What are the Best Double Strollers of 2014???
So, recently several of my friends announced they were having babies. They all already have at least two other children. Then was the topic of me being a baby gear guru and which double stroller is my fave and why. Well, I wrote this all up for you. Please note that I didn’t list a convertible stroller as a double stroller, because I think the term is redundant in a lot of ways. I didn’t forget about that type of double stroller, it just isn’t relevant to me or anyone else that I know really. All double strollers are somewhat convertible in other words. 😀
Which Double Stroller is Best for Your Family?
Double strollers are essential if you have two or more children and the options for double strollers don’t make the process any easier. Before it was hard to find a double stroller that didn’t weigh 100 pounds. When my 14 and 10 year old were younger, the lightest stroller weighed more than my son and that’s saying something as he was 9lbs 5 ozs at birth. If it hadn’t been recalled and was under 50 pounds, it was a winner. Double strollers 10 years ago were heavy, enormous and the most cumbersome contraptions known to human mankind. There was no way to walk down the sidewalk and not get cursed at by people also walking on the same sidewalk. Trips to the grocery store created a bigger traffic jam than the 405 during rush hour in LA and you could forget about going through open doorways. HAHAHA
You Lucky Moms and Dads You!
In today’s world of strollers, we’ve got lighter, smaller, compactible, high quality and easy to maneuver double strollers that have me itching to have baby number 3. You want a fashion trendy buggy, well, hop on board (pun intended, will explain later) because there are an amplitude of choices that make your increased breastfeeding boobies seem you should still be in a training bra. I’ve got multi-functional, budget friendly, fashion friendly coming at you in all directions after these messages.
Which Type of Double Stroller Do You Need?
Side-by-Side (Twin), Sit and Stand, Tandem, All-Terrain, Double Jogging, or Double Umbrella or you still don’t know. If you don’t know what you’re looking for then read on below and I’ll help you decide between styles. 🙂
Types of Double Strollers Defined
Side-by-Side (Twin)
Side-by-Side or more commonly known as the Twin Stroller are obviously two seats next to each other. Unlike days of old, these will fit down grocery store aisles, the sidewalk, and while shopping. Most well-made side-by-side strollers account for these inconveniences of the past and are much narrower, very few offer double car seat capacity however. The same room is offered to each child, so no favoritism is going on here, The babies can talk to each other easily and parents can easily get to them. My faves are the Joovy Scooter X2 Double and the Bugaboo Donkey. The Joovy weighs under 30 pounds, it’s easy to fold, steer and maneuver (all wheel suspension baby) *my must haves*, fully recline for babies, the handlebar isn’t adjustable, that’s ok (I’m a midget), large storage basket underneath (I like to shop), and it’s available in three colors. The only drawback is that the seats need to be reclined before folding the stroller up.
The Bugaboo Donkey with just three simple clicks, converts from a full-sized mono to a full-sized duo stroller. And back again. Flexible luggage options, why yes please, there’s plenty of room for your stuff too.
Some other good options are the Baby Jogger City Mini GT Double Stroller (wider profile is not good for narrow spaces) but it has an adjustable handlebar (sweet) and the Britax B-Agile Double Stroller it only takes one Britax car seat (adapters are included), so if you have twins this isn’t the side-by-side double stroller for you. No multiples here, Sorry. L LOL
Sit and Stand
If you have an older child, generally speaking two years older than the baby you have or that you’re expecting, then the sit and stand stroller is for you. An older child hates being put into anything. They are becoming more and more independent and this allows them to get in and out easily when they want to. It allows them to sit or stand as well. Sit and stands are easier to maneuver, compact, smaller and easy to store. This is a stroller and a half if you think about it. My favorite is the Joovy Caboose Ultralight hands down. There is not another sit and stand stroller that I can or will recommend. It has a supersized sun canopy to shade me and my child, high quality materials and design mean I can have this for years, and it accommodates most car seat brands for convenience. Oh yeah, it also has 7 different color schemes including my fave Purpleness not pictured.
Tandem Double Strollers
A tandem double baby stroller has two seats, one behind the other. Very similar to the Sit and Stand, but with a seat. Often times in these the child in back cannot see the front seat. A lot of people like the rear seat sitting higher than the front, and truthfully, that always worries me. The back reclines all the way, the front generally doesn’t. This stroller is best suited for an infant and a toddler. Toddler in the front and the infant sits or lies in the back seat. Tandems are great for twins since they generally take two infant car seats. A tandem is obviously narrower, easier to maneuver until you’ve gotta turn. Then you experience what all the weight in the front of a stroller, not even distributed does to your body. Come on Hercules, you can do it! But, hey your children are in a single file line with you, so that’s a plus right? Start ’em early I say.
iCandy Peach Blossom how I love you and all your British luxury-seeking glamour. Now there are only three color schemes, but Black Jack keeps me and my husband happy. J This tandem double stroller is suitable for different aged children or twins. Super easy to fold, under 20 pounds, generous shopping, I mean, storage basket, Bassinet holds your babies until they are six months old, toddler seats hold them until they are 3 years old. The main seats recline fully so you can use these with newborns.
