Best stroller for newborn and 2.5 year old

[Ella1018]

Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone would be able to give me some input on which stroller to get for my newborn who will be arriving the end of March. My daughter will be 2.5 when the baby is born so I would need something for the both of them.

DD is very independent and would prefer not to be in the stroller at all but I still need something for her as I can't expect her to walk wherever we go. I would like the stroller to be good for a newborn with a reclining seat so I do not have to use the car seat. I currently have the BJCM for DD which I love and was considering the BJCMD for when the new baby comes. However, I was also wondering about a stroller with a 2nd seat such as the Vista with the rumble seat being that I'm not sure how long DD1 will want to be in the stroller. Are there any of these that could be used with a newborn? I like to go on nice long walks around the neighborhood and park in the nice weather so that is something to consider as well. Any advice would be appreciated! :bighand:

[legaleagle]

Since you don't need it until the spring, I'd get the coming-soon city mini GT (http://site.pishposhbaby.com/blog/2011/09/23/baby-jogger-city-mini-gt-stroller-hot-hot-hot/), a bumbleride indie twin, or mb duo. They all recline flat for newborns and even have carrycots available.

I would not get the vista for long walks around the neighborhood, I'd look at a phil & teds for the air tires - all can be used with toddler + newborn and some of the models have doubles kits that can recline so you can put the baby in the back at a younger age.

[BabyBearsMom]

We are in a similar position. DD will be 2 when the new baby comes. DH and I were pretty much set on getting a Mountain Buggy Duet but my DD is a big girl (99th percentile for height 83rd percentile for weight) and she could barely fit in the seats now at 18 months. So now we are back on the drawing board.

Here are the strollers we looked at and some thoughts:
- Bumbleride Indie Twin - Really bulky folded, seemed too wide to navigate at the mall and in other indoor situations
- BJCMD - I can't imagine pushing two kids without air tires, pushing DD is really hard in my single BJCM. And DD hates how reclined the seats are. I would 100% get the GT that is coming out this spring if DD didn't hate the recline so much.
- BJ City Elite - So freaking heavy, I cannot even tell you. The thing must weigh 45lbs.
- Bob Duallie/Mountain Buggy Duo - Very wide and heavy.
- BJ City Select - So long, I could not stear it. Seats were really tiny. My big 18 month old was already at max capacity on those. Love the stadium seating concept though.
- P&T Explorer - Love the air tires, wished the second seat reclined. DH did not like the fold
- Britax B-Ready - If this stroller had air tires, I would be sold. DD loved the back seat and was having a blast. We loved that the kids could face each other and the push was surprisingly nice even with 29lb DD in the back and 3 gallons of water in the front. It didn't feel as long as the City Select either.

We are going in a few weeks to try out a P&T Vibe and Verve because the second seat in those recline. If we don't like those, we are both leaning strongly towards the B-Ready, which I originally thought I would hate for the lack of air tires. We are also interested in the Mountain Buggy +one but can't see one IRL and are worried about the back "cocoon".

[Ella1018]

Thanks so much! the city mini GT looks awesome! does the b-ready have a full recline for a newborn? were you considering using that one as your only stroller?

[legaleagle]

The b-ready's second seat has a full recline, the main one does not (but you can either get a bassinet, or use something like the uppa infant snug seat if you want the baby on top). Watch the baby gizmo video for a good demo.

[BabyBearsMom]

Thanks so much! the city mini GT looks awesome! does the b-ready have a full recline for a newborn? were you considering using that one as your only stroller?

When we reclined the top seat, it wasn't perfect for a newborn, but I would be comfortable with a 3 month old in the top seat reclined. I baby wear a lot in the first few months, so I think that wouldn't be an issue for us since DD would be in the stroller and DC2 will be in a carrier. I totally agree with PP that the BabyGizmo video is very informative and helpful.

[MamaInMarch]

We have the Bumbleride Indie Twin for my newborn and 31 month old. I absolutely love it. The fold is not super compact but it fits fine in the back of our Sienna with all 3 rows up and I still have room for other stuff. Fits through standard doorways and is pretty nimble. We took it to our mall yesterday for the ToT (mall was packed!!) and it was no trouble at all. It is definitely a pack mule - tons of room to store stuff.

