Baby Trend Jogger Travel System

Review by Mommy of Cuties M & Z "Mom of Twins" : *UPDATE*~*~*~PROS & CONS~I LOVE IT BUT ITS MISSING SOME MAJOR CONVENIENCES~*~*~

***UPDATE IS AT THE VERY BOTTOM*** My husband and I do Love this stroller but we've realized there are some major things missing that other strollers have. To some, it might not be a big deal but to others it will be. We've been using this for over a year with twins(started using them when they were 5 months & they're now 17 months)CONS *No Food Tray-this was something I never thought about when I was pregnant & looking for strollers(1st time parent) but there have been many instances where having a food tray would have really helped. Like we just took a trip to the Zoo and there were no highchairs or anything and since their seats didn't have a tray we had to hold them on our lap(it was not an easy task) 2 of our friends went with us and both their strollers had trays and their kids(same age as ours) just sat in theirs and happily ate. It doesn't state that there is a feeding tray so I can't be mad about it, I'm just trying to let people who probably don't think about things like that know. Had I known what I know now, I would have gotten a stroller w/ the feeding trays...and a place for them to have a cup would have been nice too.*You can't change a diaper in these seats. Another thing we never thought of. There are many places you will go where there is no convenient or clean place to change a baby. My best friends stroller folds completely flat so you can change a baby, we ended up using her stroller to change our girls at the Zoo.*The front canopy takes up the back passengers space if it isn't up all the way. We always put the bigger of our girls in the back and she's constantly kicking the canopy since it falls on her legs. Not a huge deal but certainly annoying for the back rider.*They always have to be strapped in which makes them really hot. This wasn't as big of a deal when my girls were smaller and couldn't hold themselves up as well but now that they can they don't like to be strapped down, they end up getting really fussy because they get really hot. Again, my best friends seat has a bar between the legs so she doesn't have to be strapped in. I started just strapping the waist & crotch strap on them instead of the arm straps too. I tried not strapping them in but the way the seats are they just fall right out the bottom.PROS *Turning the seats any direction is really handy, especially if it's really sunny out, you can turn them away from the sun. (it would be even more handy if you didn't have to take the seat off to do this, if you could just swivel the seat w/them in it)*Reclining Seats. They don't recline so you can change a diaper but they do recline so they can take a nap. You just pull on the handle at the top of the seat and easily recline them. My girls have taken many naps in this, definately a plus. A sleepy baby is not a happy baby and I think a stroller w/ reclining seats for naps is a must. BOTH of these seats recline the same and have several different levels of recline, a lot of double strollers only have 1 reclining seat or 1 just barely reclines so one kid gets a comfy reclined nap and the other wouldn't.*All Terrain Wheels. We've had this on every kind of terrain and its usually pretty darn easy to push, gravel, grass, hills, woods, nothing has been a problem yet. We've been on trails in the woods where other people w/ strollers were, they were struggling to push theirs and we were easily breezing right by.*Durable. This thing is solid & very durable, both the frame & the material. Definately something that will last a very long time. We did have the parent tray crack & fall off after a couple months of use(thats kind of cheap) but I sent the company an email and they sent me a replacement at no charge to me & w/ no hassle.*It looks nice. We get compliments on this all the time. And pushing a bright red double stroller w/ twins will definately get you noticed...so if you don't like attention, you might not want to get this ; )Overall, its a great stroller but you need to think what your family will be using this stroller for. In our case, not having the feeding trays and having to strap them in all the time are the biggest cons & the main reason I took off 2 stars.My message to Kolcraft: This would be the perfect stroller with just a few changes/additions. I've noticed with the new Contours Options II that the seats are supposed to be roomier, thats a plus. And also that there are now cupholders for the kids seats, another plus. Also that the umbrellas adjust, another plus. Now if you would just make a feeding tray and have a strap/bar between the legs so older babies/toddlers didn't have to be strapped in, you would have the Perfect stroller...at least in my opinion :)Let me know if you have any questions about this and I'll try to help you out : )***UPDATE*** As I am writing this(Jan 2012) update my girls are 3 years old and we no longer have the stroller because we sold it at a garage sale last summer. I just really did NOT enjoy taking it places because it was SO long and my girls normally complained when they were in it(from lack of being able to see mainly)After having 'been there, done that' I can tell you 100% if I had to do it all over again, I would have bought a side by side stroller. The main reason I started looking at tendems is because I wanted to make sure it was narrow enough to fit it aisles and doorways(yes, first time Mom, ALL of it was new to me, rookie mistake, lol)But since they make side by side strollers that CAN fit thru doorways and aisles, plus they have lots of other great features of a single stroller, how can you go wrong? Not all side by sides are made the same but I have found several that are narrow to fit in doorways/aisles, have a food tray/cup holder, BOTH seats can fully recline and you can have them reclined at different levels(like newborn reclined flat, toddler sitting up) roomy seats, don't have to be strapped in all the time, has storage for diaper bag, not as long as a limo ;)And another great, great thing about a side by side, the kids would be side by side! One of them doesn't have a better view than the other, they both have a great view. They can share snacks, talk, share toys, etc. With a tandem, at least one of them always has a crappy seat, unless you have them face eachother, then neither of them get to see anything besides eachother, and although they are probably really cute(I'm sure the cutest kids on earth ;)) I think kids would probably rather be able to look out and about rather than at eachother the whole time.

