Talk to Me About Double Strollers....

[AndreaBurns]

I am starting to do my research on double strollers. If you have one, which do you have, and do you love it? How does it handle? It'll be a couple weeks before DH and I can go test drive.

Also, there is a price limit... we can't afford much over $300, so that limits you too, LOL!

I LOVE the Phil & Ted's E3 Tandem, but it is pricey. I was able to test drive this, and it turned on a dime and was very slim.

P&T E3 (http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001267.php)

This Combi Tandem (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2401268&cp=2255983.2256189.2256200&pg=2&parentPage=family)also caught my eye.

But since the babies will be 30 months apart, maybe a sit and stand would work better?

Baby Trend (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_pfb_r_7_0_1041968/602-0808277-0223820?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000BMJ6VG)

Caboose Joovy (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2267617&cp=2255983.2256189.2256200&parentPage=family)

Thoughts? Recommendations?

TIA!

[Laura_A]

The best ever is the Sit-N-Stand... I promise you! When Regan was born we had originally bought the Eddie Bauer Tandem Stroller (http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Terrain-Tandem-Stroller/dp/B000F1MN0O/sr=1-1/qid=1162827218/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1291847-2306202?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products) but it was HORRIBLE! The seats were tiny, the basket was hard to access, it was enormous and it weighed a TON! We ended up taking it back after a few months (luckily one of the seat covers was coming apart). Our girls are 20 months apart, so we went with the Sit-N-Stand (http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Trend-Deluxe-Sit-Stand/dp/B000F1QRCE). I LOVE it.. still use it when we're out all say. The front tray comes down and you can latch a bay carrier in there. It weighs MUCH less than a regular double and it takes up no more room than a regular stroller even when closed. I highly recommend it. The only negative was that there was no parent tray... but I see they have changed that..

'Hope this helps!

[MarshaZepeda]

Eddie Bauer Transit Tandem Stroller (http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Transit-Tandem-Stroller/dp/B0007W05OW)

This one got great reviews... I actually have it on my "wish list". I haven't actually used it but a friend bought it and she LOVES it! I saw her with it and I couldn't believe how small it was! (Ideal for me b/c of limited trunk space once my back seat has to stay up permanently, lol!) I laugh and say that once dk#4 shows up that I'm going to be a hermit b/c going out with 4 kids (3 babies!) seems impossible! But I know that there are going to be times that I'm going to wish I had a stroller......... still not sure though.... ;) OH! The price on this one is a plus, too. At Target, it's about $130... :)

[Valgal]

I didn't check out the links you posted, but I have to tell you about the COOLEST stroller I saw while in Vegas. At first it looks like a regular ol' stroller, but then I noticed that it had a tiny seat UNDERNEATH it, and the infant was in that seat. It looked nice because the baby was very well shaded from the sun and the mom didn't seem to have any trouble manuvering it. Have you seen these?

[PixelStix]

We just went through this earlier this year. I loved the E3 too, but I read a few bad points about it and we really didn't know if the the back seat space would work out for the kids... plus the price, OYE!

We ended up deciding on the Graco Duoglider. A lot of people don't prefer it, or recommend smaller tandems, but I had a few people tell me how much they loved it. I'm glad because it's perfect for us. One of the main uses for the stroller is for when I'm out with both kids shopping or whatever. I need the space under (it has a big basket!) for the diaper bag, shopping bags... and if someone needs a nap, the back seat is roomy enough. Ben is short for his age and is only 18 months, and any less of a back seat wouldn't cut it for him. The stroller is a little big, which is to be expected. I told my husband I needed a minivan for the stroller alone... lol. He agreed to it, though. I have the 60/40 split backseat in the van and i just stow the smaller side and slide the stroller in sideways, leaving my trunk space free. It probably doesn't fit in some regular trunks, but it's not heavy to me and it's easy to open and collapse- not much different than the single if you have that one. It easy to push and steer too- I love it. I ordered mine online because my selection in town was two (ugly) patterns. I found one that was black and silver and ordered it from babyuniverse and got free shipping on it.

For me, I thought Ben was too young for the sit-n-stand. He was 14 months when the baby was born... if he were older I would have probably considered it more, but he still sometimes will kick back and rest or nap in the stroller, so having two full seats is what we need. I can hook the baby seat on both the front and back seats of the tandem so he can recline in the back seat if I need him to. I had thought about getting a sit-n-stand next summer when they're bigger, but then I don't want him to be able to get on and off when we're in the mall or something.... so for big outings- the zoo, festivals, Disneyland, something like that- I've thought about this one:
Fisher Price Kid Utility Vehicle (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=agproduct&pid=35970)

So, that's my .02 for what it's worth :)
Good luck!

[Hom74]

hahaha...I have that exact Eddie Bauer stroller and LOVE it. Yes...it's heavier, but I realize it is a double stroller. My girls are 20 mths apart and I didn't get it until my youngest was 1 - I thought it was pretty cool b/c it had an option to move the front seat so that they face each other. I thought it was so cute. And I was getting it before a trip to Florida and didn't have a rain cover, but though this would make it super easy to use clothe pins to temporarily attached a big, see-through garbage bag over the top during those sporadic showers in Florida during the summer. I didn't use it facing each other for long b/c the leg room gets a little tight, but again...my youngest was 17 mths when we finally got it lol.

