Double strollers?

[sbjf]

Ok, there are a LOT of expanding families here and I would like to hear your thoughts and plans for your next stroller. If you already have a double stroller please share your likes and dislikes about it.

I know I should put this in the stroller forum, but...I didn't, lol. There is just a bit more traffic here.

[sbjf]

I'm thinking of purchasing either the Valco Double Runabout or the Mountain Buggy Urban Double (2005).

I'd love the PP Aria Twin or the Combi double, but since I'm probably only going to be able to get one stroller I think it needs to be an all-terrain.

I have the MBUS now (an all-terrain single) and find that I really do make use of the all-terrain capabilities.

Since my two are going to be so close in age I'm planning on sticking to a side by side style double to avoid the 'I want to be in front!' bit.

If I go with the MBUD I'll purchase it from Maryilyn, love the free inserts she offers and the good customer service.

If I go with the Valco I'll purchase it from Stroll and Go here in the Atlanta area (thanks to Mariana for the recommendation). I plan to get over there soon to see it in person before making my final decision anyway.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is getting/has gotten.

[Marisa6826]

Kiwi E3v2 in Red.

I love the idea of the Valco and MBUD, but a) they won't fit in my car and b) I have no desire to regularly lift a 30lb+ stroller in and out of my trunk even if it DID fit. I also don't want to spend $500 on a stroller.

-m

[caleymama]

We purchased a Phil & Teds e3v1 over the summer as our only double (for now). We've been using it as our all terrain single since then and have been very happy. I've even used it shopping a bit and it has maneuvered great in tight mall spaces. DD doesn't ride in a stroller all that often, so we thought the ability to convert from a single to a double and back again would be useful. I expect that I'll have my hands full and that she will need to ride more often in the short term, but probably not all the time and not forever so this stroller seemed like a good option. I currently have the single rain and sun/bug covers and the double rain cover for it.

We haven't had the opportunity to use it as a double yet (Come ON baby!) but we have it set up in toddler/newborn mode and it seems like we'll like it. Who knows if baby will!

ETA: We also have a Pliko with a footboard that I anticipate being able to use once DD is bigger/older and the seat is not so reclined for the baby.

[egoldber]

I have currently decided to wait and see on a double stroller. Since DD will be well over 3 when #2 arrives, DH is hoping we can do without a double. I am not so sure, LOL!

We have a Venezia with the footboard, so I am thinking that this may work while the baby is very young. After that, I dunno.

Another complicating factor is that DD will be in preschool 5 days a week starting not long after the baby is born, so generally when I am running errands during the week, I will only need a single.

But I know there will be times when I have both kids and will really want a stroller. But I'm not sure I need to spend $300 - $500 for a stroller like that for occasional use.

So I am conflicted.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

We're not deciding till we come home from Ukriane since we don't know the age of our children...
but if Tristan and Bronwyn are the only ones stroller age we are going to alco it...
if I have a third that is stroller age we will ABC it with the toddler seat for the 3rd seat.

I haven't seen either IRL but feel strong with this decision...


Neve and Tristan born Feb 25, 2003
* EDD 3/19/05 Baby girl BRONWYN
* Adopting siblings in Ukraine 12-10-04
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan

[Tondi G]

Just a heads up! I also was thinking we could get away with DS riding on the footboard of a pliko/P3 for quicker errands and such but keep in mind.... when the baby is little you will need the seat completely reclined which makes it almost impossible for your older child to ride on the footboard! Now you could always stick with a single and put your older child in the stroller and put the baby in a sling/bjorn.... then when the little one is ready to sit up start using the footboard option!

~Tondi

[Tondi G]

I am in a bit of a dilemma cause my DS is HUGE! He is 50 lbs and 41+ inches at 3 years old at this point.... the baby is due to arrive a couple of months before DS turns 4. For the most part we try not to take the stroller when we are just running errands and walking around the mall..... cause he can use the exercise anyways and he is very good about staying close! On trips to the Zoo and Disneyland we have a real need for a double cause DS can't walk ALL day! The weight limit on most traditional SBS doubles is 40 lbs per seat.... so even though I'd love to get a more compact Aria Twin it will not accomodate my sons size/weight!!!

