Tandem or side by side stroller

[pigget74]

Which one should I choose--Is one really better than the other? What makes one better than the other?

 

[kim_o]

Just personal preference. I prefer SBS if I had to choose only 1. SBS tend to be easier to steer and allow both children to see. you also have less fighting over the seats. Tandems are obviously narrower and fit down shopping aisles more easily. However, they are more difficult to steer. As the children get older, there is a better possibilty for fighting over who gets to sit in the front vs the back. On tandems, you won't be able to have both seats recline fully. Also, the seats on tandem strollers tend to be smaller. I've heard fighting can occur in either situation. Tandems, you'll get the hair pulling, kicking, and hitting. SBS you can have the pinching, sideways hitting or sideways kicking.

 

[flipflop]

Just personal preference. I prefer SBS if I had to choose only 1. SBS tend to be easier to steer and allow both children to see. you also have less fighting over the seats. Tandems are obviously narrower and fit down shopping aisles more easily. However, they are more difficult to steer. As the children get older, there is a better possibilty for fighting over who gets to sit in the front vs the back. On tandems, you won't be able to have both seats recline fully. Also, the seats on tandem strollers tend to be smaller. I've heard fighting can occur in either situation. Tandems, you'll get the hair pulling, kicking, and hitting. SBS you can have the pinching, sideways hitting or sideways kicking.

ITA!

 

[TJA]

We took a tandom to WDW when our twins were babies, then a side-by-side after they turned maybe 1-1/2ish. The SBS is indeed much easier to maneuver. I do wish I would've know that back when we were taking a tandom. Right now our twins are 4-1/2 and we take a jogger to WDW because it handles the child weight easily. We are taking a Baby Jogger City Series Double in a couple months. Before that, we took a Dreamer jogger. They push with ease and without much effort. Lots of storage, awesome reclines, very large canopies, very comfortable seats. We've never had any problems with our SBS in Disney.

 

[momsoftwins]

well my 2 cents....SBS we used a tandom until they stoped using the carseats that attached to it they hated being in front or in back of each other. the side by side works great for us.

 

[tzolkin]

i've never used a side by side, but the tandem we have is basically useless. it's almost the same size folded as open and it is miserable to push. the only place i have ever used it was to walk around my neighborhood. i have to use the entire road to turn around and even then i still sometimes pick up the back of the stroller. it was given to us used by a friend. maybe there are better ones out there, but i would never buy one or suggest that anyone else do so.

 

[aceandmee]

I have a tandem stroller that I have used a ton and love it! My kids never fussed much over who had what seat and I could fit in just about any aisle. One had one seat, the other the other seat. My kids are pretty easy going though, and I just take their ages into consideration when determining who sits where. The SBS ones always look so huge to me and I really can't imagine shopping in a clothing store with one. JMO. Most clothing stores, you can barely walk through, let alone push a double wide stroller through.

Neither of my kids ever complained about what they could or couldn't see either. I honestly never even thought of that until seeing this thread. My stroller is also very maneuverable and easy to fold, etc. Never had any problems at all pushing it. It is easier to push than the single child stroller we had before. Here is the one I have(or at least very similar): http://www.albeebaby.com/grdust79insu.html

FYI, my younger two kids are 2 years and seven months apart. HTH, and good luck deciding! : )

Editted to add: I never considered running with my stroller. lol. I was thinking more of a mall walking, festivals where the ground is fairly flat, walking to pick the kids up from school, general usage. So OP, if that is what you are thinking of, you will be pleased with the tandem. If nothing else go to Babies'R'Us and push some of the floor models around, close them, open them, see what you like best.

 

[DevilDuckie]

Which one should I choose--Is one really better than the other? What makes one better than the other?

Tandem! Side by sides are too wide to use in Disney (and lots of other places) without totally blocking pathways. You end up either spending all your time moving out of people's way or being That Family that blocks the entire walkway. No fun for you either way.

 

[kim_o]

Tandem! Side by sides are too wide to use in Disney (and lots of other places) without totally blocking pathways. You end up either spending all your time moving out of people's way or being That Family that blocks the entire walkway. No fun for you either way.

I disagree that SBS are too wide for disney. Afterall you have haundreds of the double rental strollers about in the parks. So, basically everything can accomodate them. Now, if you go at a crowded time, you'll have to be a little more patient getting through crowds. I wouldn't want a tandem at disney because then both seats don't recline, making sleeping in a stroller more difficult.

But like I originally said, it's definitely just a personal preference ;-)

 

[PaulaSue]

It depends on how/where you are going to use it.

For me I bought a side by side Graco. It is lightweight (I have a bad back) and it could fit in my trunk of my car I had before I bought my minivan. I Loved it!

 

[TJA]

Yes I agree the parks are set up for their wide side-by-side rentals and also for wheelchairs, so SBS strollers easily work in Disney. We've taken one to Disney around 13 times without any problems. I should say that we don't take our jogger in to stores, though (if we even go in a store.....). We just park the jogger outside of the store, like we do for rides.

 

[pigget74]

Thanks--I didn't think to say their ages--they are 2 and 4 mths. We will use it for out trip and they will be almost 8 mths and 2.5. Thanks--

 

[lulu71]

We just got back and we brought both. I used the SBS once (Maclaren Twin Techno) and the Tandem (Phil and Ted's Sport) the rest of the trip. The SBS was a bit too wide to push and I felt like I was always trying to peer around to see the ground in front. Also, the 6 month old is at that grab hair and pull age, which my 2.5 year old hates, so the tandem worked out better for us for that reason too!

I can't tell you how many times we were stopped by people asking about our Phil and Ted's stroller- my husband swears 5-10 times/hour. I highly recommend it and it's great because once the older child is too big for strollers, you just remove the doubles kit and voila, it's a single. Very worth the money!