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Exactly one year ago, I sold my Maclaren Twin Triumph stroller because I thought I needed snack trays in the front since I had newborn twins. I traded in the Maclaren and thought I was upgrading to a Peg Perego Aria Twin stroller. Huge mistake!
A month into this purchase, I thought if we could merge the Maclaren twin stroller with the Peg Perego, we would have the perfect stroller. Now I find myself tossing my Peg across the parking lot every time I use it! This is the deal. The features that you must consider when buying a double stroller are as follows. First off, don’t even look at a traditional tandem (front/back) stroller unless it’s a free hand-me-down or you’re leaving it at Grandma’s house. These things are tanks and you just can’t drive them anywhere. Side-by-side strollers are the only way to go in my opinion. The most important feature is how the stroller drives, especially one-handed and with uneven weight distribution. No, not everybody has twins – I know it seems like it in this town. Must be in the water:-) The second most important feature is does it fit in a standard doorway – most of the strollers on the market do but you should check before you purchase. Along these lines, how heavy is your stroller? You will be lifting this thing up and down and all around. You don’t want a 30-pounder in your trunk. Another feature is how does it fold down – does it fold like an umbrella or does it take up your whole trunk? Most moms in the market for double strollers have obviously at least two kids, many times more. So your trunk space is limited and this can be critical for you to maximize every square inch of your car space. The most common misconception is to obsess over the storage basket in your stroller. More than likely you are not going to be lugging your whole family through the mall once you have two or more. You will really want a big basket during the holidays but the rest of the time you can make do. Yes, a huge basket would be nice, but I’ll take the other amenities over this one any day. A tray would be nice too, but I made a big mistake in thinking this was the most important factor in my purchase. Must have been my abundance of hormones during my twins pregnancy!
So here is why I really wish I had a Maclaren Techno Twin stroller:
- Easy to drive one-handed, even with uneven weight distribution (toddler in one side, infant in other) – SUPER IMPORTANT!
- Lightweight at 25 lbs.
- Sturdy 5-point-harness, 3-way reclining seats
- Folds small since it’s an umbrella stroller (even fits through security at airports)
- Fits through any door I have come across
- Removable fabric – dries quickly
- Cons – no snack tray and be careful with what you hang on the back. It will flip in a skinny minute if you have too much weight on the back handles, ie. diaper bag.
This is why I kick my Peg Perego every time I use it (not even going to provide you with a link on this one!):
- The straps are a joke – where is the 5-point harness on this overpriced beast? There is a reason why it’s on sale for $195 now – it was $350 when I bought it!
- This stroller has a mind of its own when it comes to steering. Every single time I drive it, my twins get whip-lashed because the wheels turn at the last second when I approach any given doorway.
- The trays are a joke too – my little houdinis whipped those things off the second they learned to sit up.
- The stroller folded down takes up my ENTIRE Sequoia! My blood pressure is rising as I type!
- The only advantage this stroller has is the roomy storage basket but I can’t ever last that long in a mall to add anything to it. So this defeats the whole purpose.
If you are in the market for something groovy, you may want to consider the Joovy Caboose Tandem stroller. This is a good concept but personally, I think the novelty will wear off and the older child may only last in the stroller for a few minutes at a time. Remember, once a child is free, she is large and in charge! If they are old enough to stand on your stroller, then they are old enough to walk with you and hold onto the stroller. That’s just my opinion and I’ve never used one so I could be way off on this one.
So what are your thoughts on double strollers? Anyone want to trade? Stay tuned for more of my crazy tips on single strollers…
31 comments
I have to disagree about the tandems. My kids are 18 months apart and I initially looked only at side by side strollers. My oldest never looked comfortable – the seats seemed so small and he always looked squished. Plus, I had a Graco infant seat that I wanted to be able to use with the stroller and it didn’t work in the Combi or the Aria. I finally broke down and looked at the DuoGlider and, suprisingly, I really like it! I will say that it is definitely not a “take a walk in the neighborhood” stroller (way too heavy and not the easiest to turn), but for mall trips it is perfect! I’ve been using it for a year and a half now. Now that my oldest is 3 I don’t use it as much…he’s not much of a rider anymore. But we’ve gotten a lot of use out of it. And it was a lot less expensive than most of the side by sides I looked at!
I have the Joovy Caboose Tandem stroller for my 1 -year-old and almost 4-year-old, and we love it. We’ve used it since the second baby came home b/c it fits a baby carrier and there’s no way I could have my older one sit in a strapped stroller for more than 10-15 minutes anyway!
i think the combi side-by-side is the saving grace of double strollers. snack trays, baskets, parent drink holder/pouch, easy to fold and lift. i highly recommend it and anyone else i bump into (figuratively) that has one loves it, too. cheaper than maclaren and very high quality.
really like it when you do product reviews! thanks! it would be great if there was some sort of forum feature on this site where we could chat about different products or get advice on this and that. not sure if a blog lends itself to that though. just a thought.
