Double Stroller - Granada Hills, CA

After dumping money in to stroller upon stroller we finally settled on the Bob Revolution Duallie. It is a side by side that fits in doorways! It is great for running/walking, or anything where you need a stroller.

My friend has an online stroller store, www.joggermom.com , if buying new is too pricey, she should have a link to her second business where folks can sell their used strollers.

M.

I have 10 month old twins and have tried both tandem and side by side strollers. I finally settled on a side by side stroller the Maclaren Twin Techno and I absolutely love it. My 4 year old and his friend rode in it the other day and I had no problems pushing the two of them. The only thing I wish I had is a snack tray for the little ones. Hope that helps.

I had a Graco Duo something or other. It was fine. I didn't love it of hate it. It was the behind kind. The basket was huge and it was easy to use and under 2oo bucks. When my 1st one was about 3 1/2 I got a sit and stand and it was perfect.

Hello,

I have the best double stroller on the planet. I have the Kolcraft Contours duo version. they have a single version too. It is a from to back but it has seven different seating configurations. I see that you have 7 week old and a 2 year old. My boys are 15 months apart so I needed a place to put the infant carrier which is something that this stroller has. It has a infant attachment that comes with it. You just the infant carrier in the attachment and strap it. The cargo basket goes the entire length of the stroller. If you have a small car it is great because the seats come off and it fold up very easily. It is a light weight stroller and very easy to steer. You can find the stroller at Babies R Us It is a very good price at $200. Hope this helps!!

S.

I have one the options tandem stroller by contours. I love love love it!! you can change the seats to face any direction, they both recline, you can use a regular seat and a newborn seat. It is the best and worth every penny we paid for it. I got it at baby depot inside burlington coat factory on el cajon blvd in la mesa.

I have two boys, 15 months apart, and I had quite an experience looking for a double stroller. I bought 3 duds and finally hit the jackpot with the fourth. I really wanted a side-by-side that I could use for shopping as well as walking and everything else possible. The first one I tried was a no-name cheapy that I found at a second-hand store. It had "small" wheels (not the jogger wheels) and was incredibly difficult to push and maneuver. It was too wide to get through some doors and I wanted a stroller I could use for shopping. Plus the foot brake was right were my leading foot stepped, so I had to take short steps to avoid it. I ended up giving it to a friend who didn't have a double stroller, so she gladly accepted it. But I'm surprised she remained my friend after using it! It really was awful to push.

The next stroller I got was a Schwinn double jogger which was much easier to maneuver but was still too wide and the seats were not clearly separated with any divider so my boys got smooshed together and my younger son really did not like that (he needs his space). Other than being too wide and the "mono-seat," it was a great stroller. Easy to push one-handed, easy to fold and put in the car, just couldn't always fit through doorways into stores. I got it at Costco and they are great with returns (I had it about 8 months before giving up on it).

Next I tried the Kolcraft Countours Options tandem. It's an impressive stroller but it did not work for me. It is extremely heavy, which I did not mind necessarily, but it was terribly difficult to get the right leverage to lift it into my SUV (I am of average strength), and going uphill with my boys in it was an incredible workout (which is a good thing, unless you're not looking to sweat all the time) - my boys were about 50 pounds combined at the time I used it. It was also very long, which I suppose is to be expected with a tandem, but I felt like my little one in the front was so far away from me, I just didn't like it. I felt like he was more vulnerable way out there in front (I'm sure that was silly of me). But the thing that made this stroller unbearable was that my boys hated the stroller. They fussed and complained almost constantly when they were in it. I don't know if it was uncomfortable (the seats are pretty shallow and don't seem comfortable) but whatever the reason, no matter which seat facing I used, they fussed. It made going for walks and shopping rather unpleasant. I had found this one at WalMart.com and promptly returned it.

