All opinions are our own and never influenced by brands. We may earn money if you buy from a link.
Bottom Line Verdict: the Thule Urban Glide 2 represents the top-end of jogging strollers, and has clearly been designed with runners in mind.
It’s intuitive, smooth, and ergonomic design make it a joy to walk or run with, and – best of all – it lets you get a proper running workout while also looking after your kid!
Overall rating: 4.6/5
[amazon bestseller=”thule urban glide 2″ items=”1″]
Becoming a Parent – Researching Running Strollers
Ever since becoming a parent, I’d looked forward to getting a jogging stroller and taking my child out for runs with me. As every new parent knows, finding time for exercise can be tough when balancing child care, work, and other chores and commitments.
So getting a running stroller was an easy choice – it let me go running with the baby while my partner got a break.
A baby should be around 6 months old to be in a running stroller – so naturally, as our baby’s 6 month birthday approached, I spent a lot of time researching the best running strollers on the market.
My criteria was to find a stroller that was actually fun to run with, which could handle the hills and trails around where we live, was practical, and – of course – was comfortable and suitable for our baby.
Whenever I asked other running parents for recommendations, the stroller that kept coming up was the Thule Urban Glide 2.
I’ve now spent a few weeks – and a bunch of miles – road-testing the latest model of the Urban Glide 2, so wanted to share my thoughts.
Ready?
Let’s jump in!
Thule Urban Glide 2 – Key Points
The Urban Glide 2 is Thule’s flagship running stroller, designed for both everyday around-town use and running across more challenging terrain.
Despite being the ‘urban’ model, we’ve tested the robust stroller across a variety of trails and tracks and have found it handles itself just as well off-road as on-road.
- Age range: 6 months to roughly 4-5 years (22kg); bassinet available for newborns.
- Build: 3-wheel all-terrain with large rear wheels
- Dimensions: 35 x 14 x 21 inches
- Folded Dimensions: 34.5 x 21 x 14 inches
- Front Wheel Diameter: 12.5 inches
- Rear Wheels Diameter: 16 inches
Check out the Thule Urban Glide 2 on Amazon!
Unboxing and Setting Up The Thule Urban Glide 2
The total unboxing and set-up time for the Thule Urban Glide 2 should take you just 5-10 minutes, and is a pretty straightforward process.
There’s little self-assembly to do – the box simply contains the Urban Glide 2 folded up and the 2 back wheels. No tools are required, but you’ll need scissors to remove some of the packaging and a bicycle tire pump to inflate the wheels.
The first step is to grab a scissors and remove all the protective packaging and tie-wraps from the stroller.
Next, you want to unfold the stroller. If you’re not sure how to unfold the Thule Urban Glide 2, you have to slide off the fold lock, then locate the big blue handle, then twist it and slide it as indicated.
As long as the fold lock is off, the folding/collapsing mechanism should work very smoothly.
The next step is to inflate the tires of the rear wheels using a bicycle pump. The instruction manual says to do this to 20 – 25psi (1.4-1.7 Bar) – the pump I used didn’t have a pressure gauge, so I just pumped them until they were good and firm, like a bike tyre.
Now all that’s left is to install the back wheels. This is super easy, just insert them into the holes feeding into the back axle. Note that you’ll need to push down on the blue button in the middle of the wheel to ‘click’ the wheel into place at the end.
And there you have it! That’s all it takes to set up the Thule Urban Glide 2!
Related: 13 Tips To Balance Being a Runner and Having Kids
Now let’s look at the various features of the jogging stroller.
[amazon bestseller=”thule urban glide 2″ items=”1″]
Thule Urban Glide 2 Features
Stroller Design
Before getting into the bells and whistles, it’s worth noting what’s great about the Urban Glide 2 overall design – and how it lends itself to running.
The stroller has a long, large wheelbase – those two large (16″) wheels at the back take almost all the load, while the front wheel basically steers the stroller. This robust design, coupled with rear-wheel suspension, makes the Urban Glide 2 great for running over slightly uneven terrain or negotiating kerbs and bumps along the way.
