Sunday, July 27, 2008

Thinking About Strollers

I have recently been looking into double strollers as this pregnancy is flying by, and I was hoping to solicit some advice or opinions from others. Some background info- I have a Graco travel system now that includes the car seat I will be using for Blake. I am happy with the stroller, but I wonder how much I will use a single stroller with a newborn in the carseat and a 17 month old that needs to be strapped in! That stroller does not do so well on outdoor walks, but I have a jogging stroller that handles great outside. So, here are some options I have been looking into:


This is the Dream On Me double umbrella stroller, and it is around $100. It is supposed to be "ultralight", the seats fully recline, good storage, good canopy coverage, etc. There are no snack trays, but I could easily get over that. Also, a carseat does not snap into this one.


This is the Contours Options Tandem double stroller and it is around $200-220. The seats are removable and can be placed in 7 different positions (facing each other, back to back, etc.) and fits most carseats. No snack trays, but it supposedly handles well and is easy to figure out the seating arrangements.

This is the InStep Safari double jogging stroller and is about $190-200. I like the idea of a double jogger, because I could use it inside and out, but it may be a little large for indoors. It cannot accept a carseat and has no snack trays, but I don't really use the snack trays on the jogging stroller I have now, so I should get over that!

This is the Schwinn Free Wheeler and is around $230. It is supposed to be easy to fold, swivel wheel lets you get through tight spaces, and has a big canopy to shield the sun. The description says it has a parent tray and child tray, but I don't see one in the picture. I am really not even a runner, but I love to be able to take walks/trying to jog on any ground without bouncing the kids out of their seats.
I hope someone who has 2 kids or more, or knows something about people who cart 2 or more kids around reads this and can give me advice. I keep thinking that once I have Blake, it will be cold outside, so I will not be taking him all over the place that soon. Also, how many places will I be staying long enough to need the double stroller, or will I be alone and having to handle them on my own instead of someone strolling Kate in one with Blake in his own stroller. I could go over this again and again in my head. Any suggestions of other strollers are welcome too! There are some great ones out there (some with great big price tags).

4 comments:

Sally said...

One word for you: Phil&Teds.

They're a little more expensive, but man alive, they are amazing. You can keep it as a single when you need that, and add the double's kit when you have the sibling together. You can get the whole all-terrain vibe and you can buy a car seat adapter for when you want the click and go convenience. Yes, the Phil&Teds is a little more expensive, but they're just super cool.

Now, if you want a standard double stroller, please measure the width - most standard doorways are 32" wide. You want a stroller narrow enough to fit through a doorway.

Amy said...

My co-worker has this one and loves it:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2903089

Though, it is very expensive too. And, I wonder if you'd be able to use other brand infant car seats in it?

Milla said...

I don't know anything about double-strollers, but the jogging ones look cool! Do you find it possible to actually jog with the single jogger you have? I've always wondered about that...

Ole Miss Mom said...

Wow, there are some really cool strollers out there these days. I wouldn't go with the side by side umbrella...talk about a pain inside stores!
I have a front back double stroller that accepts car seat and has snack trays and love it! I use it all the time.
I also have a double jogger but it stays at my moms since I walk around her neighborhood. If you go for a jogger only, you're going to want something smaller light to grab for quick trips!
I wouldn't worry too much about car seats fitting in...I put lillian in the jogger at 3 weeks no seat..just just sat there! :-) And they don't stay in those seats very long!
Anyways, there's my thoughts! Good luck.

I like the second one.

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