The Best Side by Side Double Stroller?
I will have a 18 month old and a newborn by the end of the year. I am looking for a side/side stroller that is easy to collapse, has a car seat option and has great sun protection. The lighter the better, although I know that this option is not really an option.
Well, it’s not exactly what you’re looking for now, but you may want to look into finding an inexpensive/borrowing a regular double from someone for the first few months and then get the sit & stand Joovy Ultralight after about six months, when baby is sitting well.
We had a regular double (front to back, so my review won’t help you with a side to side version), and it was great, although heavy as heck, in the first few months when my baby daughter was small and my then 22 month old son wasn’t quite ready to sit on a jump seat, but by the time my daughter was six months, my son wanted to walk most of the time with short sitting breaks and I was so tired of breaking my back with the regular double. So, we switched to the Joovy. I love it! He loves it. My daughter loves it. They take turns swapping seats (the back seat is the most popular one in the house). My son stands etc. Anyway, the only reason I say it, is because with an 18 month old, your oldest will be ready to walk a lot soon and you’ll be pushing a half-empty heavy double.
The sun protection is pretty good on the ultralight version and it is very light, especially compared to the other doubles out there. I lift it one handed in and out of my SUV and I’m very petite. It does have a car seat adaptor, but the older child has to stand if it’s it use so your 18 month old probably isn’t quite ready for that yet. The only other negative is the basket is pretty small and under the jump seat. Anyway, it’s just an option I thought I’d throw out there as my whole family just loves it and it’s been the perfect stroller once my youngest hit 6 months or so.
Funnily enough I was browsing round the doubles section of our local department store. The Phil and Teds strollers looked the best. Alternatively there was the Icandy apple or pear or something like that, it looked great but very pricey, a Maclaren Techno double (a bit wide) and a Jane Powertrain (a bit long). All those had reclining seats for both kids and most had car seat options. All the others looked too big and/or had no reclining seat for the toddler. I don’t have a toddler, my daughter will be 4 when the baby comes so what I was doing there I cannot say
Not sure if all of these are available in the USA, as I live in the UK.