Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

budgeting for your double stroller

This is the last post in our four-part double stroller series. Today we're talking money, and in case you haven't noticed, double strollers can cost a lot of it.  

So far you've hopefully answered the 12 questions, considered a few things and looked at the options. Now you should have a better idea of what you need. So how much should you spend? Is a $700 double stroller any better than the $100 one? The answer is probably yes to a certain extent. But do you need all those "better" things for your transportation?

Think of a pair of shoes. They are the main thing between your body and the ground. You walk, run and chase your kids in them. You need good shoes most of the time, and they need to function properly and feel fabulous. Are a $100 pair of shoes better for your feet than cheapy ones from Target? I'm going to have to say yes on that. However, a $50 pair of shoes might be just as great and still better than the $10 ones. And as much as I covet the beautiful heels at Nordstorm, I have absolutely no where to wear them. They don't suit my current lifestyle.

My point is this is your mode of transporting your kids--it's about function, safety, ease and reliability. If you live out in the country where there are no sidewalks and the only time you put your kids in the stroller is at the mall, then you probably don't need to spend $400 for a jogging stroller. And a Combi Twin or Peg Perego Aria will give you all the bells and whistles you need for the next few years.

The stroller is like shoes. The more you pay the better they get up to a certain point. The rest is just frills and fun for you. (And we fully support your need for fun at this point.)

If in doubt about a big purchase like this, try before you make the investment (even if it's only at the $100 mark). Take those babies for a ride around the store or borrow one from a friend for a day first.

Our last words of advice on this: Unlike shoes, double strollers are perfect hand-me-downs. Never, ever pass up a second-hand double stroller, and when you're done with yours, pass it along to the next Baby Buncher.

Don't forget to check out our Double Stroller Guide. We're in the process of updating it with new strollers and pros/cons.

 

double strollers: the options

We're on week three of looking at double strollers and today we're talking about options. We, of course, love hearing what people love and don't love about their strollers.

We've said before that we don't believe there can be just one perfect double stroller, since your needs change as your kids grow. But if you're going to buy one, you might as well get as close to "perfect" as possible. Go back and ask yourself the 12 questions to ask before you purchase. Then remember to consider a few other things like: could you buy a second hand stroller or borrow one for a while to get you through a certain period.

Now we're going to look at your options. Rather than going the tradition way of tandem, twin, umbrella, etc., we're going to look at this like you would a car. After all, it is the mode of your kids' transportation, right?

For an updated comparison of strollers, check out our exclusive Baby Bunching Double Stroller Guide.

Coupe

Consider these strollers as your "city car." They will get you in and out of places quickly like a Honda Civic. We define these as easy to lift, light (under 25 pounds) and fairly simple to manage.  Note that these may not be as easy to maneuver once you have two kids of different sizes in the seats. We both found that a 30-40 pound kid on one side often made driving the stroller difficult if the other side is holding a much lighter squirmy toddler. So while it may be perfect for one phase, it may not down the road.

Examples of these strollers:  Combi Twin, Maclaren Twin Triumph, Baby Jogger City Mini,

Mid-size sedan

This is your Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata. These strollers are reliable, still easy to "park" and wiggle through most places. Again, they all come with their own pros and cons so you need to figure out what works best for your own situation and which ones have the best extras for you.

Examples of these strollers: Maclaren Twin Techno (25.4 pounds), Zooper Tango, Baby Planet Unity Sport Twin, Joovy Caboose, Baby Trend Sit n' Stand.

Small SUV/Crossover

Just like an SUV with four-wheel drive, these strollers take you where you need to go in any kind of weather or terrain--beach, snow, gravel, trails. They are still small enough to handle well in most places, but it's got a bit more weight on it because of the shocks and all-terrain wheels. Pros for most of these is their maneuverability. Cons tend to be the weight.

Examples of these strollers: Mountain Buggy Urban Double, Bob Double Revolution, Jane Powertwin, Phil & Ted, TFK Twinner Twist Duo Double, Baby Jogger City Select.

Large SUV/Minivan

These "machines" were made for hauling--kids, drinks, groceries, coats and additional siblings. These are the Chevy Suburban of strollers. They are harder to maneuver and park, but when you got to get everyone there, this is your stroller.

