Double Stroller or Not?

Get the double stroller! I have 2 boys, one is going to be 3 in november and the other will be 1 on Halloween! I was using the single stroller for the the toddler and carry my infand and then I was given a double stroller. I love it! It makes walks or shopping so much easier. Even though my older one can walk he wants to ride because his brother is, so it is great that they each have there own seat. We often go for walks some times I let him walk but mostly he hops in his seat and loves it. Shopping in stores is great too, I never have to chase one and leave one in the stroller. Plus stores like Kohls do not have a cart that I can put the kids in so I shop with them in the stroller! I have the graco duo glider. This one was given to me, I never thought I would like a tandom stroller but it is just fine, easy to steer. The only thing I don't like is that there is no shade for the front seat.

we bought a double stroller because we were expecting twins, but every so often my oldest daughter insists that her legs are tired and she wants to ride, so if my husband is with me, he'll carry one of the twins so she can ride... she'll be 5 in December, and I don't think she'll want to stop riding any time soon, so, I think if you can afford the investment then it's definitely a great idea... maybe you can get one that works with the infant carrier that you already have! Best of luck to you and congratulations on the new baby!

I wouldn't buy a typical double stroller. I have a 5 year old and a 2 1/2 year old... since the time my second was born I had the side by side double which I hated and one of the front/back doubles which was impossible too. I did however JUSt get a baby trend sit n stand and LOVE it!! I highly recommend one of these if you're going to buy anything new! Good luck and congrats!

C.

Depends on you and how much you really think you will use it....My sister has Twins and uses hers all the time, my other has a 8 month old and a 3yr old and barley if ever uses hers, she said it was a waste. But it is all up to you and also depending on what you drive and the kind you get they do take up alot of room. You could always go out and get one of those cheap $10 umbrella strollers to keep around for your older child.

I had a sit & stand stroller for my boys who are 2.5yrs apart. Loved it for the first couple weeks, then got tired of lugging the bulky thing around. It was MUCH easier to wear the baby and have the older one walk or ride in an umbrella stroller. There are so many carriers out there that are comfortable, easy to use, and last into toddlerhood - Ergo, Beco - they're definitely worth checking out.

OK...My kids are 2 1/2 years apart and I thought I could get away with only one stroller. Boy, was I wrong !! We do a lot of walking...festivals, malls, and we live in a village where we have so many things to walk to. So, I DID invest in the "Joovy Caboose Stand-On Tandem Stroller-Sit n Stand". What an amazing piece of equiptment !! Friends of ours also have 2 kids about 3 years apart and bought the "Fisher Price Baby Sit Stand 'n Ride DUO Stroller" and love that. I would NOT get your standard double stroller, because you will outgrow that one too fast. Hope this helps !!

just thought i'd drop a quick note...i have a 3 and 4 year old and originally got a huge double stoller...eddie bauer edition, a big beast of a thing with seats that could reverse so they could face each other etc.- hated that thing!!! i rarely used it because was so cumbersome and such a pain to steer so i got rid of that and decided on a babytrend sit/stand stroller since my daughter was old enough to walk but might want to relax sometimes. while i think any double is cumbersome, i do think the sit/stand strollers are perfect for what you'll need if you do feel your daughter will want the choice of walking or riding for some time to come. the stroller has your regular front seat and then a little bench seat behind it with handles for holding on (if standing) and a seat belt for when sitting. it's most definitely easier to manage then those huge "doubles". check 'em out. hope this helps!

Hi J.! I too would recommend the sit-n-stand (Target has the one with the cup holder, etc. that I wish I would have gotten because I need a cup holder. Instead I got the one from babies-r-us and it doesn't have the cup holder). I found the sit-n-stand very useful and we still use it. My daughters love it. It fit my car seat so I didn't have to worry about that and when my 3 year old gets tired she sits and relaxes. It really was a wise investment. Everyone I see with the same one says the same thing too!

S.

In my opinion I wouldn't bother, my oldest are only a year and a half apart and when they were small I did invest in a high end double stroller, and ended up hating to use it. They are bulky and hard to shop with, the ones with seats in front of each other are too long, and the side by side is too wide. I usually ended up using the single stroller, and if the older one got tired I put them both in. Ask yourself if you weren't pregnant right now, and your stroller broke, would you go and buy your daughter a new one at three years old or would you do without it?
good luck and congadulations on your new baby

I saw a really neat stroller at my sons football game and I was so interested in it that I asked the woman about it. I was a reg. stroller in the front but had a place right in front of the handle bars for a child to either stand and hold on or there is a little seat that you can pull down for them to sit. Very good storage space. I think it was a Fisher Price but not sure. This woman said she got it at Big Lots. I was interested in it myself because I am running a daycare out of my home and think it would come in handy for me. Good Luck! I wish I knew the brand for sure for you.

