I am due in January and I will have 2 children 18 months apart. My older child is a boy and very rambunctious. I have heard that the tandem strollers are not as good for children of different ages since the older child who sits in the back often kicks the younger child’s seat. Also, I’ve heard that they are a lot harder to maneuver. I was thinking about getting a stroller with side-by-side seating. Dose anyone have any advice?
Thank you so much for everyone's responce. I really appreciate all of the great advice. I went to Amazon.com and found the Instep Safari double jogging stroller on sale and decided to try it. I'll report back in a few months!
Thanks again!
I had one. It was beautiful!
It was also such a pain that I used it 2 times and sold it at a garage sale. For me, it was not worth the hassle.
Not that I have experience w/this, but what I have observed is:
1-their width seems to make them a bit harder to maneuver
2-it's much more difficult to fit places - doorways, store aisles, etc.
If you can find a tandem that would work, maybe w/the little one in back, then I would probably say to go that way. Good luck!
We've had a double stroller (front and back seat)for 2 years now and i love it. I have a 2yr old and 4 yr old. The younger child sits in the back because when they are infants, they can lie down. As they get older, the youngest still sits in the back, and i don't usually have a problem with kicking or anything. They are easier to manuevere than the side by side which we rented at Sea world and i hated. Believe me, there is usually more trouble with them side by side. Especially with getting through doorways too. If you go to Toysrus.com you can compare before you buy.
I have two children 21 months apart and purchased the stroller from One Step Ahead that has a "jump seat" behind the seat for the baby. My oldest loves it because he can sit or stand. The best part is that it has all the necessary parts to work with ANY car seat, so you can just snap your car seat on the front while the littlest is tiny, then when they can sit you remove the bar and it becomes a regular seat. The best part is it folds relatively flat, it takes up less room then my graco quattro stroller.
I currently use a side by side stroller for my twins, I switched to it a couple months ago from the front/back-type stroller. My side by side (its a jeep wrangler stroller) is much lighter and easier to manuever than the front/back, its also easier to fold up, carry and load into my truck. It is difficult getting through a lot of doorways and through aisles in stores that have clothing racks and stuff close together. The front/back strollers tend to be a little more heavy and difficult to handle. They also can be tough to get through doorways if you're doing it by yourself, because of the length of them. When I used my front/back stroller, I put my boy in the front because he was the trouble maker, that way he couldnt mess with his sister!
I have boy/girl twins and I used a tandem stroller for about a year. When we would go visit their grandparents, we used the side by side one. I found that one to be so much better!! The twins could look at each other and talk to each other. It was a god send. We traded (seeing as how I needed the side by side more often). I say, go side by side.
I have a graco and it's adequate. You can put the infant car seat in the back and your son can ride up front. It will be helpful for a few years. I went to a consignment shop and got one used,in very good shape and saved about 1/2. The basket underneath is not that easily accessible when the infant car seat is in place on my model but perhaps they've improved on that. I've also seen the stroller where one child can stand or sit and there's a seat for the younger child. Those are nice but I think you're going to want to keep your son strapped in for awhile.
LaurieK
www.mymonavie.com/LaurieK
Hi M. my name is A. and I myself have 2 beautiful children my oldest is a boy who is also rambunctious and now my Daughter who is 4 months I have the side-by-side stroller and I LOVE IT!!! I think it is the best. I think the tandem stroller makes the oldest feel like they are being left out. I think my Son felt that way! So we decided to go with the
side-by-side and things worked out so much better. I hope it works out for you, and congratulations.
I've had both - side by side & Tandem. I found that I mostly used a stroller in the mall. The side by side was AWEFUL. It was so wide that I couldn't maneuver the thing between clothing racks - it just wouldn't fit. And, if I was lucky enough to find a store that I could fit into -- my stroller was blocking the entire aisle. Even walking thru the mall, I was always stuck behind slow pokes and it was IMPOSSIBLE to pass people without running them over.
On the other hand, I loved the tandem stroller. Honestly, I only found the "kicking" to be an issue during one of those inevitable temper tantrums. And, you know what, I'd much rather have the temper tantrum in the back seat, as opposed to next to the baby...
That's my take...
Good luck!
C.~
I was planning on advising that you get the front/back (we have a Graco and keep the older boy up front where he can bother his younger brother less and can (more) safely get in and out himself, and love it) but see that there are as many people who prefer the front back as those who prefer the side-by-sides.
Do you have friends who would let you borrow for a few days?
I know that we would have no problem letting ours go for a good cause to let a friend compare the two types; that way you would be able to decide for yourself.
-Scott (Husband to S.)
i have 2 boys 17 months apart and use the combi side by side. I love it! it's durable, light weight, so simple to open & close and fits thru single door entrances. you can use it w/your newborn b/c the seats have an extension under them that velcros around the bar and makes it into some what of a bassinett; your baby can't wiggle out.
best wishes to you & your family
I have 2 1/2 year old twins and I started out with a tandem stroller and it was great for the first year but after that the child in front can't recline all the way and the child in back is cramped and can't see much. I then went to a side by side stroller that I loved but it is very hard to maneuver through a lot of doorways and you can forget getting through stores in the mall. But the girls loved having their own sides and cup holders and there was tons of storage underneath. I just recently had to upgrade to a double jogging stroller beacause it holds more weight and it is my favorite by far! Just make sure if you get one you choose one with a front pivot wheel. Good luck.
Check out this wonderful website: www.freecycle.org
People post all sorts of things they want to give away. You can also post what you need. Good luck!
The best side by side stroller that I have now is by combi and it folds right up into the size of 1 stroller. I purchased it at Baby Love in Ft. lauderdale for $200.00. I have twin boys and it is the greatest stroller we have had with them and its our 3rd.
IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A DOUBLE STROLLER I HIGH RECAMEND THE EVENFLO TANDUM STROLLER IT IS LIGHT WIGHT BUT STURDY, IT FOLDS DOWN TO THE SMALLEST SIZE WHEN COMPAIRED WITH OTHER TANDUM STROLLERS, YOU CAN FOLD IT ONE HANDED, YOU CAN USE ANY! INFENT CARSEAT WITH IT AND THE BACK SEAT ACTUAL FOLDS DOWN TO A BASSINET WITH A FOOT FLAP YOU CAN LOCK UP SO YOU KNOW THE BABY ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE. IT IS A GREAT STROLLER THAT I JUST RESENTLY STOPPED USING AND MY GIRLS ARE 2 AND 4 AND THE ONLY REASON I STOPPED USING IT IS MY OLDEST THINKS SHE IS TO OLD FOR A STROLLER. IT WAS WONDERFUL I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND A BONUS WHEN YOU SEE THE BASKET SIZE ON THIS THING YOU WILL LAUGH AT ANY OTHER STROLLER CLAIMING TO HAVE AN EXTRA LARGE STORAGE BASKET.
