Strollers...to double or not to double

[Flynn]

Howdy...

I am curious about this topic. Is buying the double stroller worth the money AND do you use them?? I think I know what will work best for me BUT I am not the experienced parent with two children yet so any info. here would be helpful.

I am curious who used them, who doesn't and what kind you have....brand, jogger vs. other types etc. Also, it would help me to know if you did use them, how old were the children at the time? Mine will be almost exactly two years apart when #2 is born. The more specific the info. the better.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[SueC]

I've got two double strollers and I have gotten quite a bit of use out of both of them. My girls were 20 months apart, so when the new baby came, our oldest still wasn't really old enough to be expected to walk at the zoo, mall, or wherever we were going. I got a Graco side by side stroller that was very light and compact, with a pretty big basket for storing the diaperbag. I liked the side by side better than the front to back kind--my daughter loved being right next to her baby sister and it seemed to be easier to maneuver to get in and out of doors than the longer, front to back ones. I primarily use this stroller at places with level surfaces, since it doesn't do well on bumpy terrain. I also have a double jogger that I have used the heck out of. It has shocks so you can barrel over bumpy sidewalks without really jostling the baby (though I'm still careful when they are newborns). The downside of the double jogger is that the front wheel doesn't pivot (actually they make some that do I believe) so it is harder to make turns. I just tilt the stroller on the back wheels to make turns so it isn't a huge problem. I considered buying a sit and stand stroller but I wasn't sure if my 20 month old would be secure enough in the little bench seat. I was asking a woman at the zoo that had one the other day if she liked it and she said it was wonderful. I considered buying one for the new baby but I am actually using the single stroller "travel system" since both of the girls are old enough to walk. Since your oldest will still be fairly young, it does seem like it might be a good idea to have a double stroller.

I thought that having the double was going to be a great idea until I actually tried to use it in a store and couldn't manuever it through anything. It is so heavy I could barely lift it into the trunk. If you plan to get one, make sure you get as lightweight as you can and still be sturdy. I think they are fine for outdoors. We used ours about once a year to amusement parks and now it sits in the garage collecting dust. I really must get rid of it.

[Sheherezade]

I am also pro double stroller. I had a side by side instep aluminum frame jogger and a "real" baby jogger as well as a sit and stand at one time. I think the inSTEP double stroller with the aluminum frame was the best. After two years of everyday use, I broke the frame tilting it over a curb loaded down with way more than its weight capacity......For $150 bucks, it was the cheapest car I ever had . My take on the double stroller decision is that it hinges on how much you walk with the kids and where you walk. We had no car for the years I had small children, so if we were going anywhere and had to arrive on time the stroller was essential. We took it everywhere in the cities of Baltimore and Brookline, MA. The second seat was handy for packages, too, if you kick the older kid out in a pinch!! The in Step was the same width as a wheelchair, so all wheelchair access doors worked for me--I think I only had access issues due to the width 2-3 times in my life. Still that was on city streets, museums, parked in front of shops and in grocery stores. Clearly, it is not a mall stroller. The sit and stand was also nice, but lent itself to playing--jumping off and then 5 minutes of "buckling myself in" stuff every few blocks. It also broke after a year. It did not work well as a primary source of kid transportation but would be great for the mall or an outing that is just for fun. It is much smaller. If size is an issue, you should also consider the high end umbrella strollers with the foot rest for an older child to ride on - McClaren and Peg Perego make them. If you do a lot of walking with the kids I would go for a good stroller even if it is pricey up front. I wish I had bought a high end umbrella with the foot pedal for my 2.5/3 year old when my oldest was done with the napping phase. It would have lasted for years of service and even been useful now with my youngest five year old on a long day trip. Oh well......

Final thought--I pick the inStep stroller over the baby jogger because the price was good and the aluminum frame made a HUGE difference. We lived in a 2nd story walk up, and when I switched to the baby jogger(steel frame) it was impossibly heavy hauling it up the steps at night. The inStep weighed only 16 lbs. and I could hook it over my shoulder and still carry the baby with my 3 year old running ahead. I'm sure Baby Jogger makes an aluminum frame, too. I got my baby jogger at a garage sale so I didn't get to choose.

Have fun stroller shopping!!

Angie

[Amiens]

So Emma and Brigham are 19 months apart. I debated a long time on the double stroller issue. In fact, I didn't get one until after Brigham was born. I had to think long and hard- when and where will I need it most. For us we do lots of walks to the park, outings to the zoo, grocery store, etc. The #1 requirement it had to fit in our car trunk without eating up all the space.

