The Boys' New Ride

Stroller talk!

Mom's of multiples, or with 2 young children, understand how difficult it can be to decide on a double stroller. I spent 9 pregnant months trying to decide on one. Then I have spent the last 7 more months trying to decide on a permanent one.

Do I go with my dream stroller - Baby Jogger's City Select that comes highly recommended by all moms but is high in price? Or do I go with the Snap n Go for ease? Maybe I should go for a side-by-side double jogger style stroller?  Then you see a mom out in public with the cheaper Graco Tour Duo stroller and think maybe you should save your excess "stroller funds" for other important items.

Our first double stroller purchase (Snap n Go)

I started out with the Double Snap n Go.  This was a cheap solution that seemed easiest for twins. It is light weight and easily portable. Its just a frame stroller so you pull it out, snap it open,  simply pull the infant seat out of the van (because you know all twin mom's have to have a van), place the seat on the frame and away you go.  I used and abused this stroller. I took it everywhere with me: Grocery store, wal-mart, walks, parks, the state fair, the north shore, grandma's house, and anyplace else I would take the kids too. The stroller was more than worth the 2 weeks I spent trying to find it and the $85 I spent on it.  And wouldn't you know, I went in Buy Buy Baby the other day and NOW they have it on the shelf, just sitting there waiting to be bought like every other stroller. I spent WEEKS trying to get one, Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, etc and finally ordered one from Wal-Mart (which I spent a week trying to sort out because my order was messed up).

Anyways back on topic here...

The problem is that the stroller doesn't have seats. It's only useful as long as the babies are still in their infant seats. My boys will still be in their infant seats awhile longer, but I'm finding them getting more and more annoyed with constantly being in there. I mean, in the car, in the store, at people's houses, when we go for walks, in the stroller at the mall, at the state fair. They're growing tired of it and fast. So it was time to hunt down a new stroller, something with seats so they can be out of their car seats a little bit more.

So I remind myself of all the information and research I did when I was still pregnant and dove head first into Craigslist. There I found it, the stroller I had settled on.  The Kolcraft Contours Options Double Tandem Stroller. My dream was to have a Baby Jogger City Select, but that's not in our price range, especially with twins now.

This stroller is awesome. It came in great condition with one infant seat attachment. I went to Buy Buy Baby and bought a second one for $20. Now it functions as a Snap-N-Go but bigger and more sturdy.

Perks:

When we are walking I can have the boys both facing forward

Or both facing me 

If the boys are getting along well they can face each other and enjoy their own personal giggle-fest.

And the best part - if they are fighting or kicking each other's seats,
I can simply seperate them - problem solved.

And an added perk: when Evelyn gets tired of riding her scooter, 

she (barely) fits in it (33lbs and 33in) and can take a break 

while I carry or wear one of the boys (fun times).  

I was concerned at first looking at the stroller that the seats wouldn't recline. But wouldn't you know it, they do!

The front seat is laying back so Sawyer can sleep

My Review:

I love how sturdy this stroller is. It folds up easily but does take two hands, and you have to remove the seats/infant adaptors before folding to get the most compact fold.  Believe me, with this stroller you definitely want the most compact fold because its big enough as it is. But, the seats are SUPER easy to attach, detach, and turn around. When at the store, I'd say it takes me 15 more seconds to get the stroller ready than it did with any other stroller, even the Snap-N-Go.  The basket underneath isn't super easily accessible but its definitely functional and big.  The stroller weighs somewhere around 33lbs, it feels just a little heavy. I don't mind weight on my stroller, I find that it makes it feel more sturdy that way. After taking the stroller out on the town I love how it drives/rides. It steers and turns easily, even with one hand (as I'm carrying one of the boys in the other), it's not hard to maneuver or push at all. I think the big rubber wheels have a big part in that functionality. I do wish that it folded a little smaller though, the thing barely fits in the back of my van, but somehow I managed to squeeze in the frame, seats, and infant adaptors with a little room to spare. It's almost like a jigsaw puzzle though!

I knew I wanted a tandem stroller because it seems like a side-by-side would be a little hard to maneuver around a store or crowd and I use my stroller for EVERY outing, but I do think I might like to invest in a side-by-side at some point so I can have that option too.

Much of the time, especially as the boys get bigger and as long as the weather is appropriate I plan to use the wagon for many trips. It also fits well in the back of the van and is perfectly functional for outings.

I'm very pleased with my new stroller. New it would have run me around $279-$299, but I found it on Craigslist in really good condition for $125 plus the cost of the second car seat adaptor ($20). Not to bad of a find if I do say so myself.