I thought about the sit and stand, but I didn't think my oldest (2 years old at the time I was in the market) was ready for that. I considered several different tandems, but I didn't know how either one of my boys would feel about sitting in the back, plus I didn't like the length of the one tandem I did try. I thought about the Graco DuoGlider, but didn't try it. It have heard some other moms have been very happy with it.

I wanted something that would be easy to maneuver on different types of terrain so I could go for long walks, but not too big so I could also use it for shopping and fit through aisles without a problem. I decided to spend the big bucks and I got a Valco Baby Tri-Mode twin. It was quite a stretch for us financially but it is the best money I have ever spent. It is worth every hard-earned penny. I have had it for 11 months now, and I wish I had bought it when my second was born (he was 14 months old before I broke down and bought it). But, at that time I just couldn't see spending that much money for a stroller, nor did I have that kind of money laying around. It is a dream to push; I can easily push it one-handed on any terrain. It is only 29" wide so it fits through any doorway (even the small side door of my garage). It works great for shopping, walking or anything else you would want a stroller for. My sister-in-law has the Phil and Ted's front/back double stroller and we compared the wheel widths of our strollers - my side-by-side is only about 2 inches wider than the front/back, and the seats in mine are plenty big for my 3 year old and 2 year old (both stocky boys) - with room to grow. You can get an attachment for it so you can use the infant car seat with it, and you can buy snack trays now for the kids' seats (wasn't available when I bought mine, but I'm thinking about getting them now). My husband can take it jogging. It has great sunshades. And the best part is that my boys are happy in it!! I can take them for a 45 minute walk and usually have no complaining or fussing (they didn't last 5 minutes in the others). I got mine from www.babystrollershop.com. He throws in several free accessories (and free shipping).
Another note about the Valco: it is quite a production to fold it and it is not light getting it into the car (but not too difficult), my husband hates that part of it, but it is so ideal and perfect when in use, the folding up and storing complexities are completely overshadowed by how wonderful it is when I'm using it. I see it as 5 minutes of difficulty for hours of perfection. That's a descent trade-off in my opinion.

I would suggest trying some different strollers you are interested in and see how you like them. At least push it around the store (preferrably with both seats occupied, if possible). The high-end strollers (like Valco) are hard to find in stores, but if you're interested, I saw another mom respond on this website with info for a store she has in Orange County. You can rent their strollers for a day (that would give you a real good idea). The website is www.octraveltykes.com.

Good luck to you and congratulation on baby #2!

high end, but you canfind them used on craig's list sometimes--Valco trimode runabout with toddler seat --we LOVE,LOVE,LOVE ours! If you can't get that one, you can check out Phil & Ted's E3Sport buggy (they have a newer model as well) with the toddler seat. These are the best in the field. Pricey, but if you can get it used it's great. It also has a high resale value if kept in good working order if that helps...that's how I justified it to my DH anyways!

Best,
J.

We have 17 m/o boy/girl twins and we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our BOB! It's a lightweight side x side jogging stroller. (we don't jog) Just make sure you get the one that has the front wheel that rotates and is not stationary. Good luck!

I think it depends on what kind of activities you do the most. For short, quick outings where you don't need to carry a lot of supplies...like strolling through the neighborhood, the jogger would obviously be better. They have a very smooth ride, are very agile and lightweight, and definitely more all-terrain. I would think a divider (so the kids can't argue) would be great and the independent reclining would be a huge plus. The cons are the lack of a snack tray and/or parent tray.

I had a Graco tandem DuoGlider which I LOVED. With the stadium seating, they both had a great view. Each seat had its own retractable shade canopy, and each seat could recline independently (this was greatly appreciated when one would fall asleep). Another very important feature was the 5-point seatbelt. Before I bought this one, my sneaky, squirmy, 2-year-old son would shimmy out of the lap belt and escape while I was distracted while shopping...Can you say "ADAM ALERT!" I was so relieved that he could not get out of the 5-point harness...WHEW!

