track rather than struggling with a regular dog leash
- Prevents tangling between the jogging stroller handlebar and a hand-held dog leash
- Doggo is guided to run beside the jogging stroller and tends not to zig-zag
- Arms and shoulders are protected from jerking and tugging
Conclusion
These essential jogging stroller accessories can make the difference between your pram being another piece of bulk you have to haul around and a personalized trolley that serves you as much as you serve your family.
After all, we’re not going to let an ill-equipped stroller keep us from getting out there.
Read Our Jogging Stroller Reviews
We’re pretty passionate about identifying the best strollers for jogging. Check out our honest reviews on the jogging strollers we use by clicking the links below:
Summit X3 Jogging Stroller by Baby Jogger
Bri Terry
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