Mountain Buggy vs Thule: Versatile, Streets-to-Trails Strollers

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If you and your family enjoy exploring the Great Outdoors or you are a regular jogger or runner, you’ll need a stroller that will take you and your child everywhere you want to go, whether that’s to run errands in town or to hike up a mountain.

Why Trust Us?

Because my full-time job is being mom to 2 precious daughters, and I know a thing or two about strollers. Besides personal experience, I get feedback from other moms who use these strollers every day and put all that research into our unbiased stroller buying guides

- Kyli

There are literally dozens of jogging and all-terrain strollers to choose from, so how do you know which is the best one for your family’s needs?

To help you to see the wood for the trees in the stroller forest, we compare two popular jogging strollers created by two of the biggest players in the children’s gear market, Mountain Buggy and Thule.

So, if you’re new to the stroller marketplace, you’ll want to know more about these two well-established, iconic brands.

Table of Contents

Mountain Buggy: Engineered for the mountains, designed for the city

Mountain Buggy first appeared in 1992 with their all-terrain stroller. At the time, this was a revolutionary idea that was taken up by many other manufacturers as the original stroller’s fan base mushroomed.

Mountain Buggy was created by a New Zealand dad who wanted to take his baby son with him on hiking trips into the mountains close to his home. The original chassis design has since evolved into a stroller that’s characterized by its functional, robust build and clean, stylish looks.

If you have a toddler or a newborn, and whether you enjoy browsing store windows in town or strolling off-piste on rugged trails, Mountain Buggy has the perfect stroller for you.

Mountain Buggy Terrain Stroller

Mountain Buggy Terrain, Onyx
  • outstanding maneuverability and kerb pop
  • superior one hand fast fold
  • compact stand fold with hidden automatic frame lock

This article focusses on Mountain Buggy’s Terrain stroller.

The Terrain is a supremely versatile stroller that you can confidently use for jogging, off-roading, and on regular shopping trips. Its light, 29-pound weight makes the Terrain suitable for running with too.

The Terrain is a three-wheeler with a three-position front wheel that you can lock for better control, and there’s a one-hand squeeze brake system too for additional safety when you’re navigating downhill. Shock absorbers ensure your child of a smooth, bump-free ride, and make pushing the stroller easier for you.

You can use the Terrain for a newborn right through to toddlerhood thanks to its reclining seat, infant car seat capability, and carrycot.

You can see a video of the Mountain Buggy Terrain in action, at this link.

What we like

  • Easy-stop brake on the handlebar
  • Converts to travel system
  • One-step fold and freestanding feature
  • Large, extendable sun canopy with peek-a-boo window
  • High-tech suspension and air-filled tires give a smooth ride and easy push

Room for improvement

  • No rain cover or tire pump included

Thule: Contemporary, Safe, and Stylish

Thule is a well-known and respected manufacturer of products that are transport and outdoor activity-related.

Thule’s strollers either exceed or at least meet international safety standards, giving you the confidence you need when your most precious passenger is riding with you. Comfort for both child and parent is paramount for Thule’s designers when creating their distinctive strollers. But style and longevity are also watchwords.

Thule Urban Glide

Thule Urban Glide - Jogging Stroller
  • Swivel front wheel for easy maneuverability, locks into place for jogging
  • Ergonomic handlebar with a range of heights for parent's comfort. The pads are water repellant and removable for washing. Door pass through 25.5 inches
  • Turn your Thule Urban Glide into a travel system with the car seat adapter (sold separately, see car seat compatibility chart)

The Thule Urban Glide is marketed as a jogging stroller, although it’s also suitable for everyday use around town and trips to the park.

Like the Mountain Buggy Terrain, the Urban Glide is extremely solid and well-made and includes lots of essential safety features. Despite its rugged build, the Urban Glide is still a very light jogger, making it easy for new moms to carry up and down stairs and lift in and out of a car trunk.

To see the Urban Glide put through its paces, check out this link.

Things we like:

  • Excellent, easy handling
  • Simple and quick to assemble
  • Ideal for use as an everyday stroller
  • Affordable and great value for money when compared with other high-end strollers
  • Huge storage basket
  • Fully adjustable handlebar
  • Easy fold and very compact to fit into most car trunks

Room for improvement:

  • Narrow seat with an upright position that’s too reclined for curious toddlers to enjoy the view in comfort

Thule Urban Glide vs. Mountain Buggy Terrain

So that you can see what exactly you’re getting for your money and choose which of these two super strollers would suit your needs the best, we compare them for you, head-to-head.

Thule Urban Glide vs. Mountain Buggy Terrain: Features that matter most

The seat

The Urban Glide has a well-padded seat that you can recline to an almost flat position, so it’s ideal for napping. When the seat is fully reclined, it has a vented top to ensure excellent ventilation for your child on hot days.

The Terrain also has multiple seat recline options that you can accomplish via the two-handed, double-strap adjustment system. You can recline the seat completely flat, making it suitable for a newborn. However, doctors do recommend that babies under six months old should not be carried in the stroller when you are jogging.

Mountain Buggy Terrain, Onyx

The Terrain has a roomy seat that’s great for tall toddlers as there’s plenty of space between the child’s head and the top of the canopy. Also, you can slide the canopy up the frame slightly too to give even more headspace. The total weight capacity of the Terrain is a whopping 77 pounds versus the Urban Glide’s 75 pounds.

The fold

The Terrain and the Urban Glide both have a simple one-step fold process.

