Double Stroller--what do I need to know?

[Aubrey]

I mean, they seem pretty straightforward if all you need to do is cart a couple of toddlers around, but I need the kind that holds an infant carseat + a toddler for now, 2 toddlers later.

 

I'm buying off of Craig's List, so I just want to make sure I understand people's posts. On the one hand, all of the strollers look like they *should* accomodate a car seat. Otoh, I don't know if they do unless they say so.

 

Anything else important? TIA!

[Chris in VA]

I like "one behind the other" better than side by side style--the first is easier to get thru the door.

[Jennifer in MI]

Funny- I'm listing my double strollers on Craig's List today!

 

Couple things:

 

1. Make sure they steer well. These suckers are HEAVY when loaded with 2 kids and all their gear. If it doesn't steer well, it's even harder. We have one that we HATED for that reason.

 

2. When I was looking, the side by side strollers were too wide to fit into many stores between the racks of clothing. So, we went with the one child in front of the other kind.

 

3. Find out how hard they are to fold up and how big they are. Ours barely fits in the back of our minivan and really takes up most of the back when folded. But, I could fold it with one hand.

 

Good luck!!!

[Kuovonne]

How about looking up the stroller name/brand on the web and seeing if you can find reviews for it on a store web site that states if it takes a car seat? Also check if it needs any accessories to hold a car seat and make sure that they are included with the stroller for sale.

[newbie]

I dont know if Peg Perego has car seat ones. But they are the best. Had double and single. Love them.

 

Jet

[Jumping In Puddles]

I have the Graco Duo Glider. I wish I lived closer so I could just give it to you! Anyway, it was great.

 

If anyone in North Jersey (sussex, passaic, bergen) wants any baby things, let me know. :) and :(

[Jami]

I had an older Peg Perego Tender Twin and really liked it. No bells or whistles, but it was lighter than the other models I tried to lift, and folded more compactly. It didn't have a specific snap in place for a car seat, but if I laid the back seat down I could set my car seat easily in it. Or I ditched the car seat and just laid the baby in the back. It does have a tiny basket. But the seats were a nice size for toddlers.

 

Good luck with your search.

 

Jami

[cjzimmer1]

I can't think of any reason to get a side by side, with children of two different sizes you have to provide considerabley more force on the side with the heavier child just to keep the thing straight. My sister had twins but they were always a couple of pounds different and even that was enough to cause steering issues.

 

I have never owned a stroller that "went" with a infant car seat, however, both my single and my double, i can set the carseat in and it stays securely. I'm really glad I never bought the set since my oldest is 10 and the carseat would have long ago expired and needed to be replaced but the stroller would be just fine. the biggest problem with the front to back, is that if you put baby in front, then toddler can reach, hit, touch baby and baby is pretty far away but if you put baby in back (without car seat) all the weight (of toddler) is up front which does make steering harder so definitely check out how well it steers.

 

Stephanie

[Colleen]

I've gone through a good number of strollers and there is one double that is miles above anything else, imo ~ an InStep/Schwinn side-by-side. I can't abide the back & front strollers; they're a royal pain in the arse if you have any recreational bone in your body. The InStep *does* fit through most doors as it's not as wide as many side-by-sides. The small wheel in front can be fixed or not, so it's super easy to maneuver. I swear, this baby turns on a dime. I was so-o-o-o happy I bought mine before Kai was born and I used it a ton for Kai & Rafe together. I saw no purpose whatsoever in having a stroller that could accomodate an infant carseat. That time is over and done with so quickly. We just put Kai right into the double stroller once he was a couple of months old.

[Aubrey]

I have the Graco Duo Glider. I wish I lived closer so I could just give it to you! Anyway, it was great.

 

If anyone in North Jersey (sussex, passaic, bergen) wants any baby things, let me know. :) and :(

 

Whoa. The reviews look really good. We had a thrift store double stroller that the older 2 rode around in until about a yr ago. That thing was impossible.

 

I just checked the ads I've replied to on CL, & they're both Graco. I wonder if this is Graco's only double model or not? They both specify that they maneuver well, so I've got my fingers crossed. That's more than I was hoping for! lol

 

As far as the side-by-sides others have mentioned, I kwym! I had a friend who got locked in the library (until she found a librarian) because they locked one set of doors early, & her stroller wouldn't fit through the other set.

 

I already worry that we take up too much space, w/ 3 dc who want to touch everything & are too spacey to stay on one side of the aisle w/out being reminded. every. 10. seconds. What on earth would I do w/ a double stroller that *couldn't* be scooted over? Ugh.

[Aubrey]

I've gone through a good number of strollers and there is one double that is miles above anything else, imo ~ an InStep/Schwinn side-by-side. I can't abide the back & front strollers; they're a royal pain in the arse if you have any recreational bone in your body. The InStep *does* fit through most doors as it's not as wide as many side-by-sides. The small wheel in front can be fixed or not, so it's super easy to maneuver. I swear, this baby turns on a dime. I was so-o-o-o happy I bought mine before Kai was born and I used it a ton for Kai & Rafe together. I saw no purpose whatsoever in having a stroller that could accomodate an infant carseat. That time is over and done with so quickly. We just put Kai right into the double stroller once he was a couple of months old.

