A DOUBLE stroller question!

[momma2kiddos]

For those of you who use a double stroller, do you prefer the side by side ones or the front and rear ones? Since I will need one next year, I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons to each (as well as the flexibility of it collapsing at warp speed!). With the front and rear ones, I would think my son wouldn't be able to see anything if he sat in the back with that big ole canopy up BUT the side by side ones seems so wide! Oh and I must have that almighty cup holder for my drinks!

What do you think I should go with? I should also mention we're doing the busses so it wouldn't hurt if I could find one that didn't weigh 147,000 pounds!

 

[paysensmom]

I prefer the front/ back ones. I like being able to go in semi-tight spaces with my stroller. It does make for a fight though at times. My children fight over who gets to sit in the front, but not because they can't see. The one in the back gets shaded from the sun better!! My kids are 8 and 5 and they balked at the idea of leaving the stroller at home this year! So, I will be taking my double stroller for them. I love it and so do they!

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

The city mini double by all means. The stroller is soo easy to push and turn. Turning on a dime! The shades are independent and full coverage. The fold is awesome. Check out the babyjogger web site to see the fold in action. You can get the parent organizer for your drink. I had the front/back graco dou glide-- that thing has huge and heavy. I soo wish these were around way back then.

good luck w/ your decision

 

[djp0630]

We like the front/back especially since in the back they can lay all the way back. DD3 loved the back and would fight over laying in the back. It's so heavy though!

 

[daleswife]

i have a side by side monster double stroller. I like it, but they are hard to get in and out of places. What about doing a sit and stand stroller??? My kids are 3 and 6 and on our next trip, my 6 yr old will walk as much as possible and then stand on the back when she is tired....

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

Definitely side by side. I've had 4 doubles. (Stroller freak here), and much prefer the side by sides. The Graco Duo was just too big, heavy and bulky. It did push nicely, but my kids did not like being front to back, and I just felt like the front was so far out there that I couldn't see him. I have the Baby Jogger City Mini Double, which I LOVE, BUT, it isn't my favorite for Disney. It is just too much of a pain if you have to use Disney transportation, this stroller does not stay folded up easily. Also, my kids complain sometimes that they are tilted back and slouch too much. For Disney my favorite stroller is definitely my Peg Perego Aria. It is super lightweight, folds so easily, has a carry handle and has trays for snacks (not many side by sides have that). Neither stroller comes with drink holders (well the Peg does, but it really isn't useful). I bought the BJ one for that stroller (actually bought one for each side) and the Sunshine kids parent console for the Peg, both of those are GREAT!!

I've never had an issue at Disney, or anywhere for that matter with a side by side being too wide, unless the aisles are REALLY tight.

Oh, I also have the Jeep Wrangler double and that stroller is just not comfortable for me to push a week a Disney, I CONSTANTLY trip over the back wheels.

HTH!!

 

[squirrel]

For my daycare I like the front and back style as I have the other children hold onto the sides.

For WDW, I think you will like the side by side better. You won't have to worry so much about running over people the walk/run in front of the stroller as you will be able to see better-not as long.

I would look into the City Mini. Lots of people really like them.

 

[teacup princess]

I prefer the side by side. Turning our front and back stroller is a nightmare and I'm always running over the people's feet in front of me because I misjudge how far in front of me they are. Plus, with the front and back stroller, the child in the back wants to kick or pull hair or the kid in front and that child has no means of retaliation so that leads to WHINING. At least with the side by side they can beat each other equally (Ha, ha, can you tell I have boys). However, the side by side is hard to get through doors and isles at the mall so pick your evil I guess.

 

[abolanwoski]

I like the front/back for the narrowness, but DD2 keeps pulling DD5's hair, so this year we are renting a side by side. Something to keep in mind if your back seat rider is a little devil.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

We used a sit n stand for our first trip and kept the back seat in with DD in it (she was 6 mo). DS sat in the front so he could pop in and out whenever he wished.

For our upcoming trip, I'm considering our monster side-by-side double jogger as 1) I only paid $25 for it 2) it's side-by-side. I LOVE our SnS but I'm afraid with the back seat out that DS won't be able to rest on our trip - he'd be sitting on the perch. If he manages to fall asleep, it would make for a very interesting time. The "monster" is fully enclosed with a nice canopy on it and both kids would have the option of mobility. If I could only get it to corner a little better...

We are taking the busses this time around. My parents used the monster with DS and Dneph last Sept. on the busses and they did okay.

Long story short, I think it just depends on your goals for the trip and the age of the kids.