And even my oldest at 3.5 is probably a little big for it, she uses it fine.

I picked a tandem stroller (over a side-by-side and a sit-and-stand) for several reasons.
During vacations especially when they will BOTH be dozing off...I liked that DD1 could lay back and they both could nap in it. I have a lot of local grocers in my neighborhood and the aisle are narrow. The aisles would not fit a side-by-side, but fits a tandem fine.

I'm not saying the Eddie Bauer is the best, but saying that a tandem style was best for our needs. It is a little big and takes up a lot of space. But we've been able to surve. Me, DH and 2 small DDs on a trip to DisneyWorld all surviving those small shuttle buses lol.

And Val - I know what your talking about don't know how big of an infant/toddler?? could fit in the bottom so don't know how long you would be able to use it.


The best ever is the Sit-N-Stand... I promise you! When Regan was born we had originally bought the Eddie Bauer Tandem Stroller (http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Terrain-Tandem-Stroller/dp/B000F1MN0O/sr=1-1/qid=1162827218/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1291847-2306202?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products) but it was HORRIBLE! The seats were tiny, the basket was hard to access, it was enormous and it weighed a TON! We ended up taking it back after a few months (luckily one of the seat covers was coming apart). Our girls are 20 months apart, so we went with the Sit-N-Stand (http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Trend-Deluxe-Sit-Stand/dp/B000F1QRCE). I LOVE it.. still use it when we're out all say. The front tray comes down and you can latch a bay carrier in there. It weighs MUCH less than a regular double and it takes up no more room than a regular stroller even when closed. I highly recommend it. The only negative was that there was no parent tray... but I see they have changed that..

'Hope this helps!

[Hom74]

Man! Now you're gonna make me want to buy this one!!!



For me, I thought Ben was too young for the sit-n-stand. He was 14 months when the baby was born... if he were older I would have probably considered it more, but he still sometimes will kick back and rest or nap in the stroller, so having two full seats is what we need. I can hook the baby seat on both the front and back seats of the tandem so he can recline in the back seat if I need him to. I had thought about getting a sit-n-stand next summer when they're bigger, but then I don't want him to be able to get on and off when we're in the mall or something.... so for big outings- the zoo, festivals, Disneyland, something like that- I've thought about this one:
Fisher Price Kid Utility Vehicle (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=agproduct&pid=35970)

So, that's my .02 for what it's worth :)
Good luck!

[PixelStix]

Man! Now you're gonna make me want to buy this one!!!

Ha! I know. I saw it at the store and it looked awesome. Better than a wagon, but same idea... :)

[noralong]

I personally don't have children, but I can tell you that every friend I have had with more than one little one seems to have tried the side by side strollers, and ended up purchasing the kind with one behind the other. There are a couple of reasons, most have to do with maneuvering it in public places, but I always thought the best part was that it kept the kids from squabbling as much as they do in the side by side ones!

[tamra]

my girls are a little over 32 months apart and I had the same difficulty deciding what to get. I mostly didn't know if I wanted a sit and stand or double. I ended up getting the double, but wished I had gotten the sit and stand! I will probably throw out my old one and get a sit and stand next time :) My double stroller is pretty darn heavy!

[Deena]

A friend of mine has this one for her little one, and i loved it LOL :) It moved very easily and folded up rather smalled compared to most double strollers ive seen..

I no longer have a use for a double stroller, but wanted to add that..

Also love the sit and stands, everyone i know who has got one with an older child, has loved it, especially because its easier to manuver and such, than the traditional double stroller.



Eddie Bauer Transit Tandem Stroller (http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Transit-Tandem-Stroller/dp/B0007W05OW)

This one got great reviews... I actually have it on my "wish list". I haven't actually used it but a friend bought it and she LOVES it! I saw her with it and I couldn't believe how small it was! (Ideal for me b/c of limited trunk space once my back seat has to stay up permanently, lol!) I laugh and say that once dk#4 shows up that I'm going to be a hermit b/c going out with 4 kids (3 babies!) seems impossible! But I know that there are going to be times that I'm going to wish I had a stroller......... still not sure though.... ;) OH! The price on this one is a plus, too. At Target, it's about $130... :)

[ajoyfulheart]

Ah man...my double stroller is about 10 years old now, but it is a great one! It's a Graco, side by side, that I got on sale at Walmart back in 1997 :) I do think I would have preferred a front and back one instead though...it was always hard to get through small shops in the mall and such, because the stroller was so wide. It had a great storage compartment underneath too, and seemed to handle well. I know they have improved strollers in the last ten years though, so I'm sure the updated version of mine is even better now! lol

[StaceyD]

I have the Baby Trend double jogging stroller and don't like it! There are some doors it just doesn't fit through. If you go with a jogger style it is a MUST that the front wheel be a swivel wheel. Ours is not and makes maneuvering VERY difficult!

