So you're in the market for double stroller?
One of our favorite topics here at Baby Bunching is double strollers. Many of our readers try to forgo the stroller and if in a certain living environment a double stroller may not be for you, but both of us (living in closer in suburban areas outside major cities) found a stroller a must-have.
But you've found out you're pregnant with number #2 and decided you need to get going on the research. Right? Ok, here are a few things to consider before you get overly excited. There are a lot of choices out there, and it may make your head spin to sort through it all. Be not afraid.
It's really not as scary as you think with right planning. We're going to show you how easy it can be. This is a multi-post topic so stay with us as we discuss.
Before you jump online to look at too many brands (Joovy, Graco, Phil and Ted, Maclaren, etc.) and colors (orange, black, pink, polka dot), we ask you stop. Sit down and answer these questions on paper. We're not kidding. Use a crayon if you have to.
1) How many strollers do you have?
2) What you do like/dislike about them?
3) What is your favorite one?
4) What do you like most about it?
5) Where does your stroller live? (Car, garage, foyer)
6) What is the one thing your stroller must be/have? (Light? Easy to maneuver? Cheap? Side by side? All-terrain wheels?)
7) What are your stroller expectations for this new stroller? (Must hold carseat, must keep kids separated, etc.)
8) Are you strong?
9) Where do you live? (ie House, townhouse, apt? City? Suburbs? Country?)
10) What do you do most with your stroller or think you will do? (Travel, mall, museums, Disney, grocery, trails, running, back and forth to daycare/sitter, etc?)
11) Will your stroller be riding in your car as another passenger? If so, what do you drive? (Tip: Measure your trunk)
12) What are/will be the ages of your kids when you make this purchase?
Now you notice, we didn't mention anything about money yet. We're getting there, but first answer these questions honestly. If you don't ever run with your kids or take walks on trails then just rule out anything jogging or all-terrain like. It's a waste. If you're a city girl and haven't set foot in a mall or Costco, we would say this may change your mind about some strollers. If you like cupholders for you or couldn't live without the tray for your kid, note that. If you have back problems and getting your stroller in and out of your minivan is going to be awful, remember that when you're shopping. I had a friend who couldn't lift her 30-pound stroller into her SUV so she never used it. Not a smart buy. If you live somewhere that requires a lot of maneuvering tight spaces or people, then we're guessing the DuoGlider isn't gonna cut it without a lot of cursing.
A double stroller can run you $50 to $800 or more. Anyone making a purchase this big--even at $100--needs to answer these questions. Feel free to share with us some of your answers. But we want you to think about your answers before we move on to the next step of talking money. Think about them while you're at Costco, the grocery store, the mall, the trails, the sidewalks in Brooklyn, or a coffee shop.
Stay with us . . . we'll move you along to budget, baby bunching things to consider and options.
I have a, ahem, stroller fetish. DH's term, not mine. I had the most fun looking for a double stroller for my 20 month old and newborn and then, 17 months later, for numero 3.
We ended up getting the combi side by side because it is sooo light (18lbs) and folded easily. Technically, (smechnically)it doesnt say you can put in an infant seat, but I wedged one in no prob.
I wore the wheels out on that stroller. True. I logged a lot of miles on it and even used it in the house for mobile containment. I loved that it had cupholders for the midgets.
Now that my two oldest are in 1st grade and PK at the school around the corner, I have moved onto a double jogger. Very basic, but rolls like a dream on the side walks. I suppose I could jog with it too (pause for laughter) but I sincerely doubt that will happen as then my gym membership, and precious shower time, might be considered unnecessary.
Posted by: sierra | Jan 26, 2010 at 04:44 PM
Thank you for this! We're "gearing up" to make a double stroller purchase and any/all help you all can offer is greatly appreciated. I look forward to the follow up articles on this!
Posted by: Hillary | Jan 26, 2010 at 10:16 PM
when we were looking into double strollers my older would not sit in the stroller for anything, so we ended up buying the sit and stand. little did i know that when the baby got here and sat in the seat that she would want to also...haha. luckily my neighbor had given us a side by side that i use all the time around the neighborhood and the sit and stand for at the mall or other paces where space is an issue. look at craigslist for stuff that way you can purchase 2 for the price of one.
Posted by: marla | Jan 28, 2010 at 08:51 PM
It's also probably good to ask yourself if you're planning on having three kids. I have a 26 month old, a 14 month old and another on the way in May. My oldest might want to walk on his own sometimes, but we'll be living in a big city and I want the comfort of know they are all "contained". I just sold my double jogging stroller (InStep Ultra Jogger) to purchase a Valco Twin Tri-Mode so I can use it with all three kids when needed. Had I been smarter after having #2 I would have purchased the Valco double off the bat, then only would have had to purchase the toddler seat attachment when #3 arrives.
Posted by: Breanna | Jan 29, 2010 at 05:35 PM
Weve recommended this as a great stroller for three under three. Let us know how it works for you!
Posted by: Baby Bunching | Jan 30, 2010 at 01:21 PM
I've got two under two, with a nice umbrella stroller as well as the Graco travel system stroller.
We REALLY had to think about whether we needed a double stroller at all. Usually when we're going on big excursions, we want to split up, and one stroller per parent is ideal. However, I'm stuck at home with no car when he's at work, 60 hours a week, so being able to take both kids in one stroller suddenly seemed much more important. Yeah, I could babywear the baby right now, but what about when she's 9 months old and huge and wiggly?
We could not afford an expensive stroller, so the lower-end high-end stuff (quattro tour duo) was what I was drooling over.
We found one on craiglist at about half retail, which was still a stretch financially but I'm glad we did it. I don't much care for the color scheme, but it was in pristine condition. It barely, BARELY fits into the trunk of our Kia Spectra. In some ways I wish I'd checked that out first. On the other hand, it DOES fit, so I didn't totally screw myself! It's also reeeeeeeeally heavy. Luckily I can fold it one handed (someone at graco must have been a baby buncher to know how much we needed that) and then grab one end to roll it around like you do with a luggage carry-on.
In other words, I'm seconding everything they just listed to think about.
One last thing, that wasn't mentioned in the article, is the ergonomic size of the stroller, for the pusher. I'm 5'1". My husband is 6'4". With the umbrella stroller and the single Graco stroller, the handles are not high enough to be comfortable for him - nor are they far enough back from the stroller. When he holds the handles and takes a step, he kicks the stroller. It drives him CRAZY. I suggest doing a test drive for NO LESS than 10 minutes at your local store. Find a store that will let you push the stroller all around the entire store, fast and slow, and see if it's starting to annoy you by then...
Posted by: Della | Feb 05, 2010 at 11:57 AM
the bumbleride indie double stroller is awesome. performs perfectly well
Posted by: All-Terrain Stroller | May 06, 2010 at 09:25 PM