BJCS or double Snap and Go?

sr1220

I'm in the midst of researching (read:obsessing about) strollers for 2 and have a question that requires real-world MoM advice:-)

I  have had the BJCS on my mind since I began my research. Most every review is amazing and I know many MoM's here have a high opinion of it as well. The price makes me hesitate, though. I don't want to invest $600+ on a stroller and then not get the use out of it to justify that price. The other hesitation I have is the length and the fact that one child would be sitting behind the other. Initially that was not a concern for me, but then I read a few reviews about MoM's who had little ones who didn't want to be in the backseat. This made me consider the fact that a SBS double might work better for us. 

This is where the snap and go comes in. The second thought I  had was to go with the SNG for the early weeks/months and then the BJCM double after that. 

You can see I'm clearly new at all of this :-) thanks in advance for the words of wisdom! 

KarlsSweetie05

Get the double snap and go for the beginning months. Life saver.

Actually, I'm still using mine at 11 months because mine are still using the Graco Snugride 35 seats.  Getting tons of use out of it.

Long=journey

I haven't used them yet, but I bought a snap and go off Craigslist and a BJCM that I was able to find on clearance.  I'm hoping that I made the right call

Mrs. Alice

We got a used DSNG off craigslist which we used for a few months.  Unfortunately I had babies who HATED their carseats and traveling on top of preemie quarantine, we just didn't go out much this winter at all.  I just bought a Joovy Scooter x2 which is a side by side since we are getting out more often and the babes are enjoying it more.  I'd get both, but don't pay full price for the DSNG if can avoid it!

missfire

I would find a used DSNG and not buy anything else yet. We bought an $800 stroller that we never used, not even once, because I thought it made the most sense when I wasn't used to taking the kids out yet. Now I love my City Select, but new things come out all the time. It's good to find out where you actually take them the most before making a choice. For me, it's the doctor's office, grocery store, farmers market, and mall, so having something narrow to fit through doorways and crowds has been really nice. 

MagPie08

BJCS hands down. We have used it nearly everyday since the kids were 2 wks old (using the car seat adaptors in the early months w/our Gracos). I'm obsessed with this stroller and it's paid for itself. I alternate who sits in the front vs back but that's only because I'm a psycho that worries about giving them some sort of complex if I don't change it up each time. That being said, they do not seem to care where they sit. Once they were out of their infant carriers, I had them facing each other too, which they loved and would just giggle at each other. Now they face out and take in the world. It's a great stroller. 

We do have a SBS and rarely use it. You'll appreciate the F2B, especially for trips to the store, mall, etc where SBS can be cumbersome.  

Rangergal9

I started with a DSNG and when my girls were a month old we bought the BJCS.  From that day on we used the BJCS as a snap n go.  We bought the car seat attachments and it steered like a dream.  It is still my only double stroller.  The basket is huge and easy to access.  I love it!!!  If you decide to go with the BJCS just get the car seat attachments and forgo the DSNG.

KDR1979

We plan to use the DSNG while they are in their infant car seats (it is cheaper than buying the car seat adaptors for the BJCS). The DSNG seems so light and easy to use. I'm guessing that I could easily use/fold it even in the first few weeks after delivery for those peds appointments. We will also buy the BJCS (with our registry completion coupon) and hope that is the only other stroller we will need since each seat goes up to 45lbs!

 

bethCT

I finally decided on neither of those.  I never used a snap and go with DD, we had and LOVED the city mini with the car seat adapter. instead and LOVED it.  I am still heartbroken that the city mini double doesn't take 2 car seats.  I didn't love the bjcs because it seems impractical for 2 year olds.

I am debating the stroll air duo because it takes 2 car seats.  I did check out the mountain buggy double which also takes 2 car seats and is super thin, but my TINY 3 year old barely fit in the seat.  I am really a fan on one stroller all the way through and that worked great for DD, so that is my obsession.  BUT the stroll air is not in any stores anywhere near me.... sigh....

good luck!  Stroller shopping is SO overwhelming to me!

jxd215

sr1220:

This is where the snap and go comes in. The second thought I  had was to go with the SNG for the early weeks/months and then the BJCM double after that. 

This is what we did and I have no regrets. We didn't want to spend the money for the BJCS, nor did we want to have multiple strollers - we just don't have the budget or the space. We bought a DSNG off of craigslist and used it for 10 months until they outgrew their snugrides.

Then we bought a BJCM on clearance and we love it. I've never found myself wishing for a tandem stroller - although I don't do a ton of shopping, it works fine for running errands at Target, etc. and it fits through all the doors at daycare and the doctor's office.

And given our experience on airplanes, I think DS would be a seat-kicker, so it's just as well we have the SBS.

emilyec1

We're getting a DSNG and waiting on the "after-stroller." GL!

LadyGolfer523

we use the BJCS as our snap and go.  We love, love, love it.  There are times in the future I can forsee wanting a SBS stroller, but I don't think we'll buy one because we simply don't have room for it (no garage). 

macchiatto

The BJCS hadn't come out yet when my twins were babies so I didn't research it, but our budget max was $400 for our main stroller so from what I've heard of BJCS prices we couldn't have afforded it anyway. We used a DSNG at first (got it new on Amazon for $60; resold it after 6 months for $35) and loved it. Then when the boys got too heavy to push easily in the DSNG, we switched to the City Mini and LOVED it. We still use it occasionally now that they're 3 (e.g. for the zoo and mall) and we've been very happy with it. We also had a Duoglider someone loaned us that I used occasionally. It was nice to have both SBS and tandem options but 95% of the time I preferred the SBS. (that really depends on where you live and what kind of places you go though.)

