Guava Roam Stroller Review: Jogging Stroller, Travel Stroller or Both?

We’ve had our eyes on the Guava Roam stroller ever since our baby was born. After all, it’s a jogging-stroller-meets-travel-stroller, and we like both jogging and traveling.

In this review, I want to tell you about my real experience finally trying this stroller. Is it better for running, and for parents who like an occasional jog with their child? Or is it best for travel, due to how it folds and provides a great smooth ride? Is it OK for both?

By the end of this review, you can decide if the Guava Roam stroller is the ideal investment for you, your partner or your family. Be sure to check out all our on-the-go photos, as well as the comparison photos with other popular strollers. And let’s begin.

The Roam Stroller

It’s marketed by Guava as a travel stroller that’s also for running. Can it be both a travel stroller (lightweight and folds up small) and a running stroller (handles terrain and speed, and is sturdy) at the same time though? I’m taking this review to tell you what I think.

Overall, I think it’s a superior quality stroller. There’s no doubt about that. What I think you should know up front is that it weighs 28.5 lbs. If you compare that to my travel stroller, the UPPAbaby Minu, the Minu weighs 16.9 lbs and that’s considered the heaviest “travel stroller” on the market.

To be honest, I don’t see it becoming our “default” stroller, and that’s because it feels like more of a specialty item (as we see it). It would make an excellent product to put on a baby registry for a second child if you didn’t get around to buying a running stroller with your first.

So what is the Guava Roam Stroller, really? I don’t plan to fly with it (it’s heavy) or transport it much by car, so I went right for a jog with it, taking my 22-month-old toddler along for the ride.

Suspension and pushing

How does it feel? It’s a super comfortable ride. Going over gravel or bumpy road feels much smoother than any other stroller I’ve used.

The Roam stroller also handles situations where you need to go over curbs and other large obstacles better than other four-wheel strollers. This surprised me.

Based on the balance, it feels a lot easier to “pop a wheelie” (ha) than with other strollers. This isn’t really a big deal, but it’s something you might want to know.

Handle bars

I think the handle bar is what makes the Roam stroller unique, especially compared to the same-tier UPPAbaby brand, with which Becca and I have so much experience.

Instead of “telescoping,” the handle bars have an interesting design that curves around to give your hands different positions to grab onto. It’s kind of like a spinning bike or a road bike. This is to give people of different heights their own types of comfort while pushing. It’s cool.

When running, I liked the ability to adjust the handle bars a little bit lower, so it didn’t stress out my shoulders.

Lastly, I like how the parent console doesn’t get in the way of the handle bars when you need to raise or lower the handle bar position. We’ve run into this issue with the UPPAbaby Vista sometimes.

Folding and unfolding

I think that folding and unfolding the Guava Roam stroller is pretty easy. It looks daunting, but I looked at the pictures and followed the instructions step by step, the first time. I was able to easily fold and unfold it on my second try, without any issues.

This stroller isn’t light (despite being called a travel stroller), so unfolding it can be a little tricky for someone without the upper body strength. Becca says that pregnant women or women who just gave birth should keep this in mind! For me, I sort of have to reach down to grab the handle bars, and then lift up and whip around the stroller to get it un-folded.

You may have to practice a few times to understand the wheel-locking and make sure that the front wheel is back, to actually fold it. It’s way easier to fold it up.

Does it fold down small? The Roam stroller folds up pretty compactly (noted on the website at 29” L x 15” W x 17” H), so even though the stroller is fairly long, you shouldn’t have issues fitting it in the trunk of a mid-sized car. You especially will have no issues fitting it in the back of an SUV.

Parent console + Additional storage

We got the parent console as part of the Everyday Essentials Set. Based on the handlebar position, the parent console can kind of slide down. You can adjust the velcro to be tight, so that would be a good start. Here’s what to know:

• If the handlebars are more perpendicular, the parent console should lay nice and flat.
• The parent console kind of sags unless it’s as tight as it can go.
• The storage is nice. I like being able to zip up my keys and my phone, and then have a dedicated place for a drink, all while jogging.
• The additional storage on the back of the stroller is nice to store an additional layer (windbreaker, etc.) for the parent.
• I took the stroller out for a run with my toddler and got hot, so I stored my light jacket in the back pocket.

Under-carriage storage basket

I found the under-carriage storage basket to be a good size, especially given what we tend to store in there. We tend to throw jackets and extra snacks into our stroller basket, and if we’re out on errands, then some quick groceries or shopping items go in there.

I also like the shape of the basket. It has enough depth for things not to fly out.

Snack tray

The snack tray on the Roam stroller was new for me, as we’ve mostly dealt with the UPPAbaby snack trays, which come in a full snap-in dual-side style.

