Best double stroller recommendations?

[StaceyinLA]

Anyone have or had one they just love? My daughter is looking for something that isn't too huge and bulky, folds easily and is very maneuverable. I just figured with all the combined years of experience here on the hive, some of you must have suggestions!

[mommyoffive]

There isn't one perfect one. 

 

How old are her kids? 

 

What does she want to do with it?

Does she want a light weight one for the car?  A sturdy jogging stroller?  

Side by side or front and back?

[StaceyinLA]

Almost 3 (a small 3) and 6 months. Doesn't need it to be for jogging, but does want it to maneuver well and not have crappy wheels that seem to twist up. Must be easy to fold and as lightweight as possible. I don't think side by side or front and back matters as long as the other criteria are met. Ease of use is top priority.

[Um_2_4]

Maclaren (sp?)
Inglesina

I had the later from the time my oldest dd was 6mos (ODS was 2.5) and just got rid of it. Loved it. Good storage, easy fold, could lift one handed, comfy seats, full recline, could steer one handed turned on a dime, fit any door I found. When twins were little, it was taken everywhere (grocery shopping, DS6 pushed a shopping cart, mall, parks).

Swift was the model I had. I tried a chico and didn't like it. OK for <1 yr maybe, but not sturdy enough for older kids. Even the jeep double my friend had felt flimsy. I used the swift till my twins were both 4+ at malls, parks etc.

 

ETA Again: Another bonus was the swift was compact enough to take on board an airplane with me as carry on (might want to check now, these were international flights) as it is designed in Europe and made for metros, etc. I saw others very jealous who had to check their larger ones (The sit and stand, graco regular stollers that fold up like flat on the floor iykwim and the like were all checked that I saw). That was a life saver on lay overs! 

Edited July 19, 2016 by Um_2_4

[Rachel]

With a nearly three year I would probably get a sit and stand. The three year old probably won't be in a stroller much longer and double strollers are a pain because they are so bulky.

[sarasue7272]

I loved my my joovy caboose ultralight. Very sturdy, older kid can sit facing you or stand, big shade, it was great! I also had a full size graco stroller, the joovy was less than two inches longer that the graco single, but two kids could ride.

I wouldn't can it lightweight, I think it was around 20 lbs? But it isn't an umbrella stroller.

Edited July 19, 2016 by sarasue7272

[Guest]

A three year old hardly needs a stroller except for multi mile walks and honestly a lot of the models are overpriced for the features. I personally solved it with putting the smaller baby in a carrier and the bigger one in a stroller if I absolutely had to. But a kid who is two and a half or three can walk quite well and that's been solution for all the kids - strollers only if absolutely necessary and never a double, despite the ages of my kids. It never made fiscal sense for us :)

 

So my mama advice from wrangling small people? A soft structured carrier she likes for the intent (I'm a wrapper or a Beco butterfly user) and a solid stroller - I like the umbrella strollers for short jaunts where I'm not loading cargo and my b-ready britax stroller for when I need to maximize my hauling capacity.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[monstermama]

Definitely depends on where/what she's doing with it.  For normal errands, my three year old walks or sits in a cart while I wear the baby (DD is not a fan of strollers).  For jogging / long walks, we have a Bob duallie.  It's super easy to push, easy to adjust the harnesses, but it isn't particularly lightweight, though it's not terrible.  They're pretty well made, so depending on where she lives she may be able to get one used for around $100.  They do fit through normal doorways, which is nice since a lot of the trails around here have pylons that some of the other double strollers can't fit through.

[StaceyinLA]

Well she IS planning to have one or two more children, and right now the 3 yo is quite happy in a stroller when they are at the zoo, aquarium, etc. Anywhere dd is likely to pull the stroller out for one; she would use for both.

 

In most stores she will use her Ergo and put 3yo in the buggy, but she is looking for a stroller for the times they go other places.

 

My other dd would give anything for a Bob, but I've never seen a used one anywhere near $100.

[Crimson Wife]

If it's within her budget, a Phil & Ted. Converts from double to single and super-light. I always wanted one but never found one in my price range.

[wendyroo]

I loved my my joovy caboose ultralight. Very sturdy, older kid can sit facing you or stand, big shade, it was great! I also had a full size graco stroller, the joovy was less than two inches longer that the graco single, but two kids could ride.

I wouldn't can it lightweight, I think it was around 20 lbs? But it isn't an umbrella stroller.

