Seeking Advice on Double Strollers

i love my peg perego aria side by side. it's easy to handle and light. It has a good amount of space under, not always enough (but what stroller does?)
I tried the front to back and I felt like I was driving a big tractor trailer.
I love this stroller.
good luck

Have you looked into Phil and Teds? I hear a lot o GREAT stuff about them. Good luck and congrats.

When my twins arrived, my older daughter was 2 years 3 months old. We got a great double stroller - - the Baby Jogger City double stroller (I think that was the name of it). You can use it to jog (if you lock the front wheels), but I never used it for running. If you unlock the front wheels, they pivot and it's SO easy to push. You can push it with one finger! Plus, it fit my boys for a long time. Some side by side strollers are so narrow. It was also really easy to fold, although quite heavy (as all double strollers are).

In terms of something for your four year old. Don't bother. Even my 2 year old didn't use a stroller once our twins arrived. On the few occassions we needed a stroller for her (like at the zoo), my husband or sitter would push her in her single stroller. A four year old really doesn't need to be in a stroller anymore... When I asked (and this was 3 years ago), they didn't have a board for the back of a double stroller, but who knows... maybe they have one now.

By the way, I stopped using my double stroller when the boys were about 2. Now if we ever need to pull them around (again, at the zoo, for example), we have a Radio Flyer plastic wagon we use...

Congrats. I have 16 month old twin boys. And I have both - tandem and side by side. I started with the Maclaren side by side and returned it before even opeinging the box - desparately needed a snack tray for the kids (cheerios!!). After reviews (most by other twin moms) chose the Combi Twin Savy - very light, easy to fold, pushes great. But then came the fighting and stealing eachother's binky and toys. So I now have a tandem. I had no problem getting through doors with the side by side unless we were at the Dr. office (like someone else already stated). The tandems are much more bulkier, heavy, don't fold as easily - but it is what I have to use when I take them shopping. My friend has two sets of twins and loves the City Mini but I needed a snack tray.

For their first stroller - the snap n go was great!!!!

Good Luck. Can't imagine having twins and a third - WOW!

Go to OneStepAhead.com... It's called the Elite Sit and Stand THE BEST!!! good Luck
Love Barb G.

Hi C.,

I have tiwn girls who are almost 4 yrs old. Our first double stroller was the double universal base that held their car seats. I worked great, just felt like we were our own parade when we went for a walk. The next stroller was the aria twin by peg perego. Really bad experience with that. I bought it because it was the lightest one, so I thought it would be easier to manuver. SO Wrong! I lasted barely 1 year (but past its warranty) I had to replace a wheel before I finally threw it out when the rear bar that is part of the frame that holds the 2 seats together broke off. Perhaps this stroller is not meant to withstand the streets of NYC, but then again it also took up quite a bit of room in our trunk so it isn't exactly suburban friendly either. Also, my nanny, my mother and myself had great difficulty adjusting the seats and folding it. So my recommendation is whatever you do do not by the Aria Twin by Pegperego.

Good Luck!

L.

PS We are currently using a $75 stroller ( double umbrella style, by Jeep) that I have been very happy with. Also have 2 of the Kolcraft $19.99 single strollers from Toys R Us they have been great!

I bought a Baby Jogger City Double when my twins were born. It accomodates babies side by side, folds very easily, has great inflatable wheels for comfy ride (in snow, gravel and rough terrain - but also great in a mall), and allowed my then 3 year old to sit on the front and hitch a ride (though it is not a seat, just a little place for the feet of the riders). It does not accomodate infant seats but we sacrificed that for seats that recline all the way so babies can sleep. This was the best purchase we made for our girls - I had definate opinions about not wanting a tandem - they are impossible to maneuver and we needed a stroller that would be suitable for outdoor use though it is not actually a jogger and should not be used as such. Good luck on your search!

I highly suggest that you start out with a snap and go stroller. It is just the frame that your car seats will snap into - VERY light weight - very easy to use!

You have several options: side-by-side, tandem, or sit-and-stand. They all have benefits and bad things.

