Double Strollers and 6 Reasons that Mine Sucks

[WolfySara]

I'm putting up the general title "Double Stroller', as I'm so curious as to how other double strollers compare to the poo-storm that I have.

After reading the reviews on Babies R' Us, and deciding that none of them sounded great, we went with the Graco DuoGlider. Basically, a front/back type stroller, as I didn't think the side-by-side ones would fit into stores! The only benefit this one had over the other brands was that our infant Graco Snugride that we had from Talia's single Graco stroller (love it!) would fit into it.

Seriously. This is the biggest regret in the parent-shopping area that I have made so far. I wish I could reinact the Julia Roberts scene from Pretty Woman and walk into Graco's headquarters saying "BIG MISTAKE! BIG MISTAKE!"

1. 2 minutes after putting it together, DH and I tried folding it down and lifting it, to see how it would be lifting into my car. O.K. So it folds down. It's gigantic and heavy, yes...as the reviews mentioned. It doesn't lock into place! Interesting...so I might be lifting it into my car only to have it slam open on top of me. Negative #1.

2. So, it's time to open it up again. This should be easy. Pull...and then "RrrrRRiiIIIIIiiip!" Great. Somehow the thing got snagged onto the basket below and ripped the connectors. Lovely. Now we can never use the basket properly again. The basket that is permanently attached, and therefore can't be fixed on a sewing machine. Negative #2.

Baby is born, now I can finally use it!

3. Toddler goes in front. Directions: Larger child must be placed in the front of the carriage. Obnoxious 5-point harness type apparatus requiring pretty delicate seat belt attachment (requiring 2 hands, something a mother of 2 never has) along with squirmy/fussy/annoying toddler = not fun. Negative #3.

4. So, finally (sweating!) the toddler is in! Phew! Now kiddo number two. He fits into the SnugRide, as Graco did a great job with that. Now...have to put the SnugRide behind the toddler. Hmmmm. How to do this? Awe, this is interesting...Graco wants you to put the infant car seat in at almost an upright angle. This is a bit weird, as that implies that the kid is at an upright angle? Well, at least my NEWBORN BABY is strapped in tight. This is going to be great when he's asleep. (Back to the Future moment: It's been 8 weeks of this crap...putting the car seat into the back of the double stroller without waking up your infant is impossible, due to the crazy angle you have to put it in, basically putting it in the last few inches blind, and having it crash down in order to click into place). Negative #4.

5. Oh, I'm such a putz. I guess you are supposed to put the infant in while the SnugRide is already in place? Well, still is a bit tricky to get the car seat in, but o.k., let's try it this way. Hmmmm. Have to put him into that? So, I basically have to contort him into an awkward position, nearly banging his head on the canopy (no, his head almost hits the canopy even when it's pushed back all of the way), and basically go in blind in the last few inches, sometimes slamming his feet/head against the stroller's sides and backs and canopy, in order to get him in? Negative #5.

6. Remember when I said that it didn't lock when you closed it? Well, I was wrong! It does lock when you close it, but only after it's already in the car and put away. Where does it lock? Don't know...instructions...can't find that information in the instructions. How to unlock it? Let's see my steps:

a. Take gigantic, heavy, bulky stroller out of the car (Once again, 2 hands needed, something I DON'T HAVE -- needless to say that newborn and toddler are screaming in the car!)

b. Have it drop to the ground, as I can't put it down gently as it's too flippin' heavy. Sometimes it actually locks right when I put it down. You'll see below why I don't want it to lock, so when this happens I am pretty .

c. I realize it's locked and I'm pissed, as it WON'T COME UNLOCKED. I bring it upright and pull. I try to stretch it open, holding one seat to lock that into position and pulling on the other. Nothing. I slam it onto the ground 2-5 times over and over and over, usually resulting in me using words I don't want my two kids to hear.

d. It unlocks eventually, but not because of one specific strategy. Sometimes it unlocks magically as I pull it from the car. Sometimes I'm lucky and it never locked into place, even if I collapsed it the exact same way I do every flippin' time. Other times it takes me pulling it apart like those strong-mean competitions. And sometimes it takes a few vicious drops to the ground to make it unlock. Each time I don't know why it unlocks, where it unlocks, or how long it will take to unlock! (And my kids are still screaming!)

