The Double Stroller

Shopping is one of my favorite things to do, but stroller shopping was a little stressful!  One of the last purchases I made with Ryan was the stroller because it took me so long to make a decision. I know...kinda silly, but it seriously stressed me out. And then I went through it again before Grayson was born. I had actually written a post about my stroller dilemma but before I could post it - it was solved, lucky me.  Now, almost three months in with two kids, I definitely have some new thoughts on the double stroller, so I thought I'd share...for anyone out there who is interested :)

Let me back up at tad.  So in my stroller stash I have a city mini, a Bob and an Uppa Baby G-Luxe umbrella stroller. Love them all, but none of them have the double capability, so I needed something new. When Ryan was an infant I used the City Mini with the car seat adapter. I LOVED it - the City Mini was light and super easy to open and close - I could even close it with one hand! The car seat just snapped right in and we were off.

Even Bob enjoyed it!

Once Ryan could actually sit in a stroller (without a car seat) I busted out the Bob. While it's not as light or compact as the City Mini, it is so much easier to push.

Bob also enjoyed it as well.

I still used the City Mini for quick outings but around 6 months I discovered the umbrella stroller and kissed my City Mini goodbye (just to storage) - I just didn't need it anymore.  I only used the umbrella stroller or Bob and that's it.

So, after all that stressing I ended up pretty happy with my choices. However, as due date #2 approached I started panicking again about strollers!  I knew that I would eventually get a Double Bob -  but I wanted something that I could use as a single or a double depending on what I needed at that given outing.  I had written down my thoughts and listed the pros and cons for my top three double strollers - the Uppa, City Select & Phil & Ted. We were about to pull the trigger (on the City Select) when I decided to call my best friend and get her opinion on it (since she had one). Her mother-in-law bought it for her since she wasn't currently using it she offered it to me. Duh, why hadn't I thought to ask her earlier???  It worked out perfectly and I didn't have to spend a dime. Yay!

So when Grayson came along I was so happy to have to City Select. I loved the amount of storage space it had underneath, the handle was nice and high (great for us tall people) and that I could use it as a single or a double.  I used it all the time - taking Ryan to school, at the Zoo and everywhere in between....for about a month. Then I started to get tired to lugging it around everywhere. It was so heavy...and getting it in and out of the car was a pain in the booty. So, after about a month I ended up adding my city mini to the car so that when I just needed a single I could use that.

Since Grayson was 'chunking up' I decided to go ahead an pull the trigger on the Double Bob.

Two days later it arrived.

And I fell in LOVE all over again. Double time.

It is SO much easier to navigate than the Select - I can do it with one hand...which sometimes I need to. It's also a lot lighter to push - I swear pushing two kids in the Select was challenging but in the Bob its easy peasy. There is definitely a difference.  The other issue I had with the City Select was that I couldn't see Ryan. I couldn't tell what he was doing or if he needed my attention (he is blocked by the car seat). And yes, that may have caused me to run him over once. (It was totally my fault (obviously), we were at the zoo and he was popping in and out of the stroller so I didn't snap him in. I was nursing Grayson, pushing the stroller, and Ryan was telling me he wanted out but I couldn't hear him so he took it upon himself to jump out and I ran him over....mom of the year, right?) Well, he was fine but I felt horrible. Anyhow, it was hard enough pushing that stroller around with one kid, and two was very hard. I was over it. Sorry City Select. I am just so grateful that I borrowed it rather than buying it!

The Double Bob rides so smooth, is so easy to push, you can see both children, and it even fits through a single door opening (if you were worried about that). I also think Ryan loves having his little brother right next to him where he can see him. So cute! The cons are that it's big (but what double isn't?) and there isn't a TON of storage space underneath. All in all, I love it. My boys love it too!

Oh, and if I just have Grayson with me I use the City Mini - I carry them both in the back of my car. So I didn't find the "one stroller fits all circumstances" but I found what works for us.  So if you are trying to decide between strollers I hope this helps. But if you are like me (slightly stubborn) and have to test things for yourself - more power to ya! I wish there was a stroller rental company so you could actually test strollers out....instead of dropping mucho dinero to find out it's not what you needed. Thank goodness for friends too!