My original plan was to use our "nice" umbrella stroller (Chicco London for $60 at Babies R Us) for Emma, and put Brigham in the Baby Bjorn. I thought I would be able to do this for 6 months, well it grew cumbersome for me. I researched what seemed like every double stroller under the sun, and test drove them at Babies R Us with both kids. Of course, my favorites were out of my budget- Maclaren Twin Traveller (comes complete with rain cover- great for the Seattle weather) ~$300, the Peg Perego Tender Twin XL ~$400, and Kidco Double very similar to the Maclaren, but it has height adjustable handles, something which Matt was interested in (~$200). A basket wasn't too necessary for me, as our diaper bag is a backpack, and I shove everything in it anyway. Schwinn makes an awesome twin jogger, complete with a swiveling front wheel, but at a pretty hefty price tag if I remember correctly.

Well we got lucky, and found a Peg Perego Tender Twin at a Twin sale, barely used for $100.

I am really glad we have the stroller we do, as I am I able to contain Emma, who I might add likes to wander at times. I like having the in-line (tandem) as I can fit through narrow spots. The stroller has two hoods that cover the seat completely if needed- nice when it's raining outside. Now that Emma is 2 1/2 yrs old, I sometimes have her hold my hand and walk beside me while using the extra seat to carry in groceries (We live in an apt).

Hope this helps!

[Phoebe]

We own a double stroller for our girls exactly two years apart. I use the heck out of it. I take it everywhere. It is kind of a caboose, but happens to be one of the lighter models. I can't compare it to a jogging stroller because we never got one. I also found out I don't like jogging behind a stroller so I am glad I never spent the money which we didn't have during fellowship.

The stroller fits fine in our car because we have an SUV, but it wouldn't fit in our little second car. My 2.5 year old likes to run away from me so the double stroller helps contain her while I am trying to accomplish something like grocery shopping or browsing.

Our brand is Evenflo and just came on the market last summer right before Ella was born. We already had the Evenflo travel system so I was looking for a stroller that would hold our infant carrier. This stroller holds any infant carrier in the back seat. We haven't had any problems with it and I have appreciated the features such as storage underneath, a tray in the front and stadium style seats. It is pretty light as double strollers come. It collapses very easily. I don't have any complaints about it. My neighbor's husband was envious of its titanium frame. The price was pretty affordable at $120 or something. It is still in good condition after almost a year.

I really recommend a double stroller. Our 2.5 year old was really excited in the beginning to ride in it. It comes with a buckle straps and a flip over tray. She can get in and out by herself and the tray provides a barrier from falling out so you don't have to constantly use the buckles if you are at the zoo or something.

[Amiens]

Jennifer-

Emma does the exact same thing: 'My 2.5 year old likes to run away from me so the double stroller helps contain her while I am trying to accomplish something like grocery shopping or browsing'

Sometimes, it is the only way I get from our apt to our car, and back. It's the only way I am able to go shopping alone. We, too, use the heck out of our double. I sometimes wonder "Why did I ever buy a single to begin with?" If I had bought a double to start: I would have had an extra place for bags, to put a playmate of Emma's, etc. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20.

Crystal

[Flynn]

Ok, a quick update. Thanks to everyone for their help! The more I thought about how much we do on a daily basis, the more I thought a double stroller will be a good idea despite the cost. If I am housebound due to lack of a stroller, I will go nuts! Also, where we live is very kid friendly so we walk a lot. I'm pretty lucky in that respect.

So anyway, I decided that the best idea would be a double, (the smaller and lighter the better), jogger with a swivel wheel. I could power walk the city and still use it in the mall if necessary. We love our MaClaren XT (single) so I will use that with the Bjorn in the early stages inside. It seemed an "all terrain" stroller was the ticket!

So the research began.... (good grief there were a lot of choices!!!)
With that criteria in mind, I ended up getting a "Phil and Teds E3 V2 Explorer Buggy." (http://www.philandteds.com) It can fit one toddler, a toddler and an infant, and two toddlers because it has a removable extra seat. The selling point for me is that when my oldest is too old for a stroller, it goes back to a slim, one toddler version that converts to a small compact squished version when travelling by car. It also isn't side by side as I did want to use it inside sometimes and was scared we'd be knocking things over! Finally it has two ways the handle can be so with my 6'5" husband, it can be much higher than a regular stroller.

So that's the end of the stroller story. I've tried the single seat with my daughter and it works like a champ. I hope that holds true when #2 is born.

On a side note we hope to induce at 38 weeks with this one because our daughter was so large (9lbs 13 oz 24" long) so that puts us in late September. I can't believe I will be the mother of two kids in a month!!!

I'll keep you posted and thanks again for all your detailed info. It really DID help!