 

LOL! I *don't* have a single recreational bone in my body, Colleen! :lol:

 

But as far as the infant carrier, wow. Can you imagine trying to carry it & a toddler, carry it & push a stroller, or <gasp> wake a sleeping baby to put it in a stroller? Esp in parking lots, I really like to feel like I've got everything (everyONE under control). No stragglers, no pancakes.

 

Everybody else: I'm pretty sure w/out the carseat, it's a regular stroller, so it would still work for as long as the dc are light enough to push.

 

It is good to know that a carseat might be secure enough w/out the specific attachments. Otoh, one of the strollers I've replied about comes WITH the carseat that attaches, which would mean that I could list my onesie stroller w/ ITS matching carseat for a better price. Hence the whole transaction might not be too painful.

 

Anyway, good thoughts. I'm always so glad I ask you guys first!

[TraceyS/FL]

I have a Maclaren Side-by-Side, nice and narrow and fits thru all doorways, easy to push - even when the skinny 11 year old decides to sit in it :glare:

 

Anyway, i'd let you try it and bless you with it - but you are too far away! Although we didn't use it a lot with the car seat, it did wedge in there. My pliko held that better.

[Colleen]

But as far as the infant carrier, wow. Can you imagine trying to carry it & a toddler, carry it & push a stroller, or <gasp> wake a sleeping baby to put it in a stroller?

 

Uh, yes, I can imagine it ~ not like I've never btdt. Just thought I'd offer my two cents since you were looking for input.:)

[AFwife Claire]

I think all of the recent Graco models fit with Graco carseats. For our last baby, I bought a Graco infant seat (since our other infant seat was too old), and then I bought a Graco double stroller (the Duo Glider) off of Craig's list. They were within a few year's of each other, and they snapped together just great! It is still a heavy stroller, but boy, it sure is a lot nicer and lighter and easier to fold up and maneuver than the double stroller I bought 9 years ago when we had our second one! That thing (also a Graco) was such a bear! Strollers really have come a long ways!

[Dinsfamily]

I didn't really need a double when I just had the two boys (ods could walk just fine), but we are getting one with the new baby. My yds isn't anywhere near as obedient plus I still have to keep track of ods, KWIM? We've decided on a sit n stand type. They can accomodate an infant seat (most brands) in front and have a place for the toddler to sit or stand in the back. The one I like best is the Joovy because it is way more manueverable and compact. There will even be room for my 4 yr old to hitch a ride if absolutely necessary (infant in front, toddler sitting in back, and preschooler standing in back). I don't need that very often, usually just when we are done with a day at 6 flags and ods is exhausted or maybe in an airport. There are three major brands (Joovy, Fisher-Price, and Sit n Stand) and I think you can test drive them all at Babies R Us before you buy off of Craigslist. Just another option for you.

 

HTH,

[FlockOfSillies]

I have this one too. It fits my older Graco car seat/carrier, IIRC.

[CactusPair]

We had the Graco duo glider. I don't know about the car seat feature as I didn't need that.

 

But I loved that thing and used it for about 4 years. I was queen of Chicagoland with my Graco!

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

One great source of reviews is the Website Let's Go Strolling. They also have a service where you send in an email with your needs and they recommend the best models for you. They don't carry all the brands out there but they do have lots of good information.

[Another Lynn]

I'm a side-by-side gal, but it sounds like that wouldn't work well for you. One of the reasons I like my side by side is because the front-back I had first was SOOOOO heavy. I dreaded getting that thing in and out of my car and folding it and unfolding it. When you read reviews you might see if ease of use is mentioned or not. (BTW, my side by side is a graco and goes anywhere a wheelchair can go - which is everywhere except in *some* of the clothing aisles - but then I don't go to the mall much anymore anyway, ;))

 

Another difference for me is that I don't plan to use my infant seat long. It's a 3 point harness, so not as safe as my convertible-infant/toddler seat with the 5-point harness. Plus the infant seat gets heavy long before they outgrow it.

 

As I write how heavy everything is - I think I must just be a wimp! and maybe my kids are (generally) heavier sleepers, LOL!

 

Happy stroller shopping!!!

[Brenda in FL]

I had a Babytrend double stroller and it came with the attachment so that you could attach several brands of car seats. At the time Babytrtend had one of the lightest strollers (maybe not as light as peg perergo - but at a better price!).

 

If you find one of these - make sure they actually still have the parts for the infant carrier attachment.

 

Also - remember that you can call the manufacturer of any stroller you find to get the instruction manual and any recall info.

 

ETA: The Babytrend was one in front of the other. And the back seat would recline and you can snap up the foot end to have more of a carriage rather than chancing a small infant falling through the leg openings!

[Osmosis Mom]

I also tried a different double-stroller when I babay-sat, but got this one as a cheapo floor-model when I was pregnant with the twins. I had two babyseats in it and it was amazingly movable. I could do anything and go everywhere. Definitely worth the $90 I paid!!