The Double Stroller Dilemma
I was, and as a result, I obsessively researched double strollers during the last six months of my pregnancy with my second. My eldest would be just over two when the baby was born, and as a city kid, was no where near giving up the stroller.
My mission (influenced by my beloved, 9-pound, easily-foldable Maclaren Volo) was to try and find the lightest, most easily-foldable double stroller possible for the most reasonable price. That was not an easy task and, despite my letter-writing campaign, Maclaren did not release a double Volo by the time by second daughter was born.
I would have loved to just be able to sling the baby and push the toddler in the single stroller, another one of those “in a perfect world” pieces of advice, but sometimes, you just want to go on a long walk without something attached to you. It’s bad enough that you have to push an SUV down the sidewalk.
Some key things to consider when purchasing a double stroller (aside from cost, how often you will fold/unfold it, and weight restrictions) are where you live and the age of the kids. If you live in a city, a double-wide doesn’t always work on crowded sidewalks or in small grocery stores that barely fit shopping carts down the aisles. As city-dwellers, that’s the main reason we opted for a “skinnier” tandem, even though it was heavier.
Side note: Is the Phil and Ted’s a happy medium? Maybe, but I always feel bad for the kid that gets the ass-eye view of the world. Plus you have to take it apart to fold it up. No, thank you, I already have two kids to deal with.
When choosing a side-by-side stroller consider weight, namely, your kids’. The baby will be much lighter than the older kid. You might feel that difference on flimsier models. However, as the kids got older and interacted more with each other, I wanted a side-by-side so they could chit-chat with each other and pass snacks back and forth. When the “baby” was about 16-months old, we ditched the tandem for a relatively lightweight umbrella side-by-side stroller (pictured).
Your needs may change, so be open to that. And that’s exactly the reason there are so many double strollers listed on Craigslist.
Having twingles (Twins and a single) put me in a different category for a multiple stroller, but we did have both a side-by-side and a front-back stroller.
Here is what I found:
Shopping – Definitely the front to back! Most stores and malls, regardless of their stated policy do not have enough width in the aisles to accommodate the side-by-side, so department stores and grocery stores become difficult to negotiate.
Most other places – The side-by-side is nicer for the kids and parents because both children are in view most of the time and can also self entertain (or self-destruct if they are fighters).
Finally, buy something you can handle and know how to work and fold up. I rescued a set of twins from a horrible carriage accident when Mom (not my wife or kids) did not set the stand on a Perego (expensive one, too!) where the kids faced each other. One of the twins shifted and threw all the weight to one side and the stroller tipped, leaving both babies hanging by the straps.
Of course, mother yelled at me when I placed the carriage upright…
Anyway, remember that they make multiple types of strollers for a reason. Figure out what you will be doing, and where you will be going. If I had to do it all over, I would still buy one of each, and take the one that makes the most sense for the day/trip.
Good luck,
OldParrothead
I love my Jane Powertwin Double. It’s a tandem and a dream to push and steer.
I have a large age group when it comes to kids the front to back didn’t work never was enough leg room in the back. Finally got a side by side and the seats were to narrow. So I spent more money on one and got a Valco. A little pricey and bulky when folded but they sit compertably and I can add A third seat attachment or a standing bord to fit all 3 of my little ones. Just wish it wasn’t so big once folded.
I am plagued by this dilemma too, as my babies are 22 months apart. It’s interesting that you went with the Citta (I think we have that one in our arsenal). Unfortunately, I don’t have a happy solution. Instead, I have six strollers and a lot of stroller envy while I try to find a way to get that one perfect ride.
http://blog.rookiemoms.com/stroller-review/
I went with a MacLaren umbrella stroller and put a buddy board on the back. Now be aware that you need to weight down the front of the stroller but it still is quick and easy to fold down. My eldest is just to active and in and out for me to lug her everywhere in a stroller. I also want to encourage her to walk (exercise) so she stands on the back when she needs a rest and walks when she wants to. It has worked marvellously for me!!! It’s compact enough for us to maneuver through the mall and fits in the truck easily! Goodluck!
I also went with Graco’s Duo Glider, my youngest sits in back and when my oldest is too tired to walk she has a seat up front…
Now if I can just find a way to stop my daughter from pulling her big sister’s hair!
I also went with Graco’s Duo Glider, my youngest sits in back and when my oldest is too tired to walk she has a seat up front…
Now if I can just find a way to stop my daughter from pulling her big sister’s hair!
Thanks so much for this… gives me lots to think about. Currently I’m the mother of a 13 month old boy and I am pregnant with second child that is due 12/31. I’ve been browsing all kinds of double strollers online… but this definitely gave me some things to think about! THANKS!!!!
I had a double after the first was born. My husband is a truck driver and that is how he described taking the boys for a walk in it–like driving a truck. We had the Eddie Bauer double, you could switch the seats so they face each other. It was nice, but put two small children in it, and it is heavy, as any stroller is. Now, they are both totally beyond the stroller thing. thank God.
“However, as the kids got older and interacted more with each other, I wanted a side-by-side so they could chit-chat with each other and pass snacks back and forth.”
Funny…when we went shopping for our double side by side I wanted to have a barrier between the kids. I figure when they got a tad older they’ll probably spend a lot of time bugging each other. I guess I was a bit too half empty (or else still have too many bad memories of long car road trips with my siblings continually poking me in the sides).
I considered the Phil and Ted when i was pregnant with number two, and I’m glad I didn’t get it. If both kids are in it, there is no basket and no place to stash stuff. Since I often walk to the grocery store and buy several bags of food, this would not have worked for me.
