Forward Thinking: The Double Stroller

When I discovered we were having twins, I began my search for "the perfect double stroller." I'm a very mobile mom, and the thought of being home-bound makes me crazy. My goal after having my first son was to incorporate him into our lives, not let him rule over them. This meant we had to learn to adapt, and so did he. And one of the best ways to become adaptable is to have the right tools to help you along. So, after doing some quick reconnaissance to see what features were out there, I developed a list of "desirables." The goal: to find a double stroller that could tick most, if not all, of my boxes. (NOTE: I immediately dismissed side-by-side strollers as they were entirely too bulky. The only one I considered was the Bugaboo Donkey, and even then I only considered it for about a day...cuz $1000?!! For just one seat?!! Crazy. Just. Crazy.)

"The Desirables"

• Quick Fold
• Smooth ride
• See both kiddos at the same time
• Kids can both see out equally, in either forward or rear-facing direction
• Foam-filled tires/good suspension, all-terrain/low maintenance
• Durable
• Ample storage
• Cup holder (for adult and kiddos)
• Large canopies
• Equal seat size on both seats
• Double infant car seat compatible
• Telescope handlebar
• Convertible to one-kid stroller

The winner: Baby Jogger City Select
Pros: It ticks ALL my boxes.
Cons: It's heavy, expensive, and requires multiple (small) purchases to acquire all the pieces I want. But, the fact that it ticked all my boxes made it entirely worth these cons for me.

I have used it quite a few times with Noah (with just one seat attached), but my assessment of it with the second seat or with two infant car seats is entirely theoretical at this point, based on testing it out at the store a few times with both seats and infant car seats (sans babies).

Runner-up:
Britax B-Ready
I don't like the idea of putting one child basically IN the storage basket underneath. The B-Ready ticks almost all my boxes. But, the rumble seat in the basket, smaller second seat (rumble), and limited seat placement were deal-breakers.

Honorable Mentions:
UPPAbaby Vista
Even pricier than the City Select! Doesn't accommodate two infant car seats and rumble seat again. No deal.

iCandy Pear
This one was very promising. The only reason I didn't consider it completely was two-fold: (1) it's not really available in the U.S. yet. I'm not buying a product like this if I can't get my hands on it first (2) it comes with SO many pieces in order to make all the adapters and seats work! And then you have to take it all apart down to the base structure just to fold it up. No deal.

If anyone's interested in more details, let me know! I'll do a follow-up post after I've used it for a while with the twins.