Compared to a more traditional stroller, the Urban Glide 2 has a lower center of gravity sitting right over the back wheels. This makes the running stroller very sturdy and less likely to topple over, but also easier to turn around. It takes practically no effort to lean the stroller back onto it’s back wheels and pivot it around at a moment’s notice.
So far, so good. The chassis was clearly designed with runners in mind, where you need to have a lot of confidence that your stroller can handle the terrain you throw at it.
Stroller Weight and Size
The Thule Urban Glide 2 weighs 11kg, or 24.4lbs. While this is slightly heavier than some regular strollers, it’s actually quite light for a running stroller. . . and is still manageable enough for one parent to lift it, fold it, carry it, put it in the car trunk without much trouble.
One tight spot we’ve found a couple of times is the wide rear axle – with a door pass-through of 80cm, the Urban Glide 2 should fit through regular doors, and has passed snugly through a few wall gaps and gates in our local trails – so beware narrow entrances!
The Folding Mechanism
The Urban Glide 2 folds into a surprisingly neat package, given it’s size.
The folding mechanism is tucked under a flap at baby’s feet; simply twist and pull and the entire stroller will fold in on itself. It’s a one-handed action, made easier with two (but possible with a baby under one arm!).
Will The Urban Glide 2 Fit Inside My Car Trunk?
The Thule Urban Glide 2 should comfortably fit inside most cars.
While the Urban Glide 2 has a quite broad wheelbase, it’s folded form is surprisingly neat.
Furthermore, there are two extra steps you can take to make it take up even less room:
- fold the rotating handle all the way down
- remove the back wheels.
The folded dimension are 34.5 x 21 x 14 inches.
Here’s what it looks like in the trunk of our subcompact SUV:
Oodles of space!
The Front Wheel (+ Locking Mechanism)
The front wheel can be left to rotate freely like a regular stroller, or locked in place using the easy locking mechanism button.
The idea behind this is that you can lock the wheel into a fixed position while running, so it doesn’t suddenly pivot and throw you off course.
The front-wheel also has a handy little adjustment dial – incase your stroller tends to veer off in one direction you can adjust the ‘aim’ pretty easily.
The Hand Brake
The main brake sits in the middle of the handlebar and is a big, easy-to-rotate blue grip. It’s responsive and easy to get used to, and is especially handy when heading downhill for moderating the stroller’s speed.
The Foot Brake
The 2nd braking system is an all-stop foot brake that is either ‘on’ or ‘off’. It’s essentially the parking brake, if you need to stop the stroller to do something with your hands, this is the brake to use.
One minor quibble with this brake is that it engages with a bit of a shudder that goes through the stroller, and might wake a sleeping baby. Being gentle with it definitely helps!
5-Point Harness
The 5-Point harness is easy to adjust, looks comfortable, and is plenty secure – the belt is locked in by inserting two pins into the receptacle. A minor point, but the pins can be inserted separately as opposed to having to be pushed in at the same time – something that other strollers and car seats require, that can be awkward when you’re trying to corral an active toddler! So the Thule design makes this a little easier.
The Canopy (+ Peekaboo Window)
The expanding multi-position canopy functions well, it basically works as you’d expect without issues.
The pictures above show the canopy fully extended – it might have been nice to have the canopy go a little further to protect the baby from light rain showers or from a low winter sun: a couple of times recently we’ve been out walking and realized that the low December sun was glaring right into our kid’s face when he’s in the seated position. But this is a minor quibble.
The canopy also has a little ‘Peekaboo’ window – something that we’re fond of since the baby is facing away from you as you’re walking.
It’s worth noting that you can only see your kid’s face through the Peekaboo window when they’re in the reclined position – so it’s perfect to check if they’re sleeping, but if they’re seated upright you just see the top of their head.
The Reclining Seat
The stroller is held in the upright position by a tightened cord and a clasp. Reclining the seat is a simply, one-handed operation of just opening the clasp to loosen the cord, and letting the seat go backwards.
Putting the seat back into the upright position requires two hands – one to open the clasp and the other to pull the cord taught.
It’s a simple and effective system, though going upright takes a little bit more effort than reclining.
