SBS vs two single strollers

We currently have a Graco Duglider and I was looking at getting a side by side stroller. The Graco is so heavy and bulky. My DD has to sit in back because when we used to put DS back there he would kick and hit his sister. DD has now started doing that. I have been researching SBS and decided what I want and now my husband wants to get two umbrella type strollers instead. He figures if one of us go someplace with one child, we don't have to use the double stroller. Anyone use two strollers in lieu of a SBS? I could never go anyplace with the kids by myself because I would only have the single strollers. Thanks for the input.

 

I wouldn't do it. Once you start adding up the cost of 2 good single umbrella strollers, it is not that much more then a sbs double stroller. We went to disney when my girls were 17 months old with 2 cheap umbrella strollers and stroller connectors. It was so hard and annoying. The umbrella strollers we had were too short for my DH to push.
Also as your children get older, you will want to let them walk while holding your hands. How can you do that if both of you are pushing strollers.

I wouldn't do it. Once you start adding up the cost of 2 good single umbrella strollers, it is not that much more then a sbs double stroller. We went to disney when my girls were 17 months old with 2 cheap umbrella strollers and stroller connectors. It was so hard and annoying. The umbrella strollers we had were too short for my DH to push.
Also as your children get older, you will want to let them walk while holding your hands. How can you do that if both of you are pushing strollers.

 

I wouldn't do it, either. How often do you go by yourself somewhere vs. going with your dh? For me, I hardly ever use the stroller when dh & I go somewhere, so the stroller is mostly for me. Plus, I don't know about other umbrella strollers, but mine were about $20 (pretty cheap) and they are a PAIN! The wheels lock up all the time & it's impossible to steer. If they were hooked together, there's just no way it would work. Plus, I think 2 umbrellas hooked together would probably end up being wider than my sbs jogger.

I had a Graco Duoglider & ended up with the same problems eventually. I loved it when they were babies, but it just got too heavy. It was becoming a major workout to push them around the mall!

 

We do the 2 stroller thing sometimes, when we are going somewhere that we know will be too tight a squeeze for our SBS. (We have a Combi) Some boutiques/stores just don't have the room for ANY stroller. (Like Gymboree!!!!) So sometimes we use our SBS and sometimes DH and I have 2 umbrella strollers (cheap ones). And we also have the stroller connectors just in case. So far this works the best, to have both options.

 

We have a good side-by-side jogger (after the same issues with duoglider....wish I'd just gotten a snap-n-go, but that's another post), and we also have two single umbrella strollers that were freebies with babies r us online purchases. We ALWAYS use the side-by-side instead of the two singles, after doing the two singles once and just being annoyed by them. Not only is it hard to take them out by yourself with two singles, but even taking them out together with two singles was annoying. Both adults both always have to deal with a stroller. With the double, only one of us has our hands full at any given time, and it's just been way more convenient for us.

 

I did a ton of running around by myself when they were little, so I loved my Duoglider. We also kept two umbrella strollers in the car for when both DH and I were together. I tried the clamps to turn two umbrellas into one SBS, and I didn't like them at all.

I never bought an SBS because I couldn't imagine trying to get it through nonautomatic doors or trying to push it down narrow aisles.

 

I have the duoglider and a combi side by side and I love having both options. We also have a double jogging stroller. There is a time and place for all of them so it was worth the investment. We also have a couple umbrella strollers but we have not used them. If we go anywhere with one child it is usually grocery shopping or to Target so we just use a cart.

 

We have a SBS and a tandem stroller. Most times I am alone with the boys so they are helpful (SBS for outdoor stuff...tandem for the mall and we use the buggy at Sam's or other places with carts).

I've used a single stroller (have one) a few times and that was between the phase of going from infant to convertible car seats and the boys were too small to hold on to me so I couldn't get them in and out of the car at the same time (for daycare). I haven't used the single stroller since. I would think it's better to have one parent in charge of the stroller while the other is "free" to assist if needed.

