Sunday, January 10, 2010

We got a new stroller!

Initially we liked our side by side stroller, but as the boys got bigger, they no longer were able to fit comfortably in the stroller. The seats are narrow and they had to be buckled in with the shoulder straps and could barely move around or see side to side. This is something I didn't even think about when we bought the stroller. So the last few times we attempted to take them places with it we fought battles getting them into the stroller and would end up carrying them by the time we were done.
We started looking around and reading reviews a couple weeks ago and purchased a tandem stroller this weekend. I didn't even consider the tandem option before because they are so long and hard to steer, but they redesigned the Graco tandem stroller and it maneuvers pretty well and has a lot of the benefits of a single stroller.
We were excited to try it out so we took the boys to the Mall of America tonight to test it out. And we are VERY happy with it. The boys seemed to really enjoy being able to look around, we love the handle and basket underneath. The only downside was for Carter. He was riding in the front and Dylan kept pulling his hair! Guess who gets to be in the front next time.

In case any readers are looking into the double strollers here are a few pros/cons with both:

Graco Quattro Tour Duo


(keep in mind we have only had this for one day)

PROS
  • Opens and closes really easy
  • Has cup holders for both seats and parent tray
  • Basket is a decent size and easy to access
  • Love the handle, I like how it has the bar so you can push with one hand and the handles so you can hang your purse
  • You can put infant carriers in if you want
  • The front canape comes off easily, so the back rider can see out easily (this was a concern, but both boys could see great)
  • We were able to take their coats on and off without taking them out of the stroller (this is a HUGE plus for us!)
CONS
  • Heavy, 41 lbs (this was a trade off for us to have a few more amenities)
  • It folds easy, but takes a lot of room. I don't think it would fit in a smaller trunk
  • The front seat is smaller
  • The front canape isn't that big

City Mini Double


PROS
  • Light weight
  • Folds easily
  • Fits in the back of my car (lots of side-by-sides don't)
  • We didn't have any issues getting through standard doors
  • Really easy to steer
  • Nice canape
CONS
  • Hard to get the boys in and out
  • Basket is small and hard to use, about impossible to get things in and out when in use
  • No cup holders/trays
  • Honestly, this is a nice stroller, it is just if our kids won't really sit in it, it isn't a lot of use to us!


3 comments:

Jon & Jennifer said...

We HATED this stroller and got rid of it!! We LOVE LOVE LOVE our BOB Duallie side by side and we'll be able to use it until they are each 50lbs, well, we probably won't still be using it then but the total weight limit is 100lbs. I'm glad you like the "bus" as we called it but our guys really prefer to be side by side versus front to back!

The Bormann Family said...

It is definitely longer, but not too bad. I think if you had the carriers in there it would feel more like a bus. (we had a snap and go for our carriers and it was long and hard to turn)

I believe it holds two 50 lb kids, so that isn't a concern. My biggest concern would be the weight, which we knew was a negative when buying it. We still have the side-by-side if I would by chance want to take them jogging, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. So I think it will work nicely for our needs.

Anonymous said...

Love the new ride! I bet it's much easier to maneuver around then your old one.

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