I think how the Roam stroller’s snack tray goes into the stroller is really smart and secure. It only clips from one side. The swiveling is nice, but I can see how it can easily get knocked or pushed by a fussy toddler. Keep this in mind.

At first, it requires maybe a little more force than I was comfortable with to undo the latch. I’m sure it will start to break in, the more I take it on and off.

The main thing to know: For a running stroller, the tray for snacks isn’t so deep. Our example is that we had Cheerios in there, and it seemed like they’d get very bounced-around with bumps in the road. So, if you’re going on bumpy trails, expect to drop a few pieces of food and maybe have your toddler get frustrated.

The cup placement is nice and wide, and should fit most toddler cups. Wait a second: it’ll fit most cups EXCEPT those with handles (those will pop up too high to stay in).

But, the inner cup holders (in the seat) save the day. For older toddlers who have the motor control to reach to their sides and stow a cup, you can use the seat cup holders at the child’s hips. This is nice!

Locking wheel

What makes this stroller more unique is the locking wheel.

If you’re running, you can lock the wheel to make the stroller go straight with minimal effort and you can use one hand to push it.

If you want to use two hands, and have more maneuverability, the tilting wheel is what you want.

When the wheel was locked and when I was running, I could still sort of move the stroller from side to side. It does take a much wider turn, but it can be done. For sharp turns, I stop, adjust the stroller or walk around the turn.

Child seat experience

Our toddler isn’t old enough to verbally describe the experience and feel of the stroller, so I’ll do my best speaking about her experience.

The side cushion strap cushions on the harness feel nice and secure, versus them being secured with only the nylon strap. This is definintely a value-add that Guava has created.

Next, having the two cup holders on the seat is a nice addition to store multiple drink options, like a milk cup and a juice cup.

Third, the sunshade seems like it has more shade than our UPPAbaby Minu and Vista strollers. Both Becca and I think it’s a smart design, with less curve, and more of a horizontal fit to shade the child from sun or light rain.

The shock absorbers and suspension must feel more comfortable going over bumps than in some other strollers with smaller wheels and lighter frames. Our toddler couldn’t explain this!

Experience while running

The first time I used the Guava Roam, I wasn’t used to running with a running stroller, and it was much harder than I expected. It’s at least 25% harder to run with a stroller, because you’re actively pushing something the entire time. So many parents make it look easy!

Here’s a list of my thoughts on the Roam stroller “actual” jogging experience.

• I was worried about not having a brake. Even while going down hill, I didn’t ever feel like I needed it.
• I wrapped the hand strap around my hand tightly, and felt that was enough of a leash for me.
• The parent console is nice to have a place for your keys, phone and drink. Actually, this is essential.
• I would only run with bone-conducting SHOKZ headphones, or nothing at all, so that I could hear my child during the run (because the seat is front-facing). Or, I would use AirPods with transparency mode.
• Visibility of your passenger (your kid) is pretty good. I feel like I have a huge window to see if my toddler needs my help while I’m running.
• Snacks in the snack tray easily get jostled while you’re running, especially if you’re going over any type of bumps at all.
• Deciding to run or walk over bumps and cracks on the road is something you have to learn, while using the Roam. I walked over any obstacles at first, to learn my standard course and be sure that I was not going to launch my toddler out of the seat.
• I kept the wheel locked, but found that some sharp turns were a little harder while running.
• It’s kind of hard, running on the sidewalk with so much variability in the road with curbs, cracks and other things in the way. My neighborhood is mostly quiet, so running in the street is okay. People also walk with their strollers in the street around here.
• For you, follow the norm of your community and go somewhere safe to run if you have any main roads that you plan to run on.

Parent-to-child “viewability”

What I like a lot about the Roam stroller is the huge “window” in which I can see my child in the seated position.

If you recline your child to the maximum option, there’s a second window behind Velcro that you can open up to see your child at the reclined angle.

Compared to my other strollers (like the UPPAbaby line), the visibility of my child is the best in the Roam stroller.

Reclining the child seat

Reclining your toddler or child is pretty easy in the Guava Roam. There’s a ratchet strap that you can use lower and raise the seat position.

It feels secure, so I don’t believe that it can fall back, at all. If your child likes being put to sleep by your jogging pace, then by all means!

Comparisons

While this isn’t a comprehensive comparison between stroller models, I wanted to do a quick side-by-side of some standout features of the UPPAbaby Vista and the BOB running stroller (traditional older model). In real life, I wanted to understand if I would see myself using the Vista or the BOB for running. The fact is: I did not really want to use either.

UPPAbaby Vista

I wanted to compare the Guava Roam stroller to my UPPAbaby Vista V2 to get a sense of how it might fit in the trunk of our mid-sized sedan. Here are my notes:

For the Vista, I can’t really fit the stroller with the rumble seat in the trunk of my sedan. I usually need to take the seat off and put it in the back seat.

