Is a Double Stroller Worth It? - Rockville,MD

I hated the double stroller and only used it twice. I was sad that my SIL talked me into it. It was bulky and hard to steer. My oldest was almost 3 and liked to walk a bit, so it really wasn't the best choice. If you do want one, get one off Craig's List where people are unloading their gently used ones. I think the Sit and Stand was much better for this age difference. It has a bench in the back that the toddler can sit or stand on.

absolutely!! I have three kids, each about 3.5 years apart. When the second was born, we bought a double stroller. When the third was born, we were gifted a double jogging stroller. both were lifesavers!! look locally, on freecycle.org, craigslist, ebay.

We found a good quality used double jogging stroller on craigslist for around 50 dollars. It has been well worth the money, especially when I am trying to get somewhere fast or for exercise.

I'd say if he's going to be almost 3, skip it. If you decide it's worth it you can always buy it later. When the baby is tiny, you could carry him/her in a carrier and push the older one. The double is great, but it is big and bulky. I have the DuoGlider and like it a lot, but my kids are much closer than yours (18 months apart and these will be 21 months apart). It steers well and has held up well, but it's still big and heavy.

I'd try without and see how you do. If you're out by yourself and worried about him wandering away, you could try one of those backpacks with the parent wrist strap. I know people balk at putting kids on "leashes," but my kids fight over who gets to wear the monkey, and it can be a lifesaver in a crowded place. If you do get to skip buying one, just think of the awesome night out you could have with the extra $100 in your pocket!

With the older child being almost 3 I would not waste the money. I would either get a sit and stand stroller that has a place for your toddler to stand on the back, or get a buddy board. I got the buddy board, it is a small board on wheels that attaches to the back of your single stroller giving the toddler a place to stand. My son loved riding on his. I got mine in the UK, but I believe you can get them on Target.com, or at least you could a few years ago.

YOu could get the kind that has the little bench seat, or just the area that he could stand in.

I would say NO unless you plan a trip and want your toddler to sleep in stroller. For daily use, we use the bugaboo and its little buggy board, our toddler is happy, he is the big kid behind. We had purchased two double stroller. The first one (two seats one behind another) was so big, so massive that I could not manage it, and only took it out one. I could not even lift the frame to put it in the trunk without really feeling I was straining myself. I sold it after a couple months. The second one, a foldable two seats side by side, was more practical, but I only used it once when I needed to go to the doctor when my toddler was not feeling well. Other than that, it has sat in our garage and gathered dust.
And now we also almost never use the buggy board, as my toddler has now a little bike.

My oldest was 2 years 2 months when my little one was born. My mom bought me a double stroller but I rarely used it b/c it was heavy and awkward (I'm sure not all of them are, but mine was!) I honestly found that the only time I ever really needed a double stroller was when I went someplace with a huge amount of walking (someone mentioned the zoo) but a lot of times you can rent a double stroller at these places. My older daughter just walked everywhere we went!

Ask your oldest if they would like you to look into getting a double stroller or if they think they are grown up enough to walk with you when you take the baby on outings. My first instinct is that if you invest in a double stroller that the oldest will want to walk....and you'll only want to be out for short periods of time anyway!

Hi,
YES it is worth it.. Even though your older kid is 3, yup they'll whine and wanna ride the stroller etc.
And unfirtunately they are expensive. I'd say check out craigslist, my friend got a great namnebrand stroller for way cheeap but they were constantly searching craisglist foir deals. She got i cant remmeber the name of it, somehting tom?
Peg perego makes a good stroller where the older sibling can sit or stand in the back(but they would not be strapped in).
Also try www.freecycle.org it's free and you sign up based on what neighborhood you live in and could post that you want a free double stroller and see if you get replies or look for others posting an offer for a double stroller. I would also see if there may be kids consignment shops near you or any consignment sales on the weekends to shop for a double stroller and any other kiddies items. Check out www.our-kids.com for the rockville area and it lists evry fall sale and kid related activity.
Good luck
pammy
ps plus when you all outgrow the stroller you can resell it to make some $$

I would wait and see. My son was 2 when my daughter was born and we still just have the single. I usually have her in the Ergo, and he can ride in the stroller if he wants. We have put her in it a couple times, and he walks. Hasn't been a big deal so far, but I work full time, so I don't know if the need is different if you are a SAHM.

i had 3 kids in 3 years so yes it was worth it....but if i didn't have my middle one & there was a 3 yr age difference i still would have gotten one.....we used it a lot.....i had the combi double stroller, got it on ebay.....it is the lightest most compact stroller out there.....if we went to an outside mall & wanted to eat at a restuarant but had no where to put the stroller, we could fold it up & slide it under the table easily...........my friend has borrowed it many times when they go on road trips because they needed the extra space & their double was to big......congrats on the new baby

I have the Joovy tandem, sit and stand. My oldest is almost four and the baby is eight months. Absolutely, a lifesaver! Try your local consignment shop to get a second hand one at a good price!

I used my double stroller tonight, J is 3 and K is 7. I used it at the city wide Halloween party and J was parked init so I wouldn't have to play chase or tug of war. I had the back seat for my purse and their excess candy and the front for him. We also used it for the county fair and then I used it again a lot during the Summer to go for walks and I filled the basket and the back seat with stuff and we had a picnic occasionally at a nearby park. It was convenient to have that space to stuff stuff and not have to carry it.

