Stroller. Stroller. DOUBLE Strollers.
/STROLLERS.
Stroller shopping can be quite overwhelming these days with the vast amount of options out there. I mean, they range in prince from $50.00 to $1,500.00+... those price tags alone can make you sweat. Never mind all the options & accessories you can choose from, and many parents are lost before they even begin!
We get asked quite often what type of stroller we would recommend, so we decided to give you a brief comparison between two of the most popular double (tall, not wide) strollers available today! We'll touch on our favourite single strollers in another post soon.
First off, we think your stroller purchase is something that you should greatly consider your options, test out and truly invest in (I mean, the prices for a good quality stroller scream "investment" - ha!). When asked by first time parents what type of stroller we could suggest for them, we ask them this following question first and go from there!
- Do you plan to have more than one child, with the children being relatively close in age (less than 2 years apart)?
If you are planning on having only one child, or your children farther than 2 years apart, getting a good quality single stroller will do. Your options here are pretty large, and we'll review our favourite singles soon.
If you're feeling like you want ALL the babies, ASAP!, we would suggest purchasing a stroller that has the ability to "add-a-seat/board". These strollers mean that you can use them as a single stroller (the frames are still totally reasonable looking as a single stroller), with only one seat attached and when baby number two comes along, you can pop on that second seat and voila - you have a double stroller! And if you're really feelin' the heat, and baby number three comes along sooner than baby number one can be independent/walk for long periods of time -- you can purchase a standing board for baby number one to stand/ride along on the back!
Now, heres our top two & most popular double/"add-a-seat" strollers: UPPAbaby Vista & BabyJogger City Select.
We're gonna share their similarities & differences here to make your decision all that harder. Ha! Kidding. But really, they're very very comparable.
They BOTH give you the option to customize your fabric colours. The Vista has 8 fabric choices & the City Select has 9.
They BOTH have a riding board that will attach for a toddler to stand and ride on. The Vista is called a PiggyBack Ride Along Board & the City Select is called the Glider Board.
They BOTH handle quite nicely - though if I was being completely honest, I prefer the way the UPPAbaby handles.
They BOTH have over 10 ways of configuring the seats on the frame!** Both rear facing, one rear-facing, one forward facing, bassinet + extra seat, etc. etc. Both websites have photos of all the different configurations!
They BOTH have very large cargo baskets underneath -- allowing up to 50lbs of weight for the City Select & 30lbs for the UPPAbaby!
They BOTH allow the front wheels to lock to allow for long distance strolling.
They BOTH have multi-position reclining seats & multi-position footwells (meaning, you can lift the foot part of the seat up and down a few positions).
They BOTH need adaptors for infant car seats, should the be a different brand than the stroller.*
They BOTH require the Rumble Seat/Second seat to be removed prior to folding closed.
They BOTH have adjustable handlebars.
VISTA
It comes with a toddler seat & a bassinet with the extras such as a Bassinet Bug Sheild & Storage Bag, Toddler Seat Rain Sheild & Bug Sheild.
It closes at the handle bar, which is more convenient compared to the City Select.
It has a 50lb weight limit for the toddler seat and a 35lb limit for the rumble seat. (Not as ideal for twins, that most likely are growing at similar weights).
**It has recently updated the rumble seat to allow for forward facing; models 2009-2014 still do not allow the rumble seat to be configured to forward-facing.
It has a brake located at the base of the stroller to be used with your feet.
It has no puncture, foam core rubber wheels to ensure you're never stranded with a flat!
*It is compatible with the MESA (UPPAbaby brand), Peg-Perego, Chicco, Maxi-Cosi & Graco Sungride infant carseats, with the purchase of adaptors.
It stands upwards when folded.
It has a starting price of $1,199.99 for their 2015 model.
CITY SELECT
It comes with the toddler seat; everything else at an additional cost.
It required both hands & a two step folding option.
It has a 45lb weight limit for both the toddler seat and the second seat. (Ideal for twins that are most likely growing at similar weights).
It has a brake located on the handle bar, and is to be used by your hands.
It has rear air-filled tires, front light-weight, non-air filled tires.
*It is compatible with Britax (though they are currently making new adaptors, and they will not be available for purchase until February 2017 and there are no previous models available), BOB, Chicco, Evenflow, Graco, Cybex, MaxiCosi, Peg-Perego, UPPAbaby & Nuna.
It does not stand upwards when folded.
It has a starting price of $729.99
Those are most of the details that stand out to us about the two strollers! We hope this review helps you a little more in your decision.
And if you're in Winnipeg, we really suggest stopping in at West Coast Kids on Princess in the Exchange to "test drive" these models & see them for yourself! Their staff are very knowledgeable and super friendly!
Happy Strolling!
