Which Double AT--Bob/BJ Summit/Mountain Buggy?

[curiousgeorge]

Hi stroller experts,

I am new to posting on the board but have been doing some reading the past couple of months as I try to figure out which double stroller to get. You all have been incredibly helpful already as I think I've narrowed down my choices...but now I need some insight because I'm stuck!

My DS will be two in February. He is already 36" tall and just under 30 lbs. Baby #2 is due in April.

I am looking for a double stroller than can work for a few different things. Most importantly it will be used for walks around our neighborhood and to the park (mainly paved sidewalks, but some bumpy areas). I anticipate it will also get occasional use out of the car for shopping at outdoor malls, and will see occasional use at places like the zoo, amusement parks, festivals, etc. Eventually I'd like to be able to use it as a jogging stroller once baby #2 is a year old.

I currently have a single Jeep Overland Jogger (fixed wheel) which although isn't the greatest has served us really well. It's gotten daily use for the past 19 or so months. Both my husband and I have been able to run with it just fine, but are looking for a smoother ride and the option for a swivel wheel with our double stroller.

The Jeep has been kept in our garage and my car stroller has been a P3, with a Maclaren as our air travel stroller.

I got a screaming deal on a barely used Bob Revolution Duallie at an REI garage sale just after I found out I was pregnant. I haven't used it yet, just pushed it around the driveway and house, and love how smooth the push is! The problem is my son...he looks like a giant in it already, and we won't even really start using it until late May at the earliest. I am concerned that he is just going to be miserable in it by then because of his height. I can't return it since it was a garage sale purchase but can definitely sell it on CL for a profit. Where I live Bobs are by far the most popular of the better jogging strollers. We rarely see Baby Joggers, Mountain Buggies, etc. here.

I ordered a Baby Jogger Summit XC double after reading here that Baby Joggers are considerably better for taller kids. I missed the great diapers.com deal but still got a pretty good deal on REI. Haven't gotten the stroller yet to try out, it should be here next week. However, I'm concerned that some of what I'm reading says the push on this isn't nearly comparable to that of a Bob Duallie. The handbrake on this does make it very appealing as we have a few steep hills to navigate on our longer walks/runs.

I also keep reading about many of you loving the Mountain Buggy Double/Duo, but haven't been able to try one out yet. I found one on CL in a city I'll be visiting next week and could check it out in person if it's worth it based on what I'm looking for. It's listed as less than two years old and priced at $450...is that even a good price? And, the sunshade on it looks skimpy compared to a BJ or Bob, so not sure it's right for outdoor use. Also, can you add a belly bar/snack tray to these? My son loves having the snack tray on our current jogger.

Thank you if you have read this far...I just am so stumped at this point and could really use some of your insight!

[arivecchi]

If you want to jog with it eventually - the Duallie is your call. The Duo is fab but not great for car use or serious jogging. I have jogged with my Duo and while it is fine for occasional jogging, I would want an actual jogging stroller if I were a serious jogger. I would not trade a Duallie for a Summit. The push and quality are just not the same.

[roseyloxs]

I agree with A but since the summit is already on the way you will get to compare them for yourself. Sometimes push isn't the most important factor. The baby jogger should still have a better push then your old jeep jogger. Come back and let us know how the two compare.

[Mrs.Christie]

I'm struggling with the same decision and I'd be very interested in hearing how the duallie compares to the summit. You ordered the summit from rei, they allow returns on used items don't they?

For me push is really important, but longevity matters too and like you my child is on the taller side. I so wish the summit had a great push because it would then be almost perfect. The summit has so many other great features and a low price... ugh!

[jacksmoma]

bob pushes a million times better than a bj, it's a fact! it is also much better built (almost no plastic on a bob, a good amount on the bj)...i know bobs aren't perfect feature wise but they def. push better than anything out there! i've had both bobs and bj's so i do know from experience :)

[alirebco]

I'm also in the same boat but DS is 3. Also, I will most likely not jog with it, but I am banking on using an AT stroller this summer for exercise and to take DS to the park. I actually need one that can be used for a young baby - like 6 weeks old and I don't think the Bob can do that. I'm actually not really interested in the BJ b/c of all of the reviews I have heard.

I'm willing to wait for the new Bob and MB's to come out to see what new features they will have.