Storage – The Cargo Basket and Mesh Pocket
There are three places to store stuff when you get the Urban Glide 2 straight out of the box:
- the mesh pocket (fits 2 large water bottles)
- The cargo basket (which is huge compared to other strollers – we fit our changing bag and two large adult down jackets in ours without issue)
- the zip pocket on the cargo basket (handy for keys and smaller items).
So basically you’ve got generous storage room, and it’s all designed to be secured and close to the ground so it doesn’t impede your running.
The one minor quibble is there’s no storage at arms-length. It would be handy to have a somewhere to stash a small water bottle or a phone which you can easily grab while walking with the stroller. As it is, you have to stop walking / running to access anything.
Note: Thule do have a water bottle attachment so you can mount your bottle within arms reach (more on attachments and accessories later!).
The Handlebar
The Urban Glide 2 handlebar is comfortable and nice to run with.
It’s also height-adjustable. But rather than a telescopic extender design like most strollers, the Urban Glide 2 handlebar adjusts by rotating the position (see pictures above).
I wasn’t convinced by this design when I first saw it, but it works very well. I use the handlebar in the highest setting, while we’ve had grannies and family members use it in the lowest setting – and both are comfortable.
The bullhorn-style design means no power is lost due to the handlebar position, and it feels like you always have good control over the stroller.
The handlebar includes a security wrist-strap on the left side. A minor quibble is that you can only use this on the left hand due to the brake lines stopping it from being moved along the handlebar.
[amazon bestseller=”thule urban glide 2″ items=”1″]
Thule Urban Glide 2 – Common Questions Answered
When can baby sit Thule Urban Glide?
Like most running strollers, a baby can sit in the Thule Urban Glide 2 from around 6 months of age, when it’s able to support its neck while seated upright without discomfort.
Thule does sell an Urban Glide Bassinet which can be used with the Urban Glide 2 stroller from birth (although probably best not to run with it!)
What car seats work with Thule Urban Glide 2?
You’ve got a few options:
Thule offer dedicated adaptor kits for both MaxiCosi and Chicco car seats, and a more generic (but less ergonomic) option for other seats.
The Thule Maxi-Cosi style adapter works with most options Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Cybex, and Be-Safe including the Cybex Aton 2.
The Thule Chicco style adapter works with the Chicco Keyfit system.
The Thule Universal Car Seat Adapter works with a huge amount of car seats, but is a little more cumbersome as the car seats have to be strapped in place.
As always, double-check that the car seat adapter you’re buying fits with the exact model of car seat you have!
How do you fold a Thule Urban Glide 2?
Simply locate the big blue handle located under the child’s legrest, then twist and pull – the Urban Glide 2 will fold down into a compact version of itself!
How do you clean the Thule Urban Glide 2?
The fabric of the seat components is not machine washable – so use warm, soapy water to clean where necessary.
You can vaccuum the seat area to get rid of crumbs and debris.
To clean the body, I treat it like my mountain bike – I use a clean rag to wipe it down, and warm soapy water to clear any dirt or debris.
The rear wheels can easily be detached to be washed thoroughly.
What is the age limit for the Thule Urban Glide 2?
The weight limit is 22kg, which is usually somewhere around 4 or 5 years old. The seat is both tall and wide, meaning that it’ll probably last your kid until they hit the weight limit rather than outgrowing the stroller.
[amazon bestseller=”thule urban glide 2″ items=”1″]
Road Testing The Thule Urban Glide 2
Aside from all the bells and whistles, the most important aspect of the Urban Glide 2 is how good is it for running?
Over the past few weeks, my partner and I have used the Urban Glide 2 almost every day – whether it’s for relaxed walks through the neighborhood with friends, gentle trail runs in nature, or going up and down the hills near our house for some interval training.
Here’s what we’ve found:
The Urban Glide 2 Runs Well
Bottom line, this stroller is great for running.
I’ve been very happy with how smooth a ride it is, and also how little resistance it generates – on a flat surface, you can keep it moving at your pace with just a couple of fingers rested on the handlebar.
The more I’ve run with it, the more I’ve appreciated the design – it’s clear that the Thule Urban Glide 2 was designed with runners in mind.
The wide wheelbase and low centre of gravity means it feels very sturdy and hugs the ground well. It also makes it easy to tilt the stroller back onto the two rear wheels to change direction quickly or mount a kerb.
