Fancy. Sexy. Eye-Catching. Three words that don’t normally pop into your head when you hear “jogging stroller.” They’re all pretty standard, they’re all pretty boring, and they’re all pretty ugly. Find me ONE mother that thinks her jogging stroller is actually “beautiful.”  The sub4 is ready to change that.

phil&teds, long-known for their innovative inline strollers (e3, double e3, Classic, Dash, Sport, Hammerhead, Vibe, Verve, Explorer, Promenade, dot, Navigator) and accessories such as the nest and Lobster, have DEFINITELY kicked it up a notch with this guy. The long-awaited (as in “banging around and in development for a few years now) and rumored-about sub4, “The World’s Fastest Jogging Stroller,” is set to launch this fall.

I first saw the sub4, with a few differences and a red frame, at ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas in 2010. I thought it looked cool, but as someone who is not “a jogger” or “terribly physical active” it wasn’t at the top of my list that year, and the lack of firm release date didn’t help. On my trip to New Zealand I was given the chance to have a looksie at the current model, and I was floored at just how sexy the sub 4 was–now with a sleek black frame. They still had no firm release date, and I had to be very quiet about what I saw.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit Fort Collins (American headquarters of phil&teds) and work on a couple projects with their team. To quote the phil&teds press release for the sub4: “The project aim was to consider the way an adult runs with a child in a stroller – how this affects stride, posture, and overall body bio-mechanics, and to then create a stroller that accommodates all these idiosyncrasies.” They also let me take the sub4 for a spin and take a few exclusive pics. Enjoy.

My thoughts, in brief: it’s gorgeous. If you’re in the market for a jogging stroller, REALLY care about aesthetics, and have some extra cash to throw around, the sub4 is gonna be a no-brainer. The wheels are large and slope inward (think of, don’t shoot me, racing wheelchairs). The twin brake discs make for a very nice and smooth stop, the canopy is enormous, and the seat is similar to the smart buggy with a great foam exterior that is cool and wipes clean. The axle is actually jointed (think of grasshopper legs), so that terrain can be taken independently by each wheel. The handle sticks out quite far from the actual seat so that your stride is not affected, and the angle of the handle can be adjusted for comfort. The seat actually docks off the frame for folding, and the stroller gets VERY compact once the wheels are taken off. The fixed front wheel has great adjustable suspension and pegs for the rider to rest their feet on.  As I am not a runner (thank you, 5 productions of CATS, for providing me with the world’s worst knees) I’ve not run with it, but I know the team at phil&teds has some pretty cool people lined-up to test it out

Remember how I mentioned “extra cash to throw around” in the previous paragraph? The sub4 is going to retail for $899.99. Yep. You heard me. It’s expensive. VERY expensive–at least to your average runner. But, if you’re a serious runner, and need a really high-performance jogging stroller, this might just be the one to beat. People spend lots of $$$$ on bikes, why would a stroller be different for someone immersed in this lifestyle? The stroller weighs 30 lbs and has a weight capacity of 33 pounds, so you MIGHT not be running with your 5-year-old, but you should actually get a decent life out of this stroller in terms of weight limit.

The sub4 retails for 899.99 and will be available online ONLY at the phil&teds webstore, and that price includes the rain/sun covers. sub4 is available at the beginning of October. It’s gonna turn a LOT of heads. It’s gonna turn a few wallets. I really dig it–what are your thoughts??

For more information visit WorldsFastestJogger.com.