Because the City Select was so expensive I decided to try and find a different option. I test drove the Graco Quattro Duo
And then I tried the Kolcraft Contours. I was actually fairly impressed with both of the strollers. The Graco seems to have improved a lot in the last 5 years. It was very easy to push one-handed and was smaller than most doubles. As for the Kolcraft Contours, I think I would have purchased this stroller but it was a beast to lift. It had most of the same features that I loved about the City Select plus it offered a parent console, toddler handles and a huge basket. The stroller was very heave though and I knew it would be hard for me to deal with loading and unloading it. It was also very long, but maneuvered quite well. I think I would have purchased this stroller if it wasn't for the weight, but I kept in mind as a reasonable option.
I still couldn't decide what to do about this whole stroller decision. Mostly it was because I couldn't decide between a tandem and a side by side. I loved both for different reasons and if I were wealthy I would just by both options. I would have a tandem to keep in the car for trips to the mall and stores. I would then keep a side-by-side at home for walks around town and trips to the park. I actually thought I would do that and looked closer at side-by-side's. This is what brought me to the Baby Jogger City Mini.I really don't have anything negative to say about this stroller. It is lightweight, pushes like a dream and folds in a snap. Peter and I went to USA Baby to try it out and loved it. It fit the babes well and neither one of us could find anything we didn't like. The only problem was that no stores in the area carried it in the colors we liked. My options were grey and green or grey and orange, yuck. I wanted the black or red and both of those options would have to be ordered and the red was out 2-months for availability. Darn it!
I should mention that while we were at USA Baby we test drove the new Chicco Cortina Together.
and the Zooper Tango (it was on clearance)
I had been eyeing the Chicco for some time now as it seemed like a great stroller and a good option for us. The price was reasonable and it would take both of our Chicco Keyfit Carseats. I was so excited to see that the store actually had two in store to try out. I plopped our babes in while in the carseats and took it for a stroll around the store. I liked it and was thinking of buying it and forgetting all about the City Mini, but then I decided to test it out without the carseats in it and didn't like it much at all. Basically, I was comparing it to the Graco because it was close in price and I would choose the Graco over the Chicco and this is why:
The Chicco's fabric was not very plush and the fabric on the seats looked thin.
The fold on the Chicco seemed awkward and a little more difficult than the Graco's
The second seat hood on both options were pathetic and I wasn't even sure why they were even on there since they weren't going to do anything to block out the sun. The main hoods on both were decent.
I really wanted to like the Zooper Tango as well. To say I loved my Zooper Boogie is an understatement, but this Zooper was not so super. It was on clearance and so I thought I could try to love it, but even at the clearance price it wasn't worth the money. It seemed rickety and things were already breaking and coming off of it in the store. I did like that it came with accessories like the rain cover and UV cover, but those weren't going to do me any good once the hood fell off, and it was close to falling off already.
I went home empty handed, but I was coming closer to a decision. Once at home I checked online stores to see if anyone had the mini in stock in the color I liked and I checked Ebay to see what deals I could find on there. I did see that there were several Baby Jogger City Elite's on Ebay for around the same price as the City Mini and thought of getting that. I forgot to mention above that the only thing that I didn't like about the Mini is that it didn't have an adjustable handle bar and it felt a little high for me. The City Elite did have an adjustable handle bar, a parent console, forever-air wheels and a hand brake like the City Select. Of course, to my disappointment I realized that the 2009 City Elite's that I was looking at on Ebay did not have the hand brake or the forever-air tires. Poo!
In the middle of this all I purchased a Maclaren Twin Rally from someone on Craigslist for $40 and was so excited to get it. Like I said previously, I loved my Maclaren Volo and so I thought I would be happy with the twin rally. Not so much. I got it home and cleaned it up and washed the reversible seat liners in the wash. Everything was ready to go.I put the babes in and quickly realized that this stroller was not going to work for us. It says that the stroller is suitable for birth and up, but I don't agree with that at all. I had the seats fully reclined, the harness and straps adjusted correctly and my babes looked like they were going to fall right off the end of the seat. The harness straps couldn't be height adjusted either so they ran down the sides of their faces, very uncomfortable for them. I walked to the bus stop to pick up M&M from school with the babes in the Maclaren since I already had them ready to go and I started to hate it even more. I know this is not an all-terrain stroller, but it couldn't even handle the bumps in the sidewalk. My babes were feeling every bump along the way and with the way they fit in the stroller they were about ready to bounce right out of there. I gave it a few more tries with the seats at different angles and using blankets to try and support them better, but I just wasn't happy with it. I am sure it would be a great stroller for toddlers over 1, but not any younger than that. I sold it on craigslist last week. In fact, I have sold all my strollers to try and save up for whatever I decide to get.
p.s. I think it will be the City Select
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