Double stroller: newborn and toddler, worth it?

[slackerinabox]

So here's my dilemma, we just had a newborn baby and will need an umbrella stroller in about 5 months. Right now our toddler (2 and a half years old) is at that stage where she hates her stroller yet sometimes just needs it (trip to the mall, long stretches of walking). Since double strollers are not cheap (about $500 for a light one) I'm wondering if it's just a bad investment since our toddler will be 3 by then... Thoughts? The infant can just inherit my toddler's stroller, but am I being presumptuous about my toddler graduation from strollerdom by 3ish?

 

[Dirigible]

We had a Phil and ted double stroller. My kids are 18 months apart. That stroller is nice since it is only as wide as a one-kid stroller. Pretty much stopped using the stroller when my younger son turned four, with tapering of use before that. Towards the end we only used it on long outings, like hours walking around the zoo.

Dunno how useful that is. But there ya go.

 

[manimal]

I would get the stroller you can always use the second seat as storage once your toddler outgrows it. Even then lots of kids get tired of walking and ask for a stroller on long days at the park or at a fair etc.

Our 4 year old triplets just outgrow their Peg Pereggo triplet stroller and have moved on to just an occasional ride in the choo choo wagon.

 

[highland145]

Something like this for the newborn.

 

[Eug]

Before age 1, our kid hated the stroller so we generally didn't use it anyway. We just used a baby carrier like the one above.

If you use a baby carrier, maybe by the time your new kid needs a stroller, your other kid will be almost 4.

 

[waggy]

we had a double stroller. in the front it had an area for the newborn. behind it was a seat for a older kid. they could flip it up and stand if they wanted to.

 

[skagen5555]

We got the Britax b-ready. It's a one seat (bassinet/infant car seat) stroller with an options attachment for a 2nd seat/car seat. So it's like the best of both worlds since when they graduate from stroller, you an turn it back into a single seat or have the option for the 2nd seat when needed.

Here are the different configs:
http://www.britaxusa.com/strollers/b-ready-configurations

 

[slackerinabox]

We got the Britax b-ready. It's a one seat (bassinet/infant car seat) stroller with an options attachment for a 2nd seat/car seat. So it's like the best of both worlds since when they graduate from stroller, you an turn it back into a single seat or have the option for the 2nd seat when needed.

Here are the different configs:
http://www.britaxusa.com/strollers/b-ready-configurations

Funny, we have the uppababy vista which looks very similar, and there's a double stroller attachment available, but we just thought the weight was too much for a nyc stroller (about 30 pounds), and use our Maclaren (13 pounds) much more often.. I should check into the weight of other double strollers, maybe it even outs in the end.

Good idea!

 

[slackerinabox]

Something like this for the newborn.

Have one and use it, but they really are back killers after a certain point.

 

[blackdogdeek]

How about that little attachment that goes at the back of the stroller and is just a platform with wheels that the toddler can stand on? That seems cheap enough to try before you go and get a full-blown double.

FWIW, we had a single maclaren umbrella, a single jogger, a double jeep umbrella and a double city stroller thing. Our kids are about 3 years apart. The first two were obviously leftovers from the firstborn. The double jeep is invaluable as a travel stroller either at the mall or at Disney. Mall walking got boring/tiring fast for our older toddler. And as something that can help carry shopping bags it was great. Disney was a no-brainer especially when we needed to get places quickly. It folds up and is relatively light. We ended up getting the City Stroller because my wife walked the kids to daycare everyday a few miles away from the house and the sidewalks were too uneven and bumpy for the jeep's wheels believe it or not. The City Stroller has the big, knobby tires. However, I'd put it in the luxury category.

 

[glenn1]

So here's my dilemma, we just had a newborn baby and will need an umbrella stroller in about 5 months. Right now our toddler (2 and a half years old) is at that stage where she hates her stroller yet sometimes just needs it (trip to the mall, long stretches of walking). Since double strollers are not cheap (about $500 for a light one) I'm wondering if it's just a bad investment since our toddler will be 3 by then... Thoughts? The infant can just inherit my toddler's stroller, but am I being presumptuous about my toddler graduation from strollerdom by 3ish?

NO way I'd spend $500 on a stroller. Even something like this one I'd consider an extreme luxury and we didn't try to scimp when it came to baby vehicles (my wife had bought 6 different strollers at one point). Besides, you can find strollers all day long on Craigslist, just wait for a decent deal unless you *have* to buy something today.

Besides, at 3 it's time to let your little one walk.

 

[NoTine42]

We used something like this at DisneyWorld a few times
http://www.britaxusa.com/accessories/stroller-board

Although I think ours had a (rear facing) seat and standing platform.

