Please help me figure out car seats and strollers for twins

leapgirl8 · January 2012

I read the FAQ post on strollers for multiples, but I'm still a little bit lost. My RL mom friends all have singletons, or a toddler and an infant. I need MoMs-style help

As I understand it, my car seat options are (1) buy two convertibles now and pad them out for infant use, or (2) buy two infant seats now, and switch to convertible seats around 6 months, or maybe later if they are small. I understand that one advantage to infant seats is that you can lift them out w/o waking the sleeping babies, but I won't actually be able to carry both by myself for very far - so this would be useful when going to someone's house, carrying them inside my house, or to put on a double Snap and Go, right? But not for the grocery store, etc. Is there a big safety advantage to infant seats too, or something else I'm missing?

For the stroller thing, it seems like it might be useful to have a double Snap and Go AND a normal double stroller - or is it better to just have a double stroller with infant car seat bars? Is that insanely heavy to push though - double stroller + two car seats + two babies?

What did you find best? And what am I missing or not thinking about? Thanks, MoMs!

MrsLnt · January 2012

I don't know many MoMs that go straight to convertibles, even though most are rated for babies starting at 5 lbs. The infant seats have so many conveniences for baby portability. I didn't think I'd be able to carry both by myself but after awhile I was able to do it. And like you said, if a baby falls asleep, you can just bring them inside. And then there is the DSNG which is great because it's easy to unfold and very lightweight and buys you time to decide what you want in a stroller.

We had the DSNG for the first few months and then eventually got a Baby Jogger City Select. Had I known about that stroller from the beginning, I may have just used that with the car seat adapters. The DSNG is not a luxury stroller and drives like a bus. But it's convenient and lightweight and can be purchased used for very cheap.

What kind of stroller you end up with as your main stroller really depends on your lifestyle. For me, I'm in a suburban area and go to Target a lot. The huge basket under the City Select is great for me and it's narrow and can navigate aisles easily. I have a lightweight SBS (Combi) that I use for really quick trips because it unfolds in 2 seconds and the babies love it. I also have an all terrain Baby Jogger that we use for longer outings like the park, etc., but where basket space isn't really a concern.

erniebufflo · January 2012

After reading a lot about car seats/strollers on this board the last few months, we decided to get the Baby Jogger City Select and the Chicco Keyfit 30 car seats, with car seat adapters for the BJCS. I'm hoping the BJCS can be my one and only stroller, with the possible addition of a lightweight umbrella type SBS for traveling or something.

olp · January 2012

I put the Graco Duoglider on my registry and a side by side umbrella too. There are better ones but they are too expensive. I hope they are good ones.

LALASEPT05 · January 2012

We did Sungride 22's (they are smaller and lighter) with a double snap and go for the first 5 months. We then switched to convertibles and the double side by side City Mini. I think that is a common set up.

JenLC99 · January 2012

Well, I don't have twins yet buy I can tell you what we are planning, at least. We are planning on getting the Chicco KeyFit 30 x2 and a Chicco Cortina double stroller. Even when the babies get too big to be lifted in and out of the car in the car seats, they can still ride in them. And with having two older kids it is an absolute must that I have a stroller for the babies from the get-go, and I know from experience that newborns and small infants do not fit in strollers well until they can sit up. Even though it will be more expensive in the long run, we will get convertible seats later.

emma12210 · January 2012

Yeah, you have to watch out w/ the convertibles, b/c if you have small babies, you may not be able to use them when they're newborn b/c of the weight requirements. The hospital will make you run out and buy carseats before you can take them home.

As for the stroller question, you will get a lot of different opinions, but IMO I would do just the snap and go for now, and see what you want to do after your babies are born. We got the chicco cortina double stroller, but mainly b/c I have a toddler also, so I wanted to have the option of her riding. But honestly, it's so big and bulky, I wonder if we'll actually use it a lot.

GL!

mars724 · January 2012

1) The convertible car seats, as someone else said, is usually not ideal for twins because of their lower birth weight. The hospital might not even let you take them home in a car seat that isn't made for their weight.

2) I suggest 2 infant carseats with a snap and go. I went with Baby Trend.

3) I also found a Combi Twin sport double stroller on clearance for $150 at Babies R Us that we will use when they're a bit older.

