My theory is, you need a double stroller if you:

1. have an infant and a sibling under 4
2. have a sibling under 4 who thinks he/she can walk on outings but the minute you put baby in the stroller he/she decides differently
3. ever want to leave the house with two in tow

If all of the above apply you are just like me. I waited until Elkė was born to think about a double stroller mostly because if I put one more piece of kid centric equipment in our garage my husband may leave me and sell them all. I also waited because I figured that Ruby (now 3 and a half) had been walking for a good 2 years and she could walk just fine anywhere we went. I was wrong. The minute she sees her sister in the stroller it is melt down city.

I remedied this for months by carrying her sister in a baby carrier (also a great solution) and then pushing Ruby in the stroller, but it does make certain outings difficult. If we are headed to the mall to buy mommy some new jeans because luckily chasing after two kids now is making my pants a bit loose, trying on new jeans while wearing baby can be difficult. If I take her off of the baby carrier to try on the pants, where do I put her? Certainly not in the single stroller where her big sister is sleeping and hogging up all of the prime real estate, so when we hit the mall to shop- it's double stroller or bust.  When we hit the museum and places that are tricky to navigate with a larger stroller I use the carrier approach, it just depends. But knowing that our big double stroller which can hold two children comfortably is right out in the garage is priceless and so is the fresh air we get when we take it for a cruise around the block.

Now, it is true that double strollers are well, like giant limousines for our precious cargo, and they can be expensive. A great website to peruse if you are looking into buying any stroller, especially one of the double persuasion is Strollandgo.

My favorite part about Strollandgo is that they really break it down for you. For every piece of gear they sell (not just strollers) there is a page dedicated to all of the aspects of that particular piece of gear. Baby gear is an investment but if you take good care of your things and you know people who may want to buy it from you when you are done, you can usually make back a quarter to half of your investment. I needed someone to break it all down for me and talk to me like I was in first grade because with very tall children, and ample but not unlimited trunk space I wanted to make sure that I was making the best investment and buying a double stroller that would work well for our family. My pick was the Mountain Buggy Urban Double. Now, see I don't jog, but the terrain around our city house can be tricky. Rogue tree roots, chopped up cement sidewalks that our city neglects to fix, mud, snow, ice, you name it. I also like to fit through doors (MB is 29" wide) and not feel like a dumbass mom who needs help from everyone when I go out alone with the kids. I face these challenges head on with my Mountain Buggy, and um, it looks cool.

Since I don't jog I didn't need a streamlined stroller but perhaps you do. Word on the street is that the BOB is the way to go. Luckily Strollandgo has several BOB choices. The BOB is also a hot celebrity mom stroller so if you feel like you are the long lost twin of Kate Hudson go for it. The double version of the already popular single stroller is luxury and utility rolled into one. I would imagine that if you are having trouble getting back into your jeans after baby #2, that pushing this bad boy around your block a few times a week (run if you want to) will have you headed to the mall for new clothes in no time. Your friends will not only envy your stroller but also your rock hard abs and ample apple bottom.

Also hot on the market right now is the Phil & Ted's Vibe. This one probably wouldn't have worked for my brood because I breed tall kids. I am only 5'5" however my husband is a strapping 6'7". Our almost 4 year old is over 40" already and her baby sister is over half that at less than a year. I don't think squashing her down in the back is something that would work out long term for us. Also- what if we hit a mud puddle? These are the things that I think about. The Vibe looks super cool and is a great stroller but unless your baby is going to stay a baby forever the Vibe (at $599) may be best left for purchase by those with uber amounts of disposable income and friends who they can sell it to when they can no longer use it within a year or so. This is why it is for "Urban Sophisticates" as the site states. That is cool though, to each his/her own and if I had the money to spend you can bet your booty I would be vibing all over town. Still wary of mud puddles though.

Now for those of us who have a smaller budget and don't rely on a double stroller for hardcore jogging or going over snow banks and cracked up sidewalks, you may enjoy the Combi Counterpart. A stylish grey and only $199, this is a great way to get your daily stroll in and head to the mall in comfort to try on those new jeans. The added sunshades for both seats is a lovely bonus, and the compact fold for those of you daring enough to travel with your children is priceless. So that being said if you won the lottery and you want to buy a side by side for at home and a front-back double stroller for taking flight, by all means this is your buggy.

In the end it is a big decision. Storage, folding, width, will it fit into our car? Will I just use it when walking from home? Can we afford one? I am happy with my choice and even happier every time I use it and both kids crash out and I can enjoy shopping, strolling, silence. Checkout Strollandgo for all of your gear needs. Don't miss the free shipping over $49.95 and gifts with purchase on some products!


by: lizzie sorensen