It seems our only real option for something that can handle oudoor and also go indoors is the Mountain Buggy Urban Double..... which is a great stroller but I find the almost 600 dollar price tag a little hard to swallow! I also am very ready to retire our beloved 01 Pliko and upgrade to a new P3..... another almost 300 bucks..... when all is said and done we will spend around 900-1000 just in strollers alone... YIKES! I think we will purchase the P3 right away so we have a good single and see what to do about a double. I have a feeling DS might be a bit jealous that his little bro has a stroller to ride in but he doesn't!!!!

Good luck ALL!

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01 and baby boy #2 edd 5/5/05!

[mharling]

Ugh, I don't know! The original plan was to only get a mall-crawling SBS since we already have a double bike trailer that will convert to a stroller for all-terrain use. I have started to doubt that plan because I don't want to be constantly switching the trailer from stroller to bike mode and vice versa all the time.

I am now leaning towards only the Valco, but really don't like the thought of lifting it in and out of the car. The financially responsible part of me doesn't want to buy 2 strollers, so I really feel like I'm stuck.

If we end up wanting an all-terrain double, it's the Valco. If we end up wanting a mall-crawler double, I'm not sure. Quite honestly, none of them really excite me.

ETA: We have a MBUS that I really like, but I'd rather have something with more upright seats. That's why I'd pick the Valco over the MBUD.

ETA #2: Carseat compatibility is not an important feature to me because I plan on putting baby #2 in a fully-reclined stroller rather than keeping her (!) in the carseat.

Mary
Lane - April 2003
Little sister on the way!!! March 2!

[jesseandgrace]

I also was thinking I could get away without a double, and basically I did but not before trying some! At first I tried the E3, but even though this seemed like a good solution for my kids, since ds (at the time almost 3) did not want to ride, it was impossible to use because the baby can not be in the racer seat on the back w/out the older child in the front. I then sold it and bought a MBTD. I use it for outside use only, and it was nice for some trips to the park but not at all necessary! I thought the best thing ever was the P3. My ds loved standing on the back, and dd liked to sit up right at 3 months and was sitting on her own at four months, so it really wasn't a problem with the recline. Now that ds is 4 and dd is seventeen months they have started arguing over the stroller. DD tells her older brother NO MINE STROLLER every time he goes near it, so I ended up with a lightweight double after all. So, I almost made it with no double, but for some reason things just changed. I think you can do it, particularly with the P3, and without a bossy little 17 month old :).

[MamaKath]

This is interesting. I know what my thoughts were when we were pregnant with #2 and now that we are still debating over a third or not they seem similar. Add into that the height of my kids (dd is around 48 inches at 5 and ds is around 40 at 2) and my options became more limited!

I thought we wouldn't need a double. We got a double alternative, after I fell in love with the idea from seeing the Kiwi. I bought the Zooper Double Up which worked well in the very beginning, but we quickly found it wasn't going to work all the time. I then got a walking sbs double (Emmaljunga Double SBS model) which worked well for walking, but not as well inside. I eventually ended up with a Kiwi Explorer. I wish I had gotten it when I first had seen it. It really was the perfect double for us. The only situation it did not seem to fit was when I flew to visit dh with both kids and thought I would be by myself (I could not picture managing a baby, 3 year old, and gate checking the stroller, though my mom ended up going along to help) so I picked up a Kolcraft Double Umbrella stroller.

Honestly I wish I had gotten the Kiwi and my Pliko before the stroller obsession started, it would have saved us a bunch of money, but certainly would not have been so much fun. ;-) :-)

[egoldber]

Unlike the P3/Pliko, the Venezia actually has two footboards and it has a reversible handle. That's why I think it may work. :)

Also, DD now usually prefers to walk. She does occasionally still want to ride, but really only occasionally.

But I also understand (as the next poster pointed out) that she may very well want to ride again once she sees the baby riding. Thats why I think I will wait and see what happens before commiting big $$ to a double.

[egoldber]

DH's thinking is that for trips to the zoo and Disney, etc. is to just take 2 singles. I can personally see both advantages and disadvantages to that.

[marinkitty]

Well, I ordered the ABC double buggy from the co-op at the beginning of October, sight unseen. It sounded great from the descriptions and I really liked the option of a toddler seat for a third rider since our tentative plan is to have three kids, with the third being less than two years behind the second (and I could imagine limited times that Mia at age 4 might still want to ride).