There was also a TON of storage space on that thing! For longer outings, I could stick both kids in there, plus everything they would need for an entire day, plus supplies for me and my husband, plus anything we might purchase along the way...I could seriously load it up and it would handle it nicely. Yes, the tandem was a little more difficult to maneuver...but if you were to pile all the stuff I put in there onto a jogger...first of all, that wouldn't be possible, and secondly, it would lose some maneuverability too.

I particularly appreciated the parent tray and the snack trays. The parent tray had 2 cup holders (which were used constantly) and a closing compartment (perfect for keys and pacifiers, etc). The snack trays were also invaluable...my kids were always much happier when I could toss a few goldfish on their tray, along side their drink...yes, their trays had cup holders too!

Not to mention the fact that I had the matching car seat that could pop in and out of the stroller so quickly and easily. It was so helpful when they were tiny to be able to take them from the car to the stroller without waking them! And, my husband had a base in his car too...so we could take either car without having to worry about having to do the full installation each time.

As they grew, the stroller could be converted to grow with them. When they wanted more freedom to get in and out by themselves, you could easily snap off the snack trays and/or the canopies and leave them at home.

My final thought would be to buy a great tandem to be your workhorse, and a cheap jogger for simpler occasions.

We have a Bob Duallie Revolution stroller. It's a side by side. Both sides recline to about 80% individually. It has a front swivel wheel. All the wheels come off in a snap for travel or if you need to take them off to put into the car. You can purchase the carseat/snack tray adapter and a parent handlebar console separately.

The only downfall for this stroller is that I can't walk up and down all the narrow aisles in the department stores. But I guess that helps to save me money :)!

This stroller will roll over just about everything including sand with almost no physical exertion on my part. We take ours everywhere.

And the Bobs come with a lifetime warranty, so if anything breaks, you just call the Bob customer service and they send out the part immediately. I have had the same screw on the same shade part break in the last two years and both times they sent out the replacement and I got it within a week.

My Dad (age 67)really likes to push the kids in the Bob since the handle bar is a bit higher than the Graco and since it is so easy to push it doesn't hurt his back at all.

And yes, we have actually used it while jogging a few times. You can literally push and steer the whole thing with just your index finger even while jogging.

The best place to buy it is through REI.com. Twice a year they have them onsale. We bought our first Bob Revolution single at the end of January when they were closing out the previous years models. We saved $50. Then we bought our Duallie over Memorial Day weekend this past year after #2 was born. We saved over $100 (reg price is $525, we got ours for $425) on the stroller, plus another $10 on the handlebar console. Then we had it free shipped to our local REI store and they put everything together for us for free.

If you live near a USA Baby store, we have a huge one in San Diego, I would go there to test drive all the strollers before buying. They have a pretty good selection of double strollers there.

Make a list of what features you are looking for (I read a lot of stroller reviews online to get ideas on important features), look at some online, then go to USA baby--they have soo many more strollers to look at than BabiesRUs so you can push them around and see how well they push, fold, ... Then, if what you want is available resale and it's in good condition, I'm sure you can save mucho $$.

I wanted a jogging double and found this site very helpful-- joggingstroller.com

My second baby is still on the way, but I just bought the Bumbleride Indie Twin. Features I liked: better sun canopies than most and can be operated separately for each seat, lockable swivel front wheels for maneuverability and speed if needed, easy recline, toddler can climb in and out on own if needed, infant bucket seat fits (and it comes with the adaptor, rather than a separate item). It is big and heavy, but that's true for all double joggers. I hope to use it for everyday use like shopping, walking for exercise, and possibly rollerblading. If I didn't want a jogger, I was impressed by the Peg Perego Aria twin with the 60/40 seat--it is so lightweight and folds up very compact, but doesn't fit my Graco bucket seat.

Congrats on the 2nd addition to your family; I can't wait for mine!

