Stroller and Car for twins plus toddler

Discussion in 'Pregnancy Help' started by Mellie_1233, Nov 6, 2009.

  1. Mellie_1233

    Mellie_1233 Member

    Hello! I have a one year old who will be 16 months old when my twins are born. She recently outgrew her Chicco Keyfit carseat. We really have liked it -- awesome safety ratings, easy to install -- and since it's still a relatively recent model we were planning to use it for one of the twins and buy a second Chicco Keyfit for the other twin.

    1) My question is -- is there a travel stroller that I can snap two Chicco carseats into and that has a platform for a toddler to sit?

    Also, does anyone think it's unsafe to "reuse" a carseat like we're planning to do? Safety comes first.

    2) Secondly, we drive a Prius! We're gonna have to get a bigger car to hold all of our kids :) Does anyone have any suggestions on what we should consider? We would like something with decent gas mileage and good safety ratings.

    Thanks!
     
  2. hhc

    hhc Well-Known Member

    I'm planning to reuse carseats. You just might want to check the expiration date on it but since it's not that old you should be fine.
    As for the car, we're planning to buy a Toyota sienna. We're holding out as long as we can in hopes that the hybrid sienna makes it to production.
    On stroller, have no idea. Was planning to make the older one walk.
     
  3. summerfun

    summerfun Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I'm not sure about the stroller issue at all since my oldest DD was 5 when the twins came along.


    But as far as the car is concerned, we have a Toyota Sienna and it is great for 3 kids. :good: It gets good gas mileage too. :good: Personally for me, I could not imagine not having a mini-van with 3 kids.
     
  4. IVF TWINS

    IVF TWINS Well-Known Member

    We are using DD's old carseat and bought another one exactly like it. DD's was in great condition so I never seen a problem.

    We are buying a double snap n go stroller and making DD walk. I've done a lot of research and from what I've read most double's with the sit/stand option or triple strollers are huge, weigh a ton, and are hard to move around. DD really doesn't spend much time in the stroller now anyway. Plus if we had to Dh can push the small stroller with her in it while I push the twins around.

    We bought a Dodge Grand Caravan. Its so-so on gas. Not as bad as some vans. The one feature I LOVE and highly recommend for anyone with kids is the push button double auto sliding doors! I know with two infants and a 2 year old my hands will be full and I wont be able to get the doors open. So having a button on my key that opens both sliding doors is awesome! We also have the stow n go seats which makes it easier to get to things and is great for storage.
     
  5. jpgeyer

    jpgeyer Well-Known Member

    As for strollers, I've talked to a lot of people with new twins and a toddler under 3 and they've said that all the strollers that can accomodate this...ie, Joovy double, Graco sit and stand, etc, are really, really difficult to maneuver b/c of the weight. We have a 2.5 year old and are having twins in 5 weeks. My son doesn't go in the stroller very often anymore and I just figure we'll use the double snap and go at first and then will get the Baby Jogger City Mini, which everyone I know LOVES, and then get a board on the back for my son. They say the City Mini is super lightweight and very easy to maneuver. I also think that if we're out with all 3 and it's both me and my husband, we can just bring along a single stroller if need be.

    As for cars, we couldn't fit 3 under 3 in our former SUV and wanted to avoid a mini-van. We got a Lincoln Navigator which I love BUT it is a major gas guzzler. It's too difficult to fit 3 carseats in one row of almost any car so I think you're going to need a mini-van or large SUV. Also, you really need to have 2 chairs in the middle row so that you have easy access to the 3rd row b/c 2 infant carseats cannot easily (if at all) fit side-by-side on a bench seat...we tried this with no luck!

    Good luck!
     
  6. DATJMom

    DATJMom Well-Known Member

    I dont know anything about the Chicco, but my DD was 26 months when the twins were born and we got a Valco Twin Trimode with a toddler attachment for all of them. It was the best investment I made.

    As for the car, we have a Sienna and I love it. Perfect for the kids and Mom too.
     
  7. HollyP

    HollyP Well-Known Member

    Carseats can be reused as long as they have no damage and are within the expiration date on the seat. We're using DS's seat from 2005 for one of the twins, and it expires in December of 2010 -- so we're just within the timeline.