Examples of these strollers: Valco Tri Mode Twin, Graco DuoGlider, Bumbleride Indie Twin, Graco Quattro (heavier but shorter than the DuoGlider), Kolcraft Contour, Joovy Big Caboose.

***As always, let us know what you like/don't like about your current/past stroller.

double stroller: things to consider

So now that you've had some time to ponder your responses from the 12 things to ask yourself before you buy, we're going touch on a few things to consider while you're gazing at your answers.

The age of your kids is important. If your youngest is freshly out of the oven and your oldest is still barely able to put a few words together, chances are this stroller will be used for a while. If your oldest is nearly 3 and seems to be a bit more independent and you really just need something to reign him in every once in a while, perhaps you might rethink a $600 stroller. Unless you're planning for more bunched kids, the news is that you won't be using it for much longer.

Translation: Younger kids + closer together = longer livespan of a stroller.

A double certainly isn't a necessity either, although neither of us went this route, we know those who did. If you wear your baby quite often it's possible to get by on a single and a sling/Ergo/Bjorn for a while and then perhaps upgrade to something light and easy when baby is actually able to sit up and enjoy the sights. You might be able to skip right to a Sit n' Stand or double umbrella with great ease and less money.

Don't forget borrowing and buying second hand. If you're unsure about your needs, consider thrift stores or trying a stroller out from a friend (who's not using it) before you buy. For $20, you could find out if that DuoGlider is really going to frustrate you or really help you out. Perhaps you think the Zooper Tango is right for you, but after borrowing from your friend you realize the storage space is too small. Or maybe your friend is really done with her Sit n' Stand forever and wills to you hers as a "passing of the torch." Then your 1- and 3-year old are set. Putting out a call on your mom's message boards are never a bad thing because even we have strollers stashed in the garage/basement and if someone offered to use it for a bit, I would gladly help out.

Wait before you buy. Another thing to consider is your children's personality. Linda's first child hated the stroller until the second came around. He then discovered the joy of riding with a buddy. And while he would never just 'hang out' in the stroller like the other kids, her daughter was certainly happy to sit in the stroller at Starbucks and play with her toes. Had she known both kids would have enjoyed the stroller so much, she would have purchased something different in the beginning.

Realize it's hard to predict the future. A child's weight/height or a move to a different city or even going back to work/stay home can change your stroller needs more than you think. Be flexible and know you may not ever find THE perfect stroller.

12 questions to answer before buying a double stroller

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.

product highlight: tag*a*long your bunch

Stroller configurations (single + sling, tandem, twin, single + boogie board, sit and stand, single + roaming child) can be tricky as your Bunch grows. We have often said there is not one perfect double stroller out there...yet. If your Bunch is still little, you may think you have found the perfect one, but as they grow you realize the weight of the older one will make a twin hard to push, the attitude of one will make a tandem hard to negotiate and without fail someone will decide the stroller just isn't for them anymore!

As your kids grow bigger, the options for containment grow smaller. This is why I squealed with delight when I saw Rookie Mom's review about this new stroller accessory: the tag*a*long.

This is such a simple concept, and we're glad to see someone put this into practice at a low price ($10). The tag*a*long is basically a plastic handle that attaches to the side of your stroller so your child can hang on to the stroller--without actually pushing the stroller into people or getting run over by the wheel. Maybe that wheel thing is my own error.

This handy gadget was developed by Naptime Industries, a mom and dad design team from Philadelphia with their own young kids. Here are a few tag*a*long bits:

• It provides an option for older siblings or those kids who can walk and do not want to sit in the stroller.
• The attachment requires no tools and will fit on most strollers. It's quick loop-through design makes it quick and easy to get on and off.
• It's made in the USA and is lead and BPA free. Bonus in case your baby wants to suck on it, too.  

Even better, this seems like a great product for those with three children who are maneuvering a double and still need some assistance reigning in the oldest. I love that this gives kids a designated spot to return to and sets the expectations and directs boundaries. It doesn't guarantee your oldest from wandering off but the tag*a*long will provide him a place to hold while moving about and a place to come back to when the fun is done.

As you know with all things Baby Bunching, we only review what we feel is appropriate for those with closely spaced siblings. (We did not receive a sample nor were we paid by the company for this review. Although, they did graciously offer us a few to sample.)