K still likes to sit in it sometimes when she gets tired and doesn't want to walk anymore, she is really too big but she still fits if she just sits and puts her feet down in the bottom.

My daughter (who stopped riding in her stroller when she was about 1) was 3 1/2 when my second came and we got a "sit and stand" stroller that was kind of bulky and we didn't really use it. We recently got a double jogger and love it! Both kids love riding next to each other and it has come in very useful! I bought both double strollers at kids' consignment shops so the price was right. I paid $60 and $70 respectively for them. Had I chosen my own and bought them new I may have gotten other brands with slightly different features but paid hundreds of dollars more. I think having the double is worth it for walking to school, trips to the zoo, evening family walks, etc. and I recommend checking out consignment shops or Craig's List to find them at a reduced price.

I think it's worth it if you are using it primarily for exercise. It is really hard to exercise(at least for me) when the 3 yr. old stops for every leaf and bug. Or if he is on his tricycle and decides he doesn't want to ride it halfway through so you end up pushing it all the way back!
Other than that- a baby back pack and an umbrella stroller work fine if you need both of them in something. But I wouldn't spend a ton of money on a stroller- you can find a good used one for about half the price. Then you won't feel so guilty if you don't use it as much as you thought!
I also preferred the side by side umbrella stroller to the rather bulky and heavy front to back stroller. It was tricky getting through doors sometimes with the side by side- but it was much easier to push and fold up then the front to back one.
Have fun!
~C.

YES! My ODS was 2 years/4 months when my YDS was born. Even now, ODS is almost 3.5 and YDS is almost 1. It's great for when we're doing a lot of walking, or if I want both kids "contained". Yes, ODS walks a lot, but I also carry YDS on my back a lot in my mai tei carrier. But the double stroller goes everywhere with us!

I love my Kolcraft Contours double...the seats can each face either direction, so you have options for how they sit. I will tell you that it steers better with the older child closest to you (but the same is true for most tandem strollers). The seats are great for newborns, but also fits my tall 3 y/o. My kids sit facing each other, with my YDS in the front facing me, and ODS in the back facing out.

For a side by side, I was just looking at the City Mini Double...it's not cheap, but it was also the sturdiest of all the side by sides I looked at. I doubt I'll get it, but I can dream! I think it would be the only side by side I would want.

We also have a Sit n Stand. I like it okay. My ODS likes it b/c he can, well sit or stand! But YDS gets very uncomfortable in the front seat, and only has the option to face the front. Plus, it's not good for newborns (though there is an infant car seat adapter...but we have a convertible car seat, so that doesn't help us). I like it for certain things (we got it for air travel and a Disneyland trip), but generally I prefer my Contours.

Congrats on your new baby!

No they aren't worth it with 3 yrs between them.
just get a front baby carrier and push the 3 yr old in an umbrella stroller for a few months then make him walk and put the baby in the stroller when he's big enough to walk all the time ( 3.5-4) .

edited to add
mine are 2 yrs 10 months apart.

I have a 2.5 year old and a 7 month old. Any time we're out we use the stroller for toddler and baby bjorn for baby. Now baby is getting ready to outgrow the bjorn but we'll soon be getting one of those covered wagon things and they can both ride in that. So we skipped the whole double stroller thing and saved the money. BTW, we LOVE the bjorn and so has both of my babies!

For me, I am very glad I have mine, but it was not something I had to jump on. At first you don't go a lot of places and the few places you might go, like the dr or the store, your three year old won't need to ride probably. But I recently took my 9month old and three year old to the zoo, and boy was I glad I had it!! The only thing I would majorly suggest is to research which brands are the smallest, slimmest and pay the money if they are higher!!! Mine is so HUGE, I call it my smart car:D But I have seen some that are built more like an over sized umbrella stroller and they are so much easier!!! So I say find out which are the smallest and easiest and go that route. Good luck!!

Absolutely worth it! Try looking into a sit and stand. Go to a place where they have them on display, i.e., Buy Buy Baby, and try putting your son for a test run. There will be times where you will not want to be carrying the infant in a baby carrier or your arms. I always brought my sling anyways. Hope this helps since I don't know when you posted this. Good luck and congrats!!

Hello, congrats on your second :-) I was just in your shoes, when I had my second my first was 2 1/2 yrs old. I did buy the sit and stand double stroller, we used just a few times and that was it, I want a double jogging stroller now but then I ask myself why a double, my first daughter loves to walk, she is now 3. If we do walk to the park in our neighborhood both my girls now love to take the wagon. The only other time I would need a stroller is if I go to the mall and honestly, both my girls don't like to be in the stroller for very long so now I go to the mall without them, I really don't have a daily use or even weekly use for a stroller anymore. Not sure if this helps. this was just my situation. Have a great day.

How often does the 3 year old use the stroller now? Do you envision taking walks/jogs several times a week? Consider how much the single is used now and how much it might be used in the future.

I jog with my kids, so yes, I have a BOB Duallie that my 11 month old and almost 4 year old ride in on my runs. They love it and have a great time! I use it a few times a week, so it is definitely getting use.

Here is an option. I love Peg Perego. The Plinko P3 has a spot on the back for an older child to ride so if he doesn't want to walk, he can ride! How cool! They are super durable and have a ton of prints. I bought mine on ebay for $170 brand new. Which is super good since they go for $300 plus. I think Jen C is talking about the Peg. They are nice!!