My kids will be almost 3 years apart. I'll be honest that we don't use our single stroller all that much, but I think it's one of those things that when you need it you NEED it. So...I'm thinking of getting a double stroller. Our single is a City Mini GT and I love it. I'd love to buy the double used because they're so pricey for the amount I think it will be used.
I'm thinking City Mini double is our best bet, but I have some hesitation.
1. Double City Mini GT's are hard to find used. Much easier to find regular City Mini. Will I regret not having the upgraded wheels or is the regular model good enough? 2. We have the adapter for our single for our Graco infant seat. From what I can tell, the City Mini adapters for the double are only compatible with models from like 2016 and on. I think it will be hard to find a 2016 and on model used. Is an infant adapter really vital? I know they can just go in normally if you recline the seat from an early age, but will I totally regret this?
Anything else to consider? Feel free to add your own advice or questions on double strollers to this thread.
I'm waffling on whether or not to get one, but will probably cave (Cal will be 2.5 when DD arrives). I figure I'll wear the baby and push C in our City Mini GT single to start and see how much of a PITA it is. Part of my consideration is that we're city people and a double stroller just seems like a logistical nightmare on the bus/train. If we do get a double it will need to be a tandem and the City Select I'm eyeing is crazy $$ (and like you mentioned, rarely available used).
I do think the infant adapter is kind of vital though. The ability to transport the baby in the carseat was kind of huge for us (seamless transfer from stroller to house to car, etc), and if I take the double stroller plunge I would make sure that is a feature I can use. I'm surprised there hasn't been a work around/new adapter for your infant seat.
My kids are going to be just a tad further apart, about 3.5 years. I'm not planning to buy a double stroller until/unless I really really need one, just because they're so expensive. I might end up deciding one is necessary, but if I do, the more info I have about my kids' needs when the time comes to buy, the better. At first I plan to wear the baby and push Hobbes in the stroller if necessary.
If money were no object, I'd probably get the CMGT double. For us (12" height difference), having the adjustable handlebar on the GT is a must have, and the regular CM would not make me happy.
I'm waffling on whether or not to get one, but will probably cave (Cal will be 2.5 when DD arrives). I figure I'll wear the baby and push C in our City Mini GT single to start and see how much of a PITA it is. Part of my consideration is that we're city people and a double stroller just seems like a logistical nightmare on the bus/train. If we do get a double it will need to be a tandem and the City Select I'm eyeing is crazy $$ (and like you mentioned, rarely available used).
I do think the infant adapter is kind of vital though. The ability to transport the baby in the carseat was kind of huge for us (seamless transfer from stroller to house to car, etc), and if I take the double stroller plunge I would make sure that is a feature I can use. I'm surprised there hasn't been a work around/new adapter for your infant seat.
It's not even my specific infant seat. Apparently no adapters are available for city mini double strollers made earlier than 2016 which makes buying used really hard. Unless I'm misunderstanding, but this is what I've seen written in a few places.
Also--I no longer live in the city, but my understanding from a few people is that the side by side is actually easier to maneuver then a tandem. Apparently tandems are really long and clumsy. Someone who lives in a city should be able to weigh in on that though.
My kids are 2.75 years apart, and I didn't think I really needed a double stroller. But after not particularly caring about the stroller previously, my older child suddenly was all about it when her brother arrived. We got a hand-me-down sit and stand double and it was not my favorite. I used it throughout the first summer for walks around the block and such, but it was a pain in the neck. I wished I had just looked for a used City Mini GT double from the get go.
Now my kids are 4.5 and almost 2 and they still fight over our single City Mini GT all the time. This past summer, we only brought the single on vacation to the beach/boardwalk and we hacked it to have my younger one ride in the regular seat, and my older one rode on the bottom footrest area when her legs felt too "wiggly." That actually worked surprisingly well.
This past summer, we only brought the single on vacation to the beach/boardwalk and we hacked it to have my younger one ride in the regular seat, and my older one rode on the bottom footrest area when her legs felt too "wiggly." That actually worked surprisingly well.
This is what my friend does and it works really well. I'm nervous about not being able to strap in older DS though. I like to keep my child locked down.
I'm waffling on whether or not to get one, but will probably cave (Cal will be 2.5 when DD arrives). I figure I'll wear the baby and push C in our City Mini GT single to start and see how much of a PITA it is. Part of my consideration is that we're city people and a double stroller just seems like a logistical nightmare on the bus/train. If we do get a double it will need to be a tandem and the City Select I'm eyeing is crazy $$ (and like you mentioned, rarely available used).
I do think the infant adapter is kind of vital though. The ability to transport the baby in the carseat was kind of huge for us (seamless transfer from stroller to house to car, etc), and if I take the double stroller plunge I would make sure that is a feature I can use. I'm surprised there hasn't been a work around/new adapter for your infant seat.
It's not even my specific infant seat. Apparently no adapters are available for city mini double strollers made earlier than 2016 which makes buying used really hard. Unless I'm misunderstanding, but this is what I've seen written in a few places.
