If you are one of the lucky Bunchers who will be traveling by air this holiday season, which begins next week by the way, you may be struggling with what kind of stroller to bring. We have received multiple versions of this question in the last week.
Q: I need some advice for traveling with my Bunch. We are heading cross country in a month and are staying for 2 weeks. My boys will be 1 year old, and just over 2. We are flying from VA and connect in Chicago. My double is a Baby Jogger Classic, and it's just way to huge and heavy to fly with. The last time we did this we brought the single Zooper and I wore the little one, but that was when he was 4 months old, he's to heavy for all day baby wearing now. I'm considering getting another travel stroller before we leave. Any suggestions? Should I get another double, or maybe just an umbrella single, since I'll be traveling with my husband?
A: Most importantly, you need some way to secure and transport all member of your Bunch. In these days of tight luggage restrictions, you may be tempted to forgo a stroller if your kids are big enough to walk. Do not delude yourself into thinking that your two year old, who behaves like an angel at the mall, is going to happily hold your hand and walk through five airport terminals to get to the gate. Even the most well-behaved toddler will either bolt or refuse to walk in this situation. Your mode of transportation will depend on the ages of your kids. When the baby was very tiny, we found it most convenient to throw him in a Baby Bjorn and put the big baby in the stroller. When they got a little older, the double stroller became handy.
However, a double stroller is not necessary, and may not even be preferrable for airport travel. If your youngest is younger than 1, you might try some kind of backpacky like thing (a Kelty or even the Ergo). But we support two umbrella strollers if in doubt. Why? They are cheap, light and can pass through most doorways and into bathroom stalls without too much issue.
So yes, our recommendation on this one is to take your single and get another single umbrella or just suck it up and get two umbrellas to save yourself the headache of ruining your current single. With more and more people gate checking last minute large bags, the baggage guys probably have less patience for any precious strollers that come their way. They will be flung on like the rest of the luggage. Since you're staying for 2 weeks you will probably need a way to transport babes once you're there so if someone else will be with you at all times, go for the two singles. If not, you may need to reconsider a double on the other end.
However, if you're looking for an "excuse" for a new stroller (like we need one of those) this new one from Maxi Cosi might be a fun option and one that you can use after the airport nonsense. Or if you are insisting on a double, a Sit n' Stand might provide you with some options along the way. Linda personally bought a double Jeep twin lightweight stroller for an international trip five years ago. The thing was light and easy to collapse, but the first trip across the Atlantic resulted in a casualty that meant the thing never folded right again.
If you want to check your big stroller lots of companies sell travel bags for different models. There are also a couple of different devices for turning your car seat into a stroller in the airport if you are planning on taking the car seat on the plane.
http://www.gogobabyz.com/products-c26-gogo_Kidz_Travelmate.aspx
http://www.gogobabyz.com/products-c27-Infant_Cruizer_AT.aspx
http://toteatot.com/products.html
Posted by: Traci | Nov 17, 2010 at 03:48 PM
I love the Jeep Lightweight Double. It folds so compactly and handles most terrains with ease. It is absolutely perfect for travel! We used to have the Combi twin, and it was great, but the Jeep folds so much smaller and is so much easier to carry.
Posted by: Andrea | Nov 17, 2010 at 04:22 PM
My bunch is about the same age and we've had to ditch the massive double stroller for travel. We purchased two of "The First Years Jet Stroller" from Amazon (the only place I found that sells them) for less than $40 each. They are an umbrella type stroller but a little more durable with a basket underneath and a "cup holder" (although the cup holder works better to hold your boarding pass and cell phone vs. a hot drink). They work well with a stroller connector but that does make the stroller super wide, which didn't make much of a difference when we were cruising in the airport.
Posted by: Amanda | Nov 17, 2010 at 05:16 PM
I traveled with my then two month old and 18 month old in July and this is what worked for us. Strap the older child's convertible car seat to a rolling carry-on suitcase using this: http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-Seat-Travel-Accessory/dp/B000JHN3AS (we actually made our own out of some straps my husband found a home depot). This turned the carseat & suitcase into an instant stroller for the bigger child and is an easy alternative to carrying the carseat we'll need for the older child on the plane. I carried the little one in an infant carrier. This worked so well that this Christmas when we travel, we plan to do the same with the carseat for big and I will bring a lightweight stroller along for little, who will be 8 months old at the time. Be forewarned, however, if you strap your carseat to a suitcase you will get lots of strange looks from people in the airport who are mostly quite impressed by your resourcefulness :). Good luck and happy travels!
Posted by: Susan | Nov 18, 2010 at 08:29 AM
We used the sit-n-stand when our youngest 2 were still in a stroller. The older one may want to do some walking so you can use the back to store your purse or diaper bag. We also traveled with 2 umbrella strollers because they are cheap and easy to manage. Gate checking is always iffy because you don't know what the stroller will look like when it emerges from the pit of the plane. Another reason the umbrella is great. They sell straps that hold 2 strollers together creating a double. This is great if you will be by yourself with both kids.
Posted by: Jennifer Rider | Nov 18, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Thanks for answering my question. I picked up a Jeep double on craigslist for 40 bucks. It was a great deal, and I will not care if it gets trashed on the flight. I used it today for the first time, and though it's bare bones, I loved the fold, and it got us where we needed to go. Now I need to research the CARES harness, so I can decide if we need to bring two car seats for the flight.
Posted by: royann | Nov 19, 2010 at 12:22 PM
Taking 2 babies/toddlers out of the house can be turn to a nightmare. I know how frustrating it can be. My advise get a Combi double stroller. It's a life saver. I know because I use to run after my kids everywhere we went. Now I can relax and I feel secure and my babies are safe.
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In these days of tight luggage restrictions, you may be tempted to forgo a stroller if your kids are big enough to walk.
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