The handbrake is easy to use while walking or running, and is handy for controlling your descent.
When you start to go off-road or over bumps, you really appreciate those big wheels and the suspension – compared to our previous stroller, this thing ploughs over everything.
In terms of running performance, I’m finding I can go at roughly 80-90% of my regular speed for the same rate of exertion with the stroller. There’s a hilly route near home I run a lot which I used to try to tackle with our old stroller, and it would leave me huffing and puffing up the hill. With the Urban Glide 2, I’m able to keep running all the way to the top!
I’m even looking forward to using the Urban Glide 2 as I head into marathon training next season!
Baby Likes It
It’s the first time our baby has been in a front-facing stroller, and he loves it! It’s a shame he can’t give us a more in-depth review, but he seems super-comfortable in the Thule Urban Glide 2, and tends to spend our outings looking around at trees and the scenery.
When I know he’s tired, I put him into the reclined position.
One thing to note is that your baby is definitely less likely to sleep if you’re running with the stroller. The inertia and a few brisk movements seem to stop our kid from falling into a deep sleep if I’m hitting the trails, so for now when I see him nodding off I’ll dial back the pace to a brisk walk – and keep an eye on him through the Peekaboo window.
It Holds It’s Own On The Trails
Thule market the Urban Glide 2 as ‘all-terrain’, and mention that it is good for urban settings and ‘paths‘. They fall short of saying the stroller is good for trails, perhaps just because of how they want to position it.
So for any trail runners reading this, let me reassure you – this thing is perfectly suited to running wide, relatively-smooth trails.
It takes inclines and uneven surfaces well – though obviously there are limits.
As I’ve noted earlier, the Urban Glide 2 is fairly wide (door pass-through = 80cm) so it might not be suitable for narrow, single-person trails.
It’s also not a monster truck, so don’t expect it to plough over very uneven surfaces, branches, or tree roots without bumping around your kid a little.
As long as you stick to comfortable, wide trails and slow down for any uneven ground, you’ll never tire of this thing.
It’s Also Great For Walking
This might seem like an obvious point, but it’s one that didn’t dawn on me until we had the Thule Urban Glide 2 – it’s great as a regular walking stroller too.
In fact, when going for a walk we now favor the Urban Glide 2 over our regular walking stroller. It’s a smoother ride, easier to push, and has oodles of storage.
In other words, if you get an Urban Glide 2 you don’t need another stroller.
We have friends who don’t run who use the Urban Glide 2 as their primary stroller.
[amazon bestseller=”thule urban glide 2″ items=”1″]
The Thule Urban Glide 2 Double
The Urban Glide 2 also comes in a ‘double‘ model – it’s the exact same design, but with two seats instead of one. Perfect for anyone with two young children in their life!
See it on Amazon!
Recommended Accessories For The Thule Urban Glide 2
Thule Bumper Bar
The Thule Bumper Bar gives your kid a secure and comfortable bar to hold onto when out in the Urban Glide 2.
You can also mount toys onto it.
Thule Urban Glide Rain Cover
Basically an essential for those of us living in climates with wet seasons!
The rain cover means your Urban Glide is practically weatherproof, so you can take your kid out any time.
This is worth having stashed in the cargo bag at all times, just in case.
Thule Snack Tray
This snack tray is perfect to your toddler to put their food in, and the bottle holder is deep-set ensuring nothing is going to spill.
It mounts easily to the frame of the Urban Glide 2, and rotates around the bottle holder so can be easily moved out of the kid’s way.
Thule Footmuff
The ‘footmuff’ is essentially a sleeping sack for your child, and is highly recommended for winter walks!
It’s super handy to just slip your child into the footmuff with his indoor clothes on (no need for a jacket), and head outdoors. Kids love them too – our baby falls into a quick and deep sleep every time in his Footmuff!
Thule Bottle Cage
One gripe I have with almost all strollers is that there’s nowhere super-accessible to stash my water bottle.
This means that when I’m out walking or running, to take a drink I’ve got to come to a complete stop, apply the brake, fumble around for the bottle – then the same process when I put it away again.
