Still can't decide on a stroller that fits new borns. Please, advise!

I've read many posts on the subject here and on other forums, as well as went to stores looking at some strollers. It still feels so so unclear what to do.

- I am afraid that it will be too difficult for me getting two car seats out and into the car and I am considering just getting the twins (new borns) out and straight into the stroller (without car seats). Is there a stroller would work (and be safe) for that?

- Is there a stroller that can suite two car seats - if I want to use it like that one day - and at the same time be fine for putting babies directly into the stroller on days when I don't feel like using car seats (just to go for a walk in the park, etc)?

Thank you for any thoughts on this subject!

 

The Graco DuoGlider will take two of the Graco SnugRide seats. It is pretty easy to snap them in and out - way easier in my opinion that taking the kids in and out. Wish I had that luxury now! :laughing:

 

I think it depends on the majority of the activities you plan on doing after the babies are here. I rarely took mine out some place there wasn't a cart for me to put the car seats in. I was glad I borrowed a double snap and go because buying it new was a waste of money for me. For walks around the neighborhood, I put them straight into the stroller and laid them flat. A double stroller is quite an investment so I understand your hesitation about buying.

 

My boys are a little over 2 1/2 and if I had to do it again, I would have purchased a Snap-N-Go. When they were newborns, I had the Graco Duoglider with the carseats and it was such a pain to push around. When they were 7 months I bought a Combi SBS and used that up until this past May. I still have a SBS jogging stroller. I know the Combi SBS can hold two carseats.

I never took my boys out of the carseats and put them directly into the stroller until they were around 6-7 months old.

 

I loved my Double Snap N Go and used it as long as I possibly could when running errands, shopping, etc. It was so much easier to get the frame of it in and out of the car and to just snap the carseats in it without having to undo straps, etc. It was nice too that when they fell asleep you could just snap them back into the car without waking them up. I got mine used on eBay and it was well worth it for me.

I had a Graco DuoGlider from day one too and hated it. It was so heavy, but it would hold either the carseats or just the kids if necessary. The basket under it was huge though and good for groceries if I had to stop with both. That is the one I bought new though and definitely wasted my money there.

I got a side by side Combi off Craigslist for next to nothing when we were done with the Snap N Go. I love that one and still use it now. Not sure about using it for newborns though. It might have had infant inserts if I had purchased it new, but you would have to check.

Good luck! Everyone seems to like something different. I have two twin moms close here and we all had a different preference/perspective depending on how and how much we used the strollers.

 

Thank you so so much for all of your suggestions! Very helpful!

I went to Babies R Us, just to look at the Graco double strollers (as I even have already a car seat someone gave to me), but the sales woman was telling me that I should go for Chicco double stroller instead (interestingly, she has 7 year old twins herself, though never used these strollers, as she came from Europe not long ago). In fact, she was so convincing, that I left the store confused all over again. I understand that everyone has preferences.

DID ANYONE USE or KNOW anything about CHICCO brand? It didn't seem way more expensive than Graco.

 

I did not use carseats with my stroller. I did not like the long strollers because I felt like I could not see the baby in front very well. I went with a McClaren Twin Traveller and loved it every day we used it! If I did not want to take them out of the carseat I put one baby in the cart seat and another in the basket part. I wasn't able to buy as much but it worked. I sold the McClaren last year to my neighbor and in the 4 1/2 years we used it I never had a problem with it. It is going on six years old and still going strong! So worth every penny!

 

If I had it to do over again, I would have also gotten the double snap-n-go. And I think it would be a lot more difficult to get the babies in and out rather than just the carseats. But sometimes things like this come down to trial and error and every mom prefers things differently!

 

I am also a mom who didn't like snapping the car seats in and out. I found that whole set up really cumbersome - and I also really didn't like the thought of my babies being in their car seats for hours and hours and hours. I also went with a Maclaren Twin Traveller (now it's a different name, but it's the higher end Maclaren double). I loved it every single day. Each seat lies flat and came with head huggers to snuggle the babies in nicely. It also came with a snap on boot (sort of like a sleeping bag) that I used a LOT. I found it very easy to use and steer, very easy to fold and unfold, didn't take up too much space in my car, and suited my urban needs very well. I never had a complaint with it for the 3 years I used it. And I used it every single day!

 

I have both the double snap-n-go and the Graco duo glider. The thing is - when you have newborns, you want to unstrap them out of the carseat as few times as possible. They are so small - and getting their little arms in and out of the carseat is not the easiest for a first time mom. So, it's nice to have something that you can put the carseats into - it's MUCH easier. Many times the babies are sleeping and you don't even have to disturb them. Another VERY important reason to get something that the carseats can go into. The snap n go is light and doesn't take up a lot of room. I could lift the snap n go in and out of the car and I'm only 5'2". Now, I love my Duo Glider. it is much more durable than the snap n go. I started using it when the boys were about 7 months old and could sit better. They seemed more comfortable for walks and such since they were bigger. But, it was nice to have something lighter in the beginning.

 

I am so glad I posted this question - all your answers are very helpful. Just the fact of hearing lots of opinions makes me calmer about not being very decisive, taking time and figuring out what at the end might work for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

I have the double snap n go but I would not recommend it. They grow out of it so fast. Once my twins can sit up, they don't want to sit in the car seats. I would save the $100 and invest it in the Kolcraft Contours Options or Graco Quatro Tour because they can take 2 car seats.