[curiousgeorge]

Thanks for the input everyone. I will definitely report back on how the BJ Summit compares with the Bob Duallie. Having read so many great things here about the Bob I hated to even consider something else. I love the push on it and wouldn't even be questioning keeping it if my son were shorter.

REI does have a great return policy, although I'd hate to have to return it used if I don't need to, because I think then they have to sell it at their garage sale for a loss (and that's how I got my Bob...definitely good deals to be found at their garage sales!!).

I was thinking I could set up a small obstacle course on my driveway and just cover the Summit's wheels with masking tape so they don't show any use. They do it when you demo golf clubs so I thought maybe it would work for a stroller...anyone ever tried that?

I did ask a guy at Buy Buy Baby about the new 2011 Bobs, and he said that they he wasn't supposed to say anything, but that they will have a few key changes: different fabric to help with fading, a better system for installing/removing the car seat adapter, and a taller seatback. So...if that is true a 2011 Duallie might be a great option. Hopefully Bob will release the details soon!!

[RunnerDuck]

I have a dualie I bought in 2010. Dunno if 2009 and 2010 made different models or if mine was 2010 or 2009 if that is the case... but I am very happy with it. I don't remember exactly why I went with it over a BJ in the end - it was cheaper, I guess? I was looking at Baby Jogger City Series Elite which had changed their wheels from air to foam. Seriously??? That just seemed stupid to me. But even though I could still get an old model with air, the Bob was cheaper. (Baby Jogger has also just turned so much from a jogging stroller company to a fashion conscious stroller company, putting out strollers that LOOK like joggers or all terrain but really aren't, just carry the high prices of one - ie I think the city mini is the dumbest stroller EVER... I felt BOB would be better being made by a bike company - I wanted something that could handle fairly rough terrain and it has!)

Mine is orange, I have had no problems with fading. My girls were 2 when i started to use it, so I didn't have to worry about infant recline - I never had any luck putting my kids in strollers when they were that small anyway so that didn't bug me (they wanted to be held or worn) I plan to use my double with my girls when my new baby comes. Then will probably get a single bob down the line.

I guess the seat backs could be a bit higher but they work. I actually had my son in it once when he was 6... he wanted to go for a walk with me and one of the babies but he got tired and wanted to ride so he hopped in the empty seat. Which leads to another point, with one empty seat or with huge differences in weight for the kids, it still pushes nicely.

The only things I don't like about it are there's no easy way to keep it folded when it's folded (that wrist strap is long and crazy) - I keep meaning to get a smaller velcro tie at home depot to fix this. I also find the shoulder harness extremely confusing - obviously designed by a man. LOL But we get by.

[alirebco]

Thanks for the review RunnerDuck. Did you also look at Mountain Buggys?

[RunnerDuck]

I don't know where you live but I am in Pennsylvania, US. One factor I considered was resale value. Mountain Buggy is not a huge brand in the US. I knew BOB would resell well. I did look at Mountain Buggy, but ruled it out based on harder to get, less demand for resale, price, and I seem to think at the time it only had a double sun shade, rather than two singles - one reason for going high end vs. ie Baby Trend was knowing my girls would fight over the sun shade so I wanted them to each have one. Now the cheaper ones are making two single shades, and I think MB does, too, but I would still go with Bob over MB.

And my girls do fight like hell about the sun shades. Even though they each have one sometimes one will mess with the other's just to be mean. LOL

[arivecchi]

Depends on where you live in the US. There are tons of MBs in my city and many people prefer the looks of MB to Bobs.

[RunnerDuck]

I think I have seen two in Pittsburgh. :)

So yeah there may be differences in different cities. Regardless, resale where you live is a factor. Here people are always looking for Bobs - I have never seen "looking for a mountain buggy."

[poohbear]

I think I have seen two in Pittsburgh. :)

So yeah there may be differences in different cities. Regardless, resale where you live is a factor. Here people are always looking for Bobs - I have never seen "looking for a mountain buggy."

I have noticed this on my CL (Chicago area) as well. Resale of BOBs does seem to be higher than MBs (and there is always ISOs of BOBs, but I don't see many ISOs for MBs), but I think there is more brand recognition of BOBs than MB. Also, in the suburbs at least, there aren't as many stores that carry MB as carry BOBs. I have a BOB, and love it, though I will admit, I think the MB looks prettier...
I don't think you'll go wrong either way....

