Review: Guava Roam Jogging Stroller

When I saw how this stroller could fold, I had to try it for myself.

Jogging strollers have been the bane of my existence in my months of testing for our strollers guide. They're massive! Unwieldy! Heavy! All in the name of a smooth run. I'm not much of a runner myself—I prefer a nice power walk—but you can still catch me (reluctantly) running in my neighborhood with the latest jogger I'm testing. Still, while I walk a lot with my son, that usually doesn't justify having such a massive stroller in my entryway.

Guava's Roam Stroller is the answer for enthusiastic pedestrians, shall we say. It changes the usual design of a jogging stroller in a few ways that make it much more convenient to keep it right by the door, and I immediately suggest we throw it in the car if there's any chance of a long walk at our destination. My son will sit in this jogger for longer than the lighter strollers we have around the house, and it's much easier to fold and tote around than other jogging strollers I've tried. The lack of hand brake makes it a bit of a miss for a runner, but for the avid walker, it's a great choice.

Photograph: Guava Family

The Roam Stroller caught my eye initially for its folding method. It can fold backwards onto itself, landing on the handlebar to stand up and tuck in the wheels. Once folded, it fit into the small nook in my entryway just as nicely as my favorite Thule stroller.

The stroller has a little informative tag at the top near the handlebar to guide you through the steps of folding the Roam correctly. It's fairly intuitive and similar to other strollers in that you turn on the brake, set the handlebar to its lowest setting, and pull a handle underneath the child's seat to cause it to collapse. It takes an extra shake or two to get it fully into the folded position, but after that it easily stands on its own, and it's much easier to carry than other jogging strollers.

It's a little trickier to unfold it. Guava's instructions say to lift from the handlebar—yes, the one on the ground—to unfold the stroller in an upwards motion. It's a little awkward, but easy enough once you get the hang of grabbing the handlebar on the ground and flipping it back out into an upright position. Or you can be like my husband, who never remembers to do that and instead grabs the middle, lifts, and shakes it out. His method is worse, but both require you to essentially lift the entire stroller and unfurl it.

Once it's folded, the stroller is considerably smaller than any of the other joggers I've tested from Thule and Bob. It looks as small as a standard stroller while folded, but it stands up better than most strollers you'll find, thanks to the handlebar at the base.

The biggest downside of this jogger is clear: the lack of a hand brake.

It's usually an included feature in any jogging stroller to better control your pace as you run, especially if you're running on hills or slopes of any kind. Otherwise, you have to manage the stroller as you run downhill, instead of being able to control the stroller's speed to match yours.

Some have better hand brakes than others. Thule's discreet but easy-to-use brake is my personal favorite, which is one of the many reasons it's our top pick for a jogging stroller. Skipping the hand brake makes the Guava Roam a bad choice for anyone who runs on any kind of slope or wants to be able to control the speed of the stroller without changing their pace.

The foot brake isn't my favorite, either, because you have to push it up with the top of your foot, instead of down. It's not intuitive, takes a solid amount of effort, and feels a little uncomfortable on your foot while you do so, especially depending on the thickness of your shoes. There is a safety wrist strap included on the handlebar.

Photograph: Guava Family

Too many expensive strollers skip out on any easy-to-reach storage. You either end up using the base storage or have to buy an additional accessory to hold drinks or wipes near the handlebars. The Guava Roam comes with an included Parent Organizer that has two mesh zipper pouches. One is round for drinks, and the other is square for other necessities like keys, smartphones, or even a pacifier. It has Velcro straps to secure it, and it's easy to remove if you don't want to use it.

You can also add on a snack tray for your kiddo to use. I didn't test the tray, so I can't speak to how well it works, but I was glad to see that it's dishwasher-friendly.

Honestly, I really like this jogging stroller. The compact fold makes it feel as convenient to use as a travel stroller—although it's much heavier—and my kid loves riding in it. But with no hand brake, I'd recommend it for my fellow power walkers, rather than runners. It's still an intense workout to sprint after your stroller as it rolls downhill out of control, but not exactly one that you might want.