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Handling one baby is hard enough, but twins double the challenge. A great double stroller is essential to ensure you can stay on the move.
Many double strollers can accommodate up to 35 or even 40 pounds per seat, so you may be able to use a single stroller for the entire time your kids use one.
I don't have twins, but I do have two kids. Going from one child to two was a huge adjustment for me and my wife. It was hard to fathom just how much more work handling a pair of kids would be, and I can hardly imagine the challenge when both kids show up at the same time.
Families with twins need to give themselves every possible advantage, making the parenting process as seamless as possible. And a great double stroller is one of the most important pieces of gear to help there. Strollers are everything from a mobile nap center to a piece of exercise equipment to a their primary directive of baby conveyance.
Strollers aren't cheap, and they aren't all the same, so it's important that you spend the time considering which stroller best suits the needs of your family, and that goes for the twins and the folks. If you love running, then a jogging stroller might be a great choice. But if you live in a crowded city where that oversized jogger will constantly jostle pedestrians, you might want to opt for something smaller and get your exercise in while your partner is on parent duty. On the other hand, if you live in a suburban or rural area where you'll be off road (or sidewalk) at times, you may need a bigger piece of hardware with rugged tires and a solid suspension.
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Don't forget to think about the size of the stroller when it's collapsed, as well. I know that even when collapsed, our larger two-kid stroller fills the back of our SUV and barely fits into the trunk of our crossover. If we had a smaller car, we'd have to strap the thing to the roof. If you and the kids travel frequently, stroller size and weight is of even more importance.
The good news? Having struggled to jam enough strollers into a enough trunks, closets, and airline travel bags over the years, I made sure to research some good compact models for you parents doing double duty.
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Why you'll love it: The Bugaboo Donkey2 Complete Stroller can be configured to carry two bassinets, two forward- or rear-facing seats, or it can be collapsed down to a single child stroller.
Two things to note here: First, I own a Bugaboo Donkey stroller and use the thing multiple days every week, so I can confirm that this thing is well worth its price. Second, this thing is really ... really expensive. As in around $1,900 if your twins use the thing from birth. The base price is about $1,300, which is still crazy pricey, but to make full use of the stroller, you'll need an extra bassinet from the get go and an extra seat as the kids get a bit older.
The good news? It will also be the only stroller your twins ever need, as each seat supports up to 37.5 pounds, a weight at which most kids are aging out of stroller use anyway. And if you can keep something between you and me? I've used our Bugaboo Donkey with kids who weigh well over 40 pounds and the thing still handles fine.
The base Donkey stroller is a large, rugged single child stroller that comes with a large storage basket that clips in beside the seat. The stroller also has a spacious storage compartment underneath. With a flip of a few locks, the frame expands wide enough to accommodate an entire second seat (or bassinet), making the Donkey into a double stroller perfect for twins.
Its large wheels work well on varied terrain, the seats are spacious and comfortable, the five-point harnesses easy to operate, and with multiple recline positions and forward- or rear-facing orientation, the stroller is easy to customize to your children's needs.
I do have to add that the stroller is heavy and is bulky even when folded, but it's the smoothest, best handling large stroller I've ever used, and that's saying something: I've used a lot of strollers.
One parent who bought a Bugaboo Donkey2 from Nordstrom agreed with me, calling it the "best stroller [she had] tried." The customer called the stroller "stylish... yet so simple" and "easy to maneuver." And a writer from TodaysParent.com called the Donkey a great choice for "parents seeking a versatile stroller that can handle any terrain and adapt to their growing family’s needs."
Pros: Smooth and easy to maneuver, adaptable and expandable, great storage space
Why you'll love it: Thanks to its 100-pound capacity, you could be jogging along with the twins in the Baby Trend Expedition Double Jogger until the kids were seven years old.
Most kids pass 50 pounds sometime during their seventh year. Given that each seat of the Baby Trend Expedition Double Jogger stroller can support 50 pounds, you could be using this stroller until the kids are well into their elementary school years.
The Expedition has an articulating 12-inch front wheel and large 16-inch rear wheels, all of which feature pneumatic bicycle style tires that work well on all sorts of terrain and reduce the impact felt by the riders as you go running along. A foot-activated brake secures the stroller when you need to stop for a water break, while dual cup holders and a large storage area below the stroller allow you to bring plenty of gear on your outing.
While this is a smooth, stable stroller that's great for jogging and hikes and the like, that doesn't mean it's right for every family. It's a large stroller even when folded down, and is in fact too broad to fit through many doorways, so it's hardly a great choice for urban living. Although the seats can be reclined, they can't be repositioned to face backward, nor can the stroller accommodate car seats.
But if you already have your primary twin stroller and you love getting exercise outdoors, by all means get your hands on the broad padded handlebar of the Baby Trend Expedition Double Jogger.
With more than 500 reviews posted, this stroller enjoys a 4.1-star overall rating on Amazon. One dad calls it "my favorite stroller hands down," extolling the way the Expedition "pushes effortlessly with one hand" and the generous storage space under the seats. Another parent says she "cannot recommend this stroller enough."