I like the Joovy Caboose, which is available at specialty baby stores (not the usual Big Box baby stores). It's a sit & stand model, with the older child's seat in back of the baby's. This configuration is a lot more maneuverable down store aisles than the side-by-side models. It's well made -- four kids can actually pile on, but I don't recommend that!

We have twin daughters and we used a double jogging stroller, which is side by side for outdoor activities (walks,zoo,fairs, and Disneyland)because the tires are airfilled and it was easier to push over tougher terrain. The stroller we used the most though, was the Graco tandem Duoglider stroller. It is the kind where one child sit in front and the other in the back, which is slightly elevated like stadium seating.

My girls are almost 4 and we stopped using the Graco this past spring because they are just too big, but it was a workhorse and I'm sad to see it retire. The things I liked about this stroller style is that it is affordable, easy to handle, lots of storage (even 2 cup holders for parents), independent space for each child, one hand closure mechanism that made it easy to fold and store in our car, and above all...I didn't have to squeeze through doorways when I was out and about, especially when shopping.

Now that there are so many more double stroller options available in today's market, you have time to research the best stroller for your needs. I just recommend you find one that has a tray for parents and a tray for the kids. Some of the side by sides do not offer that, which I think is silly.

For the price, you may even want to get the more economic Graco now and then in a year, when your eldest is bigger, you might switch to the sit and stand version of double strollers, which are kind of cool.

I hope you found this helpful and good luck with your purchase.

Smiles.

If I had to do it again I would not get the double stroller that sits one in front of the other, but rather I would have gotten a double jogging stroller. Much more expensive but easier to push!!

I love my Phil & Ted's. I'ts a very lightweight jogger. It is the only stroller on the market that allows you to remove the 2nd seat, you have the option of making it a single when your toddler grows out of it.

I just purchased my second double stroller and I am very happy with it. I got the Peg Perigo Aria and I love it. It is so much lighter than my last Graco one. I can pick it up with one hand. It is side by side and I have had no problem getting it through doorways. Best of luck.

I like my side by side. Both kids can see and see each other and eventually share snax. Go on craigslist and get used they are much cheaper and in good condition.

We love our Maclaren. It is lightweight, folds as easily as a single umbrella stroller, and doesn't take up much trunk space. Also, it fits through a standard door, which a lot of tandem strollers can't do because they are too wide. I had a front/back double stroller before that, and I hated it. It was huge, heavy, and cumbersome. It was like driving a semi. If we wanted to turn, we practically had to go around the block. The turning radius on the Maclaren is awesome. You can stand in place and spin the stroller around you in very tight quarters. Maclarens are very sturdy for as lightweight as they are. We've been using ours for 3 years, and it still has a ton of wear left in it. Another thing I like is that each seat will accomodate a child weighing up to 55 pounds. Most umbrella strollers max out at 20 pounds or so. So you can use the Maclaren for a long time. Your kids will outgrow the stroller before it outgrows them. Plus, it has really smooth, sturdy wheels on it, unlike those $20 umbrella strollers that are impossible to push on the slightest bit of loose gravel.

I recently purchased a Joovy Ultralight Caboose stroller, and it is great. It has a regular stroller seat in the front that can also accommodate an infant car seat, and a bench seat in the back that can slide forward so the other child can sit or stand. I love it because my daughter loves to get out and walk, and then get back in, and it makes it an easy transition. There are two drawbacks though. #1, is that my older child can put her feet on the ground in the back, and push her feet and move the stroller. #2 is that there is no back on the second seat, so the big kid can't really snooze in the stroller, so it may not be good for a long days outing. But it is great for the day to day. its fairly small, easy to use, and its only 21 lbs. There are 2 caboose strollers, make sure you look for the ULTRALIGHT.
Hope this helps!

I LOVE my Graco Quattro Tour stroller....folds easily, more compact than most, durable, ample storage. Tandem is the way to go...side by side is too difficult to maneuver in stores, amusement parks etc.