Also--I no longer live in the city, but my understanding from a few people is that the side by side is actually easier to maneuver then a tandem. Apparently tandems are really long and clumsy. Someone who lives in a city should be able to weigh in on that though.
Good to know, thanks! I'll do some more research (would love to hear people weigh in!).
ETA: and ugh about the older doubles, that seems like such an oversight.
So, this is something I've dedicated a lot of brain power to.
I've basically narrowed it down to a CMGT, Bob or a cheap Baby Trend. I've never seen a CMGT used, and I'm not looking to drop $500 on this. Based on my usage, the GT portion is a requirement. The Bob I can get for 300 or so used. But it likely wont come with the carseat adapter, and those things are stupid expensive. The Baby Trend is cheaply built, and does not accept carseats at all. But it is only like $150 new.
My plan as of today is to not buy anything. I figure C can ride in his regular BOB solo and I can babywear #2 (somebody tell me if this is a flawed plan!). Then I can see where we are at. If C is outgrowing the stroller I can go cheap. If not, I can get a Bob without the adapter and baby can use it at 8 weeks.
That all said, we use our stroller daily for a mile walk.
With kids 3 years apart, I would get one of the roller board attachments for your current stroller, but it depends. My 4.5 yo is very #stroller4lyfe and my kids are ~22m apart so we have a City Select. In about 2 years I will probably go back to using just my CMGT single bc I will have a 6.5 yo, 4.5 yo and 1.5 yo.
If money were no object, I'd probably get the CMGT double. For us (12" height difference), having the adjustable handlebar on the GT is a must have, and the regular CM would not make me happy.
Thank you for this reminder of why we got the GT! We've been considering picking up a cheap used double so we can "carpool" with a neighbor from daycare, and we definitely need to make sure H can reach the handlebar on anything new.
This is a timely post. I've been thinking about double strollers this week. DS1 and DS2 are 3 years apart. I really don't want to spend the money on a double stroller, but this week we went to a botanical garden and I wore DS2 while DS1 rode in the stroller. It was not fun, especially up hills. DS2 is already over 20 pounds at 6 months old and it wasn't even that warm outside. I can't imagine what it will be like in the summer heat.
Albee baby has the CMGT double on sale for $400. The other stroller I was looking at was the Joovy caboose ultralight, which is half the price. I'm not sure if DS1 will want to stand or ride in the back jump seat though. The boy likes to ride in comfort. 😂 Plus we're dealing with jealousy issues, so 🤷🏻♀️.
I've been considering a double too. My kids will he 3.5 years apart, and we haven't used a stroller with E in over a year. So my current plan is to not get one.
There is a used Chicco Bravofor2, which is a sit and stand style stroller, at my local Once Upon A Child for $175. It's been there for a few months, and it seamlessly accepts a Keyfit, which is our bucket seat, no adapter necessary. If we need a double, I'll probably get that one.
I also really like the Veer Cruiser, especially since E is starting soccer soon so we'll likely need a wagon anyway. This thing has a car seat adapter! But holy crap to $600 for a wagon.
#1 and #2 are 3y1m apart and #2 and #3 will be the exact same distance apart. We love our single Bob and still use it, but also have loved our double Bob! The CM double and Bob duallie are the same width, but the Bob is a tad longer. Not by much though. Super easy to find car seat attachments and pieces for it too which is nice. I'm glad we spent the money and got the double. It's super helpful when we go on long walks, to the state fair, local county fair, Mall of America, zoo, etc. We'll still use it when #3 comes along. I'm also looking to get the City Select Lux as well. I like how the Lux is lighter than the old City Select, it folds smaller, and can take a bench seat. That appeals to me a lot.
Hmmm...That's a great price for it. Now I'm considering if I should just buy it new and plan to sell it when I'm done with it versus buying it used and probably not being able to sell it for much because by then it would be at least 5-7 years old at least and on it's second family. That would eliminate the issue with an infant seat adapter.
I still don't think we'll use it often, but we would definitely use it for things like the zoo, pumpkin patch, amusement park, beach boardwalk type things. I guess that would make the infant seat adapter issue less critical though since those occasions are less common and probably won't happen all that much in the first 6-12 months of his life.
I find wearing the baby to not be all that practical for me. Like---it's fine if it's 65 degrees and overcast, but if it's hot as hell it's uncomfortable and if it's freezing out it's not all that compatible with a big puffy jacket. I rarely wore DS--maybe 5 times. I suspect I'll wear DS2 a little more, but still probably not a ton.
I have the City Mini GT Double and I love it! It’s super easy to push and folds very easily. We have the belly bar and snack trays as well which are great
The only thing I slightly dislike is that you can’t hang anything off the handle bar. I had a Joovy Twin Roo when they were still in bucket seats and it was nice to be able to hang the diaper bag off of the handle and then put shopping bags or whatever underneath. But, the basket underneath the City Mini still fits my giant diaper backpack which is the most important thing lol.
I looked at tons of different double strollers and I would still choose that one!
