According to Malcom Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point, I'm what he calls a "maven". This basically means that I love a good deal - research products quite a bit - and love to share what I find and learn with other people. Really I think I'm only this way about one thing, and that is baby gear. Particularly strollers. I have owned and currently own, quite a few. Some people don't care at all about this kind of stuff, but I swear having 2 kids one year apart means that my world revolves around the convenience or inconvenience of my stroller. That being said, they are pretty important to me. I have had a couple people ask lately what I have liked/not liked and recommend. I have only been a mom for 2 years, so I'm no expert, but here are my thoughts gathered in one place, for anyone interested.
First: Graco Quattro Tour Duo
Pros:
front to back means it's easier to fit through doors, aisles etc.
lots of cup holders/snack trays for babies and mom.
HUGE basket underneath
handles that are easy and comfortable to steer, and you can hang things on.
love the 5 pt. harness straps, super easy to get on and off quickly.
EASIEST fold and unfold option on ANY stroller I have ever owned, especially doubles! This is it's best feature in my opinion.
can accommodate 2 toddlers, or 2 babies in car seats, or one of each.
rear seat has a great recline.
Cons:
this stroller is HEAVY - like nearly 50lbs without any kids in it!
even though it's super easy to fold, it's not very compact. takes up a lot of space in my trunk.
the seat in the back doesn't have a lot of leg room.
the seat in the front hardly reclines at all.
it's long instead of wide, which has advantageous and disadvantageous. long means it doesn't exactly turn on a dime.
Bottom line:
I think this is a great stroller. This was my first purchase of a double and I love it. My biggest complaint is it's weight and size. If you have a toddler and a new baby, this is probably a great stroller for you. It is a good price too, although if you click on the link above and see the retail price - I should tell you I paid less than half for mine. In fact that is true for most of my strollers, I NEVER pay full price. I'll tell you more about that later.
Second: Maclaren Twin Triumph
Pros:
lightweight for a double - about HALF the weight of my Graco.
folds WAY more compactly, this is what I keep in my trunk.
fits through standard doorways
because it's Maclaren - it's nice - so it's a SUPER smooth ride.
turns on a dime.
soft fabric, comfortable for the kids.
they can sit side by side, no kicking of seats or fighting over front when they are older.
they individually recline almost fully, so both kids can nap.
comfortable handles for mom, easy to steer.
Cons:
no cup holders for mom or baby.
baskets underneath are fairly small.
pretty small sun shades.
pricey for an umbrella type stroller, though I think you get what you pay for.
Bottom line:
I love this stroller. I have only owned this for a couple months, but it's everything I wanted it to be, lightweight and small. This is a great stroller for places like the zoo, we took it to the aquarium. It's good for places where you aren't trying to squeeze through small tight spaces. I'd use the Graco to go shopping, and this to go almost anywhere else, including traveling.
Third: BOB Revolution Duallie
Pros:
where do I start?? super smooth ride, has SHOCKS for crying out loud!
safe 5 pt. harness and safety strap for jogging.
easy to maneuver.
comfortable handle.
built to last, comes with 5 year warranty.
turns on a dime.
HUGE sun shade.
big basket underneath.
can buy separate car seat attachment for infant carrier.
not too heavy for a jogger. weighs less than my Graco by a several lbs.
folds fairly compactly, considering its a double jogger.
the wheels pop off SO easily for more compact storage.
basically the best double jogger you can get - in my opinion.
Cons:
price, though like the Maclaren, I think you get what you pay for.
have to buy the parent console tray separately, but it's not expensive.
like the Graco, takes up a lot of space in my trunk.
Bottom line:
If you want a nice jogger, or just a nice stroller, BOB is the way to go. Once you use one, every other stroller will feel flimsy, cheap, rickety, loud, and bumpy. Seriously. I know LOTS of people, (my sisters included) who use the BOB as their main stroller. It's not just a jogger. Even John was impressed with the construction of this thing. Which is saying a lot, because he could really care less.