Negative #6

So, yeah, I don't like my Graco DuoGlide stroller. Tell me about the double strollers you have, and tell me, you DuoGlide owners, what am I doing wrong? (Besides the cussing)



Clue #5 (set 2)
You want me to put Lee Press-On Nails onto my cat?
It'd claw my face!!
I'm a lover of my Cat and declawing seems so mean!
I guess we'll give him his own room while we're at work!

Oh wow, makes me thankful I am done with strollers and don't have to do a double.

[DsnyMom]

I had the duoglide but didn't get it till my son had outgrown his infant seat. I tried an infant seat in it at one point and I couldn't believe how crampted of a fit the infant seat was to get it in. The only double stroller that I absolutely loved was my Phil and Teds E3. It is a single stroller that you can add a 2nd seat. You can use it with a newborn and a toddler at the same time. I had a hard time finding a pic of its functionality but I finally found this review site that has good pictures of the differant seating arrangements. I know it costs a lot more but it is so worth every penny. And its LIGHT!

http://celebritybabies.typepad.com/r...ed_e3_a_s.html

This is the site that I purchased it from and then you just add on the doubles kit at purchase.

http://www.joggingstroller.com/Phil-...ngle.pro#specs

[Ali]

Okay, I couldn't AMEN you more about the duoglider. Luckily for me I had the advantage of using a friends when I kept her kids and I couldn't hate it more. The side by sides didn't seem like a positive option for me because I already had a hard enough time squeezing through the aisles in stores with that thing. Plus wait until you take your son out of the infant seat. The rear seat is set up where they lay back some which is even worse. Stick Talia back there and you will see what I am talking about.

So, with much fear I noticed that graco was coming out with a new double stroller this past March. It wouldn't be released until end of March which meant I didn't get it until April, very close to my due date. But I bit the bullet and preordered something that I hadn't even seen. Why? Well, because I had the graco quattro tour system with Juliana and loved it and this was the graco duo quattro tour stroller. http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/pro...C3&subCatId=26 So the thing arrived, we set it up, and I put Juliana in both seats. I was in love. I still am very happy with it. It doesn't quite fit in my camry very well, I have to take one of the cup holders off. but that just means I need that minivan I guess.

I am sorry you are having so many issues with yours. Here is a picture of the one I got. We are also going to be buying the Bob jogging stroller soon. http://www.bobtrailers.com/strollers/strollers.php Jenni has this and loves it. We need one of these for the off road walks we take and for when we run/rollerblade. My advice would be to sell it and look into something else, because it is only going to get worse.

[Marcia]

Um....I haven't used a stroller in over a year, but I would be calling the company and telling them you want your money back and go buy the one that Ali has! Too many complaints for something that you have to use for a few years!

[Jenni]

LOVE LOVE LOVE the BOB stroller, it's pricey but so worth it. Fits through doorways like a charm, full suspended so it's like pushing on clouds. Here's a picture:



There is a car seat attachment but it's awkward so we decided to get a snuggly for Jasia, drop the seat flat and she's snug as a bug in rug.

[Lambie]

I have the same one Ali has and while I've only used it a few times I like it a lot. Finn can get in the front seat by himself and getting the carrier in the back seat only took a little bit of maneuvering. I'm taking it out by myself for the first time and I don't think I'll have too much trouble getting it in and out of my Patriot.

[michiko]

I have the new quattro double too and absouloutly LOVE it!!! It is so eay to push with my toddler up front. She actually loves to be in it too (which is really saying a lot for her). I had the Duoglider and only used it a couple times before switching to this one. I never really loved it, but didnt have any major issues with it.

[stephie1012]

well we tried alot of them out at the store the other day and i was shocked that my dd doesnt fit well in ANY of them...she is a big girl, she looked like a giant in these double strollers...shes really not into sitting in it anyway so we decided on the sit n stand...we used it around the store and kyleigh loved it....it folded easy and dh said it wasnt that heavy

[XxLisaxX]

These posts are really going to help me because i was going to buy the Duoglider when i have my next child but i don't think i will now, i think i'll check out some of the other ones you girls were talking about, that sit and stand one sounds really cool!