Check out the Babytrend website. They have the Sit-n-Stand strollers that rock! A baby can go into it in his/her infant seat, and then there is a little stand on the back for the older child to stand on while you push, or the older child can sit on a little seat. Overall, the Sit-N-Stand strollers are smaller than double strollers so they are easier to manuver, yet it still provides relief for the older one who might not make it around a fair or event. :)

I had the same dilemma, my babies are 21 months apart. I couldn't decide on a model for the double stroller, I kept looking while pregnant with my second baby. I was worried about how much I would actually use it vs. the expense. I found a Graco duo-glider at a yard sale for $40, so I got that and honestly, I hardly ever use it. It is bulky and difficult to manuever, plus my 2 year old is tall and the front seat is very small. When I'm out, I usually put my 2 year old in the shopping cart and then use the baby bjorn for my little guy. I am now looking at the sit and stand stollers, I think this would be a wise investment and the perfect solution. If you're not sure, try to get a double stroller used (I'll sell you mine!) Good luck and I hope this was helpful!
~J.

hello J., my name is N. and i had the same problem. we (me and my husband have a now 4 year old son and a 5 month old baby girl). we were looking at double strollers for our son when i was pregnant with our daughter because we knew our son was going to see the baby in a stroller and he would want to sit in one too. We talked to a few people and they suggested against and then i went on the internet and researched different strollers. Come to find out mostly all strollers only hold up to 40 pound children and my son was about that weight when i was pregnant with our daughter, so we decided not to buy a double stroller. We did buy the car seat and stroller set, for the baby, but i just recently bought a wagon from walmart and both of them fit in it, my son can sit in it and the babys car seat locks right onto the wagon as well. if you would like to know more dont hesitate to email me back.

I have a 2yr old and a 7 month old. With my first I had bought a rather large stroller carseat combo. I used it all the time with her. So when my second daughter was first born it was a lil hard because she still needed to use the carseat attachment and when my oldest got tired I had an issue. So I actually attached the umbrella stroller I had to the baby stroller. It was like a double stroller and very very annoying. Until my lil one was about 4 months, I didn't go out with out someone else so that I had someone to push the second stroller, lol. After four months though I can sit them in the big stroller together when my 2yr gets tired. She loves feeling like the big girl holding the baby on her lap, and the straps are big enough to hold them both in place.

Ok now that I've said all that, lol. What I'm trying to say is that you're really only going to get a bigger headache with a double stroller, and if you think you can manage until the lil one is old enough to hold his/her head up, I'd stick to the first stroller. Well good luck, and congrats on your second child. Get ready for that sibling rivalry, lol.

I would invest in a double stroller it is always a good idea incase your 3 year old gets tired of walking. I invest in one because I was in the same situation that you are in, and it is great to have one just in case you go out by your self you won't have to worry about your 3 year old running off on you. I think it is a good idea to buy one.

If you can afford the double stroller -- buy it! I beleive that you will use it, especially if you are out and about alone with the kids. And when you go with your husband, use the other one.

Yes, absolutely (if your daughter is anything like my wild 3 year old)

J.,
Let me just say YES YES YES, you will love your double stroller, and even if your child can walk, will she stay next to you at fairs, at the mall, especially when your husband is NOT with you. It's an awesome investment. I have 3 kids, 6,4,and 1, it keeps everyone together, strapped in. If I could make some recommendations, DO NOT get the ones that are side by side, too hard to push through stores, crowds etc. And get one with good wheels, easy to steer, and goes great on grass, and gravel, the big treaded wheels are great. Make sure your front tires turn 360degrees, my sister in law has a stroller where the front tire only goes straight, and it's hard on turns. Do your research, double strollers are expensive, but they last a long time, and sell very easily at garage sales!! Good luck, enjoy your beautiful children!

I don't think so. If you are out doing grocery shopping or something, you will be using the cart. Which you can put the little one in the seat, and the big one in the basket.
For the most part you can count on your daughter walking around and behaving in stores etc. If you are planning a trip to the zoo or something else you can consider getting an inexpensive "umbrella stroller" for your older child, you can store it folded under your big stroller until you need it, and then your husband can push one..
Also, I have a raido flyer baby wagon, it is awesome! It has 2 bucket fold up seats with lap restraints. Great investment. It fits through spaces a double stroller never would.
Good luck.

