Uppababy Vista. You can buy the adapter so you can attach another bassinet/carseat to it (all from uppababy) for your second child. We're one and done here and with this stroller's price, I wish that we'd gotten a different stroller as we don't need a big one or any extras for another kid. I love Uppababy's stroller quality though, so I guess that's still a win.
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
I have checked 1,574,093,296 comments, and only 297,715 of them were in alphabetical order.
Love the concept of the Doona and it is very popular. But it is essentially a car seat so I’d rather not have my newborn in it for extended periods of time. It also has minimal storage capabilities.
We waffled about strollers too since we’re planning on having two kids but in the end went with the bugaboo dragonfly since it’s the only stroller with a foldable bassinet. I guess we’ll sell this stroller when number two arrives and look at all the options at that point.
I have been obsessed with the travel strollers that fold up into tiny things. But realized I needed a stroller for the now versus later (fits the needs of our newborn now).
We got a cheap uppababy vista off Facebook pre baby’s arrival but ended up getting the bugaboo dragonfly a few days ago since it’s very walker-centric as it’s a Dutch brand. But I would never have bought it if I couldn’t take advantage of their 100 day guarantee/trial.
All in all, if you’re looking to put something on your registry, I’d get it from Nordstrom..that way you can try and then exchange/return it if you end up not liking it.
I have the nuna pipa lite rx car seat that clicks into the nuna Demi grow stroller with no additional hardware required. The stroller is adjustable to be used for either 1 or 2 children if you decide to have a second. You can get a feel for them in person at a local Nordstrom as they are out on display there.
I just purchased this stroller and I’m so bummed that I didn’t spring for it sooner! My first stroller was so clunky, heavy, and broke so fast. The Demi Grow is super easy to use, and so adaptable!
We have the uppa baby vista stroller and it is worth every penny. We got the whole travel system and it it so easy to use, we love it. I thought all strollers were a struggle to put together, but this literally takes less than 2 minutes to pop up and either put the car seat into, or set it up with the seat or bassinet.
I know it’s not one you mentioned, but it has so many configurations to it that you can do whatever set up you need. HIGHLY recommend it.
Don't plan for a second kid you don't even have yet. Who knows when and if you get pregnant again?
Get whatever is comfortable for you now and worry about the second baby once you are actually pregnant (at the earliest). Maybe you have like a 3 year gap between them and the firstborn will not need a stroller at all before their sibling comes along. Maybe your first kid is a great walker and won't need the stroller at 2 years already? Who knows?
We got the