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Two Under 2
Double Strollers - BOB / City Mini / Others
Hi ladies! I'm agonizing about this purchase haha. I have a few questions.
1. Which double stroller do you LOVE and why?
2. Why the BOB double over the City Mini double (or Elite) or vice versa?
We have a single BOB now and it's great. We don't run or go on crazy terrain often so it's not a huge concern for us to have a ''jogger''. I won't get a car seat adapter if we got the City with what I've read. I just can't decide how to choose.
Please help and I'm forever endebted!
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Re: Double Strollers - BOB / City Mini / Others
I'm agonizing over it, as well. I've come to the conclusion that I need them both. lol. I went to Buy Buy Baby this weekend because they carried the City Mini, the City Mini GT and the BOB, so I got to push them all and play with them all and they let us take them out to our car and see how it was to get them all in and out of our car.
These are my observations about the City Mini (NOT the GT) vs. the BOB:
The City Mini pushes like a dream...... UNTIL you push the BOB. Then you go back to the City Mini and think it sucks.
The City Mini folds up smaller and is lighter than the BOB, which is a big plus, but the BOB is certainly manageable and it fits in my Toyota RAV4 without any coaxing. I'd say with either one, if you were travelling, you'd prolly want to strap it to the roof, though.
If you ever even MAYBE once in your life think you might want to jog with your kids, you cannot do it with the City Mini. BOB was designed for jogging/off roading.
The biggest downfall about the City Mini is that you CANNOT squeeze a normal sized diaper bag in the under compartment, no matter how you slice it. There is no opening large enough to get one under there. But if you don't mind ALWAYS carrying your diaper bag, or using a smaller bag or two, it won't be an issue, but I love my diaper bag and don't want to carry it around everywhere. While the BOB is a tight squeeze to get a diaper bag into, it's doable with a good shove.
The City Mini isn't as "long" as the BOB, so if you are pushing it through a store, you don't feel like you have to push the whole carriage out into the aisle before you can see that no one is coming in the other direction for you to bang into.
So the City Mini is definitely more convenient for trips to the supermarket or Target, but the BOB is better for walks with the kids, or going to the zoo, or any sort of outdoor activity, really. Hence why we need them both!!!!
That being said, I've decided on the BOB because, while I know that I will have some City Mini envy if I get a BOB, I am certain I would have more severe BOB envy if I got the City Mini.
It's a tough choice! I keep hoping that, like, the magical stroller fairy will just deliver both to my door for me. People keep saying to try Craigslist, but I wouldn't want an older model BOB because the new ones have better features like better seats and more importantly for me, the snack tray/carseat adapter snaps in and out in a second without any tools or install.
Oh, that also reminds me, the City Mini is a PITA with the carseat adapter. It sticks straight up in the air when folded and it's a PITA to install and take out, so you'd have to keep it in there all the time until you're finally ready to stop using it. The BOB snaps in and out in seconds.
So I'd consider getting a used City Mini on Craigslist, BUT then I'd have to get the carseat adapter which is $100, and I think that's just silly to have to buy an adapter for BOTH strollers, so I'm going with BOB.
While I think the City Mini would be more convenient while the kids are young, I feel like the BOB has more "staying power" and just go look at what they are selling for used on Craigslist. If you can get all your use out of it with your kids, ans then resell it for a couple hundred bucks in a few years, I'd call that a WIN!
July, 2010, DH SA: 3% morph
July, 2010, DH Rx: 50 mg Clomid EOD
BFP: 9/3/10 ~ M/C: 9/7/10
BFP: 10/9/10 ~ My beautiful Grace Dorothy was born on 6/14/11
Beta #1 (12 DPO): 111/24 ~ Beta #2 (16 DPO): 722/23 ~ Beta #3 (20 DPO): 3,338/15.3
BFP: 11/14/11 ~ Spotting/Betas not doubling, but HB of 113 bpm @ 6 wks 1 day!
My Chart
DH's Low Testosterone/ED Blog
July, 2010, DH SA: 3% morph
July, 2010, DH Rx: 50 mg Clomid EOD
BFP: 9/3/10 ~ M/C: 9/7/10
BFP: 10/9/10 ~ My beautiful Grace Dorothy was born on 6/14/11
Beta #1 (12 DPO): 111/24 ~ Beta #2 (16 DPO): 722/23 ~ Beta #3 (20 DPO): 3,338/15.3
BFP: 11/14/11 ~ Spotting/Betas not doubling, but HB of 113 bpm @ 6 wks 1 day!
My Chart
DH's Low Testosterone/ED Blog
We went with the Britax B-Ready because I wanted the option of using it as a single and reversing the main seat to face me. I also love that you can fold it with the second seat attached (not possible with most in-line double/convertible strollers).
Otherwise I'd go with the City Mini Double. I miss my City Mini single SO much. Loved that thing.
I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
- Robert Munsch
A huge thank you to all of you who responded to my post! It helps a lot and I will also look at the Britax now that it was mentioned.