 

[Native NYer]

We used the Maclaren Triumph double, a side by side stroller, in August. We got it because website said it fit through standard doorways, which it does, and has a compact umbrella fold. The fold definitely helps with the buses. And since we go in the summer, it was great that it came with a raincover.

 

[DrMomof3]

We LOVE our Jeep double for Disney. It was cheap ($70 new) so we don't worry about it getting damaged or stolen. It's super light-weight, folds up easily, and was a breeze on the buses! My kids like it because they can easily hop in and out. They can walk when they want but they can hop in when they're tired. We don't use it for shopping but it's great for the zoo, amusement parks, etc.

Amanda

 

[Familyof4lovesDW]

I had a front to back double stroller. I put the infant carrier in the back and the 2 yr old in the front. Once DD could sit or was not in the carrier, I would switch them b/c it was easier with the heavier child in the back. There is no way I would have ever got through the kids departments in the mall with a side by side. I had to push racks to get through as it was. Can you put an infant carrier in a side by side? I would just go to babies r us or somewhere and put your child in the strollers and practice around the store with them (pushing, folding it up, buckles, etc). BTW mine was an eddie bauer and it weighed a lot, but it matched the infant carrier so I got it.

 

[waltskids]

We have a side by side Combi and love it! It is very narrow and fits through all doorways plus both seats recline fully which is great for napping. It folds very compact and most of all I can lift it myself. I cannot even lift those huge Graco Duo Glider monsters. We travel alot and our children are 2.5 years apart and this stroller has been great for us.

 

[momma2kiddos]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll look into the more compact side by sides. I guess I should have mentioned my son will be 2 1/2 and my baby will be roughly 6 months old so I'm looking for comfort so they can nap if need be and more importantly, I'm looking for something that's easy to fold and doesn't weigh a ton! I know I can't have it all but it doesn't hurt to ask!

 

[emmababy]

We have a side by side Combi and love it! It is very narrow and fits through all doorways plus both seats recline fully which is great for napping. It folds very compact and most of all I can lift it myself. I cannot even lift those huge Graco Duo Glider monsters. We travel alot and our children are 2.5 years apart and this stroller has been great for us.

I second this. We had a sns with the full seat in the back. Last trip our dd was 3 and ds was 15 months. The one in the back would kick the front seat or pull hair, so neither one napped. We liked the parent tray and the big basket underneath. However, it is really heavy to collapse.

So, we traded for a Combi on Craigslist. It has trays for the kids, and I got a cupholder that attaches. It folds really compact and I can lift it with one hand! Can't wait to use it at Disney in 9 days!!!!

 

[*Seanaci*]

Couple of questions, who will be riding in the stroller? Are you planning on using one at the airport? If you buy a new (or used) stroller now will you use it again after the trip?

That being asked...consider waiting and renting a stroller. I've heard RAVE reviews about the rental place in Orlando that rents strollers (the main one they rent is one someone already mentioned the Mini City Joggers). And will most def be planning on renting one the next time we go (DS will be 4 and old enough to walk through the airports and what not, but the parks will be a different story). You'll have the added bonus of it beind delivered to your home resort as well as picked up from your home resort upon your departure. Not to mention you'll have use of it all over Disney property (where as renting a stroller in the park you'd have to return it on your way out of the park).

 

[momma2kiddos]

I'll definitely be using it before, during, and after my trip! There's no way I could cart around a baby and a 2 1/2 year old without a stroller or I'd lose my mind!

 

[TeaForTulips]

I was on the hunt for a double stroller for the longest time. So many strollers I found had some problem or another. The front and back strollers never had enough leg room for the back and I need both seats to recline. I also am very tall and so many of the smaller double strollers kill my back. My three year old is also very tall so I had to find one where the covers weren't too low and when reclined, the backs werent long enough. The Macs and the Jeep were not tall enough for me to push or for my toddler to sit and recline.
The best stroller I found by far is the city mini doubles by baby jogger, but I didn't want to pay $400 if I didn't have to. I ended up finding a double jogger stroller by Tyke Tech that I was able to get for under $200 and I LOVE it. It has lots of friendly pockets, I can fit two full size back packs on the bottom, it turns easily, and is super light with both kids in it.
The downfalls... its bigger. Its not tiny and light to carry. It does fold very easily but doesn't "lock" into the folder position. I can't say how easy it is for bus transportation. Just grabbing it out of your trunk however... so simple and I totally recommend.

 

[momma2kiddos]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'll narrow it down to the city mini or the combi. Honestly the citi mini's look like bucket seats though. I don't want the kids crammed down into the stroller! Combi looks like a good deal but the basket storage is pretty tight. Ah well, you can't get everything so I gotta figure out what I can do without or look past and just order one!