I went and test drove the recommended strollers

MJCF

After I asked about strollers last week DH, DS and I went and test drove them and its basically down to three.  While I loved a bunch of the strollers these stood out:

1) A BOB, the BOB...so...I pushed a BOB and it was awesome.  Really nothing more needs to be said except it will be about $400.

2) A Phil and Teds Vibe.  I love the versatility of this stroller but wonder how practical the second seat is really.  We plan on having another baby but probably not until DS is about 2 but who knows, that could change.  But I like that I will be able to use this stroller now with DS and then be able to use it with DS and a newborn.  How else do you push a toddler and a newborn around?  Get one of those sit and stand strollers or whatever they are called?  That's the only thing I don't like about the BOB.  While it is awesome, its a one time, one kid stroller.  If I have a toddler and newborn then what? 

The Phil and Teds Vibe I would buy would be a floor model but come with the doubles kit for $486.

3) The Baby Trend Expedition LX - Sonic.  I know, not even in the same category as the above two but I really like this stoller.  It pushes nice, is easy for me to fold and should do what I want it to do, plus, after a coupon and gift card I can use it will be $62.  Yes, $62.00. 

So, my dilemma is...which stroller do I get!?  I mean, how do I justify spending over $400 on a jogging stroller when I can get one for $62.  DH is fine with me getting any of them so he's not the issue.  It's me.  My practical side says "get the $62 stroller and get a different one when you have more kids"...but then I think "get the phil and teds and use it now and later with a newborn"...and then a tiny bit of me says..."go for the BOB"

Thoughts/suggestions/things I'm not thinking about?

Thanks!!

laney75

I had a single BOB and loved it.  But yes I've already sold it and bought a double BOB because we had a second kid.  If you are pretty sure you're going to have a second kid, I'm not sure I'd get a single or I'd buy it used on craigslist or something.  However, as you guessed, yes you can also wear the newborn and push your toddler in the BOB and that will work for awhile.  Obviously you won't be jogging this way, but you can get around just fine.  But as soon as you are done wearing baby or you want to jog, you're going to need a double. 

I have 2 kids, 25 months apart.  I now use the double BOB we bought for walks/runs from home and places where it's helpful to put both in the stroller (amusement parks, trails, etc) and then I have a Chicco umbrella stroller that I use for the baby and the toddler walks (he's 3 now).  When the toddler was younger, I used a combination of our Chicco travel system with him in the stroller and me wearing the baby or him walking and the baby in the stroller. 

Anyway, I don't know if that helps, but GL.  

Oh, and I don't have one, but I personally wouldn't want to put my kid in the Phil & Ted double thing.  I just think that looks weird and not super comfortable/practical for longer use.  Especially for how much it costs.  What kid do you know that would want to sit behind their sibling and not be able to see straight ahead?  Not for $500.  

MainelyFoolish

There are two kinds of stroller people. The first kind lives in the city and/or loves to go jogging and puts miles and miles on their strollers. The second kind lives in the suburbs and needs a stroller occasionally for a walk around the block or to go to the mall.

If you're the first kind of person, spend the money on the Bob. If you're the second kind of person, get the cheap one.

eaglesfan700

I have a P&T sport and I love love love it.  I still use that thing almost every day.  I am very anti- SBS strollers, so the P&T was a slam dunk for me and the kids love it.  I lived in the city when I had DD and now we are in the burbs and it works everywhere, I don't need anything else

I wish that I had known I would have 2 so close together because I would have gotten it from the beginning. 

bim38106

I love my Phil and Teds Dash! I wish I had gotten it sooner. We use it all the time! It's so nice that it's the size of a single but can carry 2. I can push it one-handed (through the airport while pulling a suitcase).

When we go to the zoo with friends, all the older kids (DD1's age) are always wanting to take turns in the jump seat. They all (DD1 included) LOVE that seat! They can see just fine out the sides and DD says it's comfortable, even though she's too tall for the back of the seat...

Really, my only complaint is that the weight limit is 33lbs on the jump seat. But I know other models go up to a higher limit. I got this one at Costco for $450 w/ the doubles kit, which is why I went w/ this model.

Only other issue is the lack of cargo space when DD1 is in the jump seat...but it's really not a big deal. I can fit a good sized lunch bag for the 3 of us down there and still have room for DD's feet. I also bought a clip on thermos thing for 2 sippie cups that goes on the side of the stroller, and a across-bar cup/item holder for me. Works nicely and makes it so I can carry everything I need for day-trips.