Tandem: They're long and unwieldy, but you will absolutely be able to use them for kids of different ages. They tend to take up a lot of room in a trunk, but they are the least-costly of double strollers. While the Graco DuoGlider is the standard, it really got that way because they made the most patterns and were really one of the only players in the marketplace. They're monsters and they're common-looking. Kolcraft has one that's more Bugaboo-like called the Contour Options Tandem. Also a monster, but has a variety of seating options: both kids face front, both face back, both face eachother and both face away from eachother. Options, get it? It's *very* reasonably priced and is great looking. I have it. It's the lesser or all the tandem evils, IMO, and comes with an attachment for most infant carriers.

Side-by-side: DO NOT listen to the people that tell you side-by-sides are bad because they're too wide - they're not They fit through standard doorways, and if you're going to be doing down narrow store aisles, are you really going to do with that an infant and a toddler? I didn't think so. There are some *very* expensive side-by-sides on the market - you can spend up to $1,000 on one, but there are very reasonable models - the Zooper Tango is $399 and the Combi is $250-ish; both take an infant carrier. The Aria Twin 60/40 from Peg Perego, which also takes an infant carrier on one side, is a piece of garbage and a waste of money. I was never so disappointed in any stroller as I was in my Aria Twin. Baby Jogger has a side-by-side that's lightweight and $399 and takes an infant carrier - that's the one I recommend. It's narrow, lightweight, great-looking... maybe a tiny bit expensive, but it's a good investment that will take your kids from birth (full recline in addition to infant carrier) to 50 lbs. each. Make sure you check double-stroller weight capacities. Some only go up to 35 lbs each side. My almost-3-year-old is 32 lbs. A stroller that only goes up to 35 lbs is not an option for me.

Personally, I have the Kolcraft Options Tandem for when my daughter was born and my son was less than a year old. I also have a Maclaren Twin Techno for now, and I love, love, love it. It won't take an infant carrier, so it might not be the best for you.

I have done extensive homework on this - feel free to get in touch privately if you have any more questions.

Greetings C.,

I, like you am trying to figure out which stroller would be best for my family. I am expecting twins in April, and I have a daugther who is 16 months old now. Because my daughter is still small, and she runs around like crazy once let loose, I know I will need to keep her in a stroller at least for a while.

I am still doing research, but so far the only stroller I have found to accomodate three children without being super huge or heavy is the Valco Tri Mode Twin Stroller w/ Toddler Seat: http://valcobaby.com/products/strollers.html?tx_productca.... As Deb described already, this stroller seams to be great. I called customer service to find out more information about the stroller, and what I learned is that the only way to get three children sitting in the stroller is the buy the toddler seat attachment, as suggested by the stroller design. Also, it is only possible to attach one car seat adapter onto the stroller. There is also the option of buying the standing board to attach to the back of the stroller.

When I went to a local retail baby store to look at stroller models, the tandems were generally heavier than the jogging or side-by-side strollers, for twins or triplets. I believe the Valco stroller is still thin enough to fit through the average doorway, and the weight is 33 lbs, which I believe is average, unless you were looking for a super lightweight double stroller.

Hopefully this helps you some. Finding the right stroller is such a daunting task...but I think I've finally found the right one for my family.

Side by side strollers are totally combersome. No one ever holds the door for anyone anymore to begin with especially a Mom who really needs it!
Best regards,
M. Keating Schofield
www.throughmariseyes.com
~an experience in adornment~
also the author of :
The Healing(true tales of a food addict)
see excerpts and my bio at Trafford.com

With twins I think it is easier to have them side-by-side, they entertain each other so much, and look for one another. I used the universal infant carrier stroller in the beginning - it was so lite to get out of the car and so easy to use - although I did feel like it needed a warning siren on the front to warn others when you made a turn at the end of an aisle. I have the combi side by side which I have not had any problems with - no double stroller will ever be perfect!

Hi C.
Congrats and best wishes for your lovely family.
I am so excited to hear more about your twins when they arrive. My twins are now 18, but the best advice I got was to check out Twins Magazine.
They are online as well as hard copy.
As far as stroller well, my advice is to remember that a 70 # carriage with twins weighing 20#each is a lot of weight to push. Although some twins are small at birth they don't stay there, mine were 20# each at 5 mos. Older children look and act a lot older once the babies come and probably won't want the stroller.
Hope it helps you as well
God bless you with a safe delivery of those two new babies.
K. SAHM married 38 years --- adult children 37 coach, 32 lawyer married with son 5 mos, and twins 18, born at 37 weeks weighing in at 5#11oz, and 6#8oz after 19 weeks of complete bed rest.

