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I’ve been obsessed with strollers in my almost-five years of being a mom. I’ve had joggers, double joggers, umbrella strollers, standard double strollers and more. There’s some information you should know when you are a new mom thinking about which stroller you might want to invest in. I talked about how I forgot an umbrella stroller on my first registry. I’ll go over that here, as well as what each stroller-type is, and the kind I recommend. It’s important that you know all of this because I had no idea, and ended up buying and returning a few strollers. This post contains affiliate links.
First, think about how many babies you are planning on having. I originally chose the BOB Stroller for my first baby. If you are planning on only having one child, this stroller is AMAZING! There is a reason it’s so popular and I loved it, but it is kinda big and bulky. I recommend it if you plan on jogging, of course, or will be walking outside a lot. For quick trips to the mall, stores and parks, sometimes a nice umbrella stroller is much easier. Like a ton easier. It depends on the situation.
Because I got pregnant with my second baby before my first was even a year old, I used the BOB Stroller for about two-and-a-half years. I wore my second baby in the Baby Bjorn while strolling the first, so it worked well until I wanted a double. By the way, the Bjorn is still one of my favorite carriers. I have been using the Lille Baby carrier now, because they sent me one to try, and it’s a great one too. The Bjorn is lighter and less bulky to wear. The Lille Baby is much more comfortable on your back because it places the pressure on your hips, rather than your shoulders. Now that I’m used to the Lille Baby, it doesn’t seem as bulky as it first did. Anyways, back to strollers. Before I get into the double strollers, there’s some things I want to point out about single jogging strollers and regular strollers.
Basic Information on Single Strollers: Think About Where You will Stroll Most
As I mentioned, I used my BOB Jogging Stroller for just over two years before I needed a double. I specifically had the BOB Revolution Pro. This is really a great stroller. It is kinda big and heavy for a lot of indoor, quick trips, but perfect for outdoor adventures. It’s the only stroller I would recommend for moms who plan on doing a lot of outside walking or jogging. Obviously the BOB Revolution is expensive. I saw the Graco Fastaction Fold Jogger, and it looks to be on par with the BOB, but way cheaper. I didn’t see this five years ago, so I recommend looking into it to save a lot of money! Please consider how much outdoor stuff you’ll be doing. If you live somewhere where for most of the year you are inside, you might not really need to invest in the BOB.
If you know you won’t be walking and jogging outside a lot, and you don’t have a lot of cargo space (the BOB should fit in your trunk when folded down), you might want a smaller jogger or regular stroller. I would recommend the Britax B-Agile stroller. Smaller, more affordable, yet easy to navigate. The type of wheels on the Britax B-Agile allow it to turn and navigate well. I also like the seat style, which is super similar to the City Select Double I have now. My kids like the seats and siting up with a big hood, so I think this is a great choice too. You also could use this in place of an umbrella stroller if you wanted to.
Single stroller shopping can really be overwhelming because there are so many options. Start by focusing on where you are going to be strolling most, so you can narrow down what you really need. Also, take it from a mom of three, a stroller that is light and easy to navigate is important. As a mom you end up carrier, carting, pulling, and lifting a lot of stuff, and it gets overwhelming. The amount of gear you have to haul all over can really weigh you down, so try to keep things light wherever you can. Let’s get into double strollers.
Important Information on Double Strollers: Think About the Width
No matter what double stroller you get, you are going to find some trouble or difficulties at some point because they are just big and heavy. If you get the nice wide jogger-style ones, you will be able to steer and navigate well, but you won’t fit through doors. I’ve gotten completely stuck. You will be limited to places that are handicap friendly.
If you go for the longer, front-to-back then there is more trouble steering. Especially on hills. These styles fit through doors and do really well indoors or on flat surfaces, but if you are outside with hills and tilts, its difficult. My City Select is fabulous when we are in flat Florida, but when we come back to the hilly, Pacific Northwest, my arms literally get sore from managing the weight. At times, it feels like it will actually tip over.
I also have this Baby Trend Double Jogger. This is the best, light-weight double jogger! It folds pretty easy, steers fabulous, and there’s a plug and speakers to play music! I actually found that the speakers on my phone seemed to be louder, but it could be different for you. I prefer using this one outside, and the City Select indoors. You will find that once you use the jogger style, it’s difficult to steer the tandem strollers. The jogger doubles just glide around so smoothly! If you don’t think you’ll go indoors much, you can get away with the double jogger, but you will probably find yourself getting stuck at some point between a doorway. Because I have the City Select already, I went for a cheaper double jogger that we can just get dirty at the beach and really get some outdoor use out of it. If you can afford the BOB Double Jogger or the City Mini Select Jogger, I would recommend those for sure!
The double stroller I didn’t like.
Before I bit the bullet and purchased the City Select, I tried the cheaper, Joovy Double stroller. I literally had to stop and flag down a yard guy to help me steer this on a hill. I thought my kids were going to topple over in the stroller onto the street. I literally could not turn it on hills or slopes. It was pretty funny, but scary at the same time! If you live with no hills, and plan on never going up or down, you would be fine with this, but I was not happy. It was also big and clunky and a pain to fold. City Select Double is totally worth it if you can afford it, or create a fun on your registry for it. This is the perfect item to put on your Amazon Baby Registry because they will give you $100 towards diapers and wipes!! Shop Amazon – Create an Amazon Baby Registry
I hope all this information gives you some great knowledge to help you in choosing the right stroller! It’s so important you have a general idea of how strollers work to help you decide on what to invest in.
