Looking for a stroller...HELP

Mom2three

New member
I have A LONG time to find the right stroller for our needs. But since we have zero selection around here I have to gather info and use it to the best of my knowledge while looking online, and hope that we will be making a trip to somewhere where I can look at strollers. So, any help here would be great.

I will need a stroller for 2 LOs. DD wil be 2.5 and we will have a newborn. I don't know if a sit-n-stand would work for DD all of the time, but would be interested in looking at one. Anyone had good experiences with them? Do I need SBS or tandem? I hate the graco stroller that we bought with our SS1 and don't want a Graco double. What else would work? I do not want to spend $500 either. We don't use strollers often enough to justify this.

TIA
 
ADS

PixieEMT

New member
I bought a FP sit and stand duo. I kind of played with it and took the parts out of the box.

I got ours at Big Lots for $100. I was going to get a Graco twin stroller but my DS is 33lbs at 2y/o. I was affraid he would hit the 40 lb mark by the spring. The new Quattro twin was a bit out of my price range. My DS will be 2 3/4 when the baby comes in May.
 

Rosey

New member
The Peg Perego Aria 60-40 twin is compatible with the SS1. (albeebaby may be the cheapest on that). The Zooper Tango Twin on overstock.com is $299, and will fit your seat. The combi Counterpart Tandem fit combi seats, but you could probably wedge the SS1 in the back seat. It is $175 on babyage. Or if you aren't stuck on car seat compatibility, I would get a used Maclaren Twin.........Love mine. (I also love my baby jogger city mini double but it is way more and you really can't find them used).

The side by side versus tandem is really a preference. I have had doors my side by side didn't fit in, or itwas such a tight fit I had to contort to open the door all the way and line up the stroller perfectly. They can also steal toys/cups from one another. The tandems usually don't steer as well but will fit through every door. Most have more bells like cupholders and trays. They can't steal, but the rider in the rear can pull hair and kick the seat back. Pick your poison! The Combi might be the best steering tandem in my opinion. (I think it is the extra set of wheels).

I never really liked the sit n stands because the kid in the back has access to the tray, and has spilled my drink (once it was HOT) more times than I can count, and even with the dinky strap and bounce up and down shaking the entire thing. I don't see much difference in that than being able to hop in and out of my Mac double.....I mean, she never really stood anyway. If I had a 5 year old and newborn, I might feel different but at 2.5 I think you would have the same problems I had.
 

lovinwaves

New member
A Peg-Perego P3 might work for you. You can often find them on your local Craigslist. This is a single full-size stroller with a ride plate on the back for the 2.5 year old. I don't think the older one can 'hitch' a ride though if there is an infant seat in place or the seat is reclined all the way.

If you think the 2.5 year old might be riding more then I would invest in a SBS. They are much easier to push and manuveur than a tandem.

Here are some pictures of my two kids with an older P3.

MiscellaneousPhotos074-1.jpg


MiscellaneousPhotos072-1.jpg
 

Melanie

New member
My youngest are 2 yrs 3 wks apart. I think I've been searching for the "perfect" stroller from the time the youngest was born. I couldn't afford a BOB or other high priced stroller. Although with all the unused strollers sitting in my garage I probably could have.

I'd really think about how & when you will be using the stroller.

To do it all again, this is what I would have done in the first place.

1) Smallish single stroller with a sling/carrier in the basket. I use a Chico C-5. Put the baby in the carrier when the older child is using the stroller. This is the most convenient for quick trips or tight places. A stroller with a buggy board would work well for this too.

2) Double tandem. I got a smoking deal on a clearanced Graco Quattro. It's big & heavy (39 lbs), but it has tons of room in the basket, cup holders galore & 2 kids can sleep at the same time. I use this for long outings where they might both need to sleep or need to haul stuff, like at the zoo.

