The Answer To Your Double Stroller Prayers!
Written: Sep 13 '02 (Updated Sep 13 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: converts from a tandem sitting stroller to a Sit-n-Stand stroller
Cons: Heavy.
The Bottom Line: It combines the best of the Caravan and of the Sit-n-Stand.
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| deenaf's Full Review: Baby Trend Sit-N-Stand LX IV Plus Stroller |
Finally a stroller I can call home….well, not exaclty home but pretty close to it. The Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus is a true a haven for my kids and a sanity saver for me.
First I must begin by proclaming myself a stroller expert (OK OK so only in my own mind… I am really more of a stroller-holic). I have owned and used 11 strollers for my two kids and I readily admit that I have an addiction to owning strollers. I equate it with my husband’s need to have the newest PlayStation2 game… he gets bored with the old one and goes out and buys the latest game. Same for me!
(((Does it count that I have owned 2 strollers and returned them?? If you count those, then maybe I really AM an expert… LOL))
Anyway, what’s most important is that Baby Trend has come up with something BRILLIANT in this stroller. The Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus is the first and LAST double stroller you will need (that is except if you have triplets or quads or higher but in that case, you are hopefully getting one custom made!).
Are you familiar with the Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX III? Are you familiar with the Baby Trend Caravan? Did you have trouble deciding between the two? I did until I discovered the Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus. Simply put, it is the Sit-n-Stand III + the Caravan. Let me spell it out for you…
Sit-n-Stand III
+ Caravan
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Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus
Got it? If not, I shall be happy to explain. Baby Trend makes a wonderful double stroller that SEATS two children front to back (called tandem seating) called the Caravan. It holds your infant car seat AND allows for a toddler to sit. On the other hand, Baby Trend makes the Sit-n-Stand double stroller which holds a car seat and has a place for a child to stand or a bench in which to sit.
Here’s the problem… what if you have a newborn AND a child that is TOO YOUNG for the Sit-n-Stand (you worry about his standing up and running off or he gets tired and still naps). You need a place for the infant carrier AND a place for your older child to sit and recline for naps and strolls. So you decide NOT to buy the Sit-n-Stand because your child needs his own seat. Enter the Caravan. NEXT PROBLEM A SHORT YEAR LATER: Your older child continues to grown and becomes too OLD for a reclining stroller seat and is ready to stand but your infant is still stroller bound (of course! LOL). Your Caravan only has seats, no standing ability. You are kicking yourself for not buying the Sit-n-Stand.
Now, to recap… you couldn’t buy the Sit-n-Stand a year earlier because your older child was too young but NOW you need it because aforementioned child is too young for the Caravan and you know darn well you cannot own both the Caravan and the Sit-n-Stand.
YES YOU CAN!!!YOU REALLY CAN! Buy the Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus!
AVAILABILITY
There is one thing you MUST know before I continue. This stroller can only be purchased in one place, and that is The Right Start (rightstart.com too). From what I understand from an employee of The Right Start is that they are the exclusive distributor of THIS MODEL, the Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus. Now, you can buy the standard Sit-n-Stand models and Caravan models elsewhere but you will only find the Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus at The Right Start.
THE PRODUCT
You buy this stroller partially unassembled. This is good because then you can really see how the rear seat is connected to the stroller and how easy it is to remove later on. The front seat is fully assembled already (except that you have to snap in the bumper bar). The rear seat gets placed down onto the bench in the rear of the stroller and is snapped into place. The rear seat is collapsible when unassembled so you can store it away for when you may need it again (like giving your Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus to a very close friend after you don’t need it anymore!)
When assembled as a two-seater, the front AND the rear seats both recline! BEAUTIFUL! I used to put the infant in the back and let my 2.5 year old sprawl out in the front seat. The rear would be too small for him anyway. Nestled between and below the seats is a giant basket. This basket is difficult to reach when used as a two-seater. Each seat also has its own set of seat buckles.
Another feature is that you can have a toddler in the back and attach an infant carrier to the front seat. The Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus comes with a Snap-n-Go bar that you attach to the front seat in lieu of the baby bar. This Snap-n-Go bar accomodates the most of the car seat carriers on the market, including:
Cosco
Evenflo
Graco
Kolcraft
Century
Peg Perego
Now, here’s what I did… I placed the infant carrier in the REAR seat and allowed my toddler the views of the front seat. Baby Trend does not endorse this HOWEVER, the belt buckles used for buckling a sitting child can be used to buckle down the infant carrier! It worked for me.
Another FABULOUS feature of the Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus assembled as a two-seater is that EACH SEAT has its own removable canopy! And each canopy is separately adjustable. Nice, huh?
When you are ready for a Sit-n-Stand, you simply unsnap the back seat out of the stroller, remove the canopy and VIOLA’, you have a Sit-n-Stand! The rear bench moves forward and back slightly to allow for a sitting child or a standing child. There are also two sets of buckles for the rear of the stroller, one for when the child is standing and one for when he is sitting.
One thing to note here is that I would NOT recommend that your child sit on the rear bench in a forward facing position. That would force his feet to be in the basket and there is no belt for his safety. The Sit part of the Sit-n-Stand is for your child to sit rear facing.
The bench in which you stand is wide and it has raised marks on it to provide some traction.
The Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus is awkward to fold up however. You need to kick up a lever and fold the stoller forward and downward. It takes practice. It’s a small price to pay for a stroller that grows with your family. One good note here is that once folded, it can stand on its own in the corner!
Lastly, the stroller weighs about 27 pounds so it is not lightweight. I get quite a workout pushing my 25 pound daughter, my 53 pound son and the 27 pound stroller all around. That’s over 100 pounds!! Thank goodness for the invention of the wheel, right? LOL! And I find that it maneuvers well and takes the bumps like a champ. It is great for family outings, like the zoo, but may not be so great in the small china shop (but what are you doing in there with two kids anyway??)
MY THOUGHTS
The Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand LX IV Plus is such a great stroller. It really combines the best of both worlds of double strollers. It is not for everyone but will satisfy any family with siblings roughly two to three years apart. It’s a stroller for the long run and in my opinion, you should always have a double stroller in addition to any (or all) single strollers you have.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 189.00
Age Range of Child: Other
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Epinions.com ID:
deenaf
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Member: Deena
Location: Merrick, NY USA
Reviews written: 277
Trusted by: 70 members
About Me:
Mother, wife, teacher..... aren't they all the same?
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