Twins due with 16 month old!! Strollers???

[loriyoungwhite]

I am due with twins this November and will have a 16 month old as well. What strollers should I consider??? This is #3 and #4 for us. Strollers are very important to me! We have a Maclaren and Mtn Buggy right now - - singles! Should I consider triplet strollers???

[arivecchi]

My friend with 3 mo twins and a 4 yo has a Valco Twin Trimode with a toddler seat and a Hitch Hiker (toddler board), so the stroller can accomodate up to 4 kids with the footprint of a double stroller. The Valco Twin is a great stroller, but I would not plan on using it in the car.

[salsah]

i just saw a mb triple earlier this week!

i think that with twins, assuming that you will be in and out of the car, you will want something lightweight that you can easily load in and out of the car. for that, i would go with the bjcmd. you can add a buggy board for your toddler (maybe down the road, at 2 yrs old). there are some buggy boards that are wide enough for a child to sit on. i think you are going to also need a good carrier -- the kind that you can use with a newborn or a toddler (ergo, beco, pikolo). so that if your toddler needs to sit in the stroller, you can carry one of the twins.
if you also need an AT for outdoors, i love my mbud. so if getting through doors will not be issue, go for the triple mb. otherwise, you might want to consider a double with toddler seat. maybe the ABC, i believe that they make a reclining toddler seat. and iirc, the seat goes over the handle bar which should make steering easier than with the strollers that have the jump seat out in front.

have you visited the multiples forum? i'm sure there is someone else here who has btdt who can offer better advice.


Congrats and GL!

[twowhat?]

It's going to depend on your needs - do you need air tires for going over grass, bumpy sidewalks, etc on a regular basis? Or will you be mainly using the stroller for smooth surfaces? How much space will you have in your car, considering you will have that many kids in car seats?

Strollers with air tires are heavy and bulky. Our BJCED takes up 3/4 of the trunk in our Odyssey. Our BJCMD takes up less than that and is much quicker to get out because it is lighter in weight. We never put our BJCED in our car - it's used for around-the-hood walks.

I will admit that if budget were a concern, we could have gotten away with just the BJCMD. It will go over rough terrain in a pinch.

I totally second the PP that you NEED a good carrier (or two if your husband will wear one). You should make sure you know how to use it well and carry it with you at all times. It can be used in emergencies (you can carry two babies - one in the carrier and the other in your arms...when they are older one can go on your back and you can carry the other) - both ways you still have a free hand to hold your toddler's hand. We used wrap-style carriers when ours were newborns, and would recommend a beco or ergo or similar once they have good head control.

eta - whatever you choose, make sure you can steer it with ONE HAND!!

[loriyoungwhite]

What do you all think of the Valco with the toddler seat?

[loriyoungwhite]

Also - what is BJCMD??

[arivecchi]

What do you all think of the Valco with the toddler seat? The Valco is pricey but really great. The toddler seat does not make it tippy and you can remove it and add a toddler board if that works better. The Valco fits through standard doorways and is very plush and well built. See more info here for the Valco Twin with the toddler seat:

http://www.letsgostrolling.com/valco-twin-trimode-runabout-with-toddler-seat.html

I would not get it for the car though. The BJCMD would be better if you need a car double. The Valco is more of a stroller you keep open in your house/garage and use in your neighborhood.


Also - what is BJCMD?? Baby Jogger City Mini Double.

[mikeys_mom]

What do you all think of the Valco with the toddler seat?

I think it is a great stroller. I borrowed one from a friend when my twins were little and DD#1 was just over 2yo. The toddler seat worked well for DD#1.

However, I would not use it as a car stroller. Too bulky and cumbersome. I think the toddler seat may need to be removed to fold it. We used it only for walks around the neighborhood. For in and out of the car, I would consider how often you will be going out with all 3 kids when the twins are really small.