I would love some advice here:
First of all-I feel like with baby and Lucy being 19 months apart a double stroller will for sure be a necessity. Yet I notice lots of Moms don't have double strollers and they have 2 or more kids. Any thoughts one way or the other? Feel free to share experiences from friends, sisters, etc here.
Second of all, which one should I get?
Right now we are leaning toward the Baby Trend Sit and Stand (seen below).
Pros:
-It has a seat for both and when Lucy gets older we can take the seat off in the back and she can stand or sit on the little bench
-The front seat can hold an infant carrier (fits the one we already have)
-It has a cup holder for me and the front seat
Cons:
-One kid has to sit behind the other kid
-There is not a tray/cup holder for the seat that is behind
-Is this stroller easy to maneuver-or would a side-by-side style be easier?
Maclaren Double:
Pros:
-Lightweight, easy to fold
-Easy to maneuver
-Very well made
Cons:
-Can't hold an infant car seat
-No cup holder for Mom or Babies
Peg Perego:
Pros:
-One side can hold an infant carrier
-Trays/cup holders for both babies and Mom
-Lightweight
-High quality
Cons:
-Expensive
-We'd have to get a new car seat to fit in this stroller
-Will side-by-side or front and back seats be easier to maneuver?
Friday, January 23, 2009
To Double or Not To Double???
What do you think???
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9 comments:
We had the same dilemna. I decided on the Chicco side by side. It was only $200, which beats the Maclaren's $400 price ways. I like the side by sides that fold up smaller the front back ones seem to take up the whole trunk. Although it's true they can't hold a car seat. I figured it will only be an issue for a couple months. Once he's a few months old you can just lay him down in the stroller. We still have Kate's tiny umbrella stroller I'm going to use until then, and I have a sling for the baby when he's really tiny. We went to the store and drove many different strollers on display around, and folded them up to see which ones steered and folded up the best.
I received a second hand double stroller from my sister and we only ever used it for walks around the neighborhood and such. But my kids were 30 months apart, so it was a bit different. We also bought a bike trailer that turns into a double stroller, which we started using for walks around the neighborhood (and still love it). I think the thing to consider is how much and where you plan to use it. If you are the type who likes to go to the mall and walk around a lot, then you probably want something that is streamlined and won't clog aisles. If you are thinking more of just walking outside or to the park, then you might think a bike trailer sort of thing is the best.
Personally, I'm also a fan of sling-wearing the baby when s/he is small and using a stroller for the older kid when necessary. It seems like a big waste to get a new carseat for a stroller that you will really only need for 6 months (or less)... But I'm also not a fan of those strollers that hold car seats.
Generally, I think that side by side strollers are a bit more maneuverable, and kind of nice because the kids can interact more. Of course there is the downside that the kids will interact more (and therefore bother each other).
Hope that helps a bit. I really hate strollers, generally (so there is my bias), but I have come to accept their utility at times. :o)
We've used the same Graco double stroller for six years. It's one behind the other and I like that. Sometimes, the girls need their own space and this allows that. :) We use ours a lot!
The only thing mine doesn't have that I wish it did is a cup holder for me in the back. That wasn't popular when we bought ours oh so long ago. I especially like it because I can put the 18m old in a pack and the 6 and 4 year olds can still comfortably ride in the stroller. This works great for long days.
And personally I think that having a baby seat fit in is a must. I hate to move a sleeping baby in and out of straps.
I can't imagine things without our double stroller. I wanted one that could take an infant car seat, would fit my tall toddler, steered well and could fit in our car. I got three of the the four. I see side by sides and like them but sometimes you cannot get them through doorways due to their width. I looked a the Sit n Stnad but knew that Brendan would not stay seated onthat back facing part (too active) and/or would be able to kick my legs as I walked.