[AngelinaS]

We had the Graco Duoglide with Ben and Annie (16 months apart). It wasn't particularly hard to maneuver, had a big basket, the front seat converted to an infant stroller by adding the matching infant seat to it, so it was handy. I had to keep the largest child in the back because otherwise it was hard to maneuver...but he was a hair puller and wanted to pull his little sister's hair in the front seat! :O Ahhh, but that's just the joy of having two toddlers, roflol. The front/back double strollers do seem a LOT easier to maneuver than the side by sides. Friends of ours have a side by side Eddie Bauer and it's a pain in the buttoockus!

[AngelinaS]

I have the Baby Trend double jogging stroller and don't like it! There are some doors it just doesn't fit through. If you go with a jogger style it is a MUST that the front wheel be a swivel wheel. Ours is not and makes maneuvering VERY difficult!

Oh, yeah, we had one of those for a very short time and GAVE it away....

[Charla]

I can't even imagine using a side-by-side...I went nuts trying to maneuver a normal one-seat stroller around the mall!! (of course, the fact that I was in pain didn't help either). It's cool to see what people like, so if I decide to get one I'll come back to this thread. But for now, my plan is to "wear" the baby like I did with Jasmine (yay slings!!!) and put Jasmine in the stroller. Not that I go out much without DH anyways (thanks to having one car!) :)

[JennStar]

When Henry was born, we got the Jeep double stroller and returned it about a week later. It was the worst on steering. I was against the side-by-sides, but have to say, if I need one in the future, I'll probably lean towards one. Now that I have 2 kids, I rarely go to the mall with both, and if I do, I'm not running into every store, so I don't think it would be too bad to have a side-by-side- and I'd get the Combi- I know several with it and they love it.. We waited a bit to buy a new stroller and just pushed 2 separate ones when we needed (Jack & Henry are 26 months apart). We ended up buying a Peg Perego P3- it has a small bar on the back for Jack to hop a ride on and it collapses very nicely and is the BEST at maneuvering. But it's pricey- I think about 300.
Have you seen this one:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_16/602-7172522-4913408?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0006ZORJY
I saw it at Target a while back and thought about checking it out! Similar to the Eddie Bauer, I think.

[AndreaBurns]

OK... I think I am really leaning towards the Caboose Joovy Sit and Stand (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2267617&cp=2255983.2256189.2256200&parentPage=family), hearing all of ya'll's advice....

Demonstration (http://www.joovy.com/pages/pd_caboose.php)

And of course the Cup Holder (http://www.bargains4babies.com/joovycabooseorganizer.html)!

[StaceyD]

Looks like a great choice!!

[scrappinmichele]

I agree with everyone on the side by side...and most people who have them say the same thing. We have the regular old one...Graco Duo...nothing too fancy. We love it. But we are about to get a Stand/sit one. Mine are 16 months apart and are now 3 & 2 and my 2 yr old still sits in it, but my 3 yr old doesn't always want to, but he wants to wander off in the mall. I also have a 7 & 10 yr old so trying to go anywhere is tough so I need to be able to reign them all in close to me. But for us a sit/stand wasn't an option when we needed the double stroller because my older was only 16 months and not ready to stand yet. But if you older one is ready to stand...I would go with that. I've heard a LOT of really good things about them.

[Cynnder]

i have this one http://www.netkidswear.com/insattdojost.html

its a side by side with a swivel wheel..I LOVE IT...I can turn circles around the poor moms without the swivel front..and I havent yet found a door I couldnt get thru..sometimes they are a tight fit, but I always make it thru...! you can secure the front wheel if on really nasty terrain, but for my walks down our gravel roads..I love this!

[d2vasquez]

Oh Andrea that looks wonderful....that was the kind I got when my little one was born ummm 6 years ago....they are of course much nicer but Amy (my oldest) really enjoyed "looking over" the baby and also that she was a "big" girl standing up or sitting down in the stroller......just worked very nicely for us.

[Sara Ellis]

ok...I have the Phil & Ted's E3...it is the one with the optional (yes, OPTIONAL) 2nd seat that sits underneath

I LOVE it sooo much!!!!!!!!

I feel like I am a walking billboard for it because of all the people that stop me & ask me questions about it....I really need to earn a commission from them

my boys are 13 months apart & I have used it since Griffin was born last year...Hudson is 2 and 34 inches tall, can sit in the back very easily (feet go in the storage area).....people wonder if it bothers him not being able to have a clear front sight path & it doesn't whatsoever because there is sooo much he can still see

PROS:
*so easy to maneuver
*it is a single OR a double stroller in just a couple quick seconds
*takes up less space in the trunk than my old Graco individual stroller
*easy to push with only one hand
*can take this on a sidewalk, up a mountain, on the beach...anywhere

CONS
*limited storage when using as a double
*no drink holder

I used to work at a kids resale store so I've seen & handled several other doubles. I NEVER found one that even came close to being decent compared to my E3.

good luck with your stoller journey!!!!

[AndreaBurns]

I just posted a review of 3 Sit & Stand Strollers (http://embellishbyandrea.blogspot.com/2006/11/sit-and-stand-stroller-review.html)on my Blog!