Stroller
When Everett was born we bought two strollers: a BOB Revolution and an UppaBaby Vista. We used both of them extensively. We took them on many trips, some overseas, and over time the BOB became our preferred travel stroller. We used the Vista so much that the treads were worn off the tires and had to be replaced. We saved both of them for the day when we might have more children, but neither of them are well-suited for twins so we started a new search. After an initial market survey for twin-compatible strollers we came up with the following list: Contours Optima Tandem; Bugaboo Donkey Twin; Stroll-Air Duo; BumbleRide Indie Twin; Baby Jogger City Select with extra seats.
Next, Chris made a list of requirements and we formed a decision matrix.
1. Large wheels for low vibration and low rolling resistance (strollers with those tiny plastic wheels that look like they came from office chairs were excluded).
2. Double bassinets (or carrycots as the Brits call them).
3. Seats for when the kids outgrow the bassinets.
4. Good cargo space.
5. Easy to fold and lightweight(ish).
6. Must be well-engineered. This is a category that lacks precise criteria. For example, the UppaBaby qualified as being well-engineered even though the welds were very messy (which bothered Chris). Probably the best summary is that the stroller needs to be durable and non-klunky looking.
7. Fashionable and hiptseresque. Obviously this depends on your point of view. For us this means a stroller that looks like one you would find on a pedestrian plaza in a major European city.
Based on this analysis and several trips to local baby stores Chris chose the Bugaboo.
Yes, it’s a bit pretentious. However, it best meets our requirements and therefore Chris can sleep well at night knowing that he followed the system-engineer’s mantra of a rational, traceable, defensible process for this decision. We note that since the birth of Prince George this stroller was #3 on the list of the 17 best gifts to give the royal baby.
Epilogue
Here is a stroller that might have been considered but was not available at the time of our analysis. Note the generous size of these wheels compared to other strollers.
http://www.today.com/moms/car-maker-unveils-vision-manly-baby-buggy-6C10795202
http://elitedaily.com/envision/would-you-ever-put-your-kid-in-this-stroller-that-has-20-inch-wheels/
Lastly, this one is an honorable mention but wasn’t considered because it doesn’t come in a twin version.