As I mentioned in this post, we’ve been debating whether we need a double stroller. As we continue to debate the issue and decide whether to go with a full double stroller, two separate strollers (necessitating the purchase of a lightweight umbrella stroller) or completely forego the purchase of another stroller, we have done a lot of research into strollers that fit our needs.
To quickly recap our considerations of a double, we’re looking at the following (you can read my explanations on these factors here):
Most important features:
- Side-by-side
- Independently reclining seats
- Compact enough to fit through a standard doorway
- Collapses with the seats attached
- Fits into the trunk of our Honda Fit
- Durability
Other factors:
- Price
- Can it be used as a jogging stroller?
- Weight
- Car seat compatibility (though this becomes less important the longer we go without a double stroller)
- Has a snack tray
We ended up seriously looking at the 1) City Mini Double Stroller, 2) City Mini GT Double Stroller, 3) Britax B-Agile and the 4) Mountain Buggy Duet. While we also considered some umbrella double strollers like the MacLaren Twin Techno, it seems that the wheels are very small and might not hold up well to heavy use. Additionally, while the stroller folds up much smaller than any of the others on the list, it’s around the same weight. Jogging pods, like the Baby Jogger POD, interested us, too, but they ended up being too big for us to store and are very heavy.
All of the following are side-by-side double strollers that have lay-flat (or close to lay-flat) seats, seats that recline independently of each other and fold with the seats attached. None are jogging strollers, though two of them have all-terrain tires.
City Mini Double Stroller
Pros
- One-hand fold
- Narrow width (29.5 inches) that fits in a standard doorway
- Has a 100lb weight limit
- Snack-tray compatible and folds when attached
- Lightest of the strollers at 26.5lbs
Cons
- Car seat compatible with a heavy adapter
The City Mini Double Stroller is one of the less expensive models on this list, fits in a standard doorway and is snack-tray compatible. It is also the lightest of the strollers at 26.5 lbs and I feel like every pound counts. We were actually very impressed that a double stroller could be so light because our first stroller, a Graco that a friend graciously gave us because her son never used it, was around the same weight! I like the way this stroller folds, though I don’t believe it stands when folded.
City Mini GT Double Stroller
Pros
- One-hand fold
- Narrow width (29.75 inches) that fits in a standard doorway
- Has a 100lb weight limit
- Adjustable handlebars
- All-terrain, non-flat tires
- Snack-tray compatible and folds when attached
- Handles beautifully
Cons
- Heavy
- Car seat compatible with a heavy adapter
- Expensive
The City Mini GT stroller is very similar to the City Mini, but it is includes all-terrain “non-flat” tires. Unlike the all-terrain tires of the Mountain Buggy Duet, you don’t have to worry about constantly pumping them with air. We really like the all-terrain, non-flat tires so that we can take it on some nearby trails or when we push it over grassy areas. I love how this one handles and I think it would be a dream to push, even as our kids get heavier. It is six pounds heavier than the City Mini Double and one of the heaviest on this list. While the stroller will mostly live in our trunk, there are times when we need the trunk space and, because our condo’s entrance is on the second floor, we’ll have to carry it up a flight of stairs.
Britax B-Agile Double Stroller
Pros:
- One-hand fold
- Relatively narrow at 30.5 inches
- Has a 100lb weight limit
- Adjustable handlebar
Cons:
- It is slightly wider, larger and heavier than the City Mini
- It appears to only be compatible with Britax car seats. The adapter for other car seats isn’t compatible with the one we currently have
- Some have complained that it doesn’t fit through standard doorways
When we first started looking at double strollers, the Britax B-Agile was the cheapest of the options on this list, but current pricing on Amazon shows it is roughly equal with the City Mini. I stalk Amazon and would just note that the prices do fluctuate quite a bit. The Britax B-Agile Double appears to be a replica of the City Mini Double with a few differences. It is similar in size, just slightly wider, larger and heavier. Because standard doorways are 30 inches wide, some reviewers have said that they’ve had trouble maneuvering it through doorways. Additionally some reviewers have complained that it hasn’t held up as well as the City Mini.
Mountain Buggy Duet
Pros:
- Narrow stroller (25 inches wide)
- All terrain tires
- Car seat compatible with our current car seat with small adapter pieces
- Can be used as a single stroller with an tote attachment
Cons:
- At 33 pounds, it is heavy!
- Largest folded dimensions (11.5” x 29.5” x 39”)
- Some complaints that the tires often go flat and need to be pumped
- Most expensive of the strollers we’ve considered
- Complaints that the seats are too narrow
- Lowest maximum weight limit of 80lbs (40lbs per side)
- Requires both hands to fold
- No snack tray
The Mountain Buggy Duet is the narrowest of the double stroller at just 25 inches wide. You can remove one seat and put in a large tote/basket instead so it has some use beyond being a double. I can easily see using it to hold toys, balls, groceries, etc. There are mixed reviews on whether the seats are too narrow or not and despite a lot of people claiming that their 2 or 3-year-old is in the 50th percentile for height and weight, I couldn’t get a clear answer on whether a child this age would comfortably fit. Regardless, it would probably not last as long as the others on the list because of the lower weight maximum. We haven’t been able to find one in a store nearby to test it out before making our decision. While the price is higher than we’d like to spend, we have a gift card that would cover the purchase (the store does not carry any of the other strollers we are considering).