[nmstrong]

yea I agree, you can't go wrong with either! but resale is huge. I live in LA where people are buying high end strollers all the time, and i often see mb for around 100 or so. You would NEVER see that with a bob duallie even if it was 7 years old! they sell used for at least 300+ so if you invested in one of the sale ones right now you would be recouping most of your money back when you sold it. (i just sold a slightly used bob duallie for 450 then missed it and re bought it) but i think you might have luck reselling your mb's for more on a specialty site like strollerista or swap where people know more about strollers?

[RunnerDuck]

If MB in fact has improved the sun shade, resale might improve. other than that you are looking at a 4 wheel design vs. 3 wheel so it may come down to where you use it. For urban use, either may suffice, but I have actually taken the bob on wooded rough trails and i think the single wheel in front does make for easier steering around stumps and rocks and stuff. Seems like it would also be easier in stores but I dunno. Never had a 4 wheel jogger. I was eyeballing the Valco for a while as it takes a toddler seat and we wanted one more kid but ultimately skipped it because I figured if I had the space/option of fitting one more kid in either I would a. never get pregnant again or b. wind up with multiples again. I didn't want to jinx myself. SO I went with BOB and wham-o, pregnant a few months later. With ONE baby. And it's gonna be sooooooooooooooooooooo awesome...

[curiousgeorge]

I'm in Austin and Bobs are the most popular jogger here by far. I see many more CL posts for Bobs for sale and ISO requests for them, so that is definitely a consideration. I've seen Baby Joggers, but they are mainly the big 20" wheel performance ones, not the Summits, etc.

I only recently looked specifically for Mountain Buggy on CL and have seen just a few in the past couple of months. They have all been older models with just one shared sunshade. I really like the look of the new ones with the split sunshades, but they are more expensive and if they aren't the best car strollers or joggers, it probably doesn't make sense for me to consider one at this point.

RunnerDuck, your point about fighting over the sunshades is a great one. My son loves to mess with his now, so I can only imagine if he had to share one with a sibling...probably wouldn't go over so well.

I should have the Summit here next Wed and will try it out vs the Bob and report back.

[SuperstarNanna]

OP, do you mind sharing how much you got the Duallie for at the REI Garage Sale? Our local sale is coming up and I'm curious if it's worth waiting out some of these clearance sales online right now in order to see if I can score a BOB at the sale. Thanks!

[poohbear]

OP, do you mind sharing how much you got the Duallie for at the REI Garage Sale? Our local sale is coming up and I'm curious if it's worth waiting out some of these clearance sales online right now in order to see if I can score a BOB at the sale. Thanks!

What is this REI "garage sale?" and how does one find out about it? I'm intrigued!

[SuperstarNanna]

REI hosts periodic garage sales (for members only) where returned merchandise is sold for steep discounts. It's stuff that can't be put back on the shelves as new/unopened. Your local REI should have information on their website about when they hold their sales. My local one is in early February.

[curiousgeorge]

This was the first time I went to an REI Garage Sale and I will definitely be back! Our gets a little crazy (maybe they all do, I don't know...), they said people will actually start lining up in the middle of the night to be first in the door. The employee I talked to said they discourage that but can't stop people from doing it--and those customers are typically looking for the bikes or other more expensive things.

When I went to ours a few months ago they had two Bob Duallies and three Bob fixed-wheel single joggers for sale. They all had tags on them with details about why they were returned, I guess that applies to all the merchandise but I can't say for sure since I only looked at strollers.

The one I bought said it was returned because "my son refused to ride in the stroller". It looked brand new, didn't show any wear on the tires, and had one minor scratch on the frame. It didn't come with any accessories and with tax I paid just under $200. What a steal!!

The other Duallie tag said it was returned due to "folding issues". We were there for about 30 minutes right when the doors opened and all five strollers were sold by the time we left. I don't know what the prices were on the others and didn't check out the condition on the singles.

There were also a couple of travel bags for sale for single Bobs.

I would definitely recommend at least checking it out if you get the chance. The employee I talked to said that the stores have garage sales a few times a year and dates vary by store based on when they have enough inventory to make it worth having the sale.

Good luck!

[curiousgeorge]

thank you to everyone for your feedback!

