tandem stroller or carrier?

So I've come to the realization that my SBS Combi twin is not shopping friendly. :nea: I can go to Target or Walmart, but only thru the aisles, forget about venturing in to look at clothes or such, and it's definitely a no go at the grocery store. So I'm wondering what would be better - a tandem stroller or putting one in the shopping cart/single stroller and wearing the other on my back? I haven't worn them in about 4 months when they got too heavy for the snuggli, but I was looking into a Beco and it looked like it might be ok for back wearing. (but then I wonder am I just DREAMING that I can wear my 22 lb child on my back for any amount of time- I'm barely 100 lbs soaking wet myself :blush It's kindof expensive, so I'm wary of buying one only to realize they're too heavy for me to wear.

I remember trying out the duoglider at BRU and not liking it, it seemed hard to steer and was really heavy. So is there a better tandem out there?? Any suggestions? I've thought if I had an easy to push stroller maybe I could push the stroller w/ one hand and pull a shopping cart behind me at the grocery store, but our Combi just isn't that maneuverable, plus we'd take up the ENTIRE wide grocery store aisle if we did that! :blush:

What do y'all think? I've got to figure out a better way of getting the 3 of us out of the house. Right now, it's just SUCH a pain, we hardly leave the house! Arg... this is definitely one of those times I get very jealous of singleton moms... how easy it would be to just stick one kid in the shopping cart and go... or just use a teeny tiny little umbrella stroller to peruse stores at the mall!

 

I've got a duoglider...it is heavy (lifting in and out of the car) but I like the way it moves; I've never had a problem and tend to use this much more then my SBS stroller.

I did hear that the Combi tandem is pretty light if that's your main concern.

 

I love my Kolocraft Contours Options Tandem stroller. It is long but turns great and is easy to push.here is the link . It has attachments for the carseats if you are still using them or great seats that you can position. I love to take it shopping becasue i can even fit $100 of groceries in the bottom basket. Then I don't even have to get a cart. It is bulk if you are worried about space but well worth it in my opinion. Also you can get it at Walmart of $200. You order it on line and do the site-to-store and then you don't pay shipping but pick it up when it comes in.

 

We have the Kolcraft Contours Options also and it's great. I love it. the basket is huge, so I can do a lot of shopping by just putting stuff under the stroller. If I go to the grocery store by myself, I put one infant seat in the car and I wear the other baby. I just today bought and Ergo baby carrier - much more comfortable than the Bjorn.

 

I have the Duoglider and really like it. I think it turns well, but it is very heavy and hard to get in and out of a vehicle and takes up a lot of space, depdning on what you drive.

 

I have the Duo, and use it for shopping in narrow isles. I think that no matter what kind of carrier you get, 22lbs is going to get heavy quick!

 

I have both a SBS and tandem. I use the SBS for outdoor stuff and the tandem otherwise. However, when I'm at the store I just put both in the seat part of the buggy. I just criss cross their legs through the holes. Sam's, of course, has the double seats which is ideal.

Haven't figured out what to do when they are too big to sit together in the seat part though...

 

I have the Combi Counterpart II Tandem and love it, it only weighs 26 pounds (vs. 40 for the duoglider), is easy to load/unload from the car, and steers great. I bought those S hooks from BRU and when I go shopping I just hook the basket onto the stroller and off we go. It's been great. I was thinking about getting a Combi SBS for outdoorsy stuff, thinking the twins may not like to sit in the back when they get older.

 

I have the duoglider and I don't mind it at all. We have an SUV, so it's in the back of the car all the time, and I can still put plenty of stuff back there. It's heavy, but I don't pick it up but to put it in and out of the car, so that doesn't really bother me. There are some not great things about it. I wish that I could lay both flat (but I'm not sure you can do that with any tandem stroller. I'm also not a big fan of the way the straps go together, but that's a 2 second annoyance. Otherwise, I like it, and the kids seem to like it ...

 

QUOTE(SeattleLisa @ Feb 5 2008, 01:12 AM) [snapback]605992[/snapback]
We have the Kolcraft Contours Options also and it's great. I love it. the basket is huge, so I can do a lot of shopping by just putting stuff under the stroller. If I go to the grocery store by myself, I put one infant seat in the car and I wear the other baby.


Same here! I LOVE my stroller. It has handles for my 3 year old to hold onto and I love having the option for the girls to face each other or face me or face out. It moves really well. Dh even likes it and he is picky! The handle is high enough that he can comfortably push it (at 6ft 1). Can't say enough good things.
I do use the bjorn or hip hammock sometimes for shopping and put one in the cart. It gets more complicated when ds is with me!

 

QUOTE(xavier2001 @ Feb 5 2008, 02:26 PM) [snapback]606221[/snapback]
I bought those S hooks from BRU and when I go shopping I just hook the basket onto the stroller and off we go. It's been great.


hm... I hadn't heard of such a thing! Where do hook it? Onto the side of the stroller?

And putting them BOTH in the cart seat?!? Now that's a great idea! I might have to venture to Walmart for a short trip to try that one out!

What great tips gals!! Thank you so much! :bow2: And I might have to check out that Contours stroller-- the $100 worth of groceries in the bottom has me QUITE impressed!!!

 

Good luck , I get comments on the stoller all the time. I would find where they carry them and take a look at it. But know it may be cheaper to get it at walmart. The basket is the main reason that I got the stoller.

 

With the twins, I used my tandem for everything. Getting through the aisles was one reason why I disliked my SBS and got rid of it after a year. Another good thing about the Duoglider was everything I ever needed to buy fit in the huge basket on bottom. It's weight doesn't matter since I only have to lift it in and out of the car and I always used my leg as leverage. It was very easy. I actually found the SBS harder to get in and out of the car because it was wider.

I didn't have a carrier for the girls other than the Baby Bjorn and my sling so those didn't work too well for carrying through the store since they have to be worn on front. I now have an Ergo and I love, love, love it. I do the back carry with Dax (he's a little over 22 lbs) and can easily carry him for hours. It's really comfortable. You can find used carriers on thebabywearer.com as well and that would save you a little money. I will use this Ergo for years and until it falls apart.

 

Once my boys outgrew their carseat carriers, I switched from our big, bulky DuoGlider to two InStep backpack strollers. They are super-light, and I would put one baby on my back and the other in the shopping cart. For quick trips, I'd have one on my back and push the other one in the stroller since it had decent storage for its size. Took up SO MUCH LESS space in our trunk than the DuoGlider. They also came in handy during a vacation to NYC - easy for hubby and me to get around on the subways and buses with the babies and yet continue on walks when needed. I don't think they make them any more, but there might be other brands available. Just putting it out there in case it sounds appealing to anyone. --P.