3) Side by Side jogger - Mine is a Schwin with a few more bells & whistles than an Instep. I love it for dirt & neighborhood walks. It so much smoother. We've done mild hiking with ours & it's held up surprisingly well. It's fantastic for dirt events like fall farm festivals. It's too wide to reasonably use inside. Most of the side-by-sides will technically fit through a business door (which is a certain width for wheel chairs). BUT-you must be lined up exactly & once in the store it can be difficult to maneuver around. The downside to air tires is they can go flat. I now carry a pump & a spare inner tube after having a valve stem tear at a festival in the middle of nowhere 1 hr from home.

Sit & Stand types - waste of $ IMO. I have the original Joovy. It's heavy, hard to steer with 2, the front seat isn't comfortable for either child. The only time it was really useful was with the infant attachment bar on & infant seat. I used it like a snap & go & the 2 yr old was fairly contained on the back. It would work if you have a child that listens well, a runner could easily hop right off.

Once you know what you want, keep an eye out for online specials. I got both of the current doubles for about $100 less than the store price with no shipping or tax.

After market infant inserts for car seats work great in strollers. It gives a younger baby more support.

Something I learned from experience is to try out the stroller with kids in it before you buy. At the very least, put your oldest up front (for a tandem) and a heavy bag in the back. Awful strollers are very easy to maneuver when they are empty.
 

Niea

New member
DD, my oldest is 3.5 yrs and DS, my youngest is 6 mos. DD still wasn't ready to give up the stroller when DS was born, so I went ahead and bought a Mac Twin Techno. It's been great! I never really used the infant seat outside the car, so having it compatible with a stroller wasn't a priority. I much prefer the side-by-sides more than the tandems, so that's what I went with. They both love the stroller and ride happily in it. DD is old enough that she doesn't bug DS at all, in fact she takes good care of him (like pops his binky back in when it falls out). The stroller is pretty light for a double, folds very small, and is a dream to push. I've been thrilled with mine!
 

Niea

New member
Oooh, I'm jealous! Well, i have no experience with it and haven't seen it in the store, but i hear it's pretty similar to the Mac Twin Techno. When I got my double stroller, I opted for the Mac because I was familiar with them. The Baby Planet stroller was too much for me to commit to it blindly. But I hear very good things about it!!

If I could have found it that cheaply, I would have gotten it instead of the Mac.
 

Mom2three

New member
I think I am going to go ahead and get it...I can head down after work and take care of it tonight before someone else beats me to it. I figure even if it doesn't end up working for us, we can re-sell it. But for the price...I don't know how to say no. DH of course says go for it, because there is no guarantee that we will find as good of a deal before we need it.
 

firemomof3

New member
I bought a baby planet single stroller but I haven't been impressed :thumbsdown: I've had so many strollers its just rediculous :eek: I needed a single stroller that was lightweight, folded small and was easy to push. This stroller does fold very nicely & doesn't take up much space, so I like that. But I'm tall and the handles are not tall enough & I kick the back wheels which drives me nuts :mad: I don't see what so special about this stroller, I don't hate it but I do wish I had spent a little more money and gotten something else.
Best of luck and let us know what you think!!
 

lovinwaves

New member
Well, did you get it?? :D

I liked the Baby Planet double strollers(never seen a single in person though). The handle is funky yes, but for someone like me that tends to kick the back of the strollers, the smaller middle wheels were a plus for me!

I do rememeber people complaining about that handle coming loose. Sounds like if that happens you may just need to retighten the screws if it isn't covered under warranty.
 

Mom2three

New member
We did get it. For the price, even if it isn't perfect it can be a backup. I am one of those that can find a reason to buy a new one any day of the week. We got it home and DH promptly broke it. :mad: He bent one of the seat back bars when folding it because he smashed it. He did fix it though, and told me when we use it and if I decide it's not my favorite I can get this http://www.babyjogger.com/cityminidouble.htm. YEAH!!! So far I like it. It steers very nicely and is easy to turn. I have tried it with my DD and my neighbors 30lb DD. I also had just DD and a small bag in the other side at one point. The good thing is, it didn't pull to one side with either combination of different weights. I think a NB would fit, the seat reclines flat, but I would probably use a snuggler or something to get a better fit. It's off to the top of the barn until the time comes to put it to use!
 

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