Editor’s Note
The Britax B-Lively Lightweight Stroller is the replacement for the extremely popular but retired, Britax B-Agile, which was among the best-rated lightweight strollers on Amazon. The B-Agile can still be purchased in limited availability but Britax has added the term “lightweight” to its title.
However, the new B-Lively has been updated recently with new colors, such as the Raven, Dove, and Cool Flow. This stroller boasts a lightweight aluminum frame of 20 lbs, all-wheel suspension, cool flow mesh fabric, quick one-handed fold, reclining seat, large ventilated canopy, and large storage area. Like its predecessor, the B-Lively also can accommodate up to 55 lbs.
This stroller also comes with adaptors for use with Britax infant car seats or you can purchase this stroller along with the B-Safe Gen2 FlexFit Infant Car seat as a travel system. The infant seat is easy to place into the stroller with the Click and Go Adaptor.
The Baby Jogger City Mini has also been updated with the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 All-Terrain Stroller. The City Mini weighs about 18 lbs versus the 21 lbs of the City Mini GT2 All Terrain. The Mini 2 can accommodate children up to 65 lbs versus the 50 lbs of the Mini. This 3 wheeled, all-terrain stroller also offers one-handed folding, large storage, UV-protected canopy, and near flat recline.
Baby Jogger also has accessories that can be purchased to make this stroller more versatile such as the extra glider seat, pram, child tray, parent storage console, and car seat adaptors for other brands of car seats. The City Mini GT2 All Terrain does come with car seat adaptors that work with any Baby Jogger Stroller, allowing it to be a travel system.
If you are in search for a lightweight, full-sized stroller, the Britax B-Agile and Baby Jogger City Mini may be on your radar. Both of these strollers are mid-price range when it comes to strollers, and they are very similar in what they have to offer. Based on what you are looking to use the stroller for, you may lean toward one or the other. Overall, I recommend the Britax B-Agile because it has a slightly higher weight limit and doesn’t require a separate car seat adapter purchase in order to work as a travel system.
However, the Britax B-Agile only works as a travel system with any Britax infant seat. If you have a different infant seat and want a stroller to complete your travel system, the City Mini may be a better option for you. See our full review of the B-Agile here.
| Britax B-Agile | Baby Jogger City Mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Stroller Weight | 18 pounds | 18.4 pounds |
| Max Child Weight Limit | 55 pounds | 50 pounds |
| Travel Seat Compatibility | Any Britax infant seat | Compatible with many different car seats, must buy adapter separately |
| Wheel Suspension | All-wheel | Front wheel |
| Parking Brakes | Linked | Linked |
| Harness | 5-point | 5-point |
Similarities
Lightweight
- Britax B-Agile: 18 pounds
- Baby Jogger City Mini: 18.4 pounds
Both of these strollers are lightweight for full-sized strollers. They aren’t as light as umbrella strollers, but at about 18 pounds each, they will be easy to fold up and lift into and out of your car.
One hand fold
The Britax B-Agile and Baby Jogger City Mini both have the one-hand fold feature that most strollers come with these days. With one hand fold, there is a strap in the middle of the seat that you simply pull up, and the stroller quickly folds in half. While most strollers have this mechanism, it isn’t always as easy as it says because some strollers are so heavy that you actually need both hands in order to properly fold it. The B-Agile and City Mini are both relatively lightweight, and actually are able to be folded with just one hand. This really can make the difference between being able to fold the stroller and not being able to fold the stroller while holding a child.
Easy to steer
The Britax B-Agile and Baby Jogger City Mini both have a double front wheel, making it a breeze to steer and make tight turns. And because they are so lightweight, it makes it easy to push with one hand when you need to. I know a lot of times when we’re out, my son will decide he no longer wants to sit in his stroller and then I am stuck carrying him and pushing the stroller with one hand! Either of these strollers makes such situations a little easier on you.
Infinite recline
Infinite recline means that there aren’t specified recline positions. Rather, you use a pull string type of mechanism to recline the seat to any level, from fully upright, to almost flat. I like this feature because it tends to be a smoother recline transition than the alternative recline mechanism. I have found that with strollers that have specific recline positions, you kind of have to jostle the seat a bit to get it to change positions, which can easily wake a baby or toddler. With infinite recline, you can softly lower the seat without too much disturbance.
Linked parking brakes
Both the Britax B-Agile and the Baby Jogger City Mini have linked parking brake systems. This means that you can lock both of the back wheels with one push on a lever. This is handy because its quick and easy – you don’t have to worry about locking both wheels, just one and done.