 

[moonbogg]

Get it. If you are out somewhere and your 3 year old is tired and doesn't want to walk, you are SCREWED! They need to be able to go to sleep in the stroller. Ours has worked well. I have a 3yr old and 1yr old, both boys, and we stuff them in that thing and lock 'em down so they can't wiggle their way out and ruin our day. Just give them plenty of bread crumbs and water them and they will survive the day at the zoo or wherever.

 

[NoTine42]

Winner winner chicken dinner

http://mountainbuggy.com/us/Products/freerider-stroller-board

 

[brainhulk]

I have a newborn and a 3.5 y/o. We bought one but haven't used it. The toddler walks everywhere. I don't reme5 the exact model, but we went with the lightest non-side by side stroller. We needed light enough for the wife and felt the side by sides were to difficult to maneuver in aisles

 

[ch33zw1z]

Toddler at 2.5 will walk everywhere if you let them. Mine certainly did, and they'll sleep like rocks.. I wouldn't get the double stroller...

 

[ch33zw1z]

Have one and use it, but they really are back killers after a certain point.

Check out a Moby wrap, easier on the back. It won't mean you can walk forever, but much better on the back than the standard baby carriers IMO.

 

[Platypus]

get the doublewide if you live in park slope, you'll fit right in.

 

[slackerinabox]

get the doublewide if you live in park slope, you'll fit right in.

Former bushwicker now in the humble if boring safety of Queens, I've considered swiping park slope yuppie's overpriced strollers a few times... They don't even lock them up.. IN brooklyn!

 

[slackerinabox]

NO way I'd spend $500 on a stroller. Even something like this one I'd consider an extreme luxury and we didn't try to scimp when it came to baby vehicles (my wife had bought 6 different strollers at one point). Besides, you can find strollers all day long on Craigslist, just wait for a decent deal unless you *have* to buy something today.

Besides, at 3 it's time to let your little one walk.

Seems like in NYC only the yuppies are having kids, so the markup on used strollers is pretty significant.. Believe me, I'm not a big spender and have been through 3 cheapie strollers before settling on the uppababy (5 months to a yearish) then the Maclaren - the mid range strollers just seem to maneuver better and handle airport trips without bending out of shape.

I think the approach I'll go is upgrading my fullsize stroller to a double (which would still be much heavier than something like the City Mini double, top of my list). We're talking $100 part vs. a $500 stroller, the bulk my only concern. Those wheely board things look awesome, but what if the kid peters out at the zoo and needs to take a nap?

 

[glenn1]

Seems like in NYC only the yuppies are having kids, so the markup on used strollers is pretty significant.. Believe me, I'm not a big spender and have been through 3 cheapie strollers before settling on the uppababy (5 months to a yearish) then the Maclaren - the mid range strollers just seem to maneuver better and handle airport trips without bending out of shape.

I think the approach I'll go is upgrading my fullsize stroller to a double (which would still be much heavier than something like the City Mini double, top of my list). We're talking $100 part vs. a $500 stroller, the bulk my only concern. Those wheely board things look awesome, but what if the kid peters out at the zoo and needs to take a nap?

Most zoos rent strollers. You could probably do a lot of daily rentals for what you'll spend to own one.

 

[tfinch2]

Have one and use it, but they really are back killers after a certain point.

Don't cheap out on it. For our first born, we had a cheap $25 Infantino that killed your back after 15 minutes. My wife bought an Ergo Baby for our second. I thought she was crazy for spending $100+ on it, but she carries our son for hours at a time with no problem. He also goes to sleep instantly in it.

 

[Zargon]

Have one and use it, but they really are back killers after a certain point.

and some kids hate them

some will spend time in them, but have a limit of an hour or so


ergos are GREAT. we have one, we borrowed an ergo sport and my wife took our 5 month old to top of Horsetooth)ok she didn't do the freeclimb to summit it) in Fort Collins and he was fine.

he wouldn't go back in it for a few days after that though

 

[notposting]

We ended up with a Graco DuoGlider. Toddler front seat, rear converts from car seat platform, flat platform for baby, to seat. Storage underneath.

Ours were about 2 years 9 months apart and it's worked out fine. Great at the zoo, great for walks to the park. Gives someplace to shove diaper bags and hats and water bottles and toys and stuffed animals and blah blah oh my god it never ends they just take over your life and rot your brain.

Was nice because we could lay the baby down altogether and trundle about. It's bizarre when you start noticing how freaking many other people have the same strollers lol. Of course that's what going to the zoo and museum will do to you.

 

[rh71]

With our twins we used our double stroller for not even a year... I think somewhere around age 2 or 3 and that was the end of that. The next time we needed a stroller (umbrellas) was when we went to Disney at 5 and it made their day easier being carted around. Anyway, we got more use out of the infant carrier push cart thingy overall. I can see how a double would be beneficial if you have a normal set of singletons separated by a couple years, but don't expect it to be needed long. At least not to the tune of $500. At least ours was a gift, but still it was wasted money that could've gone elsewhere.