I have 2 toddlers and I was wondering which is better, the side by side double stroller, the sit and stand stroller or regular double one behind the other.
My kids are 3 years apart, and we have a sit & stand stroller that has been perfect for us. But a friend of mine has twins, and they had to get a side by side stroller so the girls would stop fighting over who got to ride in front. So I guess it depends on the age difference!
ETA: Also, the storage basket on the Combi is TERRIBLE, but the sit n stand basket ROCKS! I grocery shop w the sit n stand if I have to do it when my 2 year old needs a nap; she sleeps, I shop & older DD helps put things in the basket :)
I have the Combi side by side & it is nice, lightweight, folds easily...BUT, it is wide and we have a hard time fitting through the mall (the way the clothes are set up), and sometimes down smaller isles in stores if trying to pass up a cart...I bought the sit n stand, it's better bc it's more narrow, but my older DD doesn't like it as much bc she's not as comfy & doesn't like to walk often. I wish I'd bought the double front to back that turns into the sit n stand, but too late now ;) My kids also like the side by side bc they can play w each other, but it's not so great when they are arguing! ;)
With our twins, I like the side by side. It had a huge storage area underneath that I loved and it was easy for them to get in and out of.
I think your own body size will have something to do with it. I am very short and preferred using the side-by-sides with kids (with the front wheel locked, or curbs can be tricky). When I used the sit and stand, I found that the work of pushing was indeed more work and the curbs were atrocious, getting the front part popped up (pushing down) and then getting the back end up (pulling up )-- for a small gal like me, this was hard on my back.
Side by side hands down. I've had them all and finally when my 4 th was born I to a side by side. Wish I would have figured it out earlier! my personal favorite is the combi twin...folds up so small...good storage..easy to maneuver.
I found the tandem stroller to be very unwieldy and hard to push, especially in crowded areas. It felt huge, heavy, and was hard to maneuver. I decided to get a City Micro by Baby Jogger. That model is hard to find, but it's almost identical to the City Mini and I LOVE it. It's a really great stroller. My older one still fits in it comfortably and he is 5 years old, 45" and 47 lbs.
Not sure where you are in LA, but there are a couple of good stores to go where you can try out the strollers and really push them around. One is near LMU -looks like they are having a big sale right now. http://sidandme.com/
Traveling Tikes in West LA (Santa Monica & Beverly Glen) is also a good store but they don't carry all brands.
Oh Lord have Mercy! I don't know. I have the double regular stroller with one behind the other. Now it worked great for us and is very heavy duty. It was great to take to the malls and stuff because it was narrow so I didn't have to worry about the side by side ones. I want the one on that movie with Jennifer Lopez where it was a side by side and then you pushed it from the side and it went to the one behind the other. Of course this is from a movie (The Twin Torpedo Deluxe) LOL!
It honestly depends on you and what feels more comfortable. How old are your children too? Mine are 4 and 2 and when they were a little younger, it was hard to push with the older one in there because she was heavier.
My suggestion is to try them out and then see if you can get a used one. They can be pricey too!
You really need to try several models of each yourself to see which would work best. Some people swear by the side by side strollers, but I absolutely *hated* all of the ones that I tried (including some very expensive ones like the City Mini). On the other hand, there were several tandem strollers (one behind the other) that I loved. My two favorites are the City Select and Contours. We ended up with the Contours because of the lower price and it is awesome. My little one's favorite position is facing each other, but each of the seats can be either facing forward or backwards. We also did look into the sit and stand, but my older daughter was 2 1/2 at the time, so it didn't work very well at that age.
Still, it's a very individual choice and what works for other people may not work for you. If you can, go to some stores, put your kids in the strollers (very important as that really can make a difference) and try a bunch of them out. Also think about how much room you have in your vehicle for a larger stroller, how heavy the stroller is, how much storage room you need in the basket, etc.
Good luck!