A number of reviewers did note the cons, though, such as a mom who said that "going through doors [with the stroller] was not fun" and unhappy that "this stroller takes up the entirety of my trunk."
Pros: High weight limit, pneumatic tires, large storage area
Cons: Large and cumbersome during travel or storage
Why you'll love it: The Chicco Echo Twin Stroller folds down small enough to fit in the overhead bin of most airplanes, but each of its seats can support a kid weighing up to 40 pounds.
The Chicco Echo Twin Stroller might not look like the most rugged stroller ever built, but its looks are somewhat deceiving. Despite the rather slender components of the frame and the small wheels, this stroller can support up to 80 pounds of total kid weight between its two seats. The independently adjustable seats are safe for use with kids as young as six months old.
Like any good umbrella stroller, the Echo folds down small for easy tucking away into the trunk of the car or the coat closet in the hall. But the comfort and safety of its seats make it suitable for use as a primary stroller. In fact, if you live in smaller home and/or in a busy city, use as such is a good idea.
The seats can be laid back almost flat or set upright, and each has an adjustable leg rest as well. The twins can nap in comfort using those adjustable features and thanks to the relatively comfortable ride when on streets or sidewalks. Although the Chicco Echo's wheels may be on the smaller side, the fact that there are 12 tires in total helps absorb impacts and keep things rolling smoothly.
With dozens of reviews posted on Amazon, the Echo has a 4-star average rating. One mom loved that she had found a double stroller that "fits through doorways easily" and praised its portability when collapsed. Another loved that there was "plenty of room below the seats to put diapers" and other items into.
A writer from MadeForMums.com called the Echo "lighter than it looks and surprisingly sturdy, too." She did note that the sunshade was rather small, so bring a light blanket along to add sun protection on bright summer days.
Pros: Compact when folded, smooth and agile, good storage space, fits through standard doorways
The Delta Children LX Side by Side Double Stroller costs less than $75. When it comes to the stroller market writ large, there's a word for a unit that costs that little: cheap. But the LX isn't a bad stroller. In fact, it's a pretty good piece of hardware, and at a price that low, pretty good is pretty great.
The stroller weighs only 18.3 pounds, so any able-bodied parent will be able to carry it from the car to the house or up the apartment stairs. Each seat can support a kid weighing up to 35 pounds, so it will be useful for a number of years. A pair or storage bags slung behind the seats and a parent cup holder add some convenience.
The Delta Children LX Side by Side isn't the best stroller for jogging and it has no business off road. It's also not durable enough for daily use every day of the kids' early lives. But as a travel stroller, for use at amusement parks or zoos, or to keep in the trunk of the car, its low price makes it a great stroller for every family to have on hand.
With 160 reviews posted on Walmart's website, the LX enjoys a solid 4.5 star rating from buyers. One says that it's "the best umbrella stroller ever" and calls it "amazing quality" and "very easy to take anywhere." Another praised its "great safety features" and said it was so "easy to turn."
One recurring complaint was that the straps don't secure tightly enough, so using the Delta Children LX Side by Side with smaller infants probably isn't a wise idea.
Pros: Very low price tag, lightweight and collapses small, easy turns and control, secure brakes
Why you'll love it: With the Joovy Twin Roo+ Car Seat Stroller, you don't have to get the twins out of their car seats to get them out of the car and on the move in a stroller.
If you have kids, you know that awful feeling as you reach out toward your slumbering child, knowing you are about to disturb her sleep to pull her out of the car seat and strap her into the stroller. And I'm not talking about the feeling of disturbing her precious rest. I mean the fact that you are about to deal with sleepy baby rage screams. If you have a car loaded with sleeping twins, that's twice as awful.
With the Joovy Twin Roo+ Car Seat Stroller, your kids' car seats are their stroller seats, too. Multiple popular brands of car seats pop right into this frame, so there's no need to transfer the twins from seat to seat. Because it's really just a frame with wheels and a handlebar, the Twin Roo+ is much less expensive than most strollers, too.
Its design also allows for lots of undercarriage storage, while dual cup holders and a tray at the rear of the unit that's perfect for a phone or snacks add to the convenience for parents.
Car seat strollers have the drawbacks of a relatively limited working life, as your babies will outgrow their infant car seats within a year or so, and the fact that you can't swap in regular seats that allow for more adjustability. But every time you don't have to unsettle a calm or sleeping child as you transfer him or her out of or into the car, you'll be glad you made this thing a piece of your family's baby hardware lineup.
With 125 reviews and counting, Amazon shoppers have given the Joovy Twin Roo+ Car Seat Stroller an admirable 4.4-star rating. One mom called it the "absolute best car seat frame stroller for twins," noting the Twin Roo+'s "sturdy frame and large basket" for storage and reported that her kids' car seats feel "snug and secure" in the stroller.
In a video review, a product tester from Baby Gizmo demonstrated how car seats "clip right into the Joovy Twin Roo+ Car Seat Stroller in a matter of seconds, and just as easily release and pop back out.
Pros: Kids don't have to be removed from car seats, low cost, large storage area