As I originally posted, I was trying to decide between the Bob
Revolution Duallie and the Baby Jogger Summit XC Double. After getting
them both side-by-side in my living room I've decided to keep the Bob.
Since I got a great deal on the Bob (barely used), the new Summit would have been about $300 more for me...just not worth it.

The main reason I wanted to compare these two strollers is because I was looking for the one that my son would be most comfortable in, because he is tall for his age (36" at 23 months). I chose to compare these two because I wanted a double AT that was a true jogger.

Both are great strollers, and I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. But, I say that as someone who hasn't used either one yet, so know that going into my review. My observations are based on a quick test in my living room. For any of you out there that are current owners of either, please chime in if I missed anything. I am hoping this can help someone else trying to make the same decisions.

I left out a lot of the detailed measurements, but those can be found on each manufacturer's website. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to share the pictures that I took comparing the two, but figured I'd at least get the info posted now in case it is helpful to someone.

Two strollers being compared:
Bob Revolution Duallie with manufacture date of 12-23-2008
Baby Jogger Summit XC Double with manufacture date of 11-10-2009

Seated height: My measurements show the seat backs to be the same on
the two strollers. Bob specs say 21" and BJ specs say 20", but I found
both to come in right at 20". The difference is the "max head height"
as BJ calls it. Because their canopy bubbles up at the top, there is
room for a taller child to fit underneath. That is great if your kiddo
loves to ride with the canopy pulled down over his head, but mine
doesn't. On the Bob, I was able to use the adjuster strings (or
whatever they are called) to pull it up as far as possible. Then, I
pulled the seat as far foward as possible, pushing the extra fabric
part that is used during the recline back behind the head rest. That
actually worked to create a little more headroom and allowed my son to
rest his head against the seat back instead of the canopy. The way the
BJ canopy is you can't do that, so his head is hitting the canopy when
it is pulled all the way back.

Recline: Bob says the stroller can be used starting at eight weeks. BJ says it is suitable from birth and has a full recline angle. In my comparison between the two I didn’t find their reclines to be dramatically different, so I think you just have to judge for yourself when your baby is ready to ride.

Canopy: Both have good sun coverage and peek-a-boo windows. But, the
BJ has a neat little mesh opening on the side that you can reveal by
rolling up the fabric covering it. That allows the rider to see out
the side of his canopy while it is pulled all the way down. Also, when reclined the top back of the BJ seat is all mesh, it can be left that way for ventilation or covered with a weather cover.

Underseat Basket: Both appear to be about the same size. They are
definitely wider than they are deep, so I would think there is some
risk to things popping out if they are not heavy enough or secured
down in there. I like the Bob's basket because it has a stiff flat
bottom, where the BJ doesn't, so things just hang down in there.

Back-of-seat storage: Both have mesh pockets that span the back of the seat backs. In additon to that, the BJ has a little zippered part on each seat back that would be great for holding a phone or keys, little things that need to be a big more secured.

Parent console: Neither stroller comes with one. Both are available after-market.

Handlebar: Bob handlebar is padded foam. The BJ handlebar is more of a rubbery grip that is divided into segments.

Brake: Both strollers have a strap to put around your wrist so the stroller can't get away from you. Both also have a foot activated parking brake. But, the BJ also comes with a handbrake--this would be great if you are in an area with lots of hills.

Wheels: Bob has three, BJ has four. The Bob's wheels are a bit wider, but not by much. Both are air tires. I weighed each stroller and its wheels separately. The Bob's three wheels weigh eight pounds total, while the four BJ wheels weigh 13 pounds total. To switch the front wheels to a locked position from swiveling, there is a mechanism on the front of each stroller that is simple to use.

Fold: BJ one-step fold is hard to beat. It is super easy, even with a beast of this size. Bob fold is tougher but not impossible. Have to squeeze a trigger on each side of the handlebar then pull a cord under the seat to further reduce the size of the fold. When folded the BJ is clearly more compact than the Bob.

Tire Release: To release the tires on the Bob, you have to flip a little metal arm, then unscrew a cap on the other side of the tire and pop the tire off. To put the tire back on, you have to reverse that action. Not hard to do, but definitely not as easy as the BJ. The BJ has a great tire release mechanism. You just push a little button/lever mechanism on each wheel and it pops right off. To put the tire back on you just pop it back into place. If you are going to be doing this a lot to load the stroller in/out of your vehicle, the BJ would definitely be easier to deal with.

Weight: Using my scale I weighed the Bob at 32.5 lbs (24.5 lbs for frame and 8 lbs for wheels). The BJ weighed in at 40 lbs (27 lbs for frame and 13 lbs for wheels).

Push: Hands down Bob is a better push. It turns better and has a smoother ride. Not to say the BJ doesn’t push well, but when you push them one right after another there is definitely a notable difference.

If you are trying to compare the two and have other questions, let me know. And, I'll keep working on getting those pictures posted.

[poohbear]

Great review! I think you will :heartbeat: your duallie! Especially since you paid less than people do who get an awesome deal on a single!

One question - for wheel release are you talking about the front or the back? On the back wheels of my BOB single, I can just pull a metal lever and pull the wheel off - I don't have to unscrew anything. The front wheel requires unscrewing I believe (I haven't really done that because it seems like it can lead to a fail (or at least some frustration))...

[scriptkitten]

Nice review!

Does the BJ fit through standard doors? I thought it did not?

[WatchingThemGrow]

Since I got a great deal on the Bob (barely used), the new Summit would have been about $300 more for me...just not worth it.

No kidding! For this reason alone, I (diehard BJ fan) would have done the same! The BJCED has a bit more headroom than the Summit, the adjustable handle for DH, and the fact it fit in our car whereas the BOB did not were the deciding factors for us. You'll enjoy running with it! I have to pull out our BJ triple if I want to run...

[jacksmoma]

Great review!!! I feel the same way about those two. Can't beat that bob duallie push! Will it be your only double?

[curiousgeorge]

Does the BJ Summit fit through standard doors?

Well, that's a good question, as I didn't get to try that. I have read that it does not--according to their website it is 32.5" wide. According to Bob's website, the Duallie is 30.8" wide.

I have read that the Bob fits through standard doors and the BJ doesn't. Seems to be hard to find a definition of a "standard" door these days though. On here, I have seen 29" as a number to shoot for when aiming for a stroller that will fit through "standard" doors. But, with so many places now complying with ADA, which requires a 36" clearance, it seems that both should fit through many doors without issue.

If anyone has any experience with either of these fitting or not, please chime in. I can see that being an important point for someone who needs to use this stroller indoors as much as outdoors.

As for the wheel release on the Bob, I was referring to all three wheels. It seems that with the back wheels on mine I have to pop the little silver lever one direction and then unscrew a nut on the other side of the wheel just a bit to make it loose enough to pop off. Maybe I didn't try hard enough to pop it off with just the turning of the lever though. It wasn't too bad to take all three off, which is what I did to fit it in my trunk (Lexus Sedan) and it fit fine once I did that (of course, not room for much else back there after I did that). But I had to get it home somehow!

I am not sure yet if this will be my only double. I am excited to use it for walks around the neighborhood this spring once baby #2 is here. For trips to the store, mall, Costco, etc. (which I'm sure will be limited at first!) I plan to wear the newbie and put my son in the cart/stroller so I don't think I'll need a more car-friendly double right away. But, I am already on the lookout for any good deals on CL, etc. just in case since. As I told my husband, we "saved" so much on this one I can more easily justify a second one now!

[jacksmoma]

my old double bob barely scraped (litterally!) thru most double doors when out shopping so i'm guess the summit would not fit in many doors. get a bjcmd as your car double, like the summit in a smaller package :)

[scriptkitten]

my old double bob barely scraped (litterally!) thru most double doors when out shopping so i'm guess the summit would not fit in many doors. get a bjcmd as your car double, like the summit in a smaller package :)

yes… i don't usually scrape unless i'm having "one of those days" but there is only a hair of leeway on either side. nothing wider than a BOB duallie is going to fit through standard doors.

i've never seen a "standard door" that was 36" wide anywhere in boston unless it was a double door. i thought the ADA standard was 32"?

[curiousgeorge]

Yes, you are right, 32" is the standard opening width for ADA, they call it "minimum clear width".

It says that clear width is "the distance from the face of the door and the opposite stop measured when the door is open at least 90 degrees".

I didn't read far enough on the site I checked...they were saying the door itself is then 36" wide to allow the doorway opening to be 32" wide. Sorry for confusing anyone!

So...the double Summit XC sounds like it would have to be outdoor use only for sure.