Napping while we are out. North Carolina September 2011 |
Let me start at the beginning. When D was an infant we had two different Chicco strollers, the travel system and the Chicco $40 umbrella stroller. Neither was that exceptional, but they both served their purpose. When we found out we were having twins, I begin doing massive amounts of stroller research. I found fancy looking double strollers, fashionable side-by-sides, strange over-under designs (does the kid stuffed in the bottom of those actually enjoy the ride?), and, of course, the traditional tandem limousine. Having dealt with a stroller that wasn't that great, I knew having a stroller that actually met our needs would make a world of difference in how we functioned when we left the house. The snippets about these strollers online were less than helpful and I wondered what was overpriced and what was worth the money.
Using the car seat adaptors and glider board. (D was 2 and a half when the babies were born.) North Carolina May 2011 |
With my list in hand, I started researching. If I saw someone at a store with a stroller I liked, I stopped them and whipped out my notebook, practically interviewing them in the middle of the aisle. "I see you have a bag draped on the handle; does your stroller ever flip over backwards? How easy is it to fold? Do you have any other children?" When I first started asking around, I saw several people with the Contours double stroller and they all said great things about it (thank you, Mom-of-Two, at Target). But I still felt there was another stroller out there that had everything. If there are seven cup holders in my mini van just for the driver, there must be a stroller out there that fit my criteria.
At the pumpkin patch. North Carolina October 2011 |
Doing a little online research, I stumbled across the Baby Jogger City Select stroller. I had to see it. I liked the way the Contours stroller looked and the City Select had a similar style, just more compact. I started calling around local stores to see if they had a floor model. A local baby boutique confirmed they had them in stock and a floor model, so I drove over to check it out. It was love at first sight. The stroller turned with the slightest bend of my wrist. I could whip that thing around with one hand. Feeling that I needed to be fair, I gave other doubles a chance. The boutique carried a lot of side-by-side floor models, such as the Bumbleride Indie Twin Stroller, the Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller, the Peg Perrego Aria Twin, as well as the Chicco Cortina Together. They had some over-under models, like the Phil and Ted's Classic Double, but I dismissed all of them because I couldn't imagine stuffing an infant down there and the bottom seat was in the way of my gait (remember my criteria?). The tandem stroller was also dismissed because it was much too heavy and cumbersome to push around the store while empty. Plus, being the Chicco, it wasn't any taller than our last Chicco travel system stroller, which was too short for long walks. As for the side-by-sides... I don't know. There may be a fabulous side-by-side out there. However, when I go to DC and visit the Smithsonians, I cringe watching moms having to collapse their side-by-sides just to get them through the metal detectors at the entrance to the museum. There was just to many "How would I...?" questions when I seriously considered side-by-sides. How would I push this through Nordstrom Rack? Or park it on an aisle in the grocery store? Or navigate a crowd? Or hold D's hand in a parking lot? Or push it through a field? Or follow after D at a playground layered with bark? Feeling like there were too many unknowns, I dismissed the side-by-sides.
Both facing forward while we wait at the pediatrician. North Carolina September 2011 |
The baby boutique we looked at offered a store loyalty program. Since Baby Jogger is one of the big name stroller brands, they are exempt from store promotions and coupons at large baby stores, like Babies'R'Us or Buy Buy Baby. With the baby boutique's customer loyalty program, we were able to save money on the stroller purchase-- spend $500, get $40 store credit. We split the stroller purchase up and applied the store credit on accessories. If you are interested in buying this stroller, I would recommend calling around and seeing if any baby boutiques near you offer a similar promotion. Otherwise, I have met some moms at parks who said they saved money buying it online, though I don't know which sites they used. When I go to buy accessories for it, I usually buy those through Amazon.
Out shopping with one baby-- only using one seat. North Carolina November 2011 |
How I usually arrange the seats. North Carolina March 2012 |
Both seats reclining facing backwards (D making silly faces.) North Carolina December 2011 |
At one point I was going to buy the "Hychair" attachments for our seats, converting them to clip on high chairs at a table. I changed my mind when I saw how messy the babies are when they eat and how often we go to restaurants that have four table legs instead of a center post (um, very infrequently). We just flew with our stroller, buying the Buy Buy Baby "Gate check" bag for $18. Our trip was last minute or I would have ordered the Baby Jogger travel bag. The gate check bag already has a hole in it, but it did work fine for checking the stroller at the gate. The TSA agents asked, "Did you spend a fortune on that stroller? You must have for it to collapse like that!" They were all impressed that we could easily get our double stroller through the scanner and just as easily reassemble it, popping the wheels back on, the mounting brackets, and seats. The Baby Jogger City Mini single stroller (a stroller I wish I had when D was a baby), folds with one hand. Literally. I myself have folded it with one hand holding a baby and put it in the trunk of a car. (Baby Jogger, do you ever cease to impress?) The City Select doesn't fold that easily. It took me a couple times of practice to figure out the best way for me to fold it. I take off the seats and stack them vertically in the back of my van. Then I stand to the right of the frame and lift up on the "fold" handles located on either side of the stroller. Holding the stroller by those handles, I place the stroller in my van with the front of the stroller going into the van first. That way when I lift the stroller out, the handle is facing me and I can put the parking brake on, drop my diaper bag in, and put the seats on.
