Load 'Em Up and Move 'Em Out!
Written: Feb 15 '00
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Pros: durable, lots of storage room in compartments
Cons: not always easy to fold up, locking mechanism sometimes sticks
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| zobovor's Full Review: Graco Duo Rider |
When we had our second baby, we knew that buying a second single stroller would have been less expensive than buying a dual stroller, but prohibitive nonetheless. (How the heck do you drag two kids and carry two strollers onto the bus?) So, we tightened our belts a bit and invested in the Graco Duo Rider--and it among the best purchases we ever made.
Assembling the thing was a piece of cake--the only thing you need to do is attach the wheels and axles. For some reason, once I got it put together, I was afraid this thing would not fit through the doorway to the supermarket, restaurant, or our home. In fact, you have about half an inch to work with on either side, so while it's tricky business sometimes, you can take the stroller just about anywhere.
Each seat is independently adjustable, able to recline or lock into an upright position. This was great since our kids are 16 months apart, so our little girl could lay back while our son sat up. It also comes in handy when the kids fall asleep and need to nap, something which cannot be said of single umbrella strollers.) The canopy can swing back to give the kids a little sun. While there are two plastic windows behind the canopy so you can watch the little tikes, they're so small and badly placed that I found that I had a tough time keeping an eye on them when the canopy was up.
One feature which we took full advantage of was the deep, roomy storage compartments underneath each seat. Between the two diaper bags we dragged everywhere and any shopping bags we picked up in our travels, we needed that space! It's also much safer than hanging your bags on the handles of umbrella strollers, as I've seen some parents do.
To fold up the stroller, you have to slide up two locking handles on either side of the front bars. I can transform the thing in a single jerk, but sometimes it takes my wife or mother-in-law a few minutes of fussing with the latches to get them to unlock. Also, after a couple of years of use, the latches don't like to automatically lock in place like they used to--you have to swing them down manually. The stroller is naturally heavier than a single stroller so it's pretty ungainly--it's not portable in the truest sense of the word, but it fits in the trunk nicely. It still folds up even when there are diaper bags in the storage compartments!
I have no major complaints about this stroller. The wheels are made of hard foam, and while they're durable for the most part, rough gravel and/or prickly thorns have been known to chew up the tires. The handlebar is covered with a thin foam layer that tore about three days after we started using the stroller--I don't know how it happened. And finally, the kids quickly figured out how to unlatch the safety buckles; most of the time they leave the buckles alone, but it would have been nice if opening the latches were a little more complex than just depressing the buttons.
The Graco Duo Rider has served us long and faithfully, although it's a little worse for wear. If nothing else, I prefer its side-by-side design to the back-to-front ones, so the kids will never argue over who gets to be in front.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99.99 (approximately)
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 months
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Epinions.com ID:
zobovor
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Member: Zobovor
Location: Ogden, UT
Reviews written: 350
Trusted by: 162 members
About Me:
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