 

I have a SBS Chicco stroller and love it!! It does not accommodate infant seats but the seats do recline flat for newborns and infants. Now, I did check out the new tandem from Chicco and I thought it was pretty cool! It DOES accommodate 2 infant seats!! I think the Chicco brand is great, holds up well, great stuff for little money! My SBS is awesome! I can push both twins or one of the twins and my 5 yr old and it pushes great.

I bought the Baby Trend Double Snap n go when my twins were first born and I really liked it. It was light weight, folded up nicely to fit in the back of my MPV van which wasn't very big. I wish the tandem Chicco stroller was out when I bought the Snap n Go b/c I would have bought that instead. Would have saved money but I am still happy with my set up now.

 

I love the look and all the options Kolcraft Contours Options seems to have (including the fact that both seats fully recline which might be suitable for use without car seats). I don't see people on most forums mentioning that stroller, which made me think that it's not as great/convenient as it looks, I am glad you mentioned this stroller. I went to Babies R Us yesterday and tried Graco Quatro Tour with two car seats attached and literally cried. How can a woman deal with such a huge and heavy thing? I just need to except that strollers for two - at least if I use car seats - will be heavy.

 

I have two strollers and love them both for different reasons. We have a Peg Perego Duette and it's great because the car seats snap into the chassis easily. That makes going from the apartment-car and back very easy. The drawback is that only Peg car seats fit into it so if you were planning on getting a different type of car seat, then it's not a good choice. That is where the Double Snap n Go would be a better option if you want ease of maneuvering the babies in and out of the car. My babies were very comfortable in the Peg car seats and whenever we'd go walking, I would use the car seats as opposed to the stroller seats that come with the Duette just because they were pretty small in the early months and seemed to like being in their car seats. The nice thing about a tandem stroller is that it's not super wide so maneuvering around corners/aisles is pretty easy. The Duette also has a steering wheel which makes it even easier to turn and steer. As for its weight, it's not a super light stroller or anything but I didn't find it cumbersome at all. It has air-filled tires and a great suspension system so it's a smooth ride. Once you snap the car seats out and fold the chassis, it's not heavy at all. Very easy to lift and throw in the trunk and take out again. However, now that they're older, we tend to use our SBS stroller more often, a Bumbleride Indie Twin. I love this stroller too! We do a lot of walking as well as light jogging so this a great stroller if you plan on getting out with it a lot. It also has a super smooth ride and easy maneuvering. Folding it and getting it in and out of the trunk is a little harder than the Peg Duette but not significantly. I also like that it has a big basket underneath because I often go grocery shopping with the girls and walk home so it's helpful to have all that room. The Peg Duette's storage basket is big but it's hard to access. Every time I've gone shopping with it in the past I've had to take off one of the car seats just so I could get my bags in there. Although the Bumbleride is wider than the Duette (obviously) it still fits through every doorway we've attempted (sometimes just barely though)! It is also a little tougher to maneuver in tight spaces/crowded places for obvious reasons. I guess it really comes down to what you're going to use your stroller for and how often you plan on using it. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking with it then I think it's worth it to spend a little more because you want a good quality stroller that will last and that you enjoy using. If you're just looking for something for occasional walks or to transport them from the house-car and back then there's no need to invest in an expensive stroller. Then you need to decide if you want the tandem or SBS (or both in my case)! I just also wanted to add that both the Duette and the Indie Twin stroller seats fully recline so they could be used for newborns without car seats (also - the Indie Twin can only be adapted to fit one car seat, not two). Happy shopping!!

 

This was true for us - growing out of the double snap n go quickly.

Veroniquette - i'd also suggest looking on craigs list. We got our Graco Quatro Tour for a great deal - and I've seen the Double Snap n Gos for a good price too.

 

I have the Kolcraft Options Tandem and love it. It *is* heavy - I won't lie - but how could something that's going to eventually carry 40+ pounds X 2 of baby NOT be sturdy? I love that I can use it like a snap-n-go (with babies facing me) OR as a regular tandem stroller (with babies facing me, each other or both forward-facing). The basket below is GINORMOUS and the price is really good.

I also think that it's easier to get the carseats out and onto a frame rather than taking the babies out every single time (AND having to buckle them back in again) in the middle of a parking lot.

Big thumbs up from me for the Options.

 

I had a double snap n go to start with and only used it a handful of times for the first 6 months or so and then got rid of it. It was somewhat handy the couple of times I used it. Mine were born in the height of flu/cold season and the pedi didn't want us out and about much since they were 2 months early. So until they were 6 months old or so we didn't go out much but to Dr appts. If it wasn't a long walk, I would usually just carry a carseat on each arm! It seemed easier to me than pushing that big stroller around, strapping in/out, etc... Once they got around 5 or 6 months old, I got the Bumbleride Indie Twin and it has been great!! It worked great when they were tiny and although I didn't have it when they were newborns, I'm sure it would have been great. It also has the boots to keep them warm, lays pretty flat, has the head hugger things, etc... and it turns and steers like a dream!! Can easily drive it with a finger or two. Also has rubber wheels and can be used for jogging or rough terrain which I really liked. They like to fight now in it, but that would be the case with any side by side :aggressive: . Good luck with your decision, there are so many out there!!