We still haven’t decided whether we want a double stroller, a new umbrella stroller for Lion or none of the above. I would really like to see the Mountain Buggy Duet in person to see if Lion would be comfortable in it or whether he would outgrow it too quickly. Otherwise, I think we are inclined to go with one of the City Mini options.
guest
We have a city mini double and it’s great. My boys are 3 years apart and I started using it when they were an infant and 3 year old and still use it now with a 2 and 5 year old. When my son was an infant I reclined the seat all the way and put in a head support thingy and some blankets on each side. My now 5 year is really tall but will still hop in for a ride when we are at places that require a lot of walking (zoo, Disney world). I like being able to make them both sit if I’m alone somewhere crowded with the two of them. I can get it through a regular doorway without an issue and it folds fairly flat so it doesn’t take up the whole trunk.
guest
I also have a city mini single that I use when I just need a stroller for the 2 year old. I’m a fan!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
Currently I’m leaning towards not getting a double stroller, since we don’t even use the stroller much with DD1. BUT I am possible interested in one of those sit/stand combo ones…?
cherry / 222 posts
We were also debating whether we needed a double stroller, if we got one, would we get side by side, sit/stand combo, etc. We ended up getting a totally junky one at a garage sale for $10. Using it for a weekend helped us figure out that we definitely wanted a double, and that a side by side would be better for our family. It also helped us figure out that snack trays were not critical, but ability to recline was. Then we ditched the junky one and bought our double. It was a nice way to “test drive” doubles before plunking down a lot of money.
blogger / apricot / 482 posts
@merriment: Would love to hear which double side-by-side you guys ended up with!
grapefruit / 4923 posts
we borrowed a city mini gt double and while it was super nice, it was so heavy and big–we live in the suburbs and taking that thing in and out of the trunk was beastly.
@snowjewelz: we also decided not to get a double stroller, until recently. LO1 is 3.5 years and LO2 is 1 year–we just got a joovy ultralight caboose off of craigslist because our daycare parking is now a 1/4 mile from the actual daycare, and the stroller will make our life easier. i also figure we can use it for the zoo and and upcoming amusement park trip. but barring the daycare parking, we were doing fine without the double stroller.
cherry / 222 posts
@mrs.dolphin: Nothing you’re actually interested in! It’s a super cheapy umbrella double stroller (https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Children-Tandem-Umbrella-Stroller/dp/B003TRZIGW/ref=sr_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1470146639&sr=8-7&keywords=double+stroller). We live up the hill from a village/park/beach and only use it to walk 10 minutes to and from the village on the weekends. My daughter is 4 and my son is 1, so we figured we would only use it for this summer. While my daughter can walk down the hill, it’s too much to ask her to walk up the hill after spending a few hours running around and playing. Plus small house/small car–we realized after using the junky $10 big one, that an umbrella double was the way to go for us (and probably the only one small enough to be stored in our trunk).
pea / 7 posts
Have you considered a tandem stroller instead of a side-by-side one? They are easier to get through doorways. The baby jogger city select is an amazing stroller. It can also function as a single stroller in cases where you only have one child with you. And it has so many different configurations. Just a thought
Good luck with your decision!
blogger / apricot / 482 posts
@harmoniyous: Thanks for the suggestion! Initially, we wanted a tandem stroller. But, after reading a lot of reviews and testing it out in the store, we felt that it was much harder to maneuver because of the length. However, the City Select is very appealing because of the number of configurations (unlike most, the kids could actually face each other) plus the fact that it turns into a single. It is expensive, though! We found a City Select on Craigslist that we would have purchased because of the great price, but someone beat us to it.
guest
We have an almost 2 and almost 4 year old and use our double all the time. As someone else mentioned, I like to contain the kids if we’re in a crowd (farmers market) or if I’m by myself with both of them. I’ve also done a lot of baby wearing but love the double stroller option. We take ours on long walks, to run errands, etc. It seems there are almost too many options and perhaps a used one would be good for you all, or one that has a good resale value if you’re not sure what to get but decide to get something!
guest
I have a city mini single and a city mini gt double. I went with the gt for the double because it is so much easier to maneuver than the regular. Pushing two kids around, you really want to have a stroller you can push easily. I use the double daily with my 3yo and 1yo. The kids like sitting next to each other but having their own space (and sun canopies). If I made the choice over again, I would still get the city mini gt double!
blogger / apricot / 275 posts
We have way too many strollers for our 2 little guys, but (for now at least) we live in a suburban house with a huge 3-car garage. I really like my City Mini strollers (we have a GT single & a City Select) – they fold easily, are easy to maneuver, and comfy for my kids. I’d vote for the GT double!