ETA: I agree with pp that the BJCS doesn't look as great for 2y/o's. We used our stroller quite a bit right up until 2.5. I could be wrong b/c I've only seen it in pics/videos but it just doesn't seem that roomy/comfortable for older toddlers, and I found with our tandem that the kid in back was constantly kicking the kid in front.

MuseumMaven

I still use my DSNG from time to time, when the boys fall asleep in the car or if it's a quick trip.  It was the only stroller I used for about six months, but after that the boys started to be more alert and wanted to be able to see.

 I have two SBS, a Combi for quick trips and shopping, and a Valco Twin Runabout for "heavy duty" use, like walks on the trail or going to the zoo.  My boys enjoy being next to each other - they sometimes hold hands, which is too cute.  Both of my SBS are scaled to fit through a standard door.  I like how easy they are to steer (I can turn either 360 degrees with one hand) and how much less cumbersome they are in a crowd.  But I've found that BSB vs. Tandem is really a personal preference thing - I have friends who swear by their tandems.

nikinikinine

I did the DSNG and a Maclaren twin techno based on the price difference. I so so wish I would have just gotten the BJCS to start. We also bought a single maclaren which would have been completely unnecessary with the BJCS since it can convert to a single.

mrsmac08

I used the DSNG in the beginning...I really liked it.  We also got a Bumbleride Indie Twin....but for me, it's too bulky to take out for errands, we use it for walks...and I'm sure we'll use it for parks/zoo/etc. in the future.  So, once we decided it was time to move on from the DSNG, we ended up getting the BJCS at about 9 months, and I love it so far!  I probably could have just gotten the BJCS instead of getting the DSNG, but I didn't really know about it at the time.

rachelle2824

City Select all the way! I have used mine at least daily since my babies were 3 days old (first pedi appt.) The thing handles great in tight spaces like Drs offices and small stores but is great of rough roads and light off road as well. It has the huge basket underneath allowing me to grocery shop or shop in general on my own. It's a lifesaver! You should be able to find it on clearance for around $450-ish with the extra seat. I found mine on Diapers.com in Feb before my LO's were born. It was on clearance because the next years model was coming out. Obviously, you will have to buy the car seat adapters if you want that. Again, I highly recommend it! It is the one item I insisted on buying new (you can't find them used anyway) and I insisted on splurging on. A good stroller is your key to the outside world for sure!! 

Sorry for rambling  

atlantic

Rangergal9:

I started with a DSNG and when my girls were a month old we bought the BJCS.  From that day on we used the BJCS as a snap n go.  We bought the car seat attachments and it steered like a dream.  It is still my only double stroller.  The basket is huge and easy to access.  I love it!!!  If you decide to go with the BJCS just get the car seat attachments and forgo the DSNG.

This is what we are doing. First stage of research was city mini or select. Decided select wad best. Then researched if car seat adapters or dsng was better and came to cat seat adapter conclusion. At first I didn't want s tandem but I like how the seats are staggered.

devinjonesrn

We had the BJCS from the beginning and LOVE LOVE LOVED it!!  Like others have said, it steers beautifully and I love that you can turn the big kid seats a million different ways.  We would use the big kid seats even when they were tiny if we were going somewhere we'd be out for a while and just recline them way back.  It really is a dream to push. 

I just about cried two weeks ago when I sold it to a gal I met on the elevator in Ikea b/c we're expecting number three and I bought a Valco Runabout Trimode with toddler jump seat and I pretty much want to cry every time I use it now.  I hate how wide it is being side by side and already have had difficulty fitting through places that my BJCS would haven't even thought twice about.  (not to mention how crazy heavy that thing is!)  

On that same note, she couldn't use the chicco car seat adapters we had, so if you're looking for that brand of adapter send me a PM, I'm sure they'd be a steal!  ;o)

TinyTeacher

The DSNG is a flimsy piece of junk that is impossible to steer.  The BJCS is a high end stroller that pushes like a dream

You may be able to find it on craigslist or something to make it cheaper. We used ours from day 1 with the twins. You can even use it without a carseat adaptor or bassinet- just recline the regular seats fully (the recline ALMOST flat) and put a Summer Infant Snuzzler in each seat for extra padding. Worked well for us, although I'd probably just spend the extra money on the car seat adaptors if I could do it over again.. then I'd at least have had the option or car seats vs. regular seats.

But, BJCS is hands-down the best option.  If you want a SBS, look into the Mountain Buggy Duet. It's a very slim (25 inches wide) SBS that holds 2 car seats. Hear the newer Bumbleride Indie Twins accept 2 car seats now too, but I used to have an Indie Twin and it was too heavy and bulky to use as a daily stroller (in and out of car) in my opinion.  I would say test drive a Duet if you can, but BJCS is a sure bet and is WAYYY better than a DSNG.

HokieLaw

Regardless of what you get for later use, get the double snap and go.  It's big, but it turns easy and I haven't had any problems taking it out in public (even in crowded malls and such).  It's a life saver.