Let us know if you've tried this out yet!

maclaren recall: making it right to keep baby digits safer

As you know, strollers are one of the favorite topics here at Baby Bunching. Finding the perfect double stroller can be downright impossible sometimes, and when you come close to it, you feel you have reached nirvana. And since the Maclaren Twins are some of the ones we rank in the top 5 we feel compelled to mention the voluntary recall announced by Maclaren this week.

This recall involves all Maclaren single and double umbrella strollers including the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

The problem:Maclaren has received 15 reports of children placing their fingertips in the stroller's hinge mechanism (during unfolding/opening) causing 12 reports of fingertip amputations. Ouch!

What to do: No need to throw your stroller out yet, though. (You still need it, right?) Even better yet, no need to return it to the store--because who has time for that? Maclaren has a repair kit you can order here. We love when companies are accountable and take responsibility to solve a problem.

Baby Bunching moms know it's hard to keep little fingers away from stroller hinges and wheels, as well as keep kids from hanging off the handle bars or unleashing baby sister from the harness. Just a reminder to be as safe as possible when operating necessary gear.  

grocery shopping: because we all have to eat

This post came as a response to a question from my mom's group asking about how to take two under two grocery shopping. Some painful memories here at the many configurations for this question:

--Bjorn/sling baby, toddler in cart seat
--Toddler in front of cart, baby in carseat in back
--Double seats
--Baby in front, toddler in back of cart with toys/food
--Baby in front, toddler in car cart
--Leave both kids at home with a sitter!

Many suggestions came in, but one of my favorite (IRL) Baby Bunching friends, Carol Amie, emailed this to the group and she's just so damn funny that I wanted to share her tips. Her first two are 15 months apart, last two are 23 months apart. (It's a bit long, but worth the read for some great, funny tips.)

Start with a meal plan so you know exactly what you need and what you've already got at home when you make your list~in the store with two screaming kids is not the time to try to remember if you have that can of special tomatoes in the pantry and if you don't plan for the whole week you'll find yourself enduring twice the torture to get to the weekend with food in the fridge.

Now, logistics for the store: when it was just the first two I alternately wore one and put the other in the seat of the cart. I let (my oldest) choose which one he preferred right up until the younger one outgrew the bucket at about 3 months and went with it because it was an easy way for him to be appeased. Then I wore younger child in the sling and put him in the seat for a while because she couldn't sit up. Added bonus, she could nurse while I shopped and it made it a much less stressful race against the clock sort of outing. I also offered treats to anyone capable of eating finger foods while we shop. Probably not the coolest move as far as the store in concerned but something not too messy that requires a lot of chewing keeps them busy.

With the carts, our method now varies depending on the types available--double car-carts mean that the Bigz drive together and the baby is either in the sling or the seat.

The best option though is the cart at Harris Teeterwhich has the 5-pt harness for two big kids, as well as a baby seat facing them...all three kids keep each other entertained and with them much closer to me than in the car-carts I have a better shot at keeping the Bigz under control.

For places like Target with just two kids, I would use the double stroller but bring the sling. If I happened to fill the hand cart hung on these, as well as the lower basket of the stroller then I could put a kid in the sling and use their part of the stroller for the jumbo pack of toilet paper.

For a super quick trip I also found that hand carts hooked perfectly right over the handles of a basic $15 Walmart umbrella stroller making it easy to get in and out for milk, bread, eggs. Or that quick trip to the deli for a ready made dinner because it had been one of "Those days." Again, wearing the baby makes it possible. You do have to remember though that it can make the stroller top heavy so if you overfill the thing, your kid could get a surprising ride as the stroller tips over. No, I am not saying that ever happened to me, but I will say 2 gallons of milk is probably a danger for the average 18 month old.

Forget about huge grocery savings for the first year. Find a store that has decent non-sales prices and make it THE go-to store. Then you know exactly where everything is, how to find it and how to spell out your list in order of the aisles to make it as fast as possible. I actually keep a legend for all of the stores at home because I could call my husband on his way home and say "please pick up X that you'll find in aisle 10 at Giant on your way home" if I forgot something. Because you will forget something.

Next it is important to find a time when said store is relatively slow that also happens to coincide with a good non-napping, non-hungry, non-evening bewitching hour for her kids and make that her regular grocery time...if you can happen to sync that up with a good checker (I *loved* Sylvie in the no tabloids, no candy aisle of Shoppers when Tara was little) then you'll have the grocery trifecta.