FWIW, I also own a side-by-side double but always end up going to the P&T because it's so much more easy to maneuver and so much more compact.

mabma80

I would go with a Graco Travel System cause they are way cheaper.  Good quality too.

lilone_06

I have had a BOB and a P&T. I still have and love my BOB, in fact, just recently started using it again when on my own with LO. But, obviously, its a single so unless you plan to have an older kid who can walk most times and/or wear the baby and push the kid at times the kid wants to ride (which is what I still do occasionally), it may not work for you. I've sold my P&T and used the proceeds to buy a Baby Jogger City Select. Honestly, I hated my P&T. I really loooved some aspects of it - specifically the flexibility when out and about to reconfigure seating depending on whose awake, asleep, etc, and, for a double stroller is very very compact. But for the money, I just felt the quality was not there. It was a beast to fold and lift in and out of the trunk (so much so that I refused to do it - it just sat set up at our house). There is no suspension whatsoever, unlike the BOB, which is a really cushy ride, so I never felt comfortable with my newborn in it. And the stupid brake was so hard to engage and disengage... Well, between those things I can't tell you how many injuries I sustained from that damn thing. Not to mention if the big kid is in back, which invariably they want to be, or if the kid in front hops out, which invariably they do, the thing tips over. Anyway, that's my two cents on your stroller choices, but obviously you'll have to decide what's important for your situation and what compromises you're willing to make. GL in your decision!

MJCF

MainelyFoolish:

There are two kinds of stroller people. The first kind lives in the city and/or loves to go jogging and puts miles and miles on their strollers. The second kind lives in the suburbs and needs a stroller occasionally for a walk around the block or to go to the mall.

If you're the first kind of person, spend the money on the Bob. If you're the second kind of person, get the cheap one.

I live in the city but don't plan on jogging with it.  We do however go on at least 3 walks a day and I want to take this thing on trails and really off roading.

MJCF

laney75:

Oh, and I don't have one, but I personally wouldn't want to put my kid in the Phil & Ted double thing.  I just think that looks weird and not super comfortable/practical for longer use.  Especially for how much it costs.  What kid do you know that would want to sit behind their sibling and not be able to see straight ahead?  Not for $500.  

That's what I thought also at first but then I was thinking...and obviously this could change...if DS is two-ish when we try for another he'll be three-ish by the time I'd really be using it with two kids.  At this point he's going to want to walk becuase he'll be a big boy but I imagine he'll get tired...so I was thinking I would let him walk and then if he just HAD to ride, he could ride in the back/bottom.  Then again...try reasoning with a three year old right?!  ha

MJCF

bim38106:

I love my Phil and Teds Dash! I wish I had gotten it sooner. We use it all the time! It's so nice that it's the size of a single but can carry 2. I can push it one-handed (through the airport while pulling a suitcase).

When we go to the zoo with friends, all the older kids (DD1's age) are always wanting to take turns in the jump seat. They all (DD1 included) LOVE that seat! They can see just fine out the sides and DD says it's comfortable, even though she's too tall for the back of the seat...

Really, my only complaint is that the weight limit is 33lbs on the jump seat. But I know other models go up to a higher limit. I got this one at Costco for $450 w/ the doubles kit, which is why I went w/ this model.

Only other issue is the lack of cargo space when DD1 is in the jump seat...but it's really not a big deal. I can fit a good sized lunch bag for the 3 of us down there and still have room for DD's feet. I also bought a clip on thermos thing for 2 sippie cups that goes on the side of the stroller, and a across-bar cup/item holder for me. Works nicely and makes it so I can carry everything I need for day-trips.

FWIW, I also own a side-by-side double but always end up going to the P&T because it's so much more easy to maneuver and so much more compact.

Nice to know the kids don't mind the jump seat.  I did also think about the lack of storage but my diaper bag can easily hooks on the handles so I don't think that would be too much of an issue for us but thanks for pointing that out!

MJCF

bim38106:

I love my Phil and Teds Dash! I wish I had gotten it sooner. We use it all the time! It's so nice that it's the size of a single but can carry 2. I can push it one-handed (through the airport while pulling a suitcase).

When we go to the zoo with friends, all the older kids (DD1's age) are always wanting to take turns in the jump seat. They all (DD1 included) LOVE that seat! They can see just fine out the sides and DD says it's comfortable, even though she's too tall for the back of the seat...

Really, my only complaint is that the weight limit is 33lbs on the jump seat. But I know other models go up to a higher limit. I got this one at Costco for $450 w/ the doubles kit, which is why I went w/ this model.

Only other issue is the lack of cargo space when DD1 is in the jump seat...but it's really not a big deal. I can fit a good sized lunch bag for the 3 of us down there and still have room for DD's feet. I also bought a clip on thermos thing for 2 sippie cups that goes on the side of the stroller, and a across-bar cup/item holder for me. Works nicely and makes it so I can carry everything I need for day-trips.

FWIW, I also own a side-by-side double but always end up going to the P&T because it's so much more easy to maneuver and so much more compact.

Nice to know the kids don't mind the jump seat.  I did also think about the lack of storage but my diaper bag can easily hooks on the handles so I don't think that would be too much of an issue for us but thanks for pointing that out!