Review by Laura Granata : Nice looking stroller...but...

When I found out I was pregnant with my second child I knew I had to start researching double strollers as my children would be 21 months apart! Well I read a million reviews on a million products and I decided to go with this item! When I recieved it I was so excited...it was easy to put together, my infant car seat fit very securely and I loved the fact that I could turn the seats so many different directions. ALL that being said, Im glad I waited to use it a half a dozen times to review it. It is truly HUGE!!! When you add 40lb stroller, a 14 lb 2 month old and 30 lb 23 month old, that darn near 85 lbs!! Where I live the terrain is very hilly and BOY do I get a workout! Like others have said it is VERY long and you can't see your child in the front and it feels like he is a mile away from you when you are pushing! It is very difficult to manuever over curbs and bumbs and has had me in some embarrassing situations, where I literally had to life the thing up in the front! One last thing I will say is that the canopies aren't nearly big enough to cover the children from the sun...Im sooo sad because I was really excited about this stroller! I will be purchasing a sit and stand! I sold this to a friend who has younger babies...I hope she likes it better than I did!

Review by Ellie : Well, it's sturdy and that's saying something.

I love this stroller because it's big and sturdy but there are definitely pro's and cons. Pros- -It's very well made. -You can turn the seats any way you want them. -The seats are comfortable. -For being such a big stroller it's amazingly easy to navigate. -It's got a HUGE basket underneath for discarded jackets, diaper bags, sippy cups, shoes and whatever els your kids throw down there. -It took about 20 minutes to assemble and the instructions are very clear and simple. -It collapses easier than most single strollers. -Unlike a lot of side by side double strollers it fits in every doorway. Cons- -It's HUGE. -You need some trunk space to put this thing in. -You have to take the seats off to get it really flat. So be prepared because it takes several minutes to take the seats off, fold it up and load it all up in the car. -You kind of need a plan where you are going with this bad boy. I took my kids to the doctor and had to do a three point turn to get it out of the hallway. All in all I love it. The only thing I would change is that I would make it collapsable with both seats on.

Review by A. Phong "Anne" : I like it

I bought this stroller for my twin boys who are now 6 months old. After reading many reviews i finally decided on this one. I'm glad i bought this one for the following reasons: - I like how i can put both carseats and switch to the attachable seats when they are older - I love how there is plenty of room to put their huge diaper bag and room for more - I like that i can turn the seats facing me or each other or facing forward - I like that its easy to push and steer - I like that it was easy to put together all by myself (7 months pregnant at the time) The only thing negative i would say is when i put both boys facing each other their legs would touch, so i'm guessing it wont be long when they start kicking each other, or there wont be any room to face each other. Other than that I love taking my boys out for a walk in their stroller any chance i get.

Review by R.3759 : Perfect, but you need to read the directions!!!

I noticed that a lot of people kept saying that the push bar kept coming off. It also happened to me also, but thats because I didn't read the directions carefully. The problem was that Kolcraft had already placed screws in the handle bar of the stroller and thats where the confusion came in. I found that those screws are yes, real screws, but only place holders. They are meant to show you where the intended screws needs to be placed. The intended screws are in the bag with the directions. Actually the directions are so misleading and confusing. I was so pissed when the handle fell off and all the screws started falling out after I had completed the setup. But was very pleased to find out that it was user error, and Kolcraft had included longer screws which were the intended screws for the stroller. This stroller will turn a lot of heads where ever you go. My kids love riding around in it, and my 4 year old still fits in it. OMG talk about storage space!!! Its huge!!