I actually have the Joovy Caboose as well and I love it! I started out with the double Maclaren (and would love to sell mine if anyone needs it) but as my off the charts 4 year old continued to grow she just wasn’t happy in it. She loves the Joovy and thinks she is big-stuff standing or sitting in the back. I had a little chat with her and explained that if she got off we were going back to the old stroller and I’ve never had a problem. That said—my oldest is a rule follower—Joovy is probably not a great idea for an active child or if your looking for a stoller to accomodate a 2 year old and a baby. It has the infact attachment–but I can’t see a 2 year old staying on the drop seat. I love the Maclaren when my youngest was an infant–it is a great stroller. I’m serious about being ready to sell it–if anyone wants it it’s in great shape!
Hi Everyone!Yes, yes, I’m working on a forum component for CSP. Until it’s ready, please continue to use the comments section. Thanks so much for your feedback on EVERYTHING. I read it all and take it all into account when I research topics and consider new things to make this a better site. You all are the best:-) -Jen P.
I have the Sit ‘n Stand, which is just like the Joovy, except it’s sold at Target for $130ish (I think Joovy is sold at BRU and is a bit more expensive). It works just fine for us. Definitely not for twins, though – it works best for a big kid and a little kid (and has a car seat attachment for infants). I think it is more maneuverable than a tandem or a side-by-side.
I found an incredible double stroller. It’s the Phil & Ted’s – actually it is a single stroller that you can convert to a double to adding a seat in the back. No side by side – it’s like a double decker where one kid sits behind the other, and the single stroller can unzip to accomodate an infant. Easy to maneuver with a swivel front wheel (you can also lock it if you are walking/jogging). Shower Me With Love has the stroller so you can test it out. I just wish I had bought this stroller my first child.
Another vote here for the Combi Twin Savvy! I bought a used one at a CMOMs sale 2 years ago, and just love it! Now, what to do when you have twins first, then another one?
I have the Maclaren and love it. I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old and they ride great in it. My 3 year old likes to ride in it so he can see his brother. My odlest is not one I can let just walk since he is a runner, so in the mall this is my saving grace. He would have been off the tandem in about five seconds.
I have a Combi Twin Savvy and love it. I almost bought the joovy but wasn’t sure if it would work since I needed to contain my 2 year old in with a newborn. So chanced it and I am glad I did! Very lightweight and doesn’t take up much trunk room.
You could not have wrote this at a better time for me! I am going double stroller shopping this weekend to see what I like and don’t like. I would love any feedback or things to consider. I am going to look at the Peg Perego 60/40 and the Phil & Ted’s sport with the seat that is sort of behind the baby. I have a Peg Perego stroller now and we really like it (stress like, not love) so we would like to stick with that so we can use the car seat with it. I just want something that is light, easy to stear, and easy to fold. I’ll keep you all posted if I find anything good this weekend 🙂 Also, if anyone else is shopping this weekend I got a flyer in the mail that USA Baby is have a huge one day sale this Saturday the 8th and everything is up to 70% off. So that’s why we’re checking out 🙂
We have a Bob’s Ironman double jogging stroller that we use for runs (we are big runners!) but for everyday use and travel we use the Jeep Twin-Sport Double Stroller. It was a steal at $80, lightweight and fits through regular doors! Not the best for shade or storage space, but we use it for ease!
I too have the Maclaren double stroller and have to say if I had to buy another I would think twice about the Maclaren. What I don’t like is that the fold out visors are linked together and if you pull down one side the other side must come down too. The way that the visor are connected, is strange they constantly fall down over my kids heads by themselves. Now my kids pull them down. I have had mine for 3 years now so maybe things have changed. Also, I have the lightblue and grey colored stroller, it gets very dirty very easily. The trays are a big issue as well. I have the single Peg Perego and love the single with the tray. I just think for as much as the Maclaren costs it should have been better constructed.
I am so sad to see you despise the Peg Perego Aria Twin stroller so much, Jen! I love it!!!!!! It only weighs 14 pounds, lies flat in my mini van, can be opened with one hand and closed one handed and is very easy to steer. The snack trays are great too and a basket under each seat is awesome. my complaint is no cup holder for me. I have 10, that’s right 10 different double strollers including the Maclaren and never use it. I also have a Peg Perego tandem that I use just for the mall. I find that all my side by side strollers have issues fitting through mall doors because the wheels will turn out. The Peg Perego strollers are very smooth for my 11 month old twins and my three year old gets in too. So out of all 10 of mine, I recommend the Peg Perego’s if for nothing else but the fact they are sooooooo lightweight and with a handful of bags and kids, this is essential for me. Jen, maybe yours was just a lemon?
