Valco Twin Owners and Baby Jogger City Elite Double

I am in debate between the Valco twin trimode or the baby jogger city elite.

What do you have and why do you love it. Also, where did you buy your stroller. Did you buy it online or go to a retailer?

Thanks,
Stacy

 

Hi Stacy,

I have to admit I have somewhat of a stroller buying problem... We have the Valco Trimode, BOB Dualie, and Combi Sport.

I really do like the Valco. I am a runner so we purchased the Valco as an everyday stroller, the BOB to stay in the garage for walks/runs, and the Combi for travel (we have flown several times now with our twins, since we have family scattered around the country but no where near us)!

The Valco is an extremely easy stroller to push. I love that I can easily push it one handed while walking through the mall, coffee (or Auntie Anne's pretzel- yum) in hand. The parent cup holder is definitely a must (purchased separately). It attaches easily and you can still fold the stroller with the cup holder attached.
I like the fact that I can attach my diaper bag (the jumbo Skip Hop Duo) and not worry about the stroller tipping backwards.... We used the BOB last weekend at the mall, and I forgot that the BOB is prone to tipping backwards once the weight from the front (babies) is removed... We pulled the babies out and over the BOB went! Oops..
We have a Mazda Tribute as my vehicle and the Valco is a very tight fit in the back of that SUV. We have to have it perfectly centered with wheels up and out in order for it to fit. It will not fit in my husband's Jeep Liberty's cargo area unless the front wheels are taken off. The front wheels are easily removed, though. Loading and unloading the Valco for me is a little awkward because it is a pretty heavy stroller.
Folding the Valco is pretty easy. I like the method that they used in order to keep the stroller locked closed (straps on the sides that hook onto pins).
We live near Chicago where it's fairly chilly in the winter, and one thing I have noticed since winter began is that the tires do get low once it gets colder. But the stroller does come with a tire pump that is attached.
The basket underneath is pretty useless (but most SBS baskets are). It's almost impossible to fit more than a blanket and a couple baby jackets in there. The stroller does have two velcro closed pockets (one on either side of the basket) that we use to store used bottles or extra diapers.
The seats are easy to recline using one hand. They're a little trickier to bring back up.
I like that the Valco has removable (and included) belly bars. We removed ours fairly soon after purchasing the stroller because I find that they get in the way more than anything, and I can still attach toys to their straps... I am not sure what I will do once sippy cups/snacks in stroller (snack trays) come into play.
The sun shades were a huge selling point for us. We wanted something that could block sun (and wind). The Combi completely failed at that task.... But the Valco does a great job! The stroller has huge sun shades that go almost all the way down to the belly bars. This is apparently an improvement from previous Valco models.

We purchased the Valco from albeebaby.com. They have free shipping and good customer service... and they are having a site wide 15% off sale right now! and Valco didn't look excluded to me. (FYI)

Good luck on your decision!

 

I have the Valco. I love it. I run and I can run behind it pushing my 3 YO's without issue. I love the swivel wheels in the front. I think that is a necessity. I love the cup holder for my coffee and we also go snack tray attachments for each seat. We needed the Valco since my DD was 26 months when the boys were born and I needed the toddler attachment for her to ride too. It is heavy, but its just in and out of the car. Pushing it is a breeze.

 

I have the BJ city elite and love it, although, from the reviews of the Valco, it seems we would love that, as well. (I don't think I even looked at the Valco when buying a stroller - hadn't heard of it then). For us, it was between the city elite and the BOB. We happened to find a store in our area that had both on display and both were on sale because the store was no longer going to be carrying strollers and was looking to get rid of inventory. On top of that, we bought an open box one, so we got an additional 5% off. I would call around to various children's stores and outdoor/bike shops to see who carries them and take a look at both in person before actually buying.

We bought the city elite because of all the nice features on it - we love the easy fold up, easy lock/unlock of wheels, easy application of brake lock, one-handed recline of seats, magnetic flaps on the awnings (is that the word?), 3 positions of the awnings, etc. It's just a really well built stroller. I bought the air pump attachment on Ebay for $15 which is nice to have, as well. Also, it easily fits in our Honda minivan.

My only complaint would be that it is heavier than I would like, but, with twins, I am building up my arm muscles anyway, so it hasn't been too much of a problem.

 

sorry I'm not an owner but I am in the exact position as you and have been going back and forth between these two but have to bite the bullet because we are buying one today.

i think money will be the factor for me. i'm going to go with the mini version of the BJ city elite mostly because it is $280 cheaper than the valco at our local store. so because it's the mini, it is not a direct comparison but they are the same width when open which is a major important point for me because we live in a big city with small store aisles and doorways. the mini of course is lighter than the valco (23 vs. 33 pounds). but both will hold up to 90 lbs of kids. the wheels on the mini are smaller...not as good for "off-roading" but we have a used jogging stroller for that. the BJ doesn't have a belly bar included and there is no extra 3rd seat available like with the valco. the mini also folds 7 inches smaller in width which is also a factor because we have a very small car trunk. but for me the price i guess is going to be the major deciding factor.

now unfortunately i just saw the peg perego aria and now i'm thinking about that one! mostly because it has the foot muffs which is something i quite wanted because of our cold winters...darn this stroller buying is difficult!

ps...now is a good time to get discounts on the 2009 models if you don't mind the "old" colours

 

Thanks so much, these are all wonderful points. So......

Do you think the stroller is too much with the toddler seat on, in the pics it looks like it is a HUGE stroller. My DS is 4 and very unlikely to ride, but if we were at Disney (which we are going this summer) or somewhere where he may want to rest, would I wann the toddler seat or the "ride-on" board hooked on the back.

The toddler seat looks like such a hassle, but it is free right now with the purchase of the Valco.

Thanks your comments are much appreciated!

 

At 4 I dont think you need the toddler seat. But if its free, well then...

I will tell you that it has a big enough lip on the front of it where the feet hang that your 4YO can sit on there. My 5YO rides on the front of it all the time without issue. And we take it to Disney too

 

We have the valco and the toddler seat (the twins are 6 months and my toddler is 20.5 months) it is a beautiful stroller and with all 3 pushes like a dream! I will say its H.E.A.V.Y and I'm not one to complain about heaviness of strollers. We got ours from Country Moose Kidswho had a sale on, and if you email them they will give you a twin discount (10%), they have free shipping and the accessories are cheaper when you add them to your stroller order. This was the best deal I found when I bought mine (I had to have it shipped to Canada so that was a consideration for me). They were also VERY good with customer service and the stroller was delivered much earlier than other websites promised.

I am just now starting to use it as the winters are freezing here so I prefer the infant seats so they can stay snug and warm but in the summer oh this will be lovely and perfect without needing to use all the extra clothing! Good luck deciding!