I really like our Baby Trend Sit and Stand Deluxe. Right now I use it with both seats in it (my 3 year old still likes to be strollered) but when the time comes I will be able to convert it to a Sit and Stand!

I have a sit n' stand stroller that I love! I have been using it for about 3 years.
I think they carry a newer version of the one I have at Target.

R.,

In doing a lot of research online as well as asking around--people at work with small children, people out and about, I learned a great deal about what I wanted.

I realized there wasn't one that fit all of my requirements; but, recently purchased the side by side 60/40 Peg Perego. The main reason I went with a side by side was because all of the tandem or multi-position strollers had some (what I deem) major flaw. Either both children didn't have a full view, both seats didn't recline completely, there wasn't enough leg room for one or both, the bar in the head rest of the front seat fell right where my son's head would be during a nap, or (according to reviews) they fell apart after only a few uses.

Here's what I was looking for: durability, ease of use (mobility, turning radius, one-hand folding mechanism), entry through standard door ways, independent reclining for each seat, drink and food/snack tray, the children's ability to share toys or snacks, one that wouldn't heat up too much in the sun (avoiding black and metalic color schemes), good basket space, adult cup holder, the ability to store it away without breaking my back because of its weight or having to bend to lift it off the ground.

Again, I didn't find one that fit all my needs but the one I found along with some additions such as an extra sun shade that will extend further out, I believe will do the trick for me. I just received it yesterday and can't wait to try it out.

So, you may need to do some compromising too. Good luck.

I prefer the side by sides. The reason is simply due to weight and manuverablity. I wanted a lightweight stroller, the duo glider was HUGE, hard to fold, heavy/hard to lift into a trunk. I loved my Combi twin savvy. It folds in thrids. And it was only like 20 lbs. Fits thru doorways. Peg Perego also makes a similar one to the Combi. Both of these you can snap in a car seat, but try it out first before buying to make sure yours fits in.
My sister has the Phil and Teds and that thing is a nighmare with regards to tipping over when using it with 2 kids. I also have a bob dualie jogger, just for jogging.

I think it depends on what you want to use the stroller for. If you plan on taking it shopping definetely go for a stadium seating one. A side by side won't fit between the racks. We have always used one with front back and haven't had the problems most people are complaining about. Yes it does take up room, but when you have more than 1 kid everything takes up more room. We have never had a problem having both kids in the stroller being able to recline if we needed to and it wasn't harder to maneuver as long as you have the heavier child in the back.

my best friend uses the graco double stroller (they sit one behinde the other) with her twin boys. she loves it because she could snap the carrier right into it. i think a double stroller that seats one behinde the other would be best for you because you have a little baby and it enables you to tend to the baby like in a regular stroller with out walking all the way around to the front and it also doesnt allow for your older child to poke at the baby. heres a link to see what stroller i reccamend.

http://www.target.com/Graco-DuoGlider-Stroller-Tango/dp/B...

I have both a tandem and a jogging stroller. I much prefer the side by side jogging stroller. It is by Instep and I love it. There is a divider and each seat can recline independently. I haven't had any problems getting it through doorway. The only drawback is that there is not a snack tray. I had such a hard time maneuvering my tandem stroller but my friend gave me her jogging stroller and it has been a dream, I do know they are a bit pricey so check craigslist maybe you will get lucky with a gently used one.

We LOVE our BOB and use it for everything. I originally bought it for light jogging, for the beach, etc. but now it is the only stroller I use. I do have twins (21 mos) so my needs are a little different from yours but I found that it accomodates us the best by far. I also own but no longer use a front/back graco, and we have the maclaren side by side which we use for travel because it folds more compactly but that is it's only advantage. We never use it anymore around town. My boys just find the seats are too small / close together and it is much harder to push if you are going on long walks or up hills or "off roading" on paths or even grass at the park! I highly recommend the BOB. We have the swivel wheel which if you're looking for a jogger to use for everyday use I would also highly recommend.