I don't have twins, but our first 2 are 16 months apart...I had a DuoGlide and LOVED it...the side by side strollers are nice, but very hard to maneuver in stores and such...those are better for outside!
Congratulations on twins - how exciting!!!

go to the store and push them around. that's what I did.. and I picked a side by side.. because they are roomier than back to front.. and the next reason.. is it's easy to push.. i picked Graco.. and i love it. my sister in law bought prego... and it's terrible.. hard to push over bumps.. and not roomy enough.. she hates it... I love graco.. side by side.. it works great when they are bigger too.. as for your other child.. he'll have to walk or use a small stroller when someone else is with you.. good luck..

i have the valco double. it is awesome. depending on what carseat you have, you should be able to put both of them in there with plenty of room for your son. they sell an adaptor where the carseat clicks right in, facing you, with plenty of room for your son to sit in the seat facing one of the babies. and when they are out of the infant seats, still plenty of room at the foot of it, or just in the seat with the other when i recline it flat. thats where my 5 year old sits, he loves it. i put my 3 kids in it all the time, with room to spare, and we go everywhere. they do sell a jump seat that you can attach for a toddler, i was going to get it for my oldest when i had #3, but i never needed it. it steers super easy, folds up super easy, but its kind of heavy and big if you will be lifting it a lot, though i dont know how much bigger it is than any of the others, they all must be pretty big. i lean mine on the back of my minivan and fold it right up and in, i never have to lift it, it is awesome. if i had to lift it in and out of a trunk or carry it up and down stairs, it wouldnt be as good. it is very very sturdy, i sit on the foot of it to nurse or hang out with the kids, it goes over grass, gravel, even sand, up and down curbs easily. can hold tons of stuff. its expensive, but worth every penny for me. yes, you can have it all! (maybe not so much if you dont drive a mini van, unless you are strong and/or tall - i am 5' 4" and i can just get my arms around it to lift it, my sister is 5 7" and she can pick it up easily) let me know if you want to know more about it, but i cant recommend it enough. also, my 2 cents about tandem vs side by side.... i havent used tandem, but from watching my kids, i know that it is a good thing that they are on equal ground. if one was in back able to beat on the other one mercilessly, there would be trouble. reality :) good luck and feel good.

Try the Phil & Ted's strollers- they are pricy but totally worth it!
http://www.philandteds.com/

Congratulations on all of your children! I have 14 month old twins and am expecting our third in 9 days - so kind of the opposite of your situation. We have enjoyed Maclaren's double stroller. It's side by side and fits through most doorways. Unfortunately, the majority of doorways that it won't fit through are the pediatrician's office and the ob's office...you would think those places would have the widest doorways! But it fits through most stores etc. I spoke to other moms about front/back strollers and they all seemed to struggle with its maneuverability and weight. The Maclaren has been great for us. I haven't seen a double with a platform or seat for your 4 year old - so I can't be of much help there.
Good luck with the remainder of your pregnancy!! And congrats to another twin mom!!

HI C.,

I sell baby products including strollers by Baby Jogger. Their double strollers are side by side and very easy to maneuver. They are easy to fold and the double strollers weigh anywhere from 26 pounds for the City Mini, 35 pounds for the City Elite and 39 pounds for their newest stroller, the Summit 360. The City Mini just won awards last year for design and ease of use and is very popular because it is so lightweight for a double stroller, yet durable for pushing two children at once.

At www.WelltodoBaby.com we offer free shipping on purchases over $99, and you can also save 10% when you enter this code at checkout: TENOFF

Simply go to the stroller category to see the Baby Jogger double strollers, or choose Baby Jogger to do a search by brand to see these terrific strollers.

The manufacturer's website also offers videos of these strollers, on babyjogger.com.

Best of luck to you and your growing family!

D.

I would recommend this - http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2827344 It is a joovy big caboose -- 2 seats for the twins and a platform for the older one. You can prob find it cheaper on ebay.