The Urban Glide also has an automatic frame lock to keep the chassis together for more convenient storage. To reduce bulk, you can remove the wheels from both these strollers.

Canopy

The Urban Glide’s SPF 50+ canopy is extremely generous and can be extended to provide cover from the sun right down to your child’s knees. There’s also a peek-a-boo window that has a silent magnetic closure rather than noisy Velcro.

Thule Urban Glide - Jogging Stroller

The canopy on the Terrain pivots forward to follow the sun around. That means you don’t need to buy an additional canopy extension to give your child adequate shade. Also, Mountain Buggy has included a flip-out visor. Like the Urban Glide, the Terrain has a peek-a-boo window. Unfortunately, the flap covering the window has noisy Velcro fastenings that could disturb a sleeping child.

Handlebar

A significant feature for tall and very short parents is the Urban Glide’s adjustable handlebar that’s also ergonomically designed to give the user a comfortable push with no danger of backache from stooping. The chassis design means that you won’t kick the stroller as you stride out or run. And the Terrain provides you with the same features, so both these strollers are ideal for parents of any height.

Wheels

As is the case with most jogging and all-terrain strollers, the Urban Glide and the Terrain are three-wheelers and have air-filled tires. Both strollers have a small front wheel and larger rear wheels to provide excellent stability and safety, especially over rough going and around corners. The main drawback to air-filled tires is the risk of punctures. Neither of these two strollers comes with an air pump supplied, so you must buy one before you venture out, especially if you intend to go off-road.

The front wheel on the Urban Glide swivels to provide increased agility, but it can also be locked for greater stability when moving over uneven ground. The air-filled tires and specially designed suspension system provide your passenger with a super-smooth ride and make pushing the stroller a joy for you. The only real drawback to this design is that you will need to buy an air pump and remember to check the tire pressures regularly.

Thule Urban Glide - Jogging Stroller

The Terrain is superbly maneuverable, thanks to its front wheel’s three locking positions. You can close the wheel forward when you want to go jogging, lock it backward to give more stability over rough ground or allow it 3600 swivel capability for a super-tight turning circle.

Ride comfort and safety

The Urban Glide and the Terrain have a foot-operated parking brake that’s not flip-flop-friendly. There’s also a wrist tether to prevent the stroller from running away from you when you’re jogging downhill. For added security and greater control, the Urban Glide has a hand brake fitted on the handlebar.

On the Terrain, you’ll find some mesh pockets inside the seating area that are ideal for carrying small toys, a sippy cup, or snacks. There’s a padded bumper bar for the easy ins and outs. Also, you get a footrest to provide your passenger with extra support.

Storage

An essential asset on any stroller that you want to use for days out is the underseat storage basket. The Urban Glide boasts a vast basket that will easily take everything you need for an outing with your child, and it will also fit a couple of bags of grocery shopping if required. Thule have also provided a handy, zippered, water-resistant basket cover that stops your stuff from bouncing out of the basket when you’re running across rough terrain.

Thule Urban Glide - Jogging Stroller

The Terrain has a roomy underseat storage basket that will hold up to 11 pounds. Like the Urban Glide, the Terrain’s basket has a zippered cover.

Mountain Buggy Terrain, Onyx

Accessories

Although it’s not the most expensive jogger on the market, the Urban Glide still comes in at a reasonably high price point, so it’s disappointing that you don’t get any accessories included in the price. That said, you can buy a cup holder, child’s snack tray, rain cover, and parent organizer tray separately if you want them.

The Terrain is a little more generous when it comes to accessories. You get two bottle holders that are designed for water rather than coffee cups, as they sit at an angle.

A totally cool accessory that you can buy to use with the Terrain is the Free Rider stroller board and scooter. Your child will love this! An older child rides behind the stroller with the scooter fixed to the stroller’s rear axle. Alternatively, disconnect the scooter so that your child can have fun following you independently.

Other accessories that you can buy to accompany the Terrain include:

  • Storm cover
  • Mesh sun cover
  • Universal travel bag with shoulder strap and extra pocket storage
  • Parent console with bottle holders and extra storage pockets
  • Seat liners to keep your child warm in winter and cool in summer
  • Air pump
Mountain Buggy Terrain, Onyx

Travel system compatibility

The Urban Glide offers you the capability to convert it into a travel system. However, to do that you’ll need to buy an infant car seat adapter that you’ll need to buy as a separate accessory.

The Terrain also converts into a travel system by removing the seat and using the appropriate car seat adapter, which you’ll need to buy separately.

Colorways

The Urban Glide has a small color range as do most all-terrain and jogging strollers, including blue, red, black, and gray.

The Terrain comes in three subtle shades; onyx, yellow and gray, and charcoal gray.

Wrapping it up

The Thule Urban Glide and the Mountain Buggy Terrain are both extremely well-made, robust jogging strollers that perform equally well off-road and in an urban environment.

Both these strollers can be converted into car travel systems, although they are somewhat bulky, as is the nature of this type of stroller. The Terrain has a generous storage basket and features bottle holders for parents that you don’t get with the Urban Glide.

As regards maneuverability, the Terrain has the edge over the Urban Glide thanks to its multi-position front wheel. Both strollers have high-tech suspension systems and air-filled tires to provide your passenger with a lovely smooth ride. And the adjustable handlebars mean that you can be assured of a comfortable push, no matter what height you are.

We think that both the Mountain Buggy Terrain and the Thule Urban Glide are reasonably priced, excellent quality jogging strollers that will last you a lifetime and take you and your family on no end of exciting adventures both off-piste and in a more urban setting.

 

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Alison Page