Need Double Stroller Advice

I hated mine! It is so wide it is hard to maneuver. it is hard to steer, and you take up the whole sidewalk. You can not use it in many stores because the it is too wide. I threw mine in the trash and got a stroller with a board on the back for eldest. We still use the one with the board all the time, and my boys are now 2 and 4.

This answer probably will not be popular, but our children are 17 months and 3 years, and we have never had a double stroller. The big boy walks everywhere and the "baby" goes in the stroller. If we are taking long walks or hikes, we adjust the single stroller to fit the big boy and the little one goes in the backpack.

I had the same problem as you, only reversed. I had a side by side and my 2 children would not keep their hands off each other and kept taking each others food, toys, cups, etc. Their favorite thing to do was kick each others feet. I hated it!! So, I sold that one and now I have one where one sits in front and one in back and I haven't used it for a while. Well, we finally used it again at the zoo the other day and we had the same problem with the one in back pulling hair and kicking the seat in front. I guess it's just one of those kids will be kids I guess! :) ~R.

If price isn't an issue check out phil and ted, bob, and maclaren strollers online.

After much research we narrowed it down to two: a kolcraft with adjustable seats (kids can sit facing each other, facing away from each other, three other ways too), and the joovy ultralight caboose.

We got the joovy because our daughter would have outgrown a regular stroller seat too soon after getting it. The joovy is rated higher than the sit n stand and seems more comfortable. You can easily find them for cheaper on craigslist or ebay too. You can try out many styles at babies r us to see how easy they are to steer and maneuver.

The only problem we have is that our three year old can get out of the back jump seat and she's a runner! If your oldest isn't then he will do fine in this style, and they are sitting back to back. Our single stroller was a jeep and we loved that but had problems with the tires deflating often. Good luck!

I'm not sure if it's what you are looking for but I have twins now 7 (they fought sometimes) and I used a Burley bike trailer for everything. They are pricey but I have never gotten so much use out of something in my life and now my cousin has it for her kids and it still works great. It has a back compartment for stuff and has a mesh cover and plastic cover for total rain protection. As a stroller, I loved the lightness and the ease of control with the small swivel wheel. I highly recommend them and if you bike, it easily converts to a bike attachment too. http://www.bicycletrailers.com/Burley-DLite.pro Rei has them also.
Good Luck!

One thing that always bugged me about double umbrella strollers is when they have three set of wheels in the back - one on each side and one in the middle. That set in the middle is always in the way - you have to be careful not to step on it or bump it with your foot. This is really annoying in my opinion. The maclaren stroller has a lot of nice features, but I won't buy it because it too has that extra set of wheels in the way. Graco makes a very nice side by side stroller that is pretty lightweight (a little heavier than an umbrella stroller but lighter than a full size stroller) and I recommend it (only two sets of wheels - why do you need three anyway?). I can't remember the name but you could probably find it at their website gracobaby.com. I'm sure there are others. Anyway, the wheel thing might not bother you, but it's worth checking out. Good luck!

had the exact same issue with child #2 and #3 - same age difference and everything.... I have been through about 5 different double strollers.... I have three "stroller eligible" children - allthough child $2 jsut turned 3 years old and is pretty much out of strollers...

anyway - after much deliberation...my stroller arsenal consists of 2 strollers in my Windstar at all times....

Combi Twin Saavy side by side umbrella double
http://www.strollerdepot.com/moreinfo.php?SKU=0879

and the Chicco single umbrella -
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2585640

They are great and work for us no matter where we go... I cart all 4 kids around everywhere with me because i work from home and can take them with me when i am out in the field... As long as I have those two strollers with me - we are good to go. I rarely use them both at the same time.... the Chicco is especially handy because I can use oit fopr my 8 month old at the park and today i used it for my 35lb 3 year old with the bum leg (another long story)

Hey Celena! I am sorry to say that I think no matter which stroller you have, you'll probably still deal with the same issues...they are just gonna taunt each other....my girls do it when one is walking beside the stroller and one is in it! I think you should just stick with the stroller you have. Also, the side by side strollers are really difficult to manuver, especially in stores with narrow aisles!

You might consider a sit n stand stroller by Baby Trend.
You can find them at Wal-Mart, Target, just about anywhere online. The kids face the opposite direction.

There is this website which I found useful when looking at strollers. They have a good selection of strollers, and then review each one in detail. It might help you weigh out the pros and cons of all of them. Good luck!

letsgostrolling.com

jeep makes a really cool side by side double stroller they're relatively inexpensive and very sturdy

Hi,

You may want to check out the Tango by Zooper. I have the single umbrella stroller (Waltz) from them and it is easy to maneuver and comes with quite a few extra. You may be able to find the 2007 version online for less than the 2008. The distributor is based in Beaverton so if you want to go see them they will let you stop by the warehouse (I did this to check out if my car seat would fit the waltz). This was closer than going to Segals to check out the waltz for me.

I have a side by side that is made by Jeep. I really like it for walks outside and what not but as for inside use for like a shopping mall it is horrible. I thought the tandum stroller was bad trying to get in and out of stores...this one doesnt even fit into most stores. If i try and catch someones attention they can sometimes help me by moving displays and what not but it is a hassel. The big stores I have the most problems are the kids clothing stores too surprisingly. It could be model of the side by side to that is a bit more bulky I thik that McClaren makes some that are a bit skinnier but they are also a bit more pricy and and Prego makes them a little slimmer too. I would try Babies R us online. They let customers rate the products and I have found that the opinions of most moms on there are accurate. Happy Shopping!!

I'm totally going to sound like...something. But, my boys are about the same agae apart (and so are my daughter and son), and I don't think a new stroller is the solution. We used a one behind the other stroller until they grew out of it. I put the older one in the back, and there were consequences when they couldn't keep their hands to themselves. You have to be able to go places - and if it doesn't stop now, it's not going to get better. Each behavior - whether at home, in the car, at someone's house, or at a store - needs to be addresed. A two year old can understand that if he pulls hair, kicks, ect... and then gets a firm, but gentle pat on the hand - he probably won't continue.
My kids are all older now, and I'm so glad I tought them how to behave when we're out and about - I would have gone crazy if I couldn't take them places. I really am speaking from experience. NO kids are perfect - but they can behave. Blessings. (I'm sure this won't be a popular response - but it just seemed like the real solution to me)

They will still bug eachother in a side by side but the hair pulling does stop. Our daughter 3 has hug curls that her brother loves to pull. I have had many friends that have had the side by side umbrella strollers and quickly return them because they are so hard to maneuver. We have a double jogging stroller side by side fixed wheel and love it. It is the schwinn Free runner. I would suggest if you do not need a hand brake (we need one because my husband uses the stroller to rollerblade and he doesn't have brakes on his skates) I would say go with a double jogger with a swivel wheel. You kids are close together and you will be using the stroller for many years to come so don't fret about cost it most likely will be well worth the purchase. www.Instep.net has great strollers. These are the ones I found to be the best. You don't have to purchase from instep.net I found that you can get a $25 off purchase at sports authority and most of the time free shipping. We got our double schwinn down from $279 to $210 after tax.

p.s. the double joggers usually don't have the tray for the kids but I still think they are worth it! Oh and make sure that any double side by side you purchase is small enough 33" or smaller width wise to fit through doors!!!! You would be surprised but quit a few don't actually fit through doors!