Need advice on a double stroller...

[smdgibbons]

ok, so i've seen them available where the kids are side by side.  and then they have them where one sits in front of the other.  then there are the umbrellas. then there are the joggers.  then there are the ones with the little stool for your toddler to stand on.  good god.  any advice?? am definitely looking for something where i can insert the graco infant car seat we have, but i don't think i have to buy a graco...do i?  how lazy & addicted to this site i've become. i would have just looked this info up online, but i like getting the responses  :)  thx - sandy

[purplemomma]

May. 23, 2007 at 3:48 AM

Well I definately, wouldn't recommend the Graco Jeep tandem stroller.  It is a good stroller, but it is soooo hard to turn! It is really long.  It is like the Cadillac of all strollers, only it requires much force to move it.  I don't have any experience with the side by side.  The one where the older child stands is a good idea, but ask yourself this. 1) When he gets tired does it have an option to sit? 2) does your child like to stand?  If the answer to these is no, then I would advise against it.  Your son is still pretty young which means it is likely he may fall asleep while you are out and about with it.  How often would you use it? What do you mostly use it for(shopping, walking, family outings) These are all important ?s to ask yourself.  If you will mostly use it for walking and areas where you have a lot of room to move, then you can pretty much go with anything, but if you use it in confined spaces, like grocery stores, and stores, you may want something less bulky.  The other thing is how heavy it is, you will have to lift it in and out of the car/trunk. And how easy is it to open up and close.  Do some browsing with your son. Most places won't mind you trying them out.  Just take into acct that the baby will grow, and add weight. Another option you might consider is carrying a sling or backpack for the baby sometimes.  Like when you are in confined areas, that way you can use a smaller umbrella type stroller, when you are tired or the baby gets heavy you can let your son stretch his legs.  But I would still recommend getting a double stroller of some kind for walking and stuff.  I really hope this helps. We had such a hard time finding a stroller, and deciding on which one to buy.  I would also look on amazon, for ratings and stuff, thats what I did.  Amazon is a good place to find out how people liked a product.  Anyway, off for now. Good luck! And happy shopping.

[limasita]

May. 23, 2007 at 7:49 AM

i reccomend the peg perego aria side by side. it is so light and easy to open and close. Its just the right size not too big but goes up to 90 pounds! i love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hope all is well :)

ps : any lu ck on the online grocery shopping?

[allisonsmommy]

May. 23, 2007 at 8:10 AM I have always heard the side by side you have trouble fitting down aisle/doors?? I odnt know though. I am also debating getting one. Allison though doesnt sit in hers that good anymore..she thinks she is so much bigger then she is. So I am thinking of looking into the strollers that have the room on the back for the child to sit/stand. I dont know yet though!! If you get any good advice or find anything..let me know!! Hope that you are feeling alright!

[Heamae]

May. 23, 2007 at 8:20 AM You have seen my but here is a link to it... http://www.philandteds.com/cat.htm Its the Phil and Teds E3. I love it!! It can hold up to 50lbs per seat. I love that the seat removes b/c boh arnt always with me or Madison wont want to sit in the stroller so then I dont have to switch to a single that day or look silly pushing a double with just one kid. It has an adaptor that cost extra so you can put you car seat in it but I never used it. I didnt get my double until Morgan was 3mo and by then she woke up as soon as the door opened any way. If you want to try it out some time just let me know.Oh and it folds really small!! My only complaint about it is that the basket is small and it didnt come with a cup holder but I bought an attachment for it.

[Coleen]

May. 23, 2007 at 8:59 AM I have had a couple and I like the ones that are side by side the best but it depends on what you are going to use it for. Side by side is hard in stores but great for walking. They move and turn easily. The ones with one in front and one in back are so hard to steer. Good luck!

[jkat72]

May. 23, 2007 at 9:40 AM

We started out with the whole travelling system where the car seat snaps into the base or stroller and then the stroller is good w/o the seat up to 40lbs.  My problem is that my kids are tall and it was/is hard to get their legs down around the "bar" in front.  That's why I hesitated to buy a tandem.  I guess I just assumed that DD (#1) wouldn't be comfortable.  I was considering the platform attachment when a friend brought her two daughters on a walk in a Radio Flyer wagon.  I was sold.  The seats flip up and give lots of leg room.

I don't know how much walking you do and how soon you'll be out with both so I don't know if this info helps.  If you have a backpack or front carrier that can carry you through to the time where he'll sit on his own, a wagon is a great consideration as you'll probably need one down the line anyway.

[momof2cuteboys]

May. 23, 2007 at 11:51 AM My only suggestion is start building up your arms now! lol Those things are heavy and hard to turn.  Good luck!

[carla_b]

May. 23, 2007 at 5:55 PM When I was thinking about getting a double, I did a lot of searching. My choice was Inglesina, but I have never had 1. I have a single by Combi and I love it, but I like it because it's light weight.  I just checked Consumer Reports and they recommend The Maclaren Rally Twin. It has other information too for looking for a stroller, but will only give recos to subcribers. It's say it costs $290.

[valerie3]

May. 24, 2007 at 9:43 AM I bought a safety first double stroller when my 2 son was born and hated  it.  We had to replace 3 or 4 different parts on it in the first year.  We just bought another one about 2 weeks ago from Babies r us its a Graco, the only one on there web site that comes with an infant seat.  So far i love it, it pushes much better then my last one and is made better! check it out at babies r us!

[2boysn1angel]

May. 26, 2007 at 12:35 AM

We have a Graco and it works well for both of our boys; 1 yr and 3 yrs but it does have it's down side...it's bulky, heavy and hard to stear with our youngest in the back, so we put our oldest back their and then he doesn't have enough leg room.  We usually only use this stroller when we're at the mall but half the time Zach would rather walk and push the stroller.  We also have a single stroller made by Combi which we absolutely love; very light weight, takes up half the space in the truck and can be folded with one hand, it also turns very easily.  I've heard but don't quote me that they have come out with a double stroller so you might want to check that out.  These strollers are usually a little bit pricey but worth every penny and they're usally available at specialty stores (USA Baby, Kelseys; but that was in HI).  Not to sure if they're available at Toy/Baby's R Us.  I hope this helps a bit.  Best wishes.

Tammy