I've been debating the same thing. But my older cild is 15 months and I just had a baby. I was looking into a sit and stand by Baby Trend. The newer models have two seats like a double stoller. The back seat comes off so that it works like a sit and stand. Joovy also makes a sit and stand, with out the back stoller seat. Both accomadate infant car seats. But I suggest you contact the Baby Trend[www.babytrend.com 1-800-328-7363] or Joovy[www.joovy.com 1-877-456-5049] before purchasing either. They accomodate most infant car seats but not all. To get the best Price try a search on something like shopzilla. Sometimes you can get free shipping. Or look on craigs list in your area.

I would invest in a single stroller with the stand along that is attached to back near the handles. My son was out of his stroller at 2 but still to this day (age 8) he gets tired when we go to outings and it's those times when I still wish he were in a stroller. It's basically a single stroller for the infant, but the older child can stand or sit when they get tired. Not great for the older child if they fall asleep. Hope this helps.

Because of the weight that most double strollers hold I would not recommend one that you will put a 3 yr old in. I have a double stroller and just had to replace one that a friend bought for me. The one I replaced is a Kosco and will steer out of control if you have a 25lb child in the front. I bought the Graco Duo Glider LX and it's awesome. No problems steering it. Although in your situation I would go with the kind that has a sit/stand option for your daughter. She's more likely to like it and stay with you. Or when the new baby is a little bigger you could go with the Radio Flyer wagon like someone else suggested. We have one of those and it's pretty convienent (even has 4 cup holders!). Our local zoo even has those for the kiddies to ride in instead of renting strollers. Do not buy an umbrella stroller of any kind. You will be sorry. It doesn't matter what brand you get, they are all hard to push unless you only have a 10lb baby in it. Oh, and I don't know the brand, but there is a sit/stand stroller that will also hold an infant carrier carseat. I guess you'd just have to do some research because I've only seen someone else who had it. I don't think it was one of the mega expensive ones though.

I think a sit n stand would be a good option. That's what I prefer. The double strollers are hard to steer to me.

Yes, do so. You won't regret it. See if you can get one from a yard sale or a friends who's no longer using theirs. My friend gave me her double stroller (side by side) and oh what a blessing! We have 4 girls: 7 yo, 5 yo, 3 yo, 2 yo. When we went to D.W. with the two older (4 and 2 1/2 at the time), it was a Godsend! Their legs still get tired at even age 5 and 7! I personally like the side by side jogger stroller b/c it's easier to steer. I have friends who have the front/back style and steering seems to be a pain. May take so called less room to pack in the car, but no matter how you look at it, a double stroller is big/bulky and it's going to take up room! Good luck in persuading hubby; you could always tell him to be ready to put the 3 y.o. on his shoulders....been there done that especially at Hershey Park. Then he'll really be up for a double stroller! ;-)

Double strolers, although big and bulky, are VERY handy. I have a 17 month old and a 3 1/2 old. It deffinately helps. Especially when you are by yourself and jsut runing into a store for something quick. I tried to do just those little umbrella strolers with my youngest and have the oldest walk when we go around the block and stuff, it just doens't happen. We get halfway around and he wants to stop walking. It's so nice to have it available when wanted.

I bought the Graco dou-glider when my youngest was born, thinking it would make life so much easier taking the two boys anywhere. Boy was I wrong! The older one refused to sit in the stroller, it turned into a fight everywhere we went. So there was almost $200 down the drain. I did however find a double stroller that we all love. I'm pretty sure Target (the best deal) and BabiesRUS have them.
It's the stroller with the seat in the front and then right behind it has a bench and a platform. It's been great since my 3 1/2 yr old gets to choose to sit or stand. It was a little over $120, but worth every penny. It even has a universal bar that attaches to use with most baby carrier/carseats. It's been a hit with the neighborhood kids too. Everyone fights over who gets to rid with my boys. One in the seat, one on the bench and one standing. The greatest part is that it folds up to size of a single stroller.

I have heard wonderful things about the Sit N Stand stroller. Check out the One Step Ahead caltalog or webstite.
Friends who have bought the double stoller have mention it is way too bulky and a pain.
Good luck in your decision.

I have a 5 and a 3 year old. We never invested in the double stroller. We picked up one of those cheap umbrella strollers for when my oldest would get tired. It was nice because I could stash it under the big stroller (like you, we had the combo thing) and pull it out when he got tired. Money is tight for us, so this provided a good solution because the umbrella strollers can be bought for about $10-$20 depending on the brand. Now that they're bigger, we bought a second umbrella stroller. They take up much less space than the big stroller, and does just fine for us.

I hope this helps!

i wouldn't get a double stroller, instead i would get one of those strollers with the little step on the back where your child can sit or stand. they are easier to push and steer. just a suggestion.