    As for vehicles, I'm not the minivan kind of person - but that's what I bought (a used Chevrolet Uplander), because I don't want to be that mom in the parking lot, swearing like a sailor, when I can't get my 4 year old into the 3rd row easily ;)
     
  8. E&Msmom

    E&Msmom Well-Known Member

    Our twins will be 21 months when this baby is born.
    We bought a ford flex. It has 3 rows (seats 7) and I find it very easy to use, has great ratings, nice features, etc.
     
  9. Hilarigh

    Hilarigh Member

    I agree with PPs, the used car seat should be fine given that it hasn't expired. Regarding the stroller, the Valco Trimode Twin has a toddler seat attachment but you can't use it with infant seats and it's pretty pricey. I hear it's pretty easy to stear/push even with three kids aboard so the $700 price tag might be money well spent to not have to struggle with getting three kids around.

    Our twins are due in April and we don't have any other children but we plan on having three eventually. I'm driving a mini cooper and we decided to bite the mini van bullet now instead of buying an SUV to accomodate the twins and a mini van later when the third kid joins the party.

    Good luck!
     
  10. evemomma

    evemomma Well-Known Member

    My son will be 3.5 when the twins are born, so we're just going to make him walk! I'm planning to get a double snap N go stroller as well...just seems so much easier to start with. We have a small minivan: Mazda MPV. I LOVE the remote sliding doors more than anything!!! It's more fuel efficient than the Sienna, the Odyssey or the Town & Country b/c it's slightly smaller. I wouldn't get this van for anymore than 3 kids though. Too tight for too many more car seats!

    Question...

    I have a Chicco Keyfit infant seat too...does that fit onto a Snap N Go, or do I need a Graco?
     
  11. acjb2004

    acjb2004 Well-Known Member

    I can't comment on the stroller, sorry!

    Now about the car, we have Toyota Sienna. I was one of those people that was so against minivans, I was in the verge of tears when we bought ours. But once the twins arrived, guess what I love it. We have 5 year old daughter and with the twins I don't see myself in any other car, it is so spacious and convenient in many ways. Good Luck car shopping!
     
  12. jpgeyer

    jpgeyer Well-Known Member

    They told me at one of the baby stores that the Chicco car seat doesn't fit in the double snap and go, but I'd make some calls to be sure if that's what you have!
     
  13. evemomma

    evemomma Well-Known Member


    Thanks! That's the big bummer with the Chicco..it didn't snap on the grocery carts either. Grrrrrrrr.
     
  14. jamiandkyle2002

    jamiandkyle2002 Well-Known Member

    I had the Joovy caboose and HATED it!!! do not get that one!
     
  15. chellebelle

    chellebelle Well-Known Member

    I am sooo drooling over this ^^^ but getting it in canada makes it $1000 or more and I haven't found a used one yet :( I guess I'll keep drooling for now.

    We have a 17 month old and 2 month old twins and it is hard to get out with all 3 alone but I do it about once or twice a week by myself. What I do is only go to the stores that have 2 tiered carts like walmart here, at least I can get out and get some essentials. My 17 month old sits up front and one infant seat fits in the top tier of the cart and one on the bottom tier. I have a bin that sits where you would put your potatos or bigger stuff in the back of the cart and that's where I put my few things I can buy. You're probably laughing (or crying) right now but hey it works and gets us out when it's just me. Otherwise we have a graco duoglider for the twins and a quinny zapp for our 17 month old (because it folds super small leaving room in the van for the double stroller) and hubby pushes one and I push the other when we're all out together. I hated my double snap and go, too flimsy for me. Plus if I have to, since the duoglider has seats (vs the snap and go) I could wear one baby and put the other in their stroller with my 17 month old. We looked at the joovy big caboose but the back jumper seat is really meant for older kids so we decided against it.

    We have a grand caravan and plan or getting a honda or toyota next year as they seem just a bit more refined.

    Hope that helped!
     
  16. aussiemom

    aussiemom Administrator Staff Member TS Moderator

    We recently published a post addressing the best strollers available for twins. Check it out here.
     
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