Recommendations for Double Strollers for 3 Year Old and Newborn

A. -
Hi, I just have to say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my sit and stand stroller from baby trend. It has the front which can sit the baby or hold the baby carrier/carseat and then the part that is facing you has a seat and a part that the child can stand on. They are also strapped in too if they want to sit. It is the best stroller ever. When this one wears out, I will get another one. I bought it when I had my second son, my first was 2.5, and now I have my daughter. All 3 can fit if my daughter is in the front, my 2 year old is sitting and my 4 year old is standing. It was a great find!

I also have the joovy ultralight, and it's great. My kids are 2.5 years apart. The only thing to think about is how often you use the stroller. We don't use it nearly as often as I thought we would, only because the older one would now prefer to walk. I'm glad we have it, and I'm we got it as a gift, because it is pricy. If we hadn't, a used one would have worked just as well, given that we're not putting nearly the wear and tear on it I thought we would. Think about how often you use the stroller now - that's about how often you'll need the double.

I have two boys, 16 months apart, and I got the Phil and Teds sport double. It has worked out well (youngest is now 14 months). I love it. The two weaknesses of the stroller are the weight (about 25 lbs) and the lack of storage space. I deal with the weight and I use one of those hooks on the handle that I can hang my diaper bag and other things from to deal with lack of storage. However, I think the answer for you will depend a lot on your older child's temperament. If your older listens and obeys well enough to get away with a sit and stand, that might be the way to go. My oldest stopped wanting to always ride in the stroller as he hit 2, but does like to ride occasionally (he also prefers the back seat). I enjoy being able to strap him in if I need to get somewhere in Mommy-time instead of toddler time. I know that he wouldn't stay put in a sit and stand if it is possible for him to get out of it (though I really don't know what kind of restraints exist in sit and stands because he was so young at the birth of number two that I didn't really consider them). Congratulations and good luck!

Just wanted to say I have two boys my oldest was 16 months when I had my second. I went through every stroller under the sun and now have the Phil and Teds with the second seat attachment. I love it.. I always have a single stroller if I need it or a double. It fits ALL of my needs. I hated to spend the money after buying 6 others but I am slowly selling the others. I do not think it is a waste since it is always a single too. You will get years of use out of is as a single. Also the ride is soooooo much nice then other strollers. I say go for it.. The second seat is about $89 or so . for me it would be worth it even if your oldest only rides for a year. The heavier child should always be in the front when the toddler seat is attached in back. So for the past few months my infant (now 6 months)rides in the back and my toddler (now 22 months)rides in front. The back seat will hold them till 33 pounds so you should be fine for a while!!

Hi
My son is 2 and my second is due in October. I was having the same dilemma. I wanted the sit and stand but I know that my older son will jump out right now and there was no way I was buying a regular double stroller and a s&s! I decided on the Baby Trend Deluxe sit and stand. It is a double stroller and you can take out the back seat so it converts to a sit and stand. It's fairly inexpensive ($160) and can be found at Target, Walmart and One Step Ahead. I didn't buy it yet so if anyone wants to tell me a horror story I would love to hear it now. Good luck!

Hi A.,
Congrats on your growing family.... so much fun too. My daughter, Kate O'Connell, has a company 'Baby on the Go' and she is a certified car seat installer too. She has two boys, ages 5 and 2. She is extremely knowledgeable about baby equipment, and specializes in strollers and car seats. How can you go wrong with a Mom just like you. Her site is: www.babyonthegoathome.com and her email is ____@____.com I know she's getting a big shipment any day now of strollers with all the extras so give her a call at ###-###-####. She's already got some of these reserved.

With Regards,
L. Bavota
www.lbpureromance.com

To be honest with you it depends on the child, but my daughter is 3 now and I haven't used a stroller in a very long time. It ended up being a fight of wanting to get out. My daughter is pretty good about listening so when we go places she holds my hand or just walks on her own. I do still have a stroller but haven't really used it. I think if you are planning to have the baby when your child is 3 then I would wait until the child is actually born or close to it, to be sure that you really need it. It may be an expense that is not necessary.

Hi A.,

We have one of the strollers where the older child can sit or stand behind the stroller seat. (I forget which one) We absolutely love it! Our son never liked being in the stroller, ever since he could crawl, so we knew a typical double stroller wouldn't work. The kids are 25 months apart, and big brother likes to be able to choose sitting or standing when riding.

My only complaints are that the stroller is fairly heavy (not sure if heavier than any other double stroller and certainly manageable) and the sitting position is slightly awkward as the front child gets older and sits up right. We bought it 2 years ago, maybe they are lighter now.