So the Thule Bottle Cage makes a lot of sense – and thankfully, they’ve made it big enough for regular sports bottles and your morning Starbucks!
Thule Organizer Tray
The ultimate Urban Glide 2 accessory for parents!
The Thule Organizer Tray includes a generous bottle holder and a zip pocket, big enough (7″ x 5″) to house your smart phone, keys, and small items you might want to grab quickly while on the run.
My one is in the post!
[amazon bestseller=”thule urban glide 2″ items=”1″]
The Final Verdict On The Thule Urban Glide 2
Suitability for Running: 5 / 5
Easy for unfolding, folding: 4.3 / 5
Price point: 4.0 / 5
Handling: 4.9 / 5
Style: 4.7 / 5
Overall: 4.6 / 5
Having spent a few weeks running with the Thule Urban Glide 2, I couldn’t be happier with it.
It handles like a dream and lets me get real runs in while also taking my kid out for some fresh air.
The design is robust and practical, and feels secure whether you’re walking or running.
If I could sit with the Thule design team, the only suggestions I’d have are for a small pocket you can reach while walking or running, for the canopy to extend a little further down to block out low light, and for the wrist-strap to be re-designed to fit over either hand – for now, it’s stuck on the left side.
Other than those minor points, the Thule Urban Glide 2 is everything I could ask for in a stroller; running or regular. We’re looking forward to many more years of use from our Urban Glide 2!
Interested?
Frankly, if you’re a runner you’re not going to find a better stroller.
Check out the Thule Urban Glide 2 on Amazon!
[amazon bestseller=”thule urban glide 2″ items=”1″]
I find that my Thule Urban Glide veers to one side when I run with the wheel locked. As of right now I just jog slowly with the wheel unlocked to avoid this. I’ve tried turning the dial but it doesn’t seem to do anything. Have you used the dial and it corrects the alignment? Thanks!
Yep, you’re on the right lines – turning the dial definitely does fix alignment issues. I’ve played about with it a good amount and can confirm it definitely works for me – maybe revisit it?
Silly question, but do you have the front wheel rotated out ahead of the swivel point, or trailing behind it? Though many pictures show the wheel forward, it’s actually designed to work with it trailing. If the wheel is rotated forward, the stroller will always veer side to side.
One feature I miss – and I haven’t even tried this stroller yet – is an emergency brake clip, like the one on the treadmill.
If you fall, you’ll want the stroller to stop. There’s a strap you can have around your wrist, but in case you fall the stroller will pivot around the rear axle.
It’s a novel – but simple idea, that I haven’t seen on any stroller. If you find one, let me know!
I love mine as well, but I have had at least 4 flat tires since May. All on the rear tires, and all from the TINIEST of thorns. It’s frustrating that since the very first flat (2 weeks in) that I’ve *only* used it on Sidewalks, Streets and Paved running trails, yet I still end up with a flat about every month – and I’m not even using it as much as I initially hoped! Maybe 3 days a week between runs and walks.
I would like to see Thule use a different tire. I wouldn’t even dare use it on a gravel trail at this point and won’t even take it into the grass at the park. I keep a patch kit and portable pump in the lower storage compartment to avoid being stranded with my toddler. This last weekend, I bought innertube guards which I hope will solve my issue – but for a $600 stroller, it’s frustrating to have spent $30 on innertubes and another $28 on guards for a problem that shouldn’t be so persistent.
I also agree with Erik’s suggestion – I looked for strollers with an emergency brake just like he described and was rather surprised there’s nothing like that on the market (at least that I could find).
Hi,
I have this same stroller but I failed at pumping the tires with the airpump I have. I did a quick research and it looks like the valve is schrader type but I am not completely sure. Anyone can give me any advice here? I was unable to find any helpful info in the Thule manual or even on youtube. Thanks.
Hey – yep it’s a Schraeder straight valve (Im sitting next to our one and just checked).
Thanks,
Thomas
Does it go straight when front wheel is locked? That’s the main issue for me with other strollers with locking front wheels.
yes, it goes nice and straight. There’s also a little dial that lets you fine-tune the heading of the front wheel when locked, to ensure it’s dead center.
Thanks,
Thomas