There are a few baby products made just for twins that I’d consider essential, and first on that list is a double stroller. This is also a product where you need to do your homework! Between my twin boys and their older sister, we’ve had six different strollers in three years. Three of these are single baby strollers that are reviewed elsewhere.
The other three were double strollers for the twins: a lightweight umbrella stroller for travel, a tandem stroller for public outings, and a double jogger for walks in the neighborhood. Here, I review and compare the features of the best double strollers for twins including umbrella models, tandem strollers, and double joggers.
Contents:
What’s Important in a Double Stroller?
Umbrella Strollers for Twins
• Lmntree Lightweight Double Stroller
• Kolcraft Jeep Umbrella Stroller
Tandem Strollers
• Graco Ready2Grow Sit & Stand Stroller
• Chicco Cortina Together Double Stroller
• Contours Optima Tandem Stroller
Double Jogger Strollers
• Instep Safari Swivel Wheel Double Jogger
• Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller
Maclaren Double Strollers
• Maclaren Twin Triumph
• Maclaren Twin Techno
What’s Important in a Double Stroller?
Since I currently own 3 strollers and use one about once a day, I’ve come to appreciate certain features of double strollers that matter more than others.
- Tandem or side-by-side? This is probably the most important consideration when I’m deciding which stroller to dig out. If I’m headed to a store, someone’s house, or another place without extra-wide doorways, I’ll usually opt for the tandem stroller. Granted, the twin who ends up in back usually gets fussy about it. But that’s better than knocking down a product display or, you know, passerby.
- Wheels for the terrain. One nice feature of jogging strollers is the big, all-terrain wheels. As you’ve probably discovered already, the standard double-wheels on most baby strollers are great on concrete but struggle with grass, gravel roads, or other bumpy surfaces. If we’re going to cross one of these I’ll take the jogger out.
- Comfort for the babies. The longer the planned outing, the more important the babies’ comfort is to me. Any stroller will do for a quick walk around the block. If we’re headed to a walk-a-thon or long shopping trip or all-day event, I go for the tandem stroller because it has the most padding and extra storage.
- Compact and lightweight for travel. We recently took a 10-day road trip and had bought our third twin stroller, a lightweight umbrella one, just for that voyage. It turned out to be really nice for day-to-day use because it folds up to be more compact and is lighter weight than our two others. There’s also the weight limit for airplanes to consider. Any time there will be lots of folding and lifting involved, go for a stroller that’s under 30 pounds.
See also this article, 5 tips for choosing the best stroller, from nannycare.org.
Umbrella Strollers for Twins
Umbrella strollers are designed to be compact and lightweight. You’d be surprised at how cleverly these fold up even when they hold two babies at once.
Lmntree Lightweight Double Umbrella Stroller
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This is a lightweight, compact, and reasonably priced umbrella stroller for twins. It’s safety certified by ASTM, and has brakes on all three sets of rear wheels. Retractable sunshades for each seat provide some protection from sun, rain, and even well-meaning strangers.
I can’t emphasize enough how useful it is to have a compact umbrella stroller that will hold both of your twins. It doesn’t take up nearly as much space compared to other twin strollers. You can throw it into a mostly-full trunk, you can gate-check it on most airlines.
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Kolcraft Jeep Wrangler Twin Umbrella Stroller
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If you have two little adventurers, you might want an umbrella stroller made of sterner stuff. This one from Kolcraft is ready for off-road if you need it to. A 3-point buckle holds your twins securely in their seats, but has a quick-snap release so that you can get them out easily. One really nice feature is the cool-climate roll-up backs for the seats, which give you the option of creating more airflow to keep the little ones cool.
Despite its rugged features, this umbrella stroller is light and compact. Plus, it folds up easily to make travel a breeze. We own two different (single baby) strollers made by Kolcraft with the Jeep label, and both live up to the reputation. The all-terrain tires are the best I’ve seen on a stroller: they can really handle thick grass, gravel roads, and other rough ground.
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Tandem Strollers
Tandem strollers let one twin ride in front, and one behind. This may or may not work for your multiples, depending on their personalities. But a tandem stroller is useful for, you know, going through regular-sized doors and shopping in stores with narrow aisles.
Graco Ready2Grow Stand and Ride Double Stroller
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Perhaps the most popular tandem stroller for twins is made by Graco. The latest model, the Ready2Grow Stand & Ride, is an all-around tandem stroller; if you had to buy just one twin stroller, this would be it. There’s stadium-style seating, which helps the twin in the back see out better. Each seat has its own canopy and footrest. The rear seat reclines to essentially flat – I used that very feature tonight to give my younger son a bottle while we watched his older sister’s swim lesson.
The ability to plug in 1-2 Graco car seats really makes this stroller versatile: you could use it for an infant and an older child, two children, baby twins, or some combination thereof. Perhaps the best feature is the one-hand fold: you push, twist, and the stroller folds all the way down and latches. It’s fast and easy, a useful thing for when you’re holding a baby in a busy parking lot. There are twelve different configuration options accommodating twins or siblings of different ages. Last but certainly not least, each seat has a storage and snack tray!