4) yea, we'll need convertible car seats at some point, but I registered for both infant and convertible car seats for my shower. we'll see what I get...(it's in 2 weeks)

hope this helps!

Rangergal9 · January 2012

My advice would be definitely get the infant seats and then get a DSNG until you get a real chance to see other strollers and decide which one works best for you. I bought mine used for $50 and then sold it at my MoM sale for $50 so I broke even.

bekah55 · January 2012

The best solution I've found for a twin travel system is the Graco DuoGlider Multi-Child Stroller at Wal-Mart. This double stroller allows you to snap in two Graco infant car seats for easy travel.

emilyec1 · January 2012

@ bekah55, glad you posted this because I've been wondering about that system and thinking of going that route. Thanks!

KDR1979 · January 2012

We registered for:1) Infant car seats: graco snug ride 352) Double snap & go frame stroller (only $100 which is cheaper than buying two car seat adaptersFor the BJCS)3) BJCS to use when they're out of infant seats4) britax boulevard convertible car seat for when they outgrow infant seatWe made our choices based on Baby Bargains (book) this board, IRL friends with babies & twins! good luck!

hoping4more · January 2012

Unless you have babies too small to come home in a convertible seat (they usually start at 5 or so lbs) there is no safety advantages to an infant seat, you are just as safe using a rear-facing convertible. Of course assuming they are installed and used correctly.

I love love loved having my girls in infant car seats so much that when one of them outgrew the 22lbs snugride I bought a 35lb one instead of a convertible seat then to keep her in an infant seat longer.

For strollers we used a double snap and go. We started with 2 in graco snugride 22s that I had from my DD1. One of the babies was tiny and 1 bigger. When my big one out grew her 22lb car seat I bought a 35lb one. When I could no longer lift it I moved her to a convertible and my smaller baby to the 35 and had 1 in each type of seat for awhile. I just moved my littler one at almost 1.5 years to a convertible.

I already had a phil and teds from my older DD (naively thinking we would have #2 while she was still in the stroller age) so I used that then bought a valco tri-mode. I love my valco!

Switzerland87 · January 2012

For carseats: I asked this a few weeks ago, and have decided to go with the Keyfits, because they came so highly recommended by so many of the ladies here, as well as the review boards at Target.

We also opted for the Chicco Cortina Together stroller. I polled a lot of customers and friends about their stroller, and the Chicco came highly recommended as well. The price isn't bad new, but we picked ours up slightly used on Craigslist for half price.

cookiemonster03 · January 2012

We got the snugride 35s (mostly because we liked the pattern best, but also because we have a second car we don't drive much, and with the extra height allowance, we'll be able to use them in there for a while longer for the rare trip after they're in convertibles).

In my opinion, the infant seats are invaluable. I've only been able to pick them up at the same time comfortably for about a month, and I don't think I could open doors/go down stairs with both yet. I can do these things with the carriers and a bag or two (messily and sideways, but I can do it). Our girls are tiny, only 12 and 13 or so lbs at 5 mo, but we will keep them in these as long as possible - I'm thinking 9 or 12 mo - as I have no clue how we'll get them into the car if they're out of carriers but still not walking.

We have a Double SNG we got on craigslist for $40 - worth every penny. That thing drives lke a bus, but is great for trips to the store, etc. We go out with the babies a lot and have since we brought them home (the massive kitchen reno is some of the cause; they've spent a lot of time at the hardware store).

We are starting to use our double umbrella (maclaren triumph) now that they're stable enough to be in it (reclined) as well as our Bob (with Snugglers, and we're not running iwth them yet obviously) for other outings now (where it is not a quick pop in and out of the car or errands where we're in and out repetitively - that would be uber annoying).

everam01 · January 2012

What I do:

Chicco Keyfit 30's & DSNG

I actually can carry both boys short distances in the infant seats, even NOW when they are 20 lbs each. I did it all the time when they were smaller. I almost always take them out and pop them right into the DSNG. This is how I bring them into daycare every day as well.

Now E is hitting the height limit of the infant seat (30") so we are switching to convertibles this weekend. I will seriously miss the ease of the snapping in and out of bases, especially since my boys always fall asleep in the car and stay asleep when I pop out the seat.

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