I too am in the market for a double and appreciate the blog/comments. If the person with the extra MacLaren really wants to sell it (or anyone else with a MacLaren or Combi double), please write me at vsparrow@juno.com. It will save me from having to drive out to the MOM sale at Metrolina this weekend…a huge gift of time! 🙂
I’m a no fuss gal, so I like simple things and am really not into all the bells & whistles. So for me, I LOVE the Jeep Twin Sport Double Stroller. It’s an umbrella stroller, but that’s all I need! I have twin toddlers and this is a GREAT stroller for being easy on the budget ($80), very easy to manuever, lightweight, compact, a piece of cake to fold & unfold. But like the other post said, it doesn’t have a good shade canopy and no storage. However, I added a mesh bag to the back for quick trips. It was a top rated umbrella for twin moms in the Baby Bargains book & I have to agree.
I got a Graco tandem as a hand-me-down, virtually new (only used for 6 months). It was a little heavy, but mommies are strong. 🙂 It didn’t even take up 1/2 the space in the back of my 4-Runner, even less if I tipped it on it’s side. The infant car seat fit into it and I thought it was easy to manuver. I feel like the side by side strollers are like wide load vehicles. LOL. I used my tandem for my newborn and 3 yr old for a couple of years and it help up very well and still has more miles left on it. Most importantly it doesn’t cost a lot of money.
does anyone know of a place where they sell second-hand strollers?
I know the Charlotte MOther’s of Multiples sale this weekend will have strollers. Great deals!
There is a big consignment sale at Lucia Baptist Church (up Hwy 16 on the way to Lake Norman) this weekend. It starts at 6pm on Friday. There’s always a huge line. The MOMs sale is bigger, but the Lucia sale is really great. http://www.luciabaptist.org
Ok well if you do need a stroller, then come to the CMOMs sale tomm. This is my 6th sale, and this is the MOST stuff I have seen!! There are a lot of strollers and bikes, and everything!I am on my second Combi twin, the first broke right after the warranty expired, but they sent me a new one for free. I have been very happy with it. I did have the Graco Duoglider, it was good for my older two, they are 15 months apart. But my twins prefer to sit beside each other. Jennifer Hoyle
LOVE LOVE my Combi Twin Savvy Double Stroller. Have friends that have 2 kids and also have this stroller. Its light, great in the airport, just a great stroller!
The Phil and Ted single with the extra attachable seat is wonderful. We bought this stroller with our first child and have loved everyday we use it. We are expecting our second child so we just add the second seat on the back in a click and we are ready to go. The price is high but if you buy this and use it as a single then down the road as a double you save money and the hassle of a stroller garage. This stroller also lets you place the second set on top, with attachments, so you can lay the main seat down flat. This lets the toddler ride up front and the baby lay flat to sleep. The space for the baby also makes a great place for lots of shopping bags. The front wheel swivels or locks for jogging. I LOVE this stroller and recommend it to everyone. We also have a single Combi for travel and I hate it. I am only 5’4″ and I always feel like I am bending over to push it.
well, I sure hope that I like the Peg better than you do, Jen! I just bought this one because of its weight. I have a sit n stand deluxe tandem stroller now. It’s great because I can snap the carseat into it but it’s a beast to lift. I wanted a lightweight one to travel with once my youngest is out of his infant seat. Now I’m scared. I have a single maclaren and I just didn’t love the double – it’s heavier and more of a pain to fold. So, we’ll see… I don’t think anyone has mastered the art of the double stroller yet – there are big drawbacks to every one I looked at.
If you’re looking for a double jogger – I love the Mountain Buggy! My boys are two years apart and both are oversized, so the weight limits were a consideration for us. The kids are really comfortable in it and I can steer it with one hand! It’s cool looking too, so my husband is more than happy to jog with it too.
Oh!! Really? I have very safe double stroller for my kids which got from http://www.couponalbum.com/coupons/babyuniverse.htm…
I have 3 double strollers! I have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old. One stroller was given to me front to back, total junk. I decided to venture out and buy the graco front to back, could barely steer it, hard to push, and my oh so competive boys fought non stop as to who sits in the front. After many referrals, I have bought the Maclaren Triump. Totally LOVE it. We travel a lot, it’s light and a breeze to push, opens and closely quickly and easily. My boys love it as well. Sadly no cup holder but because it works so well… I’ll hold my own drink:)
front, back, side by side,i,ve had a few of each, not one of them is going to make your walk easier. my four year old walked with the leash, the three year old and infant sat back to back,, the 2 year old in the backpack, and i was pregnant. sometimes it’s easier to stay home. or take a short walk.do you really need more exercise?
i like the combi twin savy. very portable lightweight. got to love the combi brand
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