Today's parents are beset by all manner of baby gear. Walk in to any baby superstore (the fact that baby stuff must be sold in "superstores" speaks volumes, doesn't it) and you will have hundreds of strollers, car seats, high chairs, bouncy seats, play pens, learning mats, bottles, binkies, and random gadgetry from which to choose. And EVERYTHING is expensive. So what to buy?
Hearing from other parents is always the best way to figure out what to spend your hard-earned money on, but it's important to ask not only what they love but why they love it. Herewith, I give you my first rave review of a product that is worth your money.
What I love: the Joovy Caboose Ultralight stroller. It is a stroller made for two children of different ages, with a seat/infant carrier in the front and a rear-facing jump seat and standing platform in the back.
Why I love it: We had been using an umbrella stroller for my son and a snap-n-go infant carrier for my daughter, and that worked pretty well. It actually still does, and for occasions where we might split up (like at the mall), it is still our usual stroller arrangement. But we have a wedding in Hawaii to attend in October, and the thought of lugging two strollers, a car seat, and an infant carrier for a 4-day trip was unappealing. I decided that as much as I would prefer not to buy another stroller, a double stroller of some kind would really be useful.
My criteria for a double stroller was it had to be: (1) fairly compact (able to fit into a standard sized car's trunk when folded and can fit through a regular doorway when opened), (2) fairly light (can be picked up with one hand), (3) steerable with one hand, (4) not completely ugly.
The Joovy Ultralight meets all the criteria. It is the same width as my Graco Metrolite single stroller, and when folded, it fits in the back of our sedan. It is light enough that I can pull it out of our SUV cargo with one hand, although it's still heavier than most single strollers. On a flat road or smooth floor, it is easy to maneuver with one hand; it still requires two hands to steer it straight on a bumpy surface. And it comes in three cool colors: light sage green (the one I got), creamy sunset orange, or black.
More importantly, my son, who is about 2 1/2, had started to lose interest and willingness to sit in his stroller. Many times, he would want to get out and help me push the stroller. Or rather, take off the heels of unsuspecting pedestrians around us. With the Ultralight, he loves that he can face Mommy or Daddy and talk to us, and he loves that he can stand or sit. When he's standing, it's easy for him to hop off when he wants to walk and hop back on when he's tired. And he likes that he can see his baby sister and is sharing a ride with her.
There are several of these sit and stand strollers out there, but after looking at all of them, I like the Ultralight the best. First of all, it is more compact than most of the others. This is because the jump seat on the Ultralight slides back to give more room when the child is standing and slides forward for when he is sitting. Others with a stationary seat need the extra room so that the child can still sit comfortably. It is also one of the few models that has padded handles for both the child and parent, which make it more comfortable and cooler for both of you to hang on. And it is one of only a handful of models that has a parent organizer tray.
Finally, if you are trying to figure out if the Ultralight Caboose is worth $80 more than the regular Caboose, the answer is yes. The Ultralight has a snap lock for the jump seat, includes the parent organizer (which is purchased separately for the regular Caboose), comes in nicer colors, and really does feel a lot lighter.
So there you have it. If you've got two little ones who are 18 - 40ish months apart, and you want a double stroller, get yourself a Joovy Ultralight Caboose. And if you're lucky like I was, you might find a really good condition one on Craigslist!