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Chicco Cortina Together Double Stroller
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This sleek-looking tandem stroller from Chicco has lots of features to like. Let’s start at the top: a height-adjustable handle with parent tray and cupholders, where you can stash your keys, drink, camera, or whatever. Each seat has a 5-point safety harness and an adjustable canopy that can be removed (though I’m not sure why you would). There’s a zippered storage basket that you can reach even if the rear seat is fully reclined. All-wheel suspension and a one-touch braking system round out the bottom of the stroller.
I like Chicco strollers for their unique design, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Its frame is hard-anodized aluminum, which is super strong while reducing the weight by 15%. This double stroller is the first that will accept two keyfit infant car seats: The simple snap-in accommodates a car seat in front (seat folds forward), in back (seat fully reclines), or both. This means you can stroll with two infants, a child and an infant, or two children. Each seat has its own adjustable canopy that can optionally be removed, though I’m not sure why you’d want to take the canopies off completely.
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Contours Optima Tandem Stroller
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Here’s a robust tandem stroller with a lighter frame. Weighing in at less than 37 pounds, this stroller has a lot of flexibility: the reversible seats can be positioned six different ways, and there’s even an attachment for an infant car seat.
For me, when it comes to strollers (or minivans, or anything else), cupholders are a make-or-break feature. This stroller has four: two for the adults, and two for the little ones. There’s also a large storage basket underneath, and a small storage bin on the handle (great for keeping your keys or cell phone).
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Double Jogger Strollers
Double jogger strollers aren’t just for the fitness-crazed. True, the wheels are larger and can be locked in position to cruise at jogging speeds, but these lightweight strollers are well-suited to family outings, walks, and other outdoor activities.
InStep Safari Swivel Wheel Double Jogger
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One of the most popular strollers on Amazon is the Instep Safari double jogger with swivel wheel. This stroller is designed for comfort and safety, with high-performance pneumatic tires (12″ front, 16″ rear) and a dual-trigger folding mechanism to prevent mishaps. It seats two children up to 50 pounds each (that’s like, a 4 year old) and has built-in handles for carrying the stroller when it’s folded. The manual swivel lock lets you flip between jogging mode, when a fixed front wheel is essential, and strolling mode when you’ll need to turn easily.
Weighing in at nearly 50 pounds, this stroller is built for comfort and stability. True, you can easily snap the wheels on and off during transport, but there are lighter strollers out there if you do much traveling. I do like the molded parent tray with two cupholders and the slip-resistant rubberized grip. And the 110+ reviews of this stroller are largely positive.
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Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller
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Baby Jogger’s City series of strollers are wildly popular. They’re safe, lightweight, and easy to fold. This one, the City Mini Double, recently won the Parent Tested, Parent Approved (PTPA) media award for baby strollers. This could easily be your everyday stroller; you can lock or unlock both front wheels for walking or jogging, respectively.
Both seats fold back to a near-flat position and have mesh backs with retractable weather covers. The individually adjustable sun canopies have little peek-a-boo windows. There’s lots of built-in storage: an under-backet and pockets behind each of the seats. And Baby Jogger’s universal accessory mounts let you attach as many extra bells and whistles as you’d like. The Citi Mini Double will hold up to 100 pounds, but it still fits through a standard-size door. A patented one-hand quick-fold technology lets you easily collapse the stroller, at which point it weighs only 26 pounds. That’s impressive! Lots of color combinations are available on Amazon, keep an eye on the prices as they change from color to color (due to different vendors).
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MacLaren Double Strollers
Since patenting their umbrella-style buggy stroller over 40 years ago, Maclaren has gained global recognition for their product innovation and safety features. Their double strollers continue that tradition. Suitable from birth, these lightweight double strollers feature independent mechanisms to let both of your little ones ride in comfort. Through May 4, use the coupon code MOTHER to get a free travel kit with any stroller purchase when you buy from MacLaren (the red button below).
Maclaren Twin Triumph Stroller
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This lightweight aluminum frame stroller offers a lot of safety and comfort features. Its 5-point harness and single-lever foot brakes will keep your little ones securely in place. There’s a shopping basket underneath, always a nice feature.
Ergonomic handles and a wrist strap offer you a comfortable and secure hold on it.The compact design lets it fit through a standard doorway, and the Maclaren umbrella fold system makes it easy to store.
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Maclaren Twin Techno Stroller
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Weighing in at just under 27 pounds, Maclaren’s Twin Techno offers lightweight luxury and style. It’s ideal if one of your children wants to recline while the other sits up. Each seat also has a head hugger, rain shield, and drop-down sun visor.
The seat fabric is washable, which I think is a necessary feature of any stroller. Ergonomically designed handles, wrist strap, and cupholder make this stroller pretty convenient too. And thanks to the umbrella-style fold, it’s compact to store or travel with.
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| Study up! Read about our recommended 7 books for new parents of twins. | See our reviews of the latest video monitors for twins if you want to keep an extra close eye on your little ones. | When your babies are teething, here are a few ways to offer some relief. | Twins taking over the house? See our 6 ways to contain and entertain twins for helpful ideas. |
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