Double Stroller - Side by Side or Tandem

[bellacam]

Thanks for reading. My son will be 16 months in December when our new baby is born, so I'll need a double stroller for long term use. I am looking at several and i was hoping for some advice on SBS vs Tandem. I have found versions of each that accept an infant carrier so thats not a problem. I am just looking for some advice or comparison.

 

[princessjv]

Congrats! You are about to become an busy mommy!

I prefer my side by side (Mac), however mine doesn't hold an infant seat. I made sure to get a model that was smaller than a wheel chair, that way I knew I should be able to fit through doorways and aisles in stores (many keep there racks too close together for a single stroller).

When I 'test drove' strollers, I made sure to put my ds and another child in the stroller and 'strol'l all around the store. When I pushed the tandem strollers, I had a harder time turning.

It really comes down to a personal pref. Go for a few test drives!

 

[3littleHalls]

I chose the SBS too when I was pg with our 3rd. My 2nd(DS) would have just turned 2 with the baby came and he had some feet/walking issues so I knew I would need a stroller for two. The SBS is easy for dr appts, shopping at the mall, and of course WDW! I got the Twin Traveler(Mac) b/c it had what I needed, and still feel it was worth it. It did well for the newborn and the toddler.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

I chose the SBS too when I was pg with our 3rd. My 2nd(DS) would have just turned 2 with the baby came and he had some feet/walking issues so I knew I would need a stroller for two. The SBS is easy for dr appts, shopping at the mall, and of course WDW! I got the Twin Traveler(Mac) b/c it had what I needed, and still feel it was worth it. It did well for the newborn and the toddler.

I totally agree about the Mac Twin Traveller. I just got it and LOVE it!!! My son is 4 1/2 and my daughter is 1. I have a single Maclaren Quest Mod for her. I will only use the double for extended trips ie. mall, amusement parks, zoo, and OF COURSE, TRIPS TO DISNEY! My son is a little "active" (ADHD) and although a lot of other kids would be fine without a stroller at his age, I still need one.

I can't say enough GREAT things about Maclaren's! It is the ONLY stroller that will last you until the child is 55 pounds...even more! My son is 43 pounds and my 1 year old dd is already 23 pounds 13 ounces! And it's pretty EASY to steer!!!! The handles are at a height that DH can push (he is 6 feet) and it folds up pretty compact (although it isn't that light...but light enough). The basket storage is pretty good, and it even has two pockets on the back of the canopies for extra storage.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Maclaren!!!!

 

[bellacam]

The problem with the Maclaren is that they do not accept an infant carrier which will be a must for us. I did find a Combi SBS that does, so I'll be test driving that today. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Definetly a sbs. After my first I used to take my dd out of the infant carrier and lay her down in the carriage while ds would sit up. She hated that infant carrier anyway. After about a month of that I just switched her to a rear facing Britax and with my 2nd ds I nvere even bothered with the infant carrier- straight to the Britax. They hold from 5lbs and up. I could not carry the infant carrier and hold onto my older 2 (all 20months apart). If you are going to use the infant carrier I probably would go with the Combi. They are nice carriages and fold nicely and compact. Good luck in whatever you chose!

 

[molly2004]

These are the things I took into consideration when I was trying to decide:

Tandem pro: good if you have kids of differing weights, can handle infant car seat
Tandem cons: Hair pulling, can't get up curbs that don't have wheelchair ramps, heavy, bulky, hard to steer, can't watch kid in front seat when you're pushing

Side by side pro: can find lightweight ones, can find ones that steer easily with kids with different weights, easy to steer, can watch both kids through the window in the canopy, can fit through doorways
Side by side con: "mom, he's touching me!", many models will not carry a car seat, some models can have narrow seats.

Good luck!!

 

[flipflop]

Like other posters I have a the Mac Twin Traveller and it is a SBS. It won't take an infant seat, which I understand posses an issue for you. Regardless, I would definelty get a SBS - the tandems are very difficult to steer, especially as kids get heavier.

 

[pjupton]

Heh. My answer is "both". I've got twins, so that may make a difference.

We've currently got a Safety 1st Transit Tandem and a Mountain Buggy Urban Double. The MBUD has an adapter that will allow it to hold a carseat or you can get a pram-type bassinet to use instead of the seat. The Transit Tandem doesn't hold a carseat, but Combi makes a similar stroller that does. We use the TT for errands or small spaces and the MBUD for walks and day trips.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

The problem with the Maclaren is that they do not accept an infant carrier which will be a must for us. I did find a Combi SBS that does, so I'll be test driving that today. Thanks for the replies!

Do you NEED one that accepts an infant carrier? How old will your baby be when you take your trip to WDW? I went when my little one was 4 1/2 months old and she was in a regular double stroller (we had the Aria Twin at the time) and she did GREAT! She was in the double WITHOUT her infant seat since birth. I did, however, use the car seat with the snap and go when it was just the two of us.

 

[belle&beast]

I have an Evenflo Take Me too and have been very happy with it! It is a tandem and the backseat is large enough for my almost 5 year old. My 2 yo still stis well in the front and my kids are both average size (50th percentile most of the time). We took it to WDW and had not trouble at all. I think it is pretty affordable, too. We got ours 2.5 yrs ago and it was wround $150. Now I am pretty sure I have seen it for around $90. We chose this stroller because I needed something that would hold my carrier and this one will hold almost any brand, which is often not the case. We have been really happy with the large basket and cupholders for both parents and children! Good luck! BTW we haven't had any trouble with the kids keeping their hands to themseves in the stroller- no hair pulling yet!

 

[DisFam95]

I opted for a Sit-n-Stand but I had a 4yr old that mostly walked.

If I had a younger child I would definitely have chosen a Mac SBS. I saw the Combi that accepted the car seat but I thought it was much more rickety. I could move the handle side to side and the stroller would sway. I also did not like the book style fold of the Combi - not compact at all.

Your child will only spend a small amount of time in the car seat so choose actual stroller you like best. They are both fine from birth and up. Both my babies outgrew their car seats by 3.5-5 months due to their length.