If you won't use it a ton and don't live in a walkable area it prob doesn't make sense to invest but we LOVE our uppababy Vista as a double. It is a tandem so I wanted to chime in that its pretty easy to maneuver but I haven't compared it to a side by side. In our city where everything is historic having something more narrow was necessary so we bought the vista with #1 knowing we wanted kids close together and we ended up having them 16m apart. They are now 2 and 3 and we use it daily, but I might pick up the kickboard for DD1 this summer since she would be almost 4.
However, I will tell you that I got a very cheap Graco-compatible tandem double, if you are afraid of not having one. It's not the most luxurious stroller, but it worked for my kids both when #2 was snapping into it in the infant seat and when they were both sitting independently. For $150 it might be worth having on hand.
I have the City Mini GT Double and I love it! It’s super easy to push and folds very easily. We have the belly bar and snack trays as well which are great
The only thing I slightly dislike is that you can’t hang anything off the handle bar. I had a Joovy Twin Roo when they were still in bucket seats and it was nice to be able to hang the diaper bag off of the handle and then put shopping bags or whatever underneath. But, the basket underneath the City Mini still fits my giant diaper backpack which is the most important thing lol.
I looked at tons of different double strollers and I would still choose that one!
I have the City Mini GT Double and I love it! It’s super easy to push and folds very easily. We have the belly bar and snack trays as well which are great
The only thing I slightly dislike is that you can’t hang anything off the handle bar. I had a Joovy Twin Roo when they were still in bucket seats and it was nice to be able to hang the diaper bag off of the handle and then put shopping bags or whatever underneath. But, the basket underneath the City Mini still fits my giant diaper backpack which is the most important thing lol.
I looked at tons of different double strollers and I would still choose that one!
Why can't you hang anything off the handle bar?
I'm guessing it's the name as the single and it's very top heavy. It falls down even with a light bag if the kid gets out of the stroller. With a heavier bag I think it would fall even with the kid.
I still don't think we'll use it often, but we would definitely use it for things like the zoo, pumpkin patch, amusement park, beach boardwalk type things. I guess that would make the infant seat adapter issue less critical though since those occasions are less common and probably won't happen all that much in the first 6-12 months of his life.
We would have similar uses for a double, and one of my other thoughts is that most of the times I would go to places like this, I'd have H with me. So theoretically we could take 2 of our existing single strollers and cover both kids that way. The snap & go for #2 + umbrella for #1 would not be that insane to haul together. For this brief period, we'd just each push a stroller.
The one instance that I'm still not sure how I'd handle is flying; I still use an umbrella stroller for DD in the airport. But I figure I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.
I didn't read responses, but just want to say that we LOVE our hand-me-down sit and stand. WAs just perfect for us for the zoo and neighborhood walks, which is mostly what we did with it.
I still don't think we'll use it often, but we would definitely use it for things like the zoo, pumpkin patch, amusement park, beach boardwalk type things. I guess that would make the infant seat adapter issue less critical though since those occasions are less common and probably won't happen all that much in the first 6-12 months of his life.
We would have similar uses for a double, and one of my other thoughts is that most of the times I would go to places like this, I'd have H with me. So theoretically we could take 2 of our existing single strollers and cover both kids that way. The snap & go for #2 + umbrella for #1 would not be that insane to haul together. For this brief period, we'd just each push a stroller.
The one instance that I'm still not sure how I'd handle is flying; I still use an umbrella stroller for DD in the airport. But I figure I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.
That's a good point. I have considered just bringing 2 strollers, but sometimes I feel like that could get annoying if 1 parent needs to step away for something. Like to go to the bathroom or to get food for everyone. One parent can't just take the double with the kids while the other deals with something.
Also--I just got a snap and go, but I can't imagine using it on anything, but nice asphalt which can be limiting.
Double strollers are annoying because I feel like they get used rarely, but when you do need one you REALLY need one, ya know?
I don't know. I'm going to ask among friends too. We have a bunch with older kids and I need to see if anyone is ready to offload their stroller for a reasonable price.
I'm guessing it's the name as the single and it's very top heavy. It falls down even with a light bag if the kid gets out of the stroller. With a heavier bag I think it would fall even with the kid.
Another vote for the UB Vista. We LOVE ours. I love it for the basket alone. I know on my FB Marketplace you can find used ones anywhere from $250 to $400.
I'm guessing it's the name as the single and it's very top heavy. It falls down even with a light bag if the kid gets out of the stroller. With a heavier bag I think it would fall even with the kid.
Also---it says not to right on the stroller.
This! Lol
I have a Britax B agile single, which I think is pretty similar to the regular city mini, and you can hang a diaper bag from the handle, so I guess it didn't occur to me that the city mini gt would be different.
My kids are also almost three years apart, but my oldest was a runner, so when I was pregnant and making this decision, I was still using a stroller with her daily.
I have a City Select Lux and have been very happy with it. It can be used without the second seat so it was really nice to only have to keep one stroller in the car and throw the second seat on when I needed it.
Mine are 4.25 years apart so a bigger gap but I was contemplating going from my beloved Uppababy Cruz to the Uppababy Vista to cart both of them on walks around town. I wound up just buying the scooter attachment and DD loves it. We just did Disney with DS in the infant seat and DD on the scooter and we got a lot of "wow, I've never seen that!"