The iCandy is no longer sold in the US and only offers service in the UK. This is the only tandem I’ve ever owned and I loved it personally. However, I’m not a huge fan of tandems. Some more are listed below for your convenience.
The Joovy Too Qool is another great option that’s new on the market and comes in at half the price of the iCandy Peach Blossom. It also comes in 10 different colors. The only thing not to like from the video I saw is that it’s a bit bulky which is to be expected, it’s a tandem DOUBLE stroller, hello and I wish it had a cup holder. UPDATE: Joovy Too Qool now has a cup holder!!! My iCandy still doesn’t have a cup holder. LOL
Another option is the Stokke Crusi. Easy to use, set up, and fold. High seating position. Seat can face either direction. However, this is expensive and the fixed seat at the high point with no option to lower it bothers me.
Another option if you only want to partially break your bank account is the Baby Jogger City Select which is also known as a convertible stroller since it grows with your child(ren). This sucker is the mix-and-match guru. 16 different combinations of seating. Since this is a gorgeous single seating stroller, it’s perfect if you’re planning to have more children.
All Terrain Double Strollers
These are known as sport utility strollers, sounds like an SUV, well, it is an SUV of strollers. Say you like hiking or long walks, but jogging isn’t your thing. Say you love jogging and sometimes jog in different type of terrain, this is for you. All-Terrain double strollers have three wheels, the front wheel swivels, and has the option to lock straight for better stability over different types of terrain, especially while jogging. It is NOT RECOMMENDED that you jog when using any all-terrain stroller as a travel system. That is because of the accommodation for an infant car seat with an adapter accessory. However, most of these only accommodate one infant car seat, so, not a great idea for twins until they are older.
My fave is the Bob Revolution SE Duallie. It’s versatile, durable, excellent quality, and has the smoothest ride. The only downfall on this magnificent stroller are the expensive add-ons. Adjustable shocks, hello, score! I know you’re all thinking and wondering how I am recommending this stroller when they had recalls in 2011, but they have been redesigned and are amazing.
Another great option is the Bumbleride Indie Twin. It’s hard to beat the function, quality and allotment of colors to choose from that the Bumbleride offers. This is great for twins because it does accommodate two infant car seats or carrycots. Everything can be customized to fit your children’s needs. The sun canopies, safety harnesses, leg rests and multi-position reclining seats give every child a comfy ride. Going down that aisle at the grocery store and walking on the sidewalk is a piece of cake because it’s only 29 inches across. It goes well over everything from sand, gravel to grass. It’s also my BFFs fave double stroller.
Double Jogging Strollers
These are made for serious joggers in mind. Larger wheels allow for a much smoother ride and these can take a lot of rough handling. If you’re part of an active family, this is the stroller for you. The wheels are bicycle-style racing wheels and are sturdy so, they are great for rough terrains and uneven surfaces too. But, the problem is that with a fixed front wheel jogging strollers aren’t designed for maneuverability. They have all-wheel or rear suspension systems which is perfect for maneuvering on smooth or uneven roads. They come equipped with hand brakes and are super safe.
I’m not a jogger, so I’m basing these faves on friends and family. My jogging mommy friends, I hate you all by the way; you’re in shape right after birth and looking phenomenal selves make most moms feel inadequate. LOL
The City Mini GT Double Stroller and Joovy CocoonX2 Double Stroller all have high reviews from friends. They rave about the safety features, performance, etc., and tell me how great they are. I’ll let you try and test these out for yourselves.
Umbrella Strollers
Curved double handles exist on what again? Oh yeah, that’s right, umbrellas. There you have it. Umbrellas fold quickly, easily and compactly too. Just like umbrella strollers. They’re light, small, and super simple to use. Weighing less than 20 pounds they are guaranteed to LACK certain features like sunshades and shopping, I mean, storage baskets. However, if you’re a jet-setting parent, you’ll find this your go-to stroller. You won’t find an easier gate check item than this. You really shouldn’t use many umbrella strollers until your child is at least six months of age. They don’t generally recline flat and because of this are not suitable for babies.
My fave umbrella stroller is the Maclaren and yes, I know all too well, that once upon a time they got a bad rap. However, the Maclaren Twin Triumph is revamped and amazing. Weighs 22 pounds and can carry 5 times that much combined weight. It has four-position reclining seats, individual sun canopies, storage basket beneath the seats, although I never recommend you hanging bags off the handles, the one is well-balanced and not AS dangerous as others. STILL NOT RECOMMENDING this people.
With All That Said…
These are my FAVE double strollers and the reasons why each one of them work for me and my family. However, when I post my best strollers for 2014 that aren’t double strollers we will get into some other brand names that you may or may not have heard about. Expect to see Nuna, Quinny, Mima, Stokke, Peg Perego, UPPAbaby and more. Yes, some of these have double strollers, but they’re not my faves. Also, I’m a firm believer that everyone has a different opinion and reason as to why one stroller is best for them and not someone else.
