I really debated about getting a double stroller since Cate will be 3 in February and closer the 3 1/2 this summer when we are really getting some use out of it. But then I began to think about some of my own experiences growing up. I was just shy of my 4th birthday when my brother was born and I remember some days spent walking around the zoo or Kings Island Amusement Park and being so jealous that he got to ride in the stroller. Yes, we have a wagon, but Brennan won't be big enough for that until he's at least 1. I also thought about how a few of our friends have actually rented strollers at Disney and other theme parks for their children (kids older than Cate by at least 2 or 3 years) to keep them from whining about walking. And three is still little. Asking Cate to walk around a zoo all day is asking a lot. So I did some research before arriving at the stroller we purchased. A lot of research. I wanted something side-by-side. We walk around the neighborhood a lot and I've pushed a double stroller that is tandem (one in front of the other) before. They are not easy to maneuver on old, cracked sidewalks and up hills (we have both in our neighborhood). I wanted each seat to recline independently (so Brennan could lie nearly flat on his side as an infant) and have an independent sunshade. Cate is tall and I know that if she doesn't have the sunshade pulled down, she'll be able to sit in the stroller a lot longer (meaning, until she's a lot older). That being said, I wanted something with a total weight limit for the stroller, not for each individual seat. At almost 3, Cate still weighs somewhere in the 3oish pound range. If Brennan is about the same when he's 3, I doubt Cate will weigh 70 pounds at 6, so she can still ride (if she wants to). I didn't necessarily want a jogger, as those can be big and heavy. Plus, let's face it, jogging with just Cate in our single jogger was hard. This stroller will jog just fine on a paved trail and that's probably the only place I'd ever take it too jog. We'll just be doing a whole lot of walking with this. It's lightweight and fits through a standard doorway too.
Believe me, I looked at every option in our price range. I didn't like the sit and stands because if the kid in the actual seat is reclined, the other child couldn't really sit down (or so said the reviews). Chicco, the brand of infant car seat we have, does have a double stroller that will hold the carseat, but it's a tandem stroller. A lot of the joggers weighed a lot. And so that's how we arrived at the Baby Jogger (brand, not an actual jogger) City Mini Double. One weight limit for the whole side-by-side stroller, independent reclining seats and sunshades, lots of storage, lightweight, etc. Everything I wanted (minus a cupholder, but we can add a parent console).
The verdict after our test drive? We love it! Easy to maneuver, break, and push. Now we'll just have to see how it does once Brennan is here.
~Melody :-)
PS...I was in no way compensated for talking about this stroller. These are just my regular ol' Mama thoughts.
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