Double Stroller Review

Choosing among double strollers

Recalls have been a big issue for double strollers in the last year. In November 2009, upscale stroller brand Maclaren recalled all of its strollers sold in the U.S. since 1999 -- about a million strollers total -- after reports that Maclaren stroller hinges had amputated the fingers of 12 U.S. children. Maclaren started issuing protective hinge covers in the U.S. -- but not in the U.K., where the company, while not admitting liability, agreed to pay compensation to 40 children who had their fingers maimed in Maclaren strollers, the Daily Mail (U.K.) reports.

Maclaren had known about the danger since 2004, the New York Post reports, when the family of a Connecticut toddler sued Maclaren saying one of their strollers cut off the boy's pinky finger. Maclaren settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum. "Baby Bargains," a highly regarded source of stroller tests and parent feedback, has been recommending Maclaren strollers all the while, "and this is the first we have heard of finger amputations," the authors write on their Baby Bargains Book Blog. "But clearly, Maclaren has known about this for some time. While they failed to take the simple step of covering the hinges to prevent this problem is puzzling." The authors still recommend Maclaren strollers, as does a leading U.S. consumer testing organization -- but our other sources now recommend other double strollers more often than Maclaren, and no Maclaren double strollers are Best Reviewed picks this year.

"In general, strollers present risks to young children," ConsumerReports.org says, echoing a report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that reveals strollers were responsible for an estimated 12,400 injuries to children under age 5 in 2008 alone. Falls and head injuries are the most common, "but with the recent Maclaren recall, fingertip safety is now being brought to light," ConsumerReports.org says. Maclaren actually meets current federal stroller hinge safety guidelines, because the hinges are tested only in the open position. ConsumerReports.org says it will now test strollers for safety when opening and closing, and it calls on the federal government to amend its testing policy as well.

Another recall involves about 3,700 Zooper Tango (*Est. $500) double strollers sold from January 2007 through August 2008, which were recalled earlier in 2010 after the company received 185 reports of the frame latch failing. This can cause the stroller to collapse. "In one incident a 13-month-old boy and a 3-year-old boy received scrapes and bruises when their stroller hit a sidewalk and the stroller collapsed," the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. Although the latest Zooper Tango model isn't affected, this pricey side-by-side umbrella stroller still rates well below the top-rated Combi Twin Sport (*Est. $225) and on par with the far cheaper Jeep Wrangler Twin Sport All-Weather (*Est. $90) in one leading test that measures both performance and safety.

Meanwhile, Joovy and Baby Trend continue their complicated relationship. The companies manufacture nearly identical stand-on tandem strollers based on a design by British inventor Albert Fairclough. Baby Trend held the rights to the design until 2004, when Fairclough turned the license over to Joovy, but Baby Trend argued that the patent wasn't applicable and kept on manufacturing the stroller. Joovy sued Baby Trend and Target (which sells the Baby Trend stroller). In April 2010, a federal judge ruled against Joovy, but Joovy has filed a notice of appeal. Meanwhile, Baby Trend filed for bankruptcy in October 2009, although its strollers are still for sale. Joovy founder Rob Gardner has also won a judgment against Baby Trend for wrongful dismissal (he was employed by Baby Trend before founding Joovy).

You'll find the most reliable reviews of double strollers at ConsumerReports.org and in "Baby Bargains," a frequently updated book that covers all kinds of baby gear. ConsumerReports.org editors test eight double strollers altogether: three tandems and five side-by-sides. The new edition of "Baby Bargains" by Alan and Denise Fields still has more in-depth write-ups, though, and more models are covered here than at ConsumerReports.org. Editors consider parent and manufacturer interviews, along with hands-on tests, to assign product ratings.

Babble.com also tests double strollers -- giving a 5-month-old, 18-month-old and 3-year-old seat time in each stroller -- and names top picks in several categories (best lightweight, best luxury, etc.). Canadian Family magazine asks real families to test double strollers, basing its top picks on their feedback. Both Babble.com and Canadian Family magazine test the very latest models. Two prominent professional stroller testers -- Janet McLaughlin at StrollerQueen.com and Hollie Schultz at BabyGizmo.com -- are moms of multiple kids and started doing exhaustive stroller research as a matter of necessity.

In addition to the information on double strollers we found from professional reviewers, we also found a large number of parent-written reviews. With sites such as Buzzillions.com and Viewpoints.com offering easy navigating and sorting, owner-written reviews are becoming a more useful source of information. Reviews at Amazon.com and Epinions.com vary in quality, but taken together, they provide insight into a double stroller's ease of use and durability.

Stroller weight becomes an issue for double strollers. The average weight of a double stroller is around 30 pounds -- and that's without two kids. So it's not surprising that the most common complaint in reviews is weight and bulkiness. The Graco DuoGlider LX (*Est. $150) double stroller weighs 29.5 pounds, which is about average. But the plusher Graco Quattro Tour Duo (*Est. $250) weighs 39 pounds, as much as some luxury strollers. Some parents prefer a lighter weight, while others prefer a more solid feel (and don't haul their stroller in and out of the trunk that much); both Graco double strollers are Best Reviewed picks.