[jlinberger]

Hey gang! I am planning on what equipment I will need to have two kids, two and under. I know I need a double stroller, but I was wondering- does anyone use a side by side stroller as their main stroller? Do you have problems with this when you are shopping, etc? Does anyone have any comments on either kind? Thanks!

[SydneyRN]

I've checked them out and it seems the consensus is for side by side. Most reviews say that the tandem ones cause some issues because the back child will tend to kick the front child and that they will end up fighting over who gets to sit in the front. I've also seen lots of reviews that say the Graco tandem tends to have the front wheels fall off. Even the salesperson in Babies R Us told me that, she said she won't recommend it until they fix it, that they've had far too many returned.

[Romans828]

I have had both and I hated the side by side for shopping. It is so wide that trying to maneuver it between aisles, or at the mall was so frustrating. It was fine for wide open places like the zoo or the park. I had a sit and stand stroller also, which is more tandem style. The smaller child sits up front, and then there is a bench that an older child could stand on or sit on. I think they now make them better than when I had them so you might check that out.

[Maggie Beth]

Front to back, all the way. The side by side is IMPOSSIBLE to manuever in any kind of store, restaurant, etc. Graco duoglider is pretty cheap, too... if you buy one since 2005, they have fixed the issues. We've had ours a year and have given it lots of abuse and it is still going strong!

[cbpwife]

I nannied for twins while I was in college - sorry to say they both have their downsides. A side to side is hard to get through a doorway or down an isle. With the front and back it's hard to even reach to door to open it and still be able to push the stroller through. As a pp said, kicking is another issue...

[KellyMigoya]

Love myy Combi side to side. Weighs nothing, folds up small, and when the handle broke after one year I called them and they sent me a brand new one of the latest model without my receipt and no questions asked.

[Mommy2twins]

I'm looking forward to using our side by side Maclaren for our babies. They can see eachother and I can seem them both. It just fits through a normal door width and it turns so easily you can steer it with one hand. It weighs about 25 lbs which I didn't think was too bad. I compared it to others and really liked it best. The front to back ones seemed so long I couldn't imagine trying to get around with it. My friend however, has a 2 year old and an infant and he will only use a front to back. He is worried that his toddler will hurt his infant if they are too close.... I guess the toddler is a little wiggle worm!

[LisaCA]

dh and I plan to adopt again, so we've been thinking about this. we started watching folks at xmas time to see how both worked. ick. both were problematic.

the side by side was just ghastly for maneuvering in the aisles. Most stores don't comply with the Americans for Disability guidelines about accessibility. I can barely manage our single stroller around everything. Most parents looked pretty disgusted by the entire thing.

the back to back looked like an aircraft carrier. People had a hard time fitting it in their trunk. Plus, because it was so long, it couldn't turn around without a major process.

here's what we saw working best: Mom with a baby in baby bjorn/wrap/carrier and pushing a stroller with the other child; Mom with one child in a stroller, dad with another stroller; or one parent with baby bjorn/wrap/etc, the other with the stroller. That's what I think we'll end up doing. just my two cents .

[seania]

We really preferred the tandum with our first two kids. We didn't really have any problems with fighting between our kids (but we didn't really allow it either).

The things that we really liked is the extra storage space for all the stuff you will undoubtedly be carrying. They are a bit harder to turn around, but not any harder to get down aisles in stores than the singles.

[DPline]

I have a Peg Perego Aria Twin side by side and love it. I have yet to find a doorway I can't get through, it is very light, and folds up relatively flat. I have taken it through malls and dept. stores without a problem. And stores where I did have a problem, I wouldn't have even gotten a single through. And no arguing about who gets to sit in the front!
I tried pushing a couple of the front to back and hated them. I found them to be heavy and difficult to control.

Happy shopping!

[KathyNC]

I had all three...tandem, side by side and a single. I used the tandem the least... and pretty much stopped using it completely by the time they were 15mo. Navigating a store with it was a challenge and it was very heavy...the newer ones are much lighter. Also the one in the back wanted to reach forward and pull the other's hair!

The bigger challenge for me was transitioning them OUT of the stroller! I kept them in until three w/ little/no practice learning to walk/stay with me. When I let them out, they were all over the place. I think I picked a tough age for the transition. At that point the single stroller got the most use...I always had it with me and the first one to run off got to ride! Now at 4 1/2 yo those days are behind us...but I still avoid crowded stores/malls!

Kathy

[niandca]

I had a back to back & my friend had a side by side. After a few shopping trips, her side by side was relegated to the garage. We both hated it. After using a triple Peg Perego for a few years, a double seemed so easy. A lot of doors have handicap buttons on them. I also remember opening the door & holding it open with my body while pulling the stroller through in front of me. The single with the front carrier was easiest a lot of the time.

[angelkisses0102]

I LOVE, LOVE my side by side...Inglesina Twin Swift...I have yet to encounter any problems with doors, shopping, Disney, parks...and we take it anywhere and everywhere. I had a Graco front/back and hated it...used it only once or twice.

In fact I just ordered the single version as my DD is not all that interested in being in the stroller at 4.5.

[cerca]

We have twins and loved our front to back stroller!!! They never kicked each other and it was great to get around in tight places. In fact the only time we had a problem with strollers was in Disney when they were 18 months old. They were in a side-by-side stroller and one of the girls tried to "taste" her sisters face...nearly fainted at the blood....oh well it was a phase that didn't last too long. Good luck.

[Maggie Beth]

Isn't it funny how we have such different preferences? At a mall local to us, you can rent double strollers. Maybe those who have yet to purchase could rent both kinds and see which works best for them. I'm also wondering if it depends how tall you are, etc. I love my back to back and have never experienced the problem with opening doors -- but I am very tall and have long arms...