I feel like I'm going in circles trying to find the "right" stroller for us. When we last found out we were expecting (2 years ago), I looked around at a lot of different ones and went with an InStep Double Safari. I figured it had good reviews and was relatively inexpensive, so it'd work. HUGE mistake. We've had it 18 months, and it's just not holding up. I don't know if the reviews are just from people who use their strollers primarily for mild terrain, or if they just don't use them as often as us, or if we got a defective one, or what. So now we're expecting again, and I wish I'd spent the big money then, but you live and learn, and we're ready to get a GOOD double stroller now, even if it's a lot more expensive...
So here's what I'm looking for:
1) All-terrain/jogging, but not necc. for lots of "real" jogging (prefer a swivel front wheel to a fixed one)
2) Fits big kids - headspace is most important (not necc. the height of the seatback, though), weight is secondary, foot space is tertiary, and then width. My kids have super long bodies and torso's (one is 47" and outgrew his infant seat at 7 months old, torso-wise).
3) Strong, reliable, and will last the long haul, even with daily usage in all sorts of environments/weathers (e.g., solid foot rests, seats won't sag, more metal and less plastic, etc.)
I originally had in mind to buy a BOB rev SE duallie, but the headspace was awful for my kids (had to slouch, canopies aren't removable and got in the way, etc.). Additionally, I didn't like what I've read about the kids sagging towards the middle and the quality going down in the last few years. Then I decided on the BJ summit x3 double, but noone seems to carry one in-store, and I'm hesitant about spending that amount of money on something I can't see first. In particular, it's questionable if it has decent foot space (hard to tell from the pics and without putting a kid in it). I'm also not sold on the cloth foot rest - seems like it won't hold up well. So then I started considering Mountain buggy and Valco. I like the metal foot plates and the good reviews, but both of these have relatively low weight limits (40 and 45 lb, respectively) and I can't find much info on the headspace (though I was *told* by one sales guy that the MB has the most head space out of them all). They don't seem to have the same "cult following" as BOB or BJ, so it's a lot harder to find very detailed information, and (again) the stores in a 100 mile radius don't carry them for us to look at. There's one MB (the Duo) online that looks like it *could* be promising, with a 55 lb weight limit and is a bit wider than their Duet (29" vs. 25") which would be good for larger kids (it seems), but it's only available in Europe, according to their site... So it's definitely not possible to try it out and see the headspace for ourselves (and we might not be able to buy it here anyway...)
All of them seem like they drive and maneuver pretty well, so I'm not super concerned about that (especially since we don't actually RUN with the kids very often), and I'm also not concerned with accessories like infant car seat adaptors and such, or being able to carry a lot in a storage basket.
I'd love advice and suggestions, please!
City joggers come to mind. I would not by a jogger from a company (brand) who's roots weren't in jogging strollers. Okay I'm assuming you want a jogger for running. If you want it for everyday and not running then sure any brand is fine.
Sounds like you've already vetoed the BOB but I just had to write because like you, I spent a lot of money on different strollers because I didn't want to buy something so expensive but eventually, I folded when a great sale came along and I have never regretted it! We've had our Bob for over 5 years now and my kids are 9, 7 and will be 4 in March. We still use it for outings at times and all three kids still sit in it. BOB has been my best friend for several years! Mine has individual canopies so the oldest/tallest child can put theirs back and out of their way while the younger one is still covered. They also raise individually to accommodate height. My older kids no longer sit in the seats but love to sit in the footbed. I frequently push 4 children comfortably in the BOB - 2 in the seats and 2 in the footbeds and everyone is happy. One suggestion would be to look on Craigslist for a used BOB. My friend did that and got one for 1/2 price in great condition. Best wishes to you as you make your decision!
It is not a double, but our 6 yr old still fits in our Baby Jogger stroller. Fixed wheel, but my DH (the runner) prefers it. They will still occasionally head out on a run to a park and she is quite comfortable in it. And it's held up really well. We got it from a friend who pushed her kids around in it while training for marathons.
What about the Baby Trend double jogging strollers from Babies R Us. I had the single and also the double. The double I actually bought off of Craig's List. It fit my two boys last year when they were 4 & 5. I gave it away because I no longer use it. It was a great stroller, my friend even borrowed it for her two kids when she went to Disney Land. There's a lot of storage on it as well. It wasn't a great stroller for running, but it was perfect for everything else. Affordable too.
My boys are 13 months apart and we had a Bumbleride Indy Twin. I LOVED this stroller and would not have traded it for the world and used it for 4 years. The biggest con is that it runs around $600.00 and you need to go to a shop with high end baby gear to try it out. It's mainly metal and very durable. We used it in all types of weather, pavements, etc. It has 2 front jogging swivel wheels and turns SO easily. Its a side-by-side but fits through standard doorways, elevators, Targets aisles, etc....so awesome. Each seat has separate features- super long sunshades (can go totally forward), reclining positions, etc. Each seat is up to 45 lbs and my boys used until 3 and 4. I would have gone longer if they didn't want to walk! My only other minus is the footrest is not that wide but it served its purpose fine.
Good luck in your search!
http://www.toysrus.com/buy/strollers/baby-trend-expeditio...
It's at toysrus, So you can at least call ahead and see if they have it in stock. You can check it out in person to see if it fits your criteria before you decide to buy. :)
I made a similar mistake. With my oldest son i spent the money on a jeep brand stroller. it was the coolest thing. http://www.amazon.com/Jeep-Overland-Limited-Jogging-Strol...
The front wheel is fixed. we only used it maybe 6 times.
Its diffult to steer and is more of an inconvenience for everyday use. It doesnt fold down to a small enough size to fit into a standard car truck.