Summary:
Ok... so I own all three, and I know this is excessive. I am trying to decide what to do at this point, what to keep and what to sell. I just bought my BOB the other day, and it's definitely staying in my possession for as long as I have 2 kids young enough to ride. The Graco is great for my kids now, but when they get bigger, I think they will prefer the Maclaren. The Maclaren is awesome, but will probably be used the least often now that we have the BOB. So do you see my dilemma? Every stroller has it's own function, they are all best for different situations. Here is my advice to my friends who have been asking... decide what you think you will use your stroller for most often, shopping, daily outings like the zoo etc, or jogging or around the neighborhood or to the park. Then I would choose accordingly between a front-to-back stroller like the Graco, or a side by side like the Maclaren, or an awesome heavy duty like the BOB. Got it? Or you could be like me and find awesome deals and buy all 3 over a span of a year.
Ok, now, where to buy and how much to pay. This is a separate post on it's own, but lets just say I'm the biggest advocate of buying used. I bought the Graco off Craigslist in California and had my mom go pick it up. It was almost new, came in perfect condition with the manual and everything... and I paid way less than half retail. Awesome deal. I bought the Maclaren on eBay. It was brand new, but a 2008 model instead of 2009, and I bought it for about 25% off retail. It came in perfect condition, in the box, with the warranty from Maclaren. Awesome deal. I bought my BOB off KSL. It is one year old, hardly used, has all it's original parts, came with the manual and warranty. I paid about half retail price. Another awesome deal.
Moral of the story:
Don't ask me which one specifically you should own, because I haven't figured it out for myself yet. But I believe that these are the best 3 out there in their respective categories. Definitely buy whichever you decide, used. And lastly, they clean up well with antibacterial wipes.
Oh, and I hope someone appreciates this post, because I spent a good 30 minutes of naptime on it.
8 comments:
you need to get out more often. First a binky post and now strollers??? You might be losing your mind.
JUST KIDDING! I totally get it. I may not be as obsessed as you are but I can relate : )
LOVE the pics of Boss giving Naomi the ride of her life...
thanks michele! i HAVE to buy a double...i went to the mall with west in the sling and quincy in the stroller. i was seriously sweating with him strapped to me sleeping and pushing quince. :) i have been thinking the BOB...we'll see.
Thanks Michele. Having twins I looked around a lot for a great double stroller. I am using the Graco duo glider right now but am looking for a good jogging stroller that I don't have to pay full price for. Your post was very appreciated!
Liz Hopkins
I have been wondering about what to get for a double stroller. Like you I have had a few different ones and they all serve there purposes but in the end I am still looking for the perfect stroller. Thanks for sharing. :)
Someday when your kids are raised you will look back at blog posts about binkies and strollers and wonder what you were smokin. Whats next.....posts about diapers? mini vans? receiving blankets?
dad, someday when my kids are raised, i will look back at the blog and remember the day when my whole life revolved around them and how i WISH I was smokin something to keep my sanity. up next, probably not a post about diapers cuz thats gross, and definitely not a mini van cuz john wont let me get one.
Much appreciated post!! I've talked to people with each of these different strollers, but not someone with all 3- so it totally helps to get your opinion since you can truly compare and contrast. IS the BOB too big for shopping? Have you tried yet? Thanks again for posting- naptime is precious!
the BOB rules all. not that I have tried the other ones and not that I need to yet since I only have one baby, but the BOB will always rule all for me. and you are right: after pushing the BOB around, it makes any other stroller feel like a cheap piece of crap that is going to fall apart any second. I want to personally thank whoever invented the BOB stroller.
and about taking 30 minutes out of your nap time to write this post...I can tell you worked really hard on it...but you are guilty of one of your very own pet peeves that we just discussed on the phone a couple days ago...a blog post spelling error. ;)
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