Babies require a lot of stuff; an overwhelming amount of stuff in fact. And there are an overwhelming number of options to choose from. When I was pregnant, a friend with kids took me to Babies R’ Us and went through the store with me to help me figure out what I would need. Even with her help I had a complete breakdown in the stroller aisle. Side by side or front and back???!?!? Strollers were my breaking point, so I’m here for you with stroller advice.

We ended up going for the Graco Fold Duo Click Connect stroller and car seat combo (above). This model is great because the car seats click directly into the stroller so there’s no need to transfer your newborns from their car seat into a stroller seat. And, when they’ve outgrown their car seats the stroller has regular seats – no need to buy another stroller. The seats sit up and recline so the babies can lie down and nap or sit up and look around. I wanted a side-by-side stroller so that they could both see out the front and so that they could sit next to each other and talk. Even though it’s a side by side it steers really easily, fits through every door we encountered and is well made and sturdy. There are some cons, however, so I’ll list out both pros and cons.

Pros:

• It fit through all doors without difficulty.
• Sturdy and well made.
• Easy to push and steer.
• Nice looking stroller.
• Very reasonably priced.
• The clip and connect functionality is really the only way to go.

Cons:

• It’s very heavy. Like, really really heavy. And it’s a difficult size and shape to lift so I had quite a bit of trouble getting it in and out of my car. Because of this I never really took it anywhere if I could help it. Of course, when your twins are little you’re not really going anywhere any way.
• The clip and connect didn’t always seem to clip on well or easily. It would usually take me 3 or 4 tries to clip in the second seat. This is pretty nerve wracking for an overwhelmed, exhausted new mom.
• It was really hard for me to open the stroller. Even after 9 months I wasn’t sure why it would open sometimes and not others. This is a big deal if you’re standing in a hot parking lot with your babies in the car.

Full disclosure: I sold this stroller (and the car seats) as soon as the boys outgrew the car seats and could sit up by themselves. My friend had given us jogging stroller (below) and once I tried that sucker I never looked back.

Also, the car seats from Graco (that go with the stroller) are excellent. I loved them. You can get them in 30 or 40 (which refers to the lbs of the baby) – we got them in 40. Originally ours matched our stroller but our car – which had the car seats installed – was stolen the day before I gave birth. We got the same car seats but not in the same color. *sad face*

If I had to do it over again I would get something like this
Snap and Connect Stroller Frame. Maybe not that exact make and model but something similar. I have a friend that has one of these and it is just so much easier! It’s smaller and lighter (and cheaper!) and more manageable in general. Especially if you plan to be out and about this is the way to go. Like I said before, the clip and click is vital but when you’re trying to carry around 2 babies and all of their stuff (and your stuff) you don’t need a 50 lb stroller to weigh you down as well.

Now that my guys are older we have 2 strollers that we use. We use this Mini City Jogger for around the neighborhood and this Maclaren for traveling.

The City Mini (above) is perfect for walking around the neighborhood and going to the park. And just to be clear – it has never (let me repeat that – never) been out jogging. It’s easy to steer and push and super easy to get the boys in and out of – which is important. My BFF gave us this one and that girl knows her strollers! It might be worthwhile to wait for a price cut on this bad boy as it’s pretty expensive. The 2 things I don’t like about it- 1) It doesn’t have a cup holder for me and 2) the straps are hard to adjust. Other than that it’s pretty perfect.

The Maclaren (above) is a total dream. It’s light, it folds up tight, is easy to set up and is excellent for travel. We’ve taking it on several cross country flights and it pretty much lives in the car with us. Honestly, once your kids are old enough to not need infant car seats you have to get this stroller. The only problem with it is that it doesn’t have a lot of “cargo space” so be sure to get a mom clip. Another alternative to the Maclaren would be this one – 16 lbs people!! It’s only 16 lbs! I’ve never used it, but for 16 lbs I’d be willing to try.

Do you have a twin stroller that you love? Tell me about it in the comments!