Up until I found out about the co-op I'd been leaning toward the MBUD but the ABC seemed to be plusher and offer more for less money. So, we shall see . . . still waiting on it to arrive.

If I hate it, I'll sell it and start over again. Perhaps the Valco that is receiving such raves though the only time I saw it in a store I passed it by so it seemingly didn't jump out at me.

A very large part of me is in mourning over getting any double. I love our Bugaboo and at first thought maybe I'd just sling the baby and Mia could ride until she is 3, then she could walk or use a footboard and the baby could ride, but being only 2 years apart I thought that probably wasn't realistic.

So, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new buggy, but have NO idea whether I'm going to like it or whether it was an expensive mistake!

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03)
Another March baby EDD (3.22.05)

http://lilypie.com/days/050322/0/0/1/-6/.png

Edited b/c I spelled DD's name wrong! I need to go to bed now!

[lukkykatt]

I have a MBUD, but if I had to do it over again now, I would get a Valco.

The MB collapsed with my boys in it and I didn't think the company handled the situation so well. I had a Valco on loan for a few weeks and though there were some minor things I didn't like about it (like the buckles), I thought it was nice overall.

[muskiesusan]

I waited until after the baby was born to see what kind of a stroller I would need. Doubles cost so much, I know DH wouldn't be happy if I kept experimenting like I did with singles!

Anyway, I found I needed a double for a few reasons. DS1, who was 2.5 when the baby came, got stroller envy and wanted to ride, so I would carry the baby, which wasn't always easy to do depending on what we were doing. I needed it for containment of my toddler, who is normally very good about holding my hand, saw me distracted with the baby and decided to roam. It was very hard to chase him with the stroller (he could fit places I couldn't, lol). The other main reason is that I do occasionally go to the zoo or museums by myself, and knew that would be too much walking for DS1.

I ended up with the Aria Twin. It's a good lightweight stroller that fits it purpose. We have a bike trailer that I use as a double if I need to do anything the Aria can't handle, which is rare. For the most part, however, I use the footboard on the Pliko for DS1 while the baby rides, and wear the baby if DS1 wants to ride. If there is another adult with me, I use two singles, mainly b/c they are just easier to navigate, and we can split up if I need to feed the baby.

I keep in my car the Aria Twin, Pliko, and Volo pretty much all the time to fit whatever I need at the moment. Which is kinda funny since I seem to only go to Target (we aren't up to pre-baby mobility quite yet).

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01/01
& Alex 04/27/04

[momathome]

Hey, Beth! We are in a similar boat over here - Kasey will be FOUR the month before the baby is due and only rides in the stroller for long trips. Since we have a P3, for now I will use the Bjorn when Kasey is tired and needs to ride until the baby is old enough to sit up - then Kasey can ride on the back. Liza was 3 when Kasey was born and I ended up getting a Graco double which worked for those times when they both needed to ride and I wasn't out a lot of money. Good luck, girlie!

[brigmaman]

Sorry to hijack, but I wanted to thank you for the card!! I was starting to worry that I hadn't seen you in a while! Hope you're feeling well in the home stretch!

[McQ]

Bugaboo is coming out with a double some time late next year. I LOVE LOVE LOVE our Bugaboo and wish the double was out now.

We have the Valco as our double and are really happy with it. Although I already have in the back of my mind getting the Bugaboo double when it comes out.

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[macassi]

Just to give you some comfort, I have three kids (2.5 years apart then 3 years apart) and never had a double. It was actually easier to sling the baby and push/chase a toddler than to worry about a double stroller. Also, after age 2 my kids never wanted to be in a stroller. We have a pliko with a footboard and after we abandoned the baby seat (which happens much earlier, in my opinion, with #2 and above since you get sick of the weight of it) we just let them ride on the footboard.

[Jeanne]

We bought a double when Claire was born and it has only been used once. Huge waste of money for us. Charlotte only occasionally wants to ride and that's only if she's tired. And sometimes it's just easier to carry her being that DH doesn't have to carry her for long as we are usually leaving where ever we are by that time.
I have never found it necessary to bring two strollers anywhere either.