When I'm out and someone stops to compliment me on my "fancy stroller," it takes everything in me not to tell them every single reason why I love it so much. Usually I will reply, "Oh, we love our stroller!" or "Best thing we bought for the babies!" My favorite is when an expecting mom stops to ask me if we like it and what makes it so special. I love gushing about my stroller. The hardest thing to put in words is just how easy it makes things, how easy it is to push, how easy it is to travel with... The best thing about my stroller is that it makes my life easier. For that, I will always love it.
For more pictures of the stroller, check out the Mommy Resources tab.
For more pictures of the stroller, check out the Mommy Resources tab.
Comments
-Cindy
Thanks for posting such a thorough review. Did you find the weight to be an issue? (I read that the double stroller is 34lbs). Were the other double strollers much lighter? Thanks much.
Per the manufacturer websites:
The Chicco Cortina Together is 34 lbs.
The Bumbleride Indie Twin is 34 lbs.
The Peg-Perego Aria Twin 60-40 stroller (which has two different sized seats, one to accomodate an infant carrier-- does not support two infant carriers) is 19.4 lbs.
The Peg Perego Duette SW, also a stroller you take the seats out of to fold, is 43.6 lbs assembled, unfolded. Folded, the frame weighs 27.7 lbs.
The Phil and Ted's Classic says it weighs 25 lbs, but I cannot find a weight for it as a double.
As for the Baby Jogger products, I cannot find weights on their strollers on the websites or on Buy Buy Baby. For the City Mini Double, the shipping weight on Amazon is 32.6 lbs, including the packaging.
The shipping weight for the Baby Jogger City Select with Second Seat on Amazon is 100 lbs, with packaging. From personal experience, I would put the stroller frame around the 30 lb mark.
The only issue that I have had with weight was recently. I had my four-year old on the glider board and my 16-month old twins in their seats. We were wandering around DC for the entire day, so I had our diaper bag, lunches, umbrellas, etc, underneath the stroller. My oldest weighs about 45 lbs and my 16-month olds weigh 25 lbs each, combined with the stroller and everything underneath... yes, this momma was feeling the burn on those hills! However, the stroller pushes so easily that I didn't have any problems pushing the stroller all day (when I wasn't going up hills!). I wandered all over DC, just me and the kids, from about 10 am to 5 pm, going up and down the National Mall, even on the gravel path along the mall. I think that pushing a combined weight of 100 lbs of children would be heavy in any stroller. The City Select is easy to manuever and I sent my husband many texts that day congratulating ourselves on the forsight to buy this stroller! I could not imagine doing such a long day in DC by myself with a stroller that was hard to maneuver (we even rode the metro!!). We are continually pleased with this stroller!
Note: I'm going to email Baby Jogger and see if I can get exact weights on the City Select...
I also am a huge fan of backpacks during travel, unless it is a bag that you can wear in the messenger style and put behind you (if the bag hangs on your side or in the front, it will dangle in your way when you bend over). The other important thing about a bag that hangs behind you when you wear it is that it is very hard to get down an airplane aisle with a bag on your side while you carry a baby. Thoughtfully packing your carry on is critical when flying by yourself with a child. I had a two bag system. I had a smaller bag inside a larger backpack. The backpack had things that I would need in an emergency and I put this in the overhead bin (a clean shirt and a clean bra for me, a clean outfit for baby, a clean blanket, a bottle of room temperature water bought in the terminal, my purse, extra diapers). The smaller bag had things that I would need on the flight and repeatedly need during travel and I put this under the seat (the contents of my purse such as my wallet and chapstick, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, sippy cup or bottle, pedialyte powder pouches, powdered formula divided and measured for travel, a clean onsie for baby, interesting toys for baby such as something that has lights or a book with crinkley pages, a book for myself, a blanket to lay baby down on in the terminal or on the seat next to me, my baby sling). I had these arranged in my bag with diaper bag contents on the bottom-- along with any valuables I didn't feel comfortable putting in the overhead container, but wouldn't need on the flight-- and things I would want to reach in and grab sitting in my seat on the top, like toys or pacifiers. Small things like pacifiers were kept in containers that I could easily find (even a ziploc bag is easier to find than a loose pacifier). Things like my boarding pass were kept in a front pocket. When I was going through security or boarding the plane, the smaller bag was kept inside the larger backpack. I could easily carry my carry-on without having a lot of loose stuff. As soon as I got on the plane, I put my book (if baby falls asleep in your arms, the last thing you are going to do is wake him up to try and get entertainment out for yourself-- put it within reach before baby falls asleep!), the sippy cup, and one toy in the seat back. I also got the baby's blanket out and anything else required for sleep.
I have actually flown before without a stroller. If you are going to do this, I would make sure that you are thoroughly thinking out your carry on bag and the worst case scenarios. For instance, if you are taking a 1 and a half hour commuter flight to your final destination, the stroller won't be a big deal. If you have an hour layover at a major airport, it will be missed. Hauling everything you need from one end of a major hub to another is hard even WITH a stroller. Carrying everything and rushing would be a pain. Also, I have had many flights delayed or cancelled. If you have a layover and your connecting flight is cancelled, will you want your stroller? It was great being able to lay my son down and go get lunch.