We settled on the Graco Quattro Tour Duo (smaller than the DuoGlider). It was on sale too for about $130. We had a Graco car seat so that was a plus. It folds easily isn't too heavy but only fits in our Accord with a little finesse. It is a bit hard to steer but I am dealing with a combined weight of 60 lbs. Mostly it is used for walking around and when I know I need my toddler contained. I still use our single stroller quite a bit for errands and such. it really depends on the temperment (and your patience level to wait for) your walking toddler.
Cup holders are a must in my book and a large storage basket. One hand folds are also a huge plus.
Here are a few sites that have reviews for double strollers. I read tons of reviews before we finally settled on our Tour Duo.
http://www1.epinions.com/Strollers/search_string_~double/adv_search_~1
www.amazon.com
http://www.consumersearch.com/double-strollers
http://www.stroller-advisor.com/double-strollers.html
I have several friends who love their double jogging strollers (BOB, Phil and Ted's, InStep, etc). Something to think about.
Such a tough decision! We love our baby trend sit-n-stand... my girls are 26 months apart and it has been great for walking to the park, and does fine in stores. I really like it at the zoo because Jenna can hop on and off easily if she is tired of walking. Good luck.. I hope you like the one you choose!
I got a double jogging stroller, which I love...but I live where there are very few paved roads and it was mostly for walking around outside in. It is a pain when you have to go indoors - it BARELY fits in some doorframes, and I've encountered a few where it wouldn't fit at all. Store aisles are a nightmare. Also, you can't put an infant seat in it, so small babies can't use it at all (til about 4 months or so). However, a front-to-back one would get hammered on dirt roads, so its what I needed. If I were you...I'd go with one that you can put an infant seat in (I also use a sling, but my back starts to hurt after a while, and I wouldn't want to wake up an already sleeping-in-the-carseat baby). Go somewhere that has the stroller you're eyeing already set up and test-drive it around the store. You'll see really fast which ones are like steering a bus around, and which ones are manageable!
We have the Baby Trend Sit n Stand you have pictured there (red and silver). I love it! It fits through all doors (and I've found very few side by sides that will do that) and it's super easy to maneuver. Yeah, it looks long, but it's so nice to have my kids not right next to each other because I'm sorry to say but my two-year old would take every chance she could get to maul her baby sister, and when she's further back like that she can't get to her as easily (or at least she doesn't think to do stuff to her because she's not already right next to her.) So that's actually a pro for me, not a con, but hopefully Lucy won't do anything to her brother!
The other thing I loved was that it was only $150 at WalMart and we ordered it online using Site to Store so it was free shipping! Can't really beat that price! We just had to pick it up at the store, but I was there anyway. So I totally recommend that stroller. Let us know what you choose and what you think of it! I go everywhere in mine so I would definitely recommend getting one when you have two so little.
I should also add that with the Sit n Stand, we have yet to take the back seat off and actually use it for standing. Sophie loves having a place to sit and hasn't ever wanted to stand yet, but I'm sure the day will come when she will and I'll be glad there's the option.
I also love that my Graco car seat fits in the front perfectly, and it advertises that most car seats do. I would not buy a new car seat just to fit a stroller!
The only down to this stroller is that we have a harder time fitting it in our car trunk, but we have a smaller trunk. My sis-in-law has this stroller too and they can fit it in their trunk just fine.
Such fun decisions! Our boys are 16 months apart and we have the BabyTrend as well. It has been wonderful - folds up really well and we've been able to make room for that and our other luggage on big trips, so that is really nice because we don't dare go anywhere without it. Even though the infantseat only snaps into the front, we often put it in the back because it still fit perfectly, just without a lock-in that way for the first while the big kid could stay in front with the tray. Now that my youngest is 18 months - it has never been a problem not having a tray in the backseat, so I wouldn't decide just for that. We found the best way to travel around for the first 6 months or so was to keep the infant in the Baby Bjorn and still use our little umbrella stroller if I needed to get somewhere in and out quick and didn't want to lug out the big double. Good Luck...glad to hear bed rest is over!
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