Best of luck!!,
K

Definately try the Phil and Ted before you purchase. My then 2 1/2 year old wouldn't sit in the bottom and the baby was too little yet to go underneath. It took a lot to get the store to take it back. We ended up with Mclaren side by side and everyone is happy and can see.

We decided on the buggy board attachment and couldn't be happier with it. My son just turned 3 and our daughter is now 8 mos. I think most kids after 3 start loosing interest in "sitting" in a stroller for longer periods of time.

A., I have a 10 mos old and am due with my 2nd around Thanksgiving. I also have a 2 yr old nephew that is around quite a bit and I was feeling trapped when he was here. I started researching and found the BOB Duallie Revolution. My husband purchased this for me for Mother;s Day this year & I was jumping up & down...it is awesome! Love it! Love it! Love it! I have not been using my single stroller when we walk the dogs b/c this one is so much smoother. Also, I can walk through the woods with ease and was told by another Mom that you can walk on the soft sand at the beach! the weight goes to 100 lbs and there is a carseat adapter atttachment for when your infant arrives.

Definitely pricey but so worth it so far!!! I was in the same boat thinking it was too early to get a double but I am so glad we did!!

A.,

I bought the sit and stand/Joovy caboose and actually found it on Craigs List, saving about $75! This way I figured if it worked, *great*; if it was a flop, I'd just resell it there and break even.

I considered the Phil and Ted's but didn't get it for several reasons: first, the older child is supposed to go in back. While everyone and their brother assured me the older kid loved this placement, I wasn't convinced my 3 year old would like hearing everyone see/notice her baby brother and make a big deal out of him without giving her props :) Additionally, she's a busybody (as most toddlers are) and I thought the obstructed view would not be appealing. I was also worried about the weight limit (she was pretty close as she's tall) and wondered the same as you: for how much longer would she even want to be in a stroller?

I recommend going to Babies 'R Us with your toddler and trying them all out. I had fallen in love with the newest Graco double stroller, but opted out of it when I realized how heavy it was (try lifting them up when collapsed to *trunk level*) and how much room it would take up in my trunk! However, I can understand how lots of people go for it as it's a luxury stroller for sure!!

I absolutely love my Joovy, as my toddler has totally bought into it. She loves that she faces me when sitting and can stand if she wants to while we stroll along. I love that it's easy in/easy out for her, since sometimes she just wants to run alongside me rather than be pushed. In the end, that was the best option for us.

Good luck in your search :)
L.
p.s. I also would suggest going to the Babies 'R Us site, once you've narrowed down your selection, and reading the reviews there. Those editorials from other moms are what made me opt for the Joovy over the Baby Trend version of the sit and stand.

We were in the same place about a year ago. I didn't want to spend the money and storage space on another huge stroller, so I bought a Buggy Board. It's a little platform that attaches to the back of the stroller and my daughter can ride along as I push my son's stroller. The best thing about it is that I can attach it to our infant car seat frame stroller, AND our smaller umbrella stroller as the baby gets older. They are expensive - about $80 retail, but I got ours on ebay for about $50. MY 4 year old loves the buggy board, stays on it without argument, and can even sit on it to eat a snack if we're parked somewhere.

Good luck!

I have a 3.2 year old and a 19 month old and use our Phil and Ted's all the time. We are probably starting to push the weight limit on the jump seat, since my OLDER boy LOVES riding in the back seat. I'm pretty sure the weight limit is 30 lbs. But we do switch it up and he rides in the front too. What i love about it is...he doesn't ride all the time anymore. So, it's perfect for times that he wants to walk, then when he tires, or if we're in a parking lot, etc..he'll ride. And if he's not using the backseat, it's great for your shopping bags. It is so easy to manuever. Nice easy push with the weight of two children in it.
My friend has a Joovy Ultralight...SO much better than the regular Joovy...but after pushing the Phil and Teds..it's still a bit of a beast to push to me. I have really become spoiled by all terrain air tires. BUT i think the concept is a great one...and who knows, for the price, i might just have to try one (i have a little stroller addiction..ha ha)
I also have a Bugaboo Frog with a riding board that we have started using more since my 3 year old loves that. The riding board is even big enough for him to sit on indian style if he wants...but not an inexpensive alternative!
Good luck,
M.

Hi A.,
My daugther was born when my son was 16 months old. The best thing I did was get a Sit n' Stand Stroller! It had an attachment for the baby carrier for my daughter and my son was able to sit on the back. It proved to be a great investment the older he got... it gave him a bit of room to move, but had a seatbelt for safety. I feel like I was able to keep him close by longer than if I had a regular double stroller. I HIGHLY recommend it. The brand we had was the BabyTrend Sitn'Stand. I used it ALL the time, even when my third was born I could still keep two on the stroller and have my oldest hold the side and take turns with his sister in the back(or all three on the stroller when needed!). It was not especially light weight, but I'm sure they have made improvements on that aspect in the last few years! Good luck!

