Baby talk: prams

My kids will be 5 years apart, so I've been contemplating how to haul the two of them around. We go on longer walks, where Miss E spends 50% - 100% of the time in her stroller, all depending on her mood. Originally, before the five year gap, I planned to either carry the baby in a sling and use the single stroller for Emmaline, or buy a Combi Twin Sport. Now that E is a busy 4.5 yr old, I'm not sure either set up will be ideal.

So, readers, I spent a few days looking up stroller options. Most seem to be geared towards multiples or children closer in age. I cant imagine a side by side double stroller being fun to push with 40 lbs on one side and 15 on the other. Plus, my Mom has a Combi stroller that while nicer than an umbrella, has some major design flaws (like terrible storage baskets, a flexible bar, and short foot rests). Tandem strollers hold little appeal to me, as one child's view is blocked and they are long and hard to maneuver.  I did find two strollers that seem to be good options, both with very different price tags and very different set ups.

The first is the Britax BReady. $319.96 at Amazon.
Britax B-Ready Stroller 2012
 I have always loved my bestie's Phil and Teds jogger, except for the wheels. They are regular tires, so they get flats. Not such a good thing to deal with in our rural town (50% of our area is incorporated county, which means, no real sidewalks). The BReady has plastic wheels, but a very similar design to the Phil and Teds. I love that there are a bazillion ways to configure the stroller- most importantly, it converts into a double with an extra set. Only problem is, the extra seat is an aditional $150. Plus, the child in the second seat doesn't have a great view of things.

The second is the Joovy Caboose UltraLight. $229.95 at Amazon.
Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand On Tandem Stroller
 Made by the former head of Baby Trends design team, the Caboose is a lighter, more functional version of the Sit'n'Stand from Baby Trends. I love that there is a bench for the older child, a large basket, is lightweight, has a universal infant seat adapter, and has a large sunshade (covers both kids). I can also find one used for about $150. The caveats - hard to get to basket, doesn't stand up when folded, doesn't handle rough terrain well, no one hand collapse, and a short foot rest.

So, what are your takes? Should I just stick with my trusty Chicco Cortina and make E hoof it? Or do I invest in a new stroller? What works for you? I'd love to know!

3 comments:

  1. We have the Joovy Caboose Ultralight and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. That's coming from someone whose done different double strollers too. It's absolutely perfect for your age gap, in my humble opinion.

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  2. We have always just made the bigger kid walk. Our kids are all about 2 1/2 years apart and we'd just have the older one hold onto the stroller handle and they could walk along with us at pretty much whatever pace we wanted them to.
    We are still on our starter $15 umbrella stroller that we've been using for the last 9 1/2 years. Still works, so why replace it now when we already have four kids? (I'm too cheap!)

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  3. Every review I have heard for the Joovy Caboose has been great; I would definitely go with that one. I have a tandem myself, and I carry a sling so that if my 5 year old does get too tired (or too whiny, or it starts pouring rain) I can just stick him in there with the 3 year old and just wear the baby. Otherwise he walks and the younger two ride. ( I have a kolcraft contours double stroller, and I LOVE it, because I can flip the seats to be facing either back or front. So handy.)

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