And thank you so much Stick Around for posting such a detailed review of what you've experienced with both. This will be most helpful when I talk to DH about these features. We LOVE our single BOB, and I understand about the BOB envy
...but one thing I'd mention about the diaper bag. You can try to clip it onto the handles as well. Just a thought. Even with our BOB this is what I do because my bags are insane and it'd take some work to even get it in the BOB compartment. Hope that helps a little if you hadn't thought of it. I'm not sure how the double BOB folds either I need to check that out, but I did really love how the CM folded up, that was nice. We went to BRU this last weekend and all they had was the CM double on display, no double BOB's or the Elite or anything.
What's the City Select?
We have a city mini single, which we use for long walks, and a fixed-wheel jogger for running. I wanted a double that could combine these two, so looked at the BOB revo duallie. I went with the the City Elite (currently on clearance since it's being discontinued) and decided I'll get an ironman duallie off craigslist if I ever really want to run with two kids. I definitely wanted bigger wheels than the mini, but just didn't like the bob.
Benefits of the elite: huge sunshade, one-hand recline, reclines enough to use from birth, easy fold, bigger wheels than the mini, hand brake, tether, shorter than the BOB, includes a great parent console more stable with 2 front wheels. Compared to a Baby Jogger, the sunshade and recline on the BOB seemed like a joke. Compromise: the BOB will have a smoother ride since it has rear wheel suspension.
On the one hand, you can't buy a better-made stroller than the BOB. But, if you're not going to use it for running, there are several other strollers out there that are more parent/child friendly.
Thanks! Several things I need to think about here. I wasn't aware the Elite was being discontinued. I recently browsed on Amazon but didn't think I saw any real deal prices. Any recommendations on sites that are listing big sales on them?
It's the elite double that's being discontinued (not the single). It's 500 on albeebaby and babyviva. It has 12in tires, and the mini GT has 8.5in. I love my mini, but really wanted bigger tires. Babygizmo has a good video review of the elite double.
I should have said Elite Double...that's what I meant. The price difference between the Mini and Elite doubles is like $100. Is that pretty much just for the tires or is there other differences I'm missing? I don't even know about the Mini or Mini GT. I have a lot to learn apparently.
The mini double (8in wheels) is the same they've had, with a few changes this year. The Mini GT is a new model, that's supposed to be more rugged but I am not too sure on the particulars. Compared to the Elite, the mini regular really starts to seem like an indoor stroller (although we regularly walk 5mi with it, no problem, I am looking forward to breaking out the Elite when this baby is born). Here are some things the Elite has that the mini (regular) doesn't: adjustable handlebar, hand brake, tether, side vents in the canopy, raised kicker for small children, includes parent console, bigger seats, and several things open/close with magnets instead of velcro
I thought I wanted the double city mini, because I love my single, but when I went to buy buy baby and tried them out, we were surprised that we really liked the city select. Wound up getting it off of albeebaby for 550 for the double and so far I've used it as a single and like it. I really like the fact that it can be a single and also you can add a riding board later on.
Definitely no perfect double stroller and they are a bit pricey, but with our age range I think it will be a good investment. Oh and since I couldn't find a used one for less than $400 on craigslist I'm hoping to recoup some of my investment later on.
We have a Bumbleride Indie Twin, and love it. It comes with a cup holder, car seat adapter, and a huge basket underneath. This am, we walked to the playground and under the stroller was a pail and shovel, my diaper bag, a thing of bubbles, and on the way home, both kids shoes. You can run with it (recommended for light jogging - both DH and I have run with it, but only at most 3 miles).
But it is similar to the BOB in that is is big - not as big as the BOB, but definitely bigger than the city mini. However, we still walk to Starbucks and the local pharmacy at least a few times a week and never have trouble getting through the doors (occasionally I have had to take the cup holder off, but otherwise we are fine)!
For vacation, however, we did get a maclaren twin techno off of Craigslist, purely because it folds up so small. We were able to fit it on the floor of the back seat, behind the drivers seat. That way our trunk was able to be filled with the rest of the vacation necessities. The Maclaren is definitely more of an indoor stroller, doesn't steer all that well, but it is fine for trips to the store, or to bring on vacation! I got it for $50, too which was a nice bonus.
Good luck choosing!
Just some comments - you can hang your diaper bag on the City Mini. Even with a heavy diaper bag with no kid in it, it won't tip or be unstable at all. There's no reason to put the diaper bag in the basket.
The BOB is better if you're mostly going to be outdoors. The City Mini is better for indoors, but also does a great job outdoors. The City Elite doesn't fit through a standard doorway. Pretty big dealbreaker.
I need to use a stroller inside and we travel with it often. The lighter weight and easier travel made it a no-brainer.
We have city select and city mini elite double. The city select is awesome when DS was little and I often use it now as a single with the glider board but with two toddlers here are my complaints.
DS is constantly kicking DD's seat, they're cramped for space (DS is the same size as DD 28 pounds) when we went to Disneyland I put both seats facing me so they could recline completely. Ds fell asleep fine but Dd was trying to kick him in the back to wake him up. She was over tired and acting out too. I have also had a few times there is no where to change a diaper and it is impossible to change a diaper in these seats.
The double city mini eliete is great for our walks, amusement parks, anything rugged (take them to a farm to pet animals) but the storage basket sucks in comparison to the select and the kids have to sit up even at its highest position to see out. It is heavy and takes a lot for my petite frame to lift in our suv.