The DuoGlider will glide it's way into your life!
Written: Nov 15 '00
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Pros: easy to clean, accommodates wide size and age range, sturdy, pleasing fabric patterns
Cons: can be hard to steer, a little on the heavy side
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| hlcooper75's Full Review: Graco DuoGlider |
For parents facing the decision of whether or not to buy a double stroller, and if so, which one, the choices can be overwhelming! I was faced with this daunting task just over a year ago. After months of shopping, trying out display models, and reading product reviews, I settled on the Graco DuoGlider.
I'll start by saying that if you are in the situation that requires you to buy a double stroller, you're pretty desperate. You need that thing just to make it possible to get out of the house! You'll learn very quickly that no stroller is perfect, but each one has its good points and bad; you just have to decide which features are most important to you. These are a few thing I took into consideration.
Side-by-side or Tandem?
Because my first daughter was only 20 months old when the second was born, I knew that I would be using this stroller just about everywhere. I even used it in stores that offered carts, like Kmart and Walmart. It seems that each and every time I go shopping the racks are a little closer than they were the time before. I really liked some of the options of a side-by-side, like two fully reclining seats, and the ability for the kids to get in and out by themselves as they got older. The problem was, with a side-by-side I'd never get down the aisles! Some side-by-side models were even too wide to fit through a standard wheel chair accessible door, meaning I'd have to find a way to keep two doors open when I wanted to go in a store. These drawbacks led me to choose a tandem.
I want a stroller that will accommodate both an infant and a large toddler.
Most twin strollers, at least the tandem ones, either offered two smaller seats that fully reclined, or two larger ones that only partially reclined and had no leg room. The DuoGlider is a combination of the two that was perfect for my then infant and toddler that would later become one large toddler and a smaller one.
When Zoe was an infant the front seat of the stroller has a feature that allows you to use the infant carrier. Across the front is a removable tray-like bar. When the bar is attached and the front seat reclined, the infant carrier snaps on, much like on the travel systems of other strollers. Another benefit was that is worked with several brands of carriers, not just those manufactured by Graco. Even with the carrier on the front, Alex still had plenty of room in the rear seat.
Now that they are bigger, Alex is 41 inches tall and weighs 39 pounds. Add that to Zoe's 30 inches and 24 pounds and we still have plenty of leg room, and we are far from reaching the 80 pound weight limit.
The sides near the rear seat are rather open which makes it easy for Alex to climb in and out by herself now. This is a big bonus when you have a busy 3 year old that weighs nearly 40 pounds. If I had to lift her in and out every time, my back would break!
It has stadium seating!
This doesn't mean that you have to get there early to get your favorite seat like at a concert, but the kids may take it that way! Actually, what it means is that the rear seat sits slightly higher than the front so that the child in the back can still see.
Why can't my car have this much storage space?
Anyone with kids, especially more than one, knows that a day trip to the mall, the zoo, or the park can require a lot of gear. And at the end of the day if you find yourself with a lot of packages, you don't want to be stuck trying to carry them and steer a stroller as well. The basket on the DuoGlider stretches the length of the stroller, being about 16 inches deep in the back and becoming more shallow as you go. This is plenty of room for a diaper bag, a small cooler, and several packages. Just remember, keep the things you want to get to more often in the back, because it's a pain to pull everything out to get to something that slid to the front! Another great feature of the basket is the large foot rest for the child sitting in the rear. This keeps those important parcels from being stomped on.
Those kids aren't going anywhere!
Thankfully, both seats have a t-strap seatbelt. Either side has a tab that snaps securely into a slot on the middle strap. What a lifesaver when those kids decide they want down as you're trotting through the mall!
Mom, the sun is in my eyes!
One thing my poor babies inherited from their mother is that milky white Irish skin and sensitive blue eyes. Both seats have a retractable, removable wide canopy to protect them from a painful sunburn or pouring rain. The front one has tabs that slide in on either side, and the rear one snaps on with a drape for the back.
Mom, my juice spilled!
My kids make more messes (and when I say kids, I mean my husband too)! I don't think we've taken this stroller out one time that I haven't had to clean it up. The fabric, a handsome navy and green plaid, wipes off so easily. When out and about, I usually use a baby wipe and at home a damp cloth. Either works well. So far, I've even managed to get the motor oil off of it! (Don't ask. I haven't figured it out either. My husband swears it wasn't him!)
I (groan) can't (groan)move (groan) this (groan) thing!
Granted, no double stroller is very easy to steer. Keep in mind you've got a contraption that has a low center of gravity, for safety, and those wheels can only be so big and still fit in the trunk of your car. The rear wheels are large single stationery wheels fitted with step-on brakes. The front has two sets of two smaller swivelling wheels. These are the wheels that allow you to steer. A little hint: if you don't need to have the smaller child in the back, this thing steers much better with larger child in the back seat so that front wheels can turn more easily.
How much does this thing weigh if it holds 80 pounds of rambunctious children?.
For something this size, and this sturdy, the stroller is relatively light weight at 27 pounds. That sounds like a lot of weight, but it's really pretty easy to handle. The folding mechanism consists of two handles which are wrapped around the handle you use to push. You simply pull up on both of them and push forward. The whole thing folds to a package that is about 24x40x12. It easily lays flat in the trunk, or up on its side in the back of a minivan or SUV. Something I learned from experience when it comes hauling this thing in and out of trunks though. The front seat back is exposed, so if you aren't careful the back corners of the seat tear. My husband is not careful, so this happened to mine right away, but the tear hasn't gone any further.
Somebody get rid of that noise!
I have yet to find a stroller that doesn't have squeaky wheels after a few uses. This one is no exception. I've oiled them and everything, and the noise just doesn't go away! I have to admit that over time you just get used to it and you don't notice it as much anymore. Hey, my girls can even sleep through it, so it must not be that bad.
So, it's hard to steer, and kind of heavy, and the wheels squeak. But all in all, this is a stroller that has withstood the test of my husband and children. That says a lot in my book!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99.99
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
hlcooper75
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Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Reviews written: 54
Trusted by: 26 members
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