Choosing the best double stroller for your toddler and infant can be difficult and will depend on many factors.
This article looks at some of the common features and addresses some of the issues which should be considered to ensure you choose stroller suited to you, your children and the environment you will mainly use the stroller in.
All the best double strollers will meet the minimum safety standards, in lots of cases these are voluntary standards such as the ASTM or JPMA double stroller standards. If the stroller is stamped by such bodies it gives you some peace of mind that the unit is of a good technical and safety standard. Do your own assessment of the essential safety features. Pay particular attention to the safety harnesses, ease of use of the safety harnesses. Be satisfied that both your toddler and baby can be secured securely and that they will be unable to get out without you undoing the harness. All the best double strollers use a five point harness system which ensures your children are secured properly and safely.
In light of the recent recall issues, be satisfied that no pivots points, hinges, coil springs etc are accessible or pose a risk to your children whilst strapped in the stroller. All the better strollers will also have the pivot points designed so that your two helpers cannot easily get fingers entrapped whilst folding. If at all possible keep the children away whilst folding the unit.
Once you are satisfied with the safety aspects,these other issues need to be considered in choosing the best double stroller for your toddler and infant.
(a) What is the age gap between your toddler and infant? Some toddlers will be delighted to be strapped in the stroller with their newborn sibling but other more active toddlers may be anxious to get out and walk part of the time especially if they are over two years of age. Perhaps in this instance the stroller for you would be a sit and stand double stroller. This gives you and your toddler choices and the toddler can be strapped in when walking or standing is not practical. Perhaps you have a good quality single stroller and your toddler could manage with a quality buggy board. I have some friends whose toddlers are delighted with their buggy board or hitch hiker add on.
(b) If you excuse the pun I have steered away from considering fabrics, ease of cleaning etc in this article towards the more technical issues which need to be considered in ensuring your new purchase will be the best stroller for you and your family.
Double strollers can vary in weight with the more compact sit and stand type units weighing from 20 lbs (10kg) upwards. At the other end of the scale some can weigh over 50 lbs (25 kg). Therefore it is important to consider the weight of the unit especially if it going to be lifted in and out of the car trunk regularly.
(c) What do you intend to use the stroller mainly for? Is it just bringing the children to the nearby park, are you regularly shopping with your stroller or do you need a jogging double stroller.
If you only use the stroller to go to the park, then perhaps width, weight, ease of use is not as big an issue. On the other hand if you are in shopping malls and negotiating your way through shopping isles, then width and easy of maneuverability become bigger issues. Tandem double strollers are narrow and more suited to shopping isles but on the other hand most people would say that the side by side double stroller is easier to steer. Jogging double strollers perhaps combine the better features of both, because most of the double jogging strollers have a single swivel front wheel which gives great maneuverability, usually they are durable made from light weight materials and most can be stowed easily.