5-point harness
A 5-point harness is a harness that has shoulder straps, waist straps, and a crotch strap, which all buckle in the middle. This is what you would see on an infant car seat, and most likely your high chair too. Most higher-end strollers have a 5-point harness, but it is definitely a must for me as it helps ensure your little one will stay put. For strollers that only have a waist strap, toddlers may be able to wiggle themselves out of the belt.
Neither has a child tray
Neither the Britax B-Agile nor the Baby Jogger City Mini comes with a child tray. This really is disappointing to me, because I know in my experience, my son uses his tray almost every time we use the stroller. And for mid-range strollers, you would think they would come with this feature.
Rest assured though, you can separately purchase a child tray for either of these strollers.
Differences
Travel system compatibility
The Britax B-Agile and the Baby Jogger City Mini have many similarities, but differ when it comes to car seat compatibility. Many parents find that having a travel system works well when their baby is first born. A travel system consists of an infant car seat, which is typically lightweight and easy to remove from a vehicle, and a stroller.
If you plan on using this stroller with a newborn, a travel system is a real must in my opinion. Newborns don’t really fare well in strollers until they are a bit older, and have more head and neck control. By having the travel system, you can also transfer your baby into the stroller with very little disturbance. That way if you need to run errands or something, you don’t have to worry about interrupting their nap time by taking them out of the car seat and putting them into the stroller. The car seat simply clicks into the stroller, and you can be on your way.
Britax B-Agile
The Britax B-Agile is compatible with any Britax infant car seat. You will often see this when looking for a travel system – usually a company’s stroller will only be compatible with that specific company’s car seats.
City Mini
What is interesting about the Baby Jogger City Mini is that it allows you to build your own travel system. Baby Jogger sells adapters to make the City Mini compatible with a wide selection of infant car seats from all different companies. You aren’t limited to only one brand of car seats in order to have a travel system, but you do have to pay an additional 20 or 30 dollars for the adapter.
Baby Jogger offers adapters for the City Mini for infant car seats from the following brands:
- Chicco
- Peg Perego
- Cybex
- Maxi Cosi
- Britax
- BOB
- City GO
- Graco
Baby Jogger has a handy table on their website to help you build your own travel system. You can also check out our Best Baby Travel Sytem article to find more best travel system ideas.
Which is the better option?
If you aren’t interested in any of Britax’s infant seats and want to create a travel system, the City Mini may be the way to go. The only thing is that you will end up spending an extra $20-30 because you have to purchase the adapter separately. Because of this, I actually prefer the B-Agile option because you don’t have to worry about purchasing an adapter separately, it’s already set up for you.
Wheel Suspension
The Britax B-Agile features all-wheel suspension, while the City Mini only has front-wheel suspension. While you may not notice much of a difference between the two, this can make a difference in how comfortable the ride is for your child.
It really depends on how you are planning on using your stroller. If you are just going to use it while shopping, or on paved surfaces, the all-wheel suspension isn’t really necessary because you won’t be going over many bumps. But if you are planning on going on hiking trails, or even taking the stroller on grass, I would recommend going with the all-wheel suspension of the Britax B-Agile. As I said, you may not necessarily notice a huge difference, but your child will!
Weight Limitations
The Britax B-Agile has a slightly higher weight limit of 55 pounds over the City Mini’s 50 pounds. This means you should be able to get more use out of the B-Agile.
Product Videos: Features & Accessories
Reviews
Britax B-Agile
- 4.3 out of 5 stars, 467 reviews – Babies “R” Us
- 4.1 out of 5 stars, 20 reviews – buybuyBaby.com
- 4.3 out of 5 stars, 308 reviews – Kohls.com
Baby Jogger City Mini
- 4.8 out of 5 stars, 478 reviews – Target.com
- 4.7 out of 5 stars, 459 reviews – buybuyBaby.com
- 4.8 out of 5 stars, 237 reviews – Kohls.com
My Recommendation
While these two strollers are very similar, my overall choice between the two is the Britax B-Agile. I chose the B-Agile because of its higher weight limit of 55 pounds, the fact that it has all-wheel suspension versus only front-wheel suspension, and also because you don’t have to separately purchase an adapter in order to use it as a travel system. Again, if you are looking for a travel system but don’t want a Britax infant seat, the City Mini may be a better option for you because of its compatibleness with so many infant seats.