We only have space for 1 stroller, so I went with a double jogger because I actually intend to run with it, once my knees stop aching.
I got the Baby Trend Expedition double jogger and I love it. It fits through a standard doorway and both kids fit in it with room to spare, and the handle is hgh enough for me (I’m tall). It has a plug for my iPod too. It does not fit between racks at the mall, but neither did my single, so no change there.
If you are in a city, the Phil and Ted’s is the best way to go. Yes it’s a pain to fold, but it goes in and out of stores, has a narrow turning radius, and when one kid wants to walk you can stash more junk in the under seat. I can’t remember the last time I saw a side-by-side in my neighborhood (other than twins). Drawback to the P&T is that it’s not cheap.
“I tried to run into a store for “just one quick thing” today with big sis walking and baby in the sling, and big sis ended up running around like a crazy person and getting hurt on a display.”
I foolishly keep trying to do this with my 21 month old twins. And I get the same results as you.
After trying the Graco in the stores, and finding it flimsy, I decided to take a leap of faith and order the Baby Trend Sit & Stand Deluxe (or LX sometimes) that they feature on One Step Ahead. I ordered mine through Target, and it’s also available via Amazon.com as well as several other retailers…
OH MY GOD I love this thing! It is long, but I can negotiate doors on my own by pulling and then pushing it through. My older daughter (21 months) loves to be able to face her baby sister (2 months). When baby sister is old enough to sit up, I can take the car seat off and they’ll both face forward. When older sister is too old for a stroller, I can take the rear seat off so that she can ride standing if she gets tired of walking, and there’s a jump seat for if she gets tired of standing.
I got this two weeks ago, and I can’t even tell you how much more mobile we are now that we have it. We tried to do the zoo without a double stroller, switching the girls back and forth as the bigger one got tired, and it just did NOT work. I realized then that a double was unavoidable in our situation.
I never was a big stroller user before, I preferred a sling, but with two that just isn’t possible all the time. Sometimes when we’re out I’ll put big sis in the cart and sling the baby, but we use this stroller for errands, now, too. It is easier to get the stroller in and out of the car than it is to wrangle a not-listening toddler in public. I tried to run into a store for “just one quick thing” today with big sis walking and baby in the sling, and big sis ended up running around like a crazy person and getting hurt on a display. That’ll teach her, and me. At the fabric store, though, with both in the stroller, things were peaceful and easy. I love it, love it, love it.
I went with the Graco Duoglider, which is a tandem stroller. Worked very well when the baby was in an infant seat.
I have two doubles. I have the Phil and teds, and I also just got the pictured stroller, the Citta Twin. The citta twin is awesome- and the price at under $150 is AWESOME. You can find a lot of sites that will ship for free as well. The Phil and Teds was just too big for me to put in and out of the car all the time. We are also taking a couple of plane trips coming up soon and I did not want to put the over $400 PandT in the care of the baggage handlers. The Citta twin is really compact and easy to fold. It reclines enough too for our 3 mo old to ride comfortably. I like the PandT for trips to the zoo and walking at the park or over rough terrain but I am sure I am going to get a lot more use out of the Citta Twin.
I actually did go the route of the Phil & Teds E3 (which I guess is now called something else). I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who will be carrying it around in their car all the time, b/c it really can be a pain to fold, but for urban dwellers who rarely have to drive, it’s a terrific solution. At least it was for me. It’s sturdy, easy to maneuver, and the fact htat it could be a single meant I didn’t have to have TWO strollers hanging around in my vestibule at all times. And for the record, in our house the second seat is the more coveted one!
My son passed the point of wanting to be in a stroller, but we figured a double would come in handy for SOME events so we got one anyway.
We selected the Combi double side-by-side because it was still narrow enough that it fit through average doors. Sure you always have the dilemma of some narrow aisles in certain places, but if it’s more narrow than an average door, it’s small regardless. The tandem also required a big turning radius, was harder to push, and there’s that whole “butt’s eye view” thing.
This stroller works well for us as it accommodates both (my son is on the larger side at 37 lbs, though his weight has stabilized for quite some time now) and he is obsessed enough with his sister that he likes sitting next to her. And she loves just watching every little thing he does.
And turns out there are definitely times he wants to ride in that stroller so it’s worked out (walks around the neighborhood, the zoo, etc).
This combi also is a “tri fold”, so it fits into my Toyota Corolla trunk, and has strap so that you could carry it on your shoulder if you choose to do so.
(My first choice was a double side-by-side Maclaren that was around the $300-350 especially since it had a slightly higher weight limit for the kiddies. However, it was just not as easily collapsible as the Combi.)
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Wow. Some great points I hadn’t thought about!
One of my big concerns, that I actually didn’t write about, is the whole Murphy’s Law of, if we don’t get a double, my daughter will want to ride because the baby is riding. If we do get a double, my daughter will want to walk and not ride.
Knowing my daughter, I am 95% sure this what will happen…
All this talk about strollers I figure this might be the place to look for advise.
I have a very big toddler (over 40 lbs)
I am looking for an umbrella type stroller to accomodate him. Most brands out there only go up to 35 or so pounds..Is it still safe to use a stroller that only goes to 35 lbs? Can any one recommend a brand that is not a thousand dollars that accomdates the larger toddler? We are coming home to Brooklyn in a few months and I really dont want to struggle walking through the airport or around the the streets of “the slope” with him.