Review by Busy Mom : Big stroller

This stroller has pros and cons. Pro: -It fits two children VERY comfortably. My kids are 18 months apart and this stroller was great using the child seat carrier and pushing the 18 month old around. -It has a TON of storage space underneath in the basket and the cup holders/parent storage is adaquete -The option to turn the seats into whatever direction you choose is great option, the kids like looking at each other or at me -The seats recline very far, once my littlest one was a few months old I could recline him into one of the seats in a "bassinet" fashion -The infant carrier attachment is great, not having to take a sleeping baby out of his car seat is a bonus Cons: -It is HUGE and heavy(but all double strollers are, this is the price you pay for your children being comfortable) -You need to take at least one of the seats off to put it away which can be inconvienant when you have a screaming toddler and screaming infant in their car seats waiting to go You just need to weigh your options and decide what is best for you. I would not recommend this stroller for trips to the mall and short outings. This stroller however was great for trips to the zoo, fair, and other day long outings where comfort was key. I have owned this stroller for 9 months and have used it ALOT and it has held up nicely. I do use it on a daily basis when I take the kids for a walk outside and we live in a rural area. I do get a lot of comments on it when I take it out. If you are looking for something comfortable for the kiddos and don't mind how big it is or taking a little bit of extra time to take a seat off and fold it and then take the time to put it together than this one is for you.

Review by MamaB : After 3 years - still happy, would buy again

I personally cannot understand the negative reviews. I "studied" the stroller before purchase and once it arrived (3 years ago), I simply got used to it, and was fine. Never ever I had a problem in removing one seat in order to fold and fit the stroller into our SUV. It would also fit a smaller car, and it does. Nowadays, it is recommended to measure car and stroller before purchase. I know lots of twin parents who do that. They either purchase the car according to the strollers size (no kidding here), or purchase the stroller according to the trunk width. When getting this stroller, I was the most excited Mom ever. I was thrilled by the options and still am. I would always get it again, looking back. No other stroller had caught my attention more than this one. And I did look at other strollers. I personally dislike side-by-side strollers (too squeezed for two bigger kids), or no space to get through doors and more. So, Tandem was always my option as main stroller, and the nice thing is that both children always have space. My kids, if needed, will still use this stroller, and they still fit inside just fine. Since this stroller can be taken apart, it has made my life very easy in an apartment upstairs. I was able to carry it upstairs, either in two hands or walking twice without too much effort, and I could put the seats into the bath tub to wash with soap and let it dry. Nothing happened to the seats. It looks as new, and I did that quite a few times, since kids can be really messy, including throw-ups. My unpacking experience 3 years back was great. I had no issues at all, and once I got replacement parts, because the lid on the parent tray broke off (no issue, this can happen), there was no issue at all. In my handbook it says that one seat replacement is 25 Dollars. I mean, if this is not worth it, then I don't know what is... Which other stroller can do that? Oh, and it can still be used for one child only later on. I love this stroller, and especially the option of moving the seats all ways. Fantastic ! The children had to adjust once the legs grew longer and we wanted them to look at each other, but we knew that upon purchase... however did not use that option too long. Later though, my kids enjoyed compromising, and having space, and switch seats. Even with 3 years of age and older (as I said), I used this stroller for some day-trips, where the kids could fall asleep later on, and I could keep walking. Recommend this stroller. I wish someone will love it as much as we have enjoyed it.

Review by Rachel S. : Love it!

It's very easy to push and has a ton of storage. The kids love being able to face each other. and I love that they can entertain each other while I'm shopping!

Review by Allison S : great for twins!

We have had this stroller for 14+ months. We used the attachments for infant car seats (only 1 included with purchase, had to buy and extra, but less than $30). Was great for infants as we didn't have to buy a double snap and go. It is the only stroller we have used for our 14+ month old twins and we love it. We have used it for walks practically every day since they were born, and sometimes 2-3 walks. At least 1 hour of use per day on hilly terrain, LOTS of up/down curbs without cutouts, some dirt path, a little gravel, just a little off-roading, occasional two-person lifting down stairs. Overall it has been great! The only negatives are the size and weight (which is to be expected with a tandem stroller). I haven't tried to change a diaper in it (as a previous reviewer said). We use snack cups for the kiddos (the non-spillable type that spill) so we haven't missed a snack tray compartment. NOTHING has fallen off with ours and like I said above it gets HEAVY use. My husband put it together and he said it was easy. Kids are not growing out of it yet and they are in the 75th-95th percentile in height. Will update this review at the point when we feel this is too small for the kids. My only concerns would be airplane flying and checking with security at airports. Many friends with twins love their Maclaren side-by-sides for this purpose, but I assume I will just borrow one when the time comes since I don't need an ultra light weight, super easy folding stroller very often. The pros are many, like everyone else said it rides like a dream, smooth, easy pushing (heavy of course, but all doubles are). Get tons of comments, nice to have the options for placement, never realized how uncomfortable it can be for kids when the sun is right in their eyes and the sunshade just can't get it right, this one, just turn the seat around (which my husband has perfected while the 25 pound kiddo is still sitting in the seat -probably not recommended by Kolcraft). I paid the 250 price mid 2009, I am stunned that the price is down to 165. THIS IS A STEAL AT THIS PRICE, even as an "extra" stroller to have.