We went for the E3 phil and ted's. My older son was 2.9 when our second son was born. It has worked out great. Our older son just fit in the front while the infant was in the cocoon in the back, and then he had more space once the younger one could sit in the jump seat in the back. The larger child should sit in the front so that it doesn't tip back (I saw another response saying the older sits in the back, that is incorrect). We love our stroller. I love that I can use it with just one or both. Wheels are great on rough roads and train tracks, and it is easy to steer with one hand (the other hand with a cup of coffee sometimes!)I don't have any problem lifting it in and out of our van or wagon (If you have one child already, and are a yogi, I think you should be strong enough). The little one doesn't seem bothered by sitting in the back.

I tried the buggy board initially, but I felt like I had to lean over it and my older son. It was also on a regular stroller (graco snap and go) which was harder to push and steer than the phil and ted's. I think that lasted only a couple of weeks for me. Hope that helps.

We have a Peg Perego Pliko P3. We love it! It is roomy and has a great storage space, it folds up pretty small and the sun canopy is a good size.
I really love it though because my oldest can stand on the back. At about 3 she began to refuse to sit in the stroller- so our double Graco (don't recommend it) was obsolete! I picked up the Pliko and we love it! She likes to ride on the back.
We borrowed a double BOB stroller for a recent trip to Disney- LOVED it! If I needed a double stroller I wouldn't consider anything but a BOB. It was awesome!
Good luck with your search!
-S.

I have the Phil & Ted's and absolutely love it. I didn't want a tandem or a double wide for maneuverability reasons. My daughter will be 4 and son will be 2 this summer and the stroller has been amazing - great compliments from countless strangers everywhere. When my son was born - his entire car seat (Graco Snug Ride) fit into the back of the stroller so I needn't wake him. When he was a bit older, he lay back there comfortably. Then we transitioned to using the "jump seat" so both kids could sit in the stroller at the same time. We still use the stroller when we go on outings (amusement park, zoo, mall, etc) and the older one will ride when tired or going to and from the parking lot. Otherwise, she walks holding hands nowadays (almost 4). Even if you don't use the stroller for both kids all the time, it's a great stroller - rides easily, turns easily, smooth ride, good storage capacity in back if only one kid is using it (if two kids are using it - I recommend buying the "saddle bags" - they can store a lot as well - we bought them). I have no complaints about this stroller. It's easy to use and worth the price. Maneuverability in stores can be very tricky and this stroller makes it easy - with a smooth ride. Everyone has different opinions - this is just mine. I researched a lot of strollers when needing one for two kids and I chose this one with no regrets. I didn't want the one where kids stand in the back because at that point, they could walk anyway. Happy stroller shopping to you!

We love our Joovy Caboose. We bought our's two years ago on Craigslist, so it's an older model. I've actually thought about buying a new Ultralite, because I like our old one so much. And I love that the older sibling can stand in the back. That way you can use it as long as you need him/her contained without having a huge kid sitting in a stroller.

I have a front/back Graco and really like it. It was similar to our single seater that came as a system. It certainly is not the size of the mid-size or lightweight strollers but both my 3 yr old and one year old are happy with it. It took to our graco infant seat so that was part of the process of our search. We are very happy with it. I take it on walks and use it for shopping with the kids.
I am not sure what kind of trunk space you have as it may take up most of it. We have an SUV for size/space with five of us. But is should fit on its side in a minivan as well

We just recently got the Schwinn Safari Double stroller for our 5 year old and 17 month old and its a great stroller. It's not too expensive either. It is a little heavy to take in and out of the car, but once you are using it, it rides so smoothly and effortlessly. I think that you should always have a stroller in the car for your son until he is like 6 or 7. If you go through what we go through now, my 5 year old will say she wants to walk and a short while later will say she is tired and doesn't want to walk anymore. Good luck searching/finding. :)

A.,

We have the Joovy and love it. It's smaller than the conventional double stroller and if my older son doesn't want to sit or ride, that's where I can put the shopping!

S.

My oldest were 14 months apart and I used the double stroller by Graco religiously. My 2nd and 3rd where 2 1/2 years apart so I got a Joovy...which I absolutely love! I can't tell you how many times I actually had all three of them on there at the same time. Plus it is really handy when you are travelling, you can put car seats and suit cases on the back while pushing one child and holding the other.

Good luck! H..

SAHM of Spencer 4 1/2, James 3 1/2 and Wilco 11 months old.