Home And Family

Halfway through my pregnancy with our second child, my husband and I started thinking about the logistics of our baby gear situation. By the time Baby Ashley would be born, our two year old son, Nate, would be ready to give up the crib and move into a toddler bed. He was also ready to give up the high chair and start using a booster seat; but what about the stroller? As an older toddler, Nate was certainly capable of walking, but wouldn’t it be nice to have the option of pushing both kids together? I always thought double strollers were just for twins, but as I started researching the different makes and models, I became pleasantly surprised with all of the various options I found.

There are basically three different kinds of double strollers: inline or tandem (front-to-back), side-by-side, and sit-and-stand. The inline models are long and narrow, making it easier to fit through tight areas. These strollers make relatively wide turns however. Side-by-side strollers may be easier to maneuver; however, they could possibly be a tight squeeze through doorways or other narrow areas. For the parents of twins, some strollers offer the option to attach two infant car seats, creating a duo travel system. Another style includes a rear platform/seat where an older child can sit or stand on the back while an infant car seat or younger child rides in the front.

I was also happy to find different options within each category of double stroller. For example, there are some inline strollers where one or both seats can swivel, allowing the child to face forwards or backwards. This is a nice option so that the children can face out, face the parent, face each other, or sit back-to-back. I also liked that most models of inline double strollers can allow an infant car seat to snap right in, so the stroller can be used for your new baby right from day one. There are double jogging strollers and double umbrella strollers. Through my research, the world of “double” was laid out before me and I never even knew it existed before!

In the end, we decided on an inline double stroller. When Ashley was little, we snapped her infant car seat right in, without having to transfer her out of her seat and into the stroller. Even though Nate is a big boy, he enjoys riding in front, able to see the world in front of him, yet still close enough to turn around and harass – er, I mean, play with – Ashley. Our newer model double stroller is not excessively long or bulky and it’s nice to have the ability to keep our brood altogether.