 

I've never used an expensive SBS so I don' know about that but- I love using my double umbrella for daily stuff & adding a 3rd umbrella with the connectors for outtings like the zoo. Maybe it's different using the connectors on a double & single but I don't find it hard to at all. I steer mostly with the middle seat position but I'd image with 2 you could easily use the outer handles of each just like you would for a double umbrella? But then again maybe I'm weird I have a hard time with a single umbrella :lol:

 

We have the SBS and one umbrella stroller for that same reason. I generally dont' take just one baby so I always use the SBS, but DH will take one at a time, so the umbrella works well for us.

 

we also had the graco duoglider from the girls birth. It was great for me for the most part but once the girls got bigger and we were doing more, it just wasn't cutting it anymore for me. We got a Combi sport SBS and absolutely love it. I do also have 2 single umbrella strollers, both of which were like $20..

 

We currently have DuoGlider too. I am starting to HATE it! I lose patience when I am trying to get my 17 months old twins out of that DuoGlider when their foot get caught under the tray area. They were good until about 12 mos but after that they kick and even pulled hairs whoever sit in the back. Not only that the back seat isn't straight up and often he/she would have to push herself up to see what's going around her.

We have a 2 umbrella strollers too. We kept the umbrella strollers at my FIL whenever we visit him for the weekends. I hate the connector because it doesn't really keep the wheels straight up.

I am currently looking for SBS stroller for my daily use for play group outdoor activities and mall. I really like the new Combi that I saw at BRU. I told my hubby about it. He says, what? why another one? I said, we got the DuoGlider and umberella stroller as a gift. Why should you compaint about $$$$ when we really haven't brought any BIG stuff at our baby shower. Men can't understand us!

Diana w/Rianna and Justin (18 mos)

 

I would definitely get the SBS. You will need it for the times you are by yourself. We have a SBS and 2 single umbrella strollers. The single strollers hardly ever get used. When my dh and I are out together with the girls we usually take the SBS because they are too short for my dh to push (he is 6'4").

 

We had SBS and a single "in case" The single got more use from them and the neighbor kids pushing stuffed animals around in front of the house! But, we went everywere (we could fit )with the SBS. The SBS w/conectors are wider than a sbs and you would be stuck at home unless you had help

 

I would take a real look at how often each of you goes somewhere with just one baby. We had a double snap-n-go (how i miss looking at their little face!) and i did a TON of research on sbs because i knew i wanted on and didn't want to deal with teh duoglider issues.

I ended up spending a small fortune on the baby jogger city series (which i love EXCEPT for the fact that the seat position is bizarre; they are always reclining and sort of slump down, but that's another post)

The other negative is that it weighs a ton - 34 lbs, but i DO get a shoulder workout heaving it in and out of the back of the van!

I also have an peg perego aria twin that i bought on craigslist. I really wanted a lighter stroller that i could use for quick errands and in and out of the car, and it has a small snack tray. I have to say, i would NOT recommend it! It's super light and easy to fold/unfold, but - the steering is awful, the wheels are small hard plastic and are ALWAYS getting stuck adn caught and it's nearlyimpossible to push through aisles in any store. My mother can't push it at all.

I ALSO have two cheapie single umbrella strollers - you can pretty much get those anywhere. What you might want to do is try out a bunch of different ones - we liked the baby jogger especially because the handle height was adjustable and what was comfortable for me wasn't for DH and visa-versa. Then you can look and see if there is something you can get on craigslist or something. Obviously you are unlikely to get one of the newer models, but you might be able to swing a back-up stroller.

I know men have a difficult time with this but - unless you're the one dealing with the twinks every day it's difficult to imagine that you migth really need different strollers for different purposes. I will sya that we went on vacation with two single strollers (it was a night before we were leaving fight taht i just didn't want to have) - and it was a MISERY. It meant that we ALWAYS needed both of them to get anywhre with them, and their naptimes were totally screwed up, so there was no taking them for a walk and one of us getting to sleep, or swim, or ANYthing.

There, my two cents, HTH!