MJCF

lilone_06:

I have had a BOB and a P&T. I still have and love my BOB, in fact, just recently started using it again when on my own with LO. But, obviously, its a single so unless you plan to have an older kid who can walk most times and/or wear the baby and push the kid at times the kid wants to ride (which is what I still do occasionally), it may not work for you. I've sold my P&T and used the proceeds to buy a Baby Jogger City Select. Honestly, I hated my P&T. I really loooved some aspects of it - specifically the flexibility when out and about to reconfigure seating depending on whose awake, asleep, etc, and, for a double stroller is very very compact. But for the money, I just felt the quality was not there. It was a beast to fold and lift in and out of the trunk (so much so that I refused to do it - it just sat set up at our house). There is no suspension whatsoever, unlike the BOB, which is a really cushy ride, so I never felt comfortable with my newborn in it. And the stupid brake was so hard to engage and disengage... Well, between those things I can't tell you how many injuries I sustained from that damn thing. Not to mention if the big kid is in back, which invariably they want to be, or if the kid in front hops out, which invariably they do, the thing tips over. Anyway, that's my two cents on your stroller choices, but obviously you'll have to decide what's important for your situation and what compromises you're willing to make. GL in your decision!

Yikes!  Just when everyone else had me all convinced.  haha  These are good things to know.  Thanks.  I have a tough decision to make.  Well, tough for me because I suck at making decisions!

Dochas

MJCF:

MainelyFoolish:

There are two kinds of stroller people. The first kind lives in the city and/or loves to go jogging and puts miles and miles on their strollers. The second kind lives in the suburbs and needs a stroller occasionally for a walk around the block or to go to the mall.

If you're the first kind of person, spend the money on the Bob. If you're the second kind of person, get the cheap one.

I live in the city but don't plan on jogging with it.  We do however go on at least 3 walks a day and I want to take this thing on trails and really off roading.

Then you'll want to spend the money.  The streets are rough on strollers and unpaved roads are bumpy.  I love having an all terrain vehicle.   And I live in the suburbs but I don't get it - do other people who live in the burbs NOT walk?!?!

bim38106

MJCF:

bim38106:

...

Nice to know the kids don't mind the jump seat.  I did also think about the lack of storage but my diaper bag can easily hooks on the handles so I don't think that would be too much of an issue for us but thanks for pointing that out!

Just a thought, if it will help your decision.. I can't hang my diaper bag on the handle because then it hangs in DD1's face or on her head (jump seat). So that's not really an option. 

shortymc015

if you plan on going on trails and "off-roading", i recommend the BOB. I ride horses and take mine to the barn and horse shows, and my favorite part is its easy to maneuver anywhere, even the store. 

MainelyFoolish

Dochas:

And I live in the suburbs but I don't get it - do other people who live in the burbs NOT walk?!?!

No, I don't walk much. Where I live there aren't sidewalks in most areas; to get to anywhere in town besides the one small shopping center near my house I'd have to walk at least part of the way along the side of a busy road without a sidewalk and I don't feel comfortable doing that with a stroller.

When DD was tiny I'd take her on short walks around our two street neighborhood but that got old quickly. Now if we want to get outside, we either play in our yard or we drive to a playground.  

About the only time I use the stroller for DD is to go through an airport or at the mall.

MJCF

bim38106:

MJCF:

bim38106:

...

Nice to know the kids don't mind the jump seat.  I did also think about the lack of storage but my diaper bag can easily hooks on the handles so I don't think that would be too much of an issue for us but thanks for pointing that out!

Just a thought, if it will help your decision.. I can't hang my diaper bag on the handle because then it hangs in DD1's face or on her head (jump seat). So that's not really an option. 

Well crap

MJCF

bim38106:

MJCF:

bim38106:

...

Nice to know the kids don't mind the jump seat.  I did also think about the lack of storage but my diaper bag can easily hooks on the handles so I don't think that would be too much of an issue for us but thanks for pointing that out!

Just a thought, if it will help your decision.. I can't hang my diaper bag on the handle because then it hangs in DD1's face or on her head (jump seat). So that's not really an option. 

Well crap

JOEBunny

I would go with the single bob, you can use it for at least 4 years, 2 on the front end and 2 on the back end.  Even with 2 kids, you need a single. 

I hate, hate, hated my Phil and Teds.  The quality next to my Mountain Buggies is horrible.  I loved the day I sold it.  The tires popped all the time, things broke with little use.  No thanks.  

You can always resell the bob and get a double or buy a ride board for the bob if you end up with a kid who walks.  I used the ergo and my single mountain buggy most of DS's first year.  My kids are 3 years apart. 

The_Jen626

I vote for the BOB or the Baby Jogger City Elite (not on your list but I LOVE mine and we go on long walks every day, bumpy terrain, etc).

Reasons I liked the BCJE over the BOB... BJCE is available in more colors, nicer canopy, ridiculously easy fold (just pull a handle and it folds in half), seat has full recline, bigger basket underneath, and it has a "glove box" on the handle where I can put my cell phone, keys, sunglasses, etc.  Also all of the "sunroofs" and vents have a magnetic closure, instead of velcro.  Velcro sucks when trying to check on a sleeping baby, lol...magnets are silent!

Don't get the $62 one, you will regret it.