Still, you should allow yourself a good cry in the parking lot now and then because we've all got to eat but shit happens.

post-stroller transport

I’m in need of some "tween" transportation. That is in the time between a stroller and a wheelchair. Ok, maybe not THAT dramatic, but perhaps between a stroller and a two-wheel bike, sans traning wheels.

My Bunch is at an awkward phase where they are really too big for the stroller, too big for a bike seat, too big for a bike trailer, but still a bit too young to walk for too long.

We are fortunate, in our new house, to live in a neighborhood that allows us to walk to just about everything we need—grocery, pharmacy, bakery, toy store, ice cream shop and a variety of restaurants. Yes, it’s that close. So today for a treat, we walked to the nearby ice cream store. It was about 10-15 minutes each way. We walk quickly there since everyone is excited and bubbly about ice cream, but then on the way back when I figured everyone’s belly should be full and happy, I hear nothing but whining.

We were about halfway home when my youngest (almost 4) just sat down on the ground and pouted. “I’m too tired to walk home. My feet hurt. I’m tired.” She’s almost FOUR. She’s really too big for a stroller and should be OK to walk 10 minutes after eating a bunch of ice cream. But she pooped out on me.

My kids each weigh somewhere in the 40 pound range—give or take 5 pounds—so the wagon is a bit awkward with 80-90 pounds of child. Plus, who really wants to pull that much weight. It’s so much easier to push it. Why has no one come up with a tween transport system to push larger, louder, whinier kids to your destination? Really, we could go more places on foot if I had a better way to get them there.  

baby bunching Q/A: stroller for three under three

We received this question from Baby Buncher Aurora.

Q:  I have two boys 14 months apart and am due this June with baby #3. My oldest will be 2 1/2 years old and youngest will be 16 months. I'm trying to find information on a stroller for all three kids.

A: Actually there are a few options. The Joovy Big Caboose will actually "sit" two kids (including an infant car seat) while your oldest sits/stands on the back. I think it depends on what you're doing with the stroller, but this might be your least expensive option. Your 2 1/2 year-old probably will have about another six months where he/she will actually regularly sit in the stroller, but it's always nice to have an option to strap them in if you need to.

The Valco Runabout Twin has a toddler seat which attaches on the front of the double stroller to fit three children onto one. I know many people who used this stroller. It's a heavy one, but very maneuverable for the mall, trails, etc. The storage space isn't the best, but it could be a good stroller to fit all three kids until the older one decides he/she's done with the stroller. Then you just pop the toddler seat off.

I know we have lots of readers with three under three so please chime in with your stroller recommendations or configurations.

buying a stroller: selection made

Back in November we took on the task of helping two moms pick a stroller. We did some comparisons and some research to help them out. One of them finally made her purchase shortly before Christmas. Jessica from New Jersey ended up buying a Phil & Ted E3. Choosing a stroller is a very personal decision. So much depends on what you do with your kids. The fact that she needed something easy to maneuver and one that would work "off road" since her neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks.  

I can't say that we offered her very much assistance. But I'm glad we could be part of her decision-making process.

Here's her story:

After finding out I would be expecting my second child when my son would be 15 months old, one of the first things I looked into buying was a double stroller.  For my day to day activities I use a Maclaren Triumph umbrella stroller and for walking/hiking I use a BOB Revolution.  I absolutely love both strollers and if not for needing a double would never buy another one.  However, a double stroller is what I need. 

I immediately started researching and asking friends of mine with two kids their opinions on doubles.  My criteria this time around would be to find one stroller that would work for both indoor and outdoor activity.  I also wanted something easy to maneuver, on the smaller side and not too heavy.  I knew finding something so versatile would not be cheap so my budget was around $400.  I had it narrowed down to two - Phil & Teds and the Baby Jogger city mini.  Both are excellent strollers but what it came down to was wheels.  I do a lot of walking and my neighborhood does not have sidewalks.  The wheels on the Phil & Teds are more of an all terrain so my decision was made.  An added benefit is the fact that the Phil & Teds can be used as a single stroller or a double so I will never need another stroller again!!!!

I am so happy with my decision and can not wait for the weather to warm up so I can start using it.