What we should have bought was the Baby Trend Sit & Stand. But I doubt we'll bother now.

[JacksMommy]

I'm in the wait-and-see camp as well, but my current thoughts are to Bjorn/sling the new one and DS can ride if he wants to (or not). When the new girlie is old enough to ride in the volo, we'll get a buggy board for DS to stand on. HOpefully that will be enough; otherwise, I'll probably invest in a cheapo double for those rare times when we really need it.

Laurel
WOHM to Jack, 6/4/02
EDD baby girl 12/24/04

[mamahill]

Oh good - because I'm not planning on buying a double. I'm glad to see there are those who say we don't *need* a double stroller. I'm planning on slinging the babe if Ainsleigh wants to ride. Also, I think if I told DH I wanted a double, he'd pass out (because he knows I wouldn't be talking about a graco double).

[vikivoly]

We have this same stroller. I haven't used in doubles mode yet - two kids really tie you down! I like that it converts to a double and back to a single.

[marinkitty]

Allison - I know - I wish the double were going to be ready in time but I can't wait that long. And, maybe I'm being optimistic, but I'm hoping I like the ABC (or whatever else I end up with) enough that I don't feel the need to get the Bugaboo double once it is available.

Though I was tooling around today with DD in the Bugaboo all snug under the footmuff and I was pushing with one hand holding my latte and I just love it! Can't imagine liking the new double as much!

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03)
Another March baby EDD (3.22.05)

http://lilypie.com/days/050322/0/0/1/-6/.png

[Zansu]

While I have 2 doubles (MBUD and Mac Concorde Duo), I use my Pliko as a double on a daily basis.

However, our use is a little unorthodox: DS#1 sits at the front of the stroller, against the napper bar. DS#2 rides behind him, with his legs around big brother.

The seat back is reclined, so I didn't have to worry about the baby being too upright. And now that DS#2 is older, the seat back is upright and they still fit.

DS#1 is about 29lbs and DS#2 is about 20lbs. And some afternoons we even carry one of Benjamin's friend's on the toddler step, from their classroom to the parking lot. She weighs about 35lbs.

So there are several ways to have a part time double. :)

[mmaimp]

I’m looking into the Valco double and the Instep Safari TT. The Instep is about $200 which is much less then the Valco. I would like to see both in person but have not found retailers in my area yet. I know I want a SBS all terrain for neighbor hood walks, parks, festivals and the boardwalk.

Now on to mall crawling, we may try to skip the double. Like may others we have a P3 and DH suggested getting a very light weight stroller to use when I have another adult with me. I’m interested in the SC Mini for a second stroller. I’m going to try a pouch / sling with this baby and I’m thinking I can use this option when I’m out with both DC alone. DS loves to ride so we may need a lighter weight double in late spring but I’m going to wait and see. I don’t see myself going out often with both kids in the first few months.

Here is my short-list for other double options some which will not be available for a few months; the Silver Cross Microtwin, the Chicco Velocita, the Maclaren Rally Twin, the Hauck I’coo Platon Duo and the Valco double umbrella.

When I was at Gymboree this week every double there was a Graco Dou Glider and they are huge but I don’t think a SBS double would allow you to stroll through the store because of the width. I’ve been paying close attention to stores in the last few months and don’t see many that would fit a SBS through the isles. This makes my decision even harder!

[lizajane]

i have no intention of buying a double stroller. i hardly ever use the single. the only reason i ever use it now is because i am too pregnant to carry him if he decides he wants to be picked up, and i am too pregnant to chase him if he starts to run wild. but when i didn't have pregnancy issues, i just let him walk beside me holding my hand and then i picked him up when i needed to keep him out of trouble (like in a store with all grown up breakable stuff.) and i still let him walk while holding my hand unless we have to go all the way through the mall for something. but just into the drugstore, or etc, he walks.

we use our backpack for him and he LOVES it. doesn't care for the stroller at all, really. so i can backpack him if i want to push baby (if baby needs to sleep or something) and i can bjorn/sling baby if schuyler needs to be strolled (i guess if we went to the zoo or something long and tiring like that.)

so the only double i want at all is a jogger so i can start running again. and for that, i want another dreamer design, but i can't afford it. so maybe i can get some help$$ for my birthday in june.