A double jogging stroller is essential if you have two or more kids (or plan to have two eventually). It makes it so you can safely take both children out with you for your jog time. While some may think the double strollers would be more expensive or more difficult to travel with and store, they actually are very similiar not only in price but also convenience of design.
There are a lot of different things to consider when you are thinking about getting a twin jogging stroller and there are many brands and makes and models to choose from. It’s hard to say that one is best or better than the rest unless you have the opportunity to try them all out. Since I’m sure we haven’t seen or used all the different possible kinds (though we sure do like to try them out!) we’ve decided we’d be objective as possible and give you some pointers on how to choose the right kind for you and your family.
Here’s Some Questions to Ask Yourself First:
How Are You Going To Use It? There’s a big difference in getting one to use for leisurely walks around the neighborhood and taking one on a cross country trail. If you plan on using it for regular casual use, such as shopping at the store or on a racetrack then that will change what type you would get if you were planning on running cross country every day. The reason behind why you are getting one will make a big difference in whether things like what wheel size to get or if you need fixed or flexible wheels. (More on that down below!)
How Far Do You Travel to Jog? If you do most of your running at home and on the sidewalks nearby, then chances are the portability and how well it travels will not be that significant. However, if you plan on taking the kids out to your favorite park or cross country trail on a regular basis, then you’ll want to make sure that you can easily transport it from Point A to Point B. This is easy to do if you’ve got a minivan – but if you’re driving a small compact car then you might run into some trouble fitting it into the trunk. This then gives you two options: Buy a minivan if you haven’t already OR get one that is easy and simple to fold up so the sky’s the limit on where you can go with your double jog stroller. (You’ll want to do that just in case you have a mini van anyway – there’s no reason in making your life more complicated that it has to be!)
What is Your Budget? Prices for double strollers range from $150-$600+ depending on the brand and the different features. While the lower end ones work just fine for light duty use, if you are serious about jogging you will likely want to invest in a higher quality product with more features to make it not only easier on you but more comfortable for the kids. The good news is you can often find the expensive high end brands for sale used, which can save you several hundred dollars in the long run.
Your Child’s Ages and Weight: Most double strollers will hold between 60 and 100 pounds, though there are some that are more heavy duty. You’ll want to make sure that you take that into consideration if your kids are approaching toddler age, since by the time they are 4 years old they may be too large to ride in it safely. All kids weight differently, but you’ll want to make sure that the stroller can support their current and possible future weight for as long as you plan on using it.
When you start shopping for your twin stroller joggers you’ll probably feel kind of overwhelmed at first. You might stop at a sporting goods store and look at a couple of the models they have, think they’re pretty neat – only to realize as you’re reading the specs you have no idea what half that stuff means!
Here are some common specs to look for and what they mean – and of course deciding which ones are best for you:
1. Wheel Size: There are all kinds of different wheel sizes available. Most commonly they are in 12 inch, 16 inch, and 20 inch diameters. A 12 inch wheel is perfect for a single style model where you won’t be using it for anything heavy duty, since those wheels usually come in easier to fold up types. However, even if you don’t plan to use it for heavy duty all terrain use, you may still want to consider the 16″ types, as they offer a lot more stability. And of course, if you’ll be out on rocky terrain don’t even consider something else besides the 20″ wheels. You’ll see a big difference in how well you can control the stroller.
2. Wheel Type: Most strollers have three or four wheels depending on their overall size. Some have a swivel flexible wheel that works well for needing to make turns. The fixed wheel is not ideal for everyday use since it can be hard to make quick turns or maneuver it around other people or objects. However, if you’ll be jogging on tracks that are mostly straight paths, then you may see an improved performance with the fixed wheel types.
3. Safety, Safety, Safety: Safety is probably more imprtant that anything else, since we would obviously never want our kids to get hurt. Obviously, most of the precautions of jogging on safe level terrains, waiting until children are old enough, and not going over weight limits are going to be the best preventive measures. However, there are some safety features that some dual jogging strollers have that others do not – which makes it important to check out. The biggest one we think is the most important are a 5 point harness, such as the same safety belt in their car seat. This way, if you should for some reason tip over or crash (which we really hope doesn’t happen if you follow the safety tips included with your stroller!) then your little one will still be safe in the seat and not thrown. The other ones we like are a leash harness that attaches it to parents just in case for some reason you lose your grip. Another neat feature for some is hand braking system to aid in making it easier and more gentler to slow down on small hills or come to a stop.
4. Accessories: The accessories are the fun part of shopping. Obviously, wheels and safety features are #1 – but isn’t it nice when you can have a pocket for things for the kids or a place to snap on a water bottle? Some manufacturers sell these seperately, or you can get them with the stroller included as part of the total package.
5. Read Reviews: The more reviews you can read about a product, the better idea you’ll have of whether it is the right thing for you or not. This is why we love shopping online – they often have a long list of satisfied (or sometimes unfortunately dissatisfied customers) who talk about the type they have and what they like and don’t like. Consider how many reviews have been written – 300 4 star reviews means a lot more to me than just 3 5 star ones.
There you have it! The definitive guide on buying a double jogging stroller! Hopefully this will help you guys find one that you love as much as we love ours!