 

Yep.  Love our Joovy Caboose Ultralight for all the reasons Sarasue mentioned.

 

I can even fit three kids on it for short jaunts like across a busy parking lot or booking it home from a walk if it starts to rain.

 

Wendy

[MyLittleBears]

I loved my Mclaren side by side stroller. Fit trough a doorway, had fully reclining seats,leg extenders,folded up easily, and took up almost no space.

[Lb20inblue]

I recommend a baby jogger city mini to everyone.  It is the best double stroller I have ever used and I had three seperate strollers.  It's not heavy, turns easily and very easy to run with.  

[applethyme]

I had a graco duo glider for my children who are 15 months apart.  When we started fostering, I bought another.  It worked well for our family.  It is not the smallest stroller but sturdy and folded up well. 

[KungFuPanda]

When people say that three-year-olds can just walk I always wonder if the adult is a sloooow walker. My daughter was a champion walker, but there was no way I could get any exercise in a timely manner going at her pace. I wanted to walk super fast and take big steps to cover mikes quickly or get in and out of the store efficiently. I went with a sit n stand for an infant and a three-year-old. If the kid stands, you can put a cooler on the seat! Two three-Year-olds can stand if you wanna bring a friend. Front-back is nice if you don't wanna have to back out of an aisle so someone can get through. Now, my experience is 15 years old :-/. Back then the sit n stand was NOT light weight nor the easiest to collapse. I swear I'm seeing the same model tooling around these days.

[StaceyinLA]

I recommend a baby jogger city mini to everyone. It is the best double stroller I have ever used and I had three seperate strollers. It's not heavy, turns easily and very easy to run with.

My daughter asked this on one of her "mom" groups and out of 35 responses, 33 recommended this stroller (or the GT version). I was posting here just to see if I'd get a majority suggesting this one. I have been glad to see other suggestions that she can look into, but I think she is leaning toward this one (definitely not a budget-friendly model).

[melbotoast]

We also like our Joovy.

[LucyStoner]

When people say that three-year-olds can just walk I always wonder if the adult is a sloooow walker. My daughter was a champion walker, but there was no way I could get any exercise in a timely manner going at her pace. I wanted to walk super fast and take big steps to cover mikes quickly or get in and out of the store efficiently.

Exactly.

 

I didn't need a double stroller because my sons were a fair bit further apart than 2-3 years. But I always laugh my ass off when people proclaim that no 3 year old needs a stroller. I used to walk and run for hours with my older son. Honestly I think the people who say that are in and out of their car and walking is secondary to the time spent in the car or they are not walking or running for fitness. My Saturday routine with my older son for years involved a 7-8 hour loop of walking...leave mid morning, visit little kid park, walk all the way through business district of our neighborhood while getting many errands done and usually getting lunch together, walking a couple miles of miles to the beach, playing on the beach, walking back 2 miles uphill via the farmers market or grocery store, getting stuff for dinner and then making our way back home 1+ more miles uphill. This was out "daddy works on Saturdays" routine. Not only was he not able to walk all that ways, he was sound asleep for at least some of it. And the stroller basket was good to haul home what we bought at the farmers market or on the errands. My favorite fitness loop was just a hair under 6 miles. That's why I laugh at the notion that strollers are over at 3 for every child.

 

My brother swore by his Maclaren SBS. Triumph? Techno? Something. When his older daughter outgrew the stroller, he kept it for a while because we'd use it when out together with our same age younger children or when one of us watched the other's children. It was easy to handle and while larger than my single Techno, it wasn't too big and it was definitely lightweight for a double.

[Carrie12345]

I'm completely out of date, but I loved the wheels on my Jeep double stroller.  

[purplejackmama]

I loved my Mclaren side by side stroller. Fit trough a doorway, had fully reclining seats,leg extenders,folded up easily, and took up almost no space.

Yes!! The fit through the door was the game changer for me. I loved this stroller!

[Lawyer&Mom]

I love my Britax. It's a side by side, but it was the only model that would fit my very tall Dd when she was two. She's now a very tall three year old and it's still great. Other pluses: the Britax infant seat attaches super easily. (We looked at the Baby Jogger City Mini and it had an awkward car seat adaptor.) And the Britax is remarkably affordable for a double stroller.

[snickerplum]

I love love loved our Jane PowerTwin. That thing could spin on a dime and was so easy to collapse and unfold. I was so sad when we no longer had a need for it. And the basket underneath held so much.