Selecting the Right Stroller pt. 1 - How Many Kids?

There are a LOT of strollers available even here in the Canadian market, and choosing the one that will best meet your needs can seem overwhelming. By taking the time to think about how you want to use the stroller, you can make the choice a lot easier.

How is this green? Buying one good quality stroller that will meet your family's needs - and ideally that you will be able to sell when you're done with it, to keep it out of the landfill - is much better for your family and the environment.

How many?

If you are having twins, you need a double stroller, and you probably need one that's rated for use from birth because you won't be able to carry two babies around all the time. It won't matter to you whether it converts back to a single, because your two kids will outgrow it at the same time. There are many companies making double strollers, and which one to go with in that case has more to do with other features. Accommodating children of different ages is trickier.

If you have an older child still in the stroller years, you may want a stroller that can turn back into a single later when your older child isn't riding anymore. The same applies if you know you want a second child - it's a good idea to have a stroller you can turn into a double later.

How this works changes between brands. The hotly anticipated Bugaboo Donkey does it by becoming wider to accommodate a second seat or bassinet. The Valco toddler seat puts the older child in a seat above the main body of the stroller, where the younger child goes. Both Baby Jogger and iCandy do it on certain models by adding a second seat for an inline double that's easy to push in an urban environment. The Baby Jogger set up allows the children to face each other, which isn't possible with iCandy, but the iCandy seats are much more comfortable and the stroller is far more stylish. Baby Jogger hand brakes are also easily triggered by a mischievous child, which results in a jolting stop for everyone.

Many other stroller companies such as Uppababy and Phil&Ted's put the second, older child underneath the first, with their feet in the shopping basket. I know a lot of parents choose to go that route, but I personally don't like it for a few reasons. One, the child can really only see the bum of the child in front, and usually has very, very little space. Two, there have been cases reported where the child in the jump seat at the rear was able to get fingers caught in the spokes of the wheels.  Lastly, where do you put your stuff if the kid's feet are in the basket?