On strollers.

I love strollers. I always have. I love them more now that I can afford good ones, though! I justify it with the knowledge that ALL of our baby gear expenditures, don't add up to what we would have spent on disposable diapers alone, so the best gear is my reward for my days spent figuring out the best way to get poop off of suedecloth, and de-funking microfiber Bum Genius inserts.

Anyhow, I've been researching our double stroller options for when little Chaiyo David or Sirikit Clare joins us, whenever that may be (nope, not giving anyone any clues on that yet!), and we've got so many options it's kind of hard to sort them all out!

Thak likes the idea of a sit-and-stand, like the Joovy Caboose. I like the idea of it, too. Basically, how the sit-and-stand works is that we would have the seat for the baby, and it is carseat compatible, so we'd be able to use it as a travel system when the baby is young. Behind the main stroller seat, there is a bench and also a footboard. This gives Orren his option to sit or stand (hence the name, sit-and-stand), and the bench seat for Orren has a seatbelt also, so we can strap him in if necessary. It is a good long-term solution, and it's dirt cheap, so we'd get more than our money's worth. My only reservations with the sit-and-stand are that its fold isn't all that compact, and it would take up the entire back of my car and then some, and it's bulky, so I would probably hate pushing it around stores. I can see this one for walks around the neighborhood, or maybe the occasional playdate at the park, but I don't think it's my everyday stroller.

Another option we both like is the any Maclaren double. The Techno would especially be good since the seats recline fully, and it's suitable from birth. We like Maclarens since they're really good quality, and compared to many, an affordable option. The thing I like most is that it folds very compactly, and would be functional for me to transport in my car. For that, it would be a great everyday stroller for me. The problems with it are that it's not a longterm solution since Orren will outgrow conventional stroller age, and taking a full double (rather than the stroller-and-a-half sit-and-stand) would be ridiculous after he reaches a certain age. Plus this stroller is not compatible with any carseat, so travel system type of use would be out of the question. Also, it being a side-by-side, it would be a royal pain to navigate through stores or even down the average sidewalk. It wouldn't be bad for a trip to the mall, but is a side-by-side really something I want to work with everyday?

This brings me another awesome option, which is the new generation of strollers. Basically, there are strollers out there which are singles, but have an optional second seat. These strollers take up the same amount of space as a large single stroller, but fit two kids. The best part of all is that unlike strollers that are geared toward twins, as in, they will always be a double, these are geared more toward families who will go from needing a double stroller, to not needing one anymore, and they accommodate that since they can function very well as single or double. The more I think about it, the more I like it.

The first one to hit the market of this new type of stroller is the Phil and Ted's. The first time I ever saw one of these, I was about 4 hours pregnant with Orren, sitting in a croissant shop in Key West, and a French au pair girl (no, I'm not making this up) came in pushing twins in a red Phil and Ted's. I had never seen anything like it. It took up no more room than a single, was so easily maneuverable that she had no issue juggling this thing loaded down with 2-year-old twins, and a large tray of breakfast for all of them, and making her way though a crowded restaurant. It was obviously a very nice stroller. Phil and Ted's was my first choice of double ever since. I love how well it performs, that it's good for many types of terrain, and that you can get one for under $600 with the second seat included. My only problems with this stroller are that the newborn+toddler configuration is a bit awkward for my taste, and you have to remove the rear seat to fold it. Also, the rear seat only takes 34 pounds, which is a problem considering Orren is already 29 pounds, and appears to be in yet another growth spurt. He'd have to use the rear seat while the baby is small, so this could eliminate the Phil and Ted's from contention completely.

Just recently, Britax released the B-Ready. It's a similar style to the Phil and Ted's, but with a few distinct advantages. First off, Britax is an American company, whereas Phil and Ted's is from New Zealand. Nothing against New Zealand, but if there's cool gear from right here in the good old USA, I'm gonna go ahead and pitch my $$ that way. Secondly, this one's newborn-toddler configuration is not awkward. In fact there are MANY newborn-toddler configurations that one could do with this stroller. Thirdly, you don't have to take anything off to fold it, and it folds really compactly, so compact it's hard to believe it's a double! Like the Phil and Ted's, it can be a double or a single, so it's really handy in that way also. The biggest drawback to the B-Ready is the price. It's by far the most expensive of the bunch. The stroller alone will cost $500, then another $150 for a second seat, and yet another $150 for a carrycot (which, I've gotta admit, I'd really like since I'm not sure it's compatible with Peg Perego carseats), and we're looking at $800 for a full setup. We would have a very hard time spending over $650 on a stroller, even a really awesome double, so this may knock it out of contention. The other thing is that this one has the same problem as the Phil and Ted's, as in, the rear seat only takes 35 pounds, and Orren will probably top that before we even have need of this stroller. With this one, it is feasible to keep him in the main seat, but it would have the baby riding really close to the ground, and I don't know how ok I am with that while he/she is young. (Click the red B-Ready on the color list, and it has a lot of pictures of different configurations, including one with a baby carseat in the lower position. You can kind of see what I'm talking about.)

I know which one I want. I really want the B-Ready. I think it's the best longterm solution, and it's a super nice stroller. As much as I hate to sound like a minion for the overhyped company that is Britax, I really do like their strollers. I'm over their carseats since Sunshine Kids has more features I want, but their strollers are outstanding. Plus, I really love that green color! I don't know if it's going to be the most practical one for us, though. If I'm really honest with myself, I think we should go with either the Joovy or the Maclaren, and just suck it up the cumbersome nature of it as par for the course when transporting two. (Well, it will be 3 in our case, but our big girl would more likely be pushing the stroller than riding in it!)