When you compare both strollers, the Guava Roam is much shorter than the Vista and it folds more compactly. This is why it’s more of a travel stroller and the Vista certainly is NOT.

The UPPAbaby Vista has a slightly larger basket, so for groceries or anything else, that might be the one to take on errands.

But at the same time, I had no issues fitting any of our diaper bags in the Guava Roam, and it’s not like I exclusively put groceries in the basket (I’m also typically out with the car). So, this might be a wash.

BOB Running Stroller

We got the BOB as a hand-me-down. I assumed I’d be using it as a running stroller, but after laying eyes on the Guava Roam stroller, I had my eye on the prize (and ditched the BOB).

• The BOB running stroller is MUCH bigger when it folds, and is similarly-sized when expanded.
• With the BOB jogging stroller, you have to do a few steps in order to fold it. Then when it folds, when I needed to put it in my trunk, I had to actually take the front wheel off. This is a deal-breaker.
• The BOB does have air-filled tires and it has brakes.
• If you’re doing series running or have extreme hills, the BOB might be better. After all, lots of runners swear by it for being the pro in its class because of the “downhill control” capability.
• There haven’t been any scenarios in my use of the Roam stroller in which I thought that I really wanted a brake or any of the features that the BOB had.
• The caveat to all of this is that the BOB stroller that we have is a kind of old, so it’s not reflective of the newest BOB Gear Revolution Flex stroller for all terrains.

Downfalls

I can’t think of any downfalls for the Guava Roam stroller, but just by nature, it’s not a stroller for two. It’s specifically a stroller for one child, and doesn’t have that adaptability that the UPPAbaby Vista has, for a growing family.

We got the UPPAbaby Vista as a way to save money with a baby and get that “in” to building a double stroller with the ways to stack the baby seats when the time came along.

The Guava Roam stroller is, of course, a stroller for one child. Is it an excellent stroller for one child (one that also folds up nicely and is good for jogging)? Yes, it sure is. It just won’t be for those excursions when we need two small children in one stroller together.

Roam stroller accessories

We were lucky to try the Essentials Bundle from the choices of available “bundles” when it comes to accessories for the Roam stroller.

Luckily, the basic bundle if you get the stroller alone comes with the Parent Organizer. These types of parent “consoles,” as we call them” are lifesavers for us: a place to put “parent stuff” when your pockets are already full.

The Essentials Set, which is what we received, includes the stroller, Parent Organizer, Snack and Drink Tray (it’s dishwasher-friendly and Becca is THRILLED) and also the Rain & Weather Shield.

Upgrading to the final set, the Adventure + Travel set, will get you the Padded Roller Backpack for your trips (and provides the ultimate level of savings when compared to getting all this stuff separately).

One item we pondered but ultimately decided against is the “infant car seat adapter.” We would’ve gotten this for our UPPAbaby Mesa Car Seat (which is one of the six compatible car seats).

In the end, we skipped it, thinking we probably wouldn’t be a) jogging with an infant younger than 6 months in the Roam Stroller anyway, and b) we’re not sure if the Roam Stroller will be our “default” stroller because of how the UPPAbaby Vista can hold two kids total.

Where to get the Guava Roam stroller

We recommend getting all Guava gear from the Guava Family website, where you’ll see all the options for purchasing in terms of the default bundle and the upgrades.

By shopping at Guava’s website, you’ll see even more options, like limited edition colors for the stroller seat and hood, all the “travel sets” for savings and some accessories that weren’t shown on the main stroller product page (like the Footmuff).

And … that’s it. The Guava Roam stroller is actually not available on Amazon, so I can’t recommend that you look for it there. You could buy yours somewhere like Babylist, but I don’t see much of a point in that because purchasing directly from Guava would get you the product 2-year warranty that you’ll definitely want for a product of this caliber.

What is Guava?

Guava is a specialty company for parents and young kids. What I think is cool about the brand is that they don’t make hundreds of products. Rather, it’s only a few, and they make them well.

Guava makes a crib, a bassinet and a stroller, actually. All of them can be paired with smart and savvy accessories for travel and adventure use. All three of their products fold up smartly, have nice features, seem incredibly well-tested before they hit the market and above all, look good.

We first tried Guava with the Guava Lotus Travel Crib, which we take on day trips and travels. This product helped introduce us to Guava as a company that’s making smart parent-friendly products to help make life with a baby smoother, easier and more of a breeze. You can see our Guava Lotus Travel Crib review for more on that.

As for the Guava Roam stroller, we hope this review explained everything.

Thank you to Guava for gifting me the Roam Stroller in order to accurately write this product review. All photos, opinions and thoughts are completely my own, based on my personal use of this stroller.