If you are going to check your stroller with your bags, which isn't a bad idea, there are a few things you should consider. For instance, most of the time, I check our carseats when we fly. I do NOT like dealing with carseats through the terminal and have found them to be more of a hassel on the flight than a help (my mom thinks it is horrible I do not strap them in a carseat when we fly, but it is such a pain). Before I check the carseats, I confirm that I can rent carseats if they get lost. Most larger (and some smaller) airports have car rental companies on site that rent carseats. If you cannot rent a carseat at the airport, are you flying somewhere where you know people? If they are picking you up from the airport, is there a baby store nearby that they could buy a carseat if yours gets lost? If I cannot easily buy a carseat and I cannot rent a carseat, I fly with my carseat. When I fly with our carseat, the stroller becomes the means how I get this carseat around and I use the sling to carry the baby.
I probably waaaaaay overthink flying with kids. However, I have found, in my experience, that being prepared makes the flight MUCH smoother! I also think that I just operate better when I feel prepared. The extra bra policy started when my son threw up milk down my shirt right before take off... yeah, they don't get to drink milk anymore on flights. Haha!
Feel free to email me at kimbersnavyfamily@gmail.com if you want to chat more about flying. I flew a ton by myself with my oldest, short one-hour flights and long 10+ hour flights! Good luck!!! :D
Jessica
Jessica.cortes78@gmail.com
So after much going back and forth, I decided to gate check the stroller and put it in the baby jogger city select travel bag. I am regretting that decision. The night before my husband said if I was going to use the bag that we should put a massive amount of duct tape at all seams on the inside as well as completely cover the bottom and sides. So I did and even put extra extra layers on the bottom. When I got to the airport, everything was fine all the way to the gate, the bag was definitely Super heavy though with everything broken down and very awkward to carry. The wheels each have their own little compartment on either side and then you are supposed to lay the seat down and then the frame on top. Well with all of this, the bag was tight to zip shut, in fact there was a lot of tension so I kept shifting it around to make it less but it didn't help. I had two flights, when I got to my connection in Denver, they put the bag at the jetway and I grabbed it and ran to next flight, only had 25 minutes between so the next flight was boarding. Left bag at gate again and finally reached Milwaukee. I took everything out and was thankful to have it back in my hands. After I got my baggage and headed outside to wait for my mother, that is when I noticed the damage. I'm really bummed. There are several scratches to the aluminum frame as well as one dent on the back right side near the wheel base, the black resin/plastic pieces where you fold it and on the handle look worn off, the bottom of the mesh basket keeps falling off and there are also two gouges to the frame. My dad looked at it and said I could take a scotch bright pad to the scratches, but the dent and gouges are there to stay. I can't tell you how disappointed I am about this. I just bought it last week Wednesday. The travel bag is a piece of $h!t and I would not recommend buying it. The bag itself has several tears on the bottom and sides. Thank god I had the duct tape layered so much on the inside or the damage may have been worse. I am dreading taking it back home to TX though. I have to fly back on the 18th. I was thinking I could keep the wheels with me in this other tote I brought and stow them in the overhead bin. Then the stroller frame and seat would be by themselves with less weight and tension on the bag. I'm also going to wrap both of those in a large padded blanket, as well as add more duct tape to inside and outside. I should have just stuck to my original plan of placing it in our largest suitcase completely broken down and just checked it like luggage. It only weighted 41lbs. I could have added a few other items to bring it just under 50 and all would have been well with it. :(
Smooth Strollers online
The link has current pictures of our two-year olds in the stroller. Best of luck stroller shopping!
We are strongly leaning towards the City Select for our twins arriving in July, but I cannot get a final answer on if the stroller breaks down/folds with two car seat adaptors on. I understand that one of the stroller seats hvae to come off to close it, is it the same rule with the adaptors? Did you have to take them both off? We plan to use a Gracco Keyfit 30, which appears to be what you used.
Thank you,
Rachael Anne
Our oldest is 5.5 years old and our twins are just about to turn 3 and we have another baby due this summer and this is still the only stroller I use with them! I plan on using this stroller with our next little one as well. One of our toddlers still likes riding in the stroller all the time while the other prefers walking. Most of the time now I only have one seat in the City Select when I'm out, but when baby #4 arrives I'm going to use one infant carrier adaptor for the baby, one stroller seat for one of our twins, and the glider board for our other toddler. :)
As for getting this stroller in and out and folding it, I found that I got into a routine going out with the kids loading and unloading them very quickly. I always put the diaper bag in the same spot, I load the kids up pretty much the same way, and I put the stroller in the back of the van in the same way each time. I can't say enough great things about this stroller! Today at the park I had a Thirty One thermal lunch tote with lunch for me and the boys, our diaper bag, and another tote bag in the basket underneath. It really fits our lifestyle. :)
- a fellow MoM and submariner's wife
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