This stroller will get the job done, but not as effectively as the more expensive brands.
If you’re an average jogger who doesn’t want to invest a fortune, this is the stroller for you. The ride is smooth but it doesn’t glide like it’s on air.
The Jeep is good for daily life and moderate jogging, less so for serious running.
Affordable stroller for moderate joggers
I tend to brush aside customers’ disappointment at not getting a blistering stroller for very little money. I’m not a snob, but you have to be realistic. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to jogging strollers.
The Jeep Overland is very affordable – one of the best in its price range.
Compared to its closest price competitor, Schwinn Instep Arrow – the Jeep is designed more for real life (bigger seat, ample storage) than for high-speed comfy running (the Schwinn can be pushed with just one finger and has shock absorbers).
The reason I haven’t included Jeep Overland in my Top 5 is because I always wonder about people who buy strollers because of the MP3 player or pedometer. Does it make the ride better? Does the child feel more comfortable thanks to the MP3?
I have a tendency to doubt products that compete on bells and whistles. But the Jeep has exceeded my expectations!
Table of Contents
Jeep Overland Review Summary
Jeep Overland never feels as fast as expected – mainly because of its weight (26lbs vs 23 for BOB or 20lbs for Schwinn Arrow).
It feels slightly heavy for running and a bit bumpy when you go off-road. However, it has good control on mud/grass. The stroller has 3 soft ride knobbed tires but no shock absorbers – which is okay for walking and jogging but less enjoyable for speedy exercise.
The adjustable handle is a very attractive feature, however.
Jeep does fit into a four-door sedan and feels fine on public transport.
Look: Nothing particularly offensive here. The Jeep looks rugged, just as the name suggests (and is loved by fathers). Its sporty look and MP3 with odometer are added to help moms maintain their dedication to running (if your dedication is weak, nothing will help you, though!).
Dad’s voice: It’s not girly at all! If cross bracing had been added, I think it could work well in most National Parks, and don’t worry about the rivets pulling through the frame.
[pcu id=6]
Sports Performance
Includes: Easy Ride, Stability, Durability, Alignment, Handle, Off-road and Safety.
The Jeep Overland is designed for outdoor use by healthy people.
I say “by healthy people” because it has had a large amount of comments about the heaviness of the steering. The more miles you have to go the more you’ll feel the burn. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re running long distance on curvy paths, unless you’d like an extra workout on your arms.
Actually, the shock absorbers have been removed on the Koolcraft, which made the steering easier, compared to the previous model, Jeep Overland Fierce.
Easy Ride/Performance. The ride is good, however, not as good as some ex-BOB users might expect (they say that unlike a BOB, you have to PUSH this stroller to get it to move). But, objectively speaking, Ferrari owners might not find other cars quite as appealing…
The Jeep does still have a nice smooth ride and it’s comfy but not that lightweight or soft. So it’s not frustrating but not fantastic either. Maneuverability is the same as for all the alloy rim fixed wheels: it’s easy as can be.
Stability – Not really steady. When turning at fast speed, it feels flimsy and the inside tire comes off the ground. The stroller might tilt and fall off. It also tips easily, especially if you put more than 3 lbs onto the parent console (e.g. hanging a heavy diaper bag on the stroller’s holder).
The wheels don’t seem very stable (probably because they sit quite loose on a rear axle).
Durability: How sturdy it is and how long it lasts.
Pretty good feedback: despite some of the shakiness, the Jeep has a durable tread for off-roading. The aluminum/steel frame is of good quality.
Parents say it lasts through child one, two, and even three. It can travel many miles and go on a lot of jogging excursions without any trouble.
I have, however, had one complaint about the strap to lay down the seat. It got loose and didn’t work properly. In my opinion, this is because of the cheap components used in its manufacture.
No parts broke except the pedometer and MP3. But we didn’t really expect them to last anyway…
Adjustable Handle – This feature makes the choice pretty clear for tall parents or serious runners. Normally, strollers make it exhausting for taller people to bend to push the stroller around. It’s great when you can lift it to your personal height and then lower it back.
Jeep’s rubber handle’s material isn’t one of the best – it’s a bit sticky and can feel rough. I use cycling gloves anyway, which are excellent for running and speedy walking, and make the grip much firmer and the handling easier.
Alignment – We have had quite a lot of complaints here. The alignment seems to be off for some of the strollers, and keeps drifting to the side. If you’re lucky, the alignment might be able to be fixed by a simple adjustment of the front wheel or checking if both wheels are pumped equally. If that doesn’t help, the only thing to do is check if the frame is bent.
Off-road – Jeep is made for diverse terrain walks (grass, gravel, mud, cement, etc.) and works perfectly for walking, but it’s rough for jogging/running on bumpy surfaces. You’ll need to put a blanket or some kind of body support on your child if you carry your baby. Thanks to its knobbed tires, it has good control and adjusts excellently to rough pavements.
Rollerblading – quite rough, especially for tiny babies. I can’t recommend skating with the Jeep with babies under the age of one because it has no shocks. The Jeep is bouncy at high speeds. Pay attention to the hand brakes before skating – adjust them for fast stops.
Safety – It has a safety leash, canopy, wheel reflectors, and brakes (one step brake here, and I love this because it makes it easy and quick to use it). See Stability for a full explanation.
Is it good for Strollnetics?
Yep. An adjustable handle bar makes everything possible: Arms, Abs and Buttocks shaping can be done easily!
[pcu id=6]
Real Life Usage
Measured for ease of use, child’s comfort, storage space and parent extras.
This stroller is best suited for practical daily use. It has a good size capacity, plenty of storage, near flat seat recline, and a canopy that can go all the way forward. The seat is roomy and there’s plenty of space, even for 4-5-year-olds!
Jeep is a good-sized stroller that will last through your child’s toddlerhood.
Ease of use – includes Folding, Adjusting and Use of Harnesses.
Folding: The Jeep offers quite an easy fold using two hands. It stands upright when folded – which all spacesaver parents look for. Good feature – you can roll the stroller folded. The stroller has an incredibly simple mechanism for removing and replacing the 2 back wheels. It fits into a small four-door sedan.
Adjusting: The seat reclines easily by pulling a strap. An almost flat recline.
Use of harnesses: The harness is not the easiest to loosen. It also includes padded shoulder straps.
Child’s comfort includes a reclining seat, seat height & width, canopy, foot rest, quality of fabrics and suspension.
Seat: Roomy and comfortable, nearly flat recline. The seat is spacious: even 4-5-year-olds are still able to use this stroller fairly comfortably, despite the weight capacity of 45 pounds (the average is 70lbs). But you’re on the safe side, as the average 5-year-old weighs 42lbs.
The Jeep has the widest seat (16.5”) among the Top Jogging Strollers and the second-highest seatback (23.75’) after Baby Jogger FIT.
Canopy: Adjustable canopy: The shade is fantastic and a must-have, as it can be unzipped and detached for additional coverage. It’s a very good feature that I really appreciate in a stroller, especially during the summertime. It also has a great peek window.
Foot rest: It has a nice step up foot rest that is long enough for the natural bend in a 4-5-year-old’s legs. The front tire is completely covered. A small gripe: The step up part is not wide, so an older kid’s legs will be swinging.
Quality of fabrics and components: The shield materials are thick. However, they’re not first grade, so don’t expect super quality from an affordable stroller, which is also true of the brakes and the components. The headphone plug-in and the pedometer are of low quality and break easily.
Interestingly, no complaints (except the strap complaint mentioned earlier) about the stroller’s overall durability either. It’s just a matter of the feeling of quality, which really matters to some of us.
Jeeps last for a long time – that’s a fact.
Suspension: The Jeep does not have built-in shocks.
Shock absorption is achieved through the pneumatic tires. It provides quite a smooth ride, even when you hit bumps – it’s not that bad for your child. It goes over rocks, branches and curbs with ease. Rollerblading or running on rough surfaces is less enjoyable, though.
Storage space: There is LOTS of storage. It boasts a very large storage basket and side pockets, which are easy to get to during exercise. The storage basket could be made of a more solid material, so the stuff inside doesn’t get greasy/wet so easily, especially when traveling off road.
Parent extras: Parent tray – hardly weighs anything and fits two water bottles. There is a decent amount of room in the “holder” area for stuff like keys, chapstick or hand lotion. The child’s tray has a cup holder.
Does NOT come with an air pump.
The pedometer – is a gimmick, but these days, smartphones and GPS make it unnecessary. It keeps track of each run and it would be excellent if it didn’t keep falling off and getting broken. Aside from that, the pedometer often turns itself off and doesn’t record anything (the sensor and magnet of the counter system on the front wheel is easily broken).
MP3 – The iBaby music system isn’t very loud. It’s like a headphone plug-in, so you can use any MP3 player or cell phone. The adapter isn’t the most reliable item, and it might quit working for no apparent reason.
The majority of parents complain that the music system is just so quiet. It turns out that the cup holder magnifies the music to the perfect volume! Who knew?!
Does Jeep Overland Limited have any weaknesses?
Heaviness – The Jeep is quite heavy and might be hard to steer when running.
Stability: It feels quite shaky or unsteady.
No shock absorbers – rough ride at high speed, which is problematic for tiny babies.
Alignment: The Jeep doesn’t go straight as a rule: there are significant amounts of veering complaints.
Music station and pedometer: more gimmicks, as the speaker sounds better on my iPhone anyway.
Losing Air: there are some remarks that the tires lose air quite quickly. It might be a coincidence – or a sign to buy a tire sealant along with the stroller.
Some Good Things
Price: The Jeep Overland is reasonably priced.
Baby shower present: Moms love the colors as they suit girls and boys, making it a good baby shower present: universal colors, an attractive price and a solid look.
Good for Real Life: Jeep is fun to use in daily life – it’s durable, very spacious, the storage basket is great and the adjustable canopy is one of the best.
Questions:
– Is the Jeep Overland Limited Jogging Stroller compatible with infant car seats?
No, it’s not.
– Does it have shock absorbers?
No, there are no shock absorbers on the Jeep Overland Limited Jogging Stroller.
– Does the Jeep Overland Jogging Stroller fit in the back of a small car?
Yes, it does with the wheels removed. It doesn’t if you don’t remove the wheels (it only takes 5 seconds to remove them, actually). When folded, the Jeep Overland Limited Jogging Stroller is 21.5″ x 37.5″ x 36.5″.
– What’s the minimum and maximum weight for the Jeep Overland Limited Edition Stroller?
The minimum weight is 5 pounds; the maximum weight is 45 pounds, which is enough for kids of up to 5-years-old.
[pcu id=6]
Abby says
I am very interested in this stroller! My DD is 7 months old. I am not a jogger. I want to start walking to get in shape. My family travels a lot. Right now we are in a hilly environment with gravel roads. A lot of places we go are rugged. I wanted an opinion on if this would be a good walking stroller for travel. I have been reading your blog for the past hour and cannot wait to try Strollnetics!
Lena says
Hi Abby,
Thanks for writing to me! I believe Jeep Overland is good for travel (it locks when folded and stands when folded, as well as has a good sized basket), however, for the off-road I’d get a model with the schock absorbers, eg Tike Tech X3 sports or BOB SUS. Both are more expensive than Jeep, but sometimes there are good bargains out there. Gravel roads are not quite an off-road so it is okay to walk without suspension. Still I feel like I have to point this out:-) Your baby is just 7 months and I shall admit it feels quite bumpy when off roading without shocks, especially on the higher speeds..
jess says
I’ve started jogging with my 1 year old, I’ll be jogging on a blacktopped trail. I’m looking for a jogger that has an adjustable handle. I’m 4’11 & a 40″ handle bar is just too high for me to jog in proper form. I am however on a budget, any suggestions? Are shocks a must if I’m going to be jogging?
Lena says
Hi Jess,
Apologies for the late reply!
I believe Schwinn Instep Arrow would be the best option for you! Arrow has an adjustable handle bar plus it’s a very lightweight stroller – has almost no resistance when pushed. On top of this, the price is (let me check:-) 177USD on Amazon at this moment but sometimes the price goes down to around 150 USD. My site has amazon direct link – so you can see the best price directly in my review.
The disadvantage of Schwinn Arrow is a bit short canopy and the basked that is large but not easily accessible. But the moms who gave me their feedback after purchasing Schwinn all say they love it very much! So I think – this is a very good option for your case. And yes, Schwinn has socks, which is a good thing for riding a one year old!
jess says
Thank you, i will definitely look into that one.
Sarel van Wyk says
A footrest extender will be nice.