[hoodlims]

We were in the same situation, except my independent walking toddler will be just under 2 when the new baby arrives. I went to a couple of stores and tried pushing around a SBS vs an in-line tandem. I have to say, I am not a SBS person because it feels too wide for me. Plus, I didn't want an empty seat AND a toddler walking to the side of the stroller. I opted for the Britax B-Ready, which is a tandem inline stroller. I would suggest trying to push around both types to see what you feel more comfortable with.

I would NOT get a standard tandem though. Those things are like buses! I am surprised anyone can make it around a corner and through the door with one.

[hoodlims]

The b-ready's second seat has a full recline, the main one does not (but you can either get a bassinet, or use something like the uppa infant snug seat if you want the baby on top). Watch the baby gizmo video for a good demo.

She is completely right. The second seat has a great recline for a newborn, if you have no problem putting your baby down there from the beginning. Your lighter child should go down there for ease of push (and because the seat limit is less), but it is much easier to stick a baby up on top in reverse and just tell your toddler to climb in on the bottom.

[Ella1018]

Yes I wasn't thinking of it but I also plan on mostly wearing the new baby when they come. Hmm so I wonder if that makes the side by side double less than ideal? How would you compare britax b-ready to the vista both with the 2nd seats?

[hoodlims]

I cannot speak for the Vista. I only have the B-Ready and the BOB. I really like the B-Ready and find it easy to use and push. My hubby says it pushes 20% less well than the BOB. It is easy to manuever and easy to get the seats on. I do not have 2 kiddos yet but have pushed 2 toddlers in it and it steers and pushes fine. Kids seem to really like the rumble seat as their little cave. I got it because of the great deal with the free ride on Amazon. Zulilly has a great deal on the Vista right now, but it is still more expensive than what I paid for the B-Ready, plus it does not come with the 2nd seat. I don't think I will need a bassinet because I do not think I will have the opportunity to stroll around leisurely because my daughter prefers walking. As it is, it takes nearly an hour to go around a few blocks with her and the dog. I plan on wearing my newborn when the time comes.

HTH!

Oh, Phil and Teds is running a free second seat on their Explorer model on Amazon right now. Not sure if it is the best deal because it was not a stroller I was considering so i did not do the research. I am sure the other ladies on this site can advise you on that. I do not think their second seat reclines. I would probably prefer for the second seat to recline more than the top seat, especially if the younger child is going down there, because they sleep more. That is another reason why I like the B-Ready.

[poohbear]

THere are great deals to be had on vistas right now.
There are also a few like-new b-ready's on stroller swap (with second seats) and they're super reasonable. Both the vista and b-ready are nice because they're reversible.
If you think you might like an all-terrain and don't mind not having the reversible feature,check out p&t...

[Ella1018]

Thanks, this is all very helpful. I guess what I need to decide is whether I should get the regular side by side double which would be the city mini gt or if I should do the b-ready or vista with the 2nd seat. I wish I could know what my needs will end up being.

[poohbear]

Thanks, this is all very helpful. I guess what I need to decide is whether I should get the regular side by side double which would be the city mini gt or if I should do the b-ready or vista with the 2nd seat. I wish I could know what my needs will end up being.

Well the city mini gt double isn't anticipated out until March per baby jogger (so hopefully it actually will be).

It's hard to anticipate your needs. If you love trying new strollers, I'd snag a cheap vista or an even cheaper b-ready off strollerswap and then if it doesn't fit your needs when the baby is born, sell and get the gt... (My DS will be almost 3 when #2 is born in Feb. I have only singles/singles to doubles because I don't anticipate I'll need a true double stroller. If I do, I'm going to check out the bjcmd gt)...

I will say if you are going to regularly need a second seat, I would go with the b-ready. The rumbleseat is more of a hop in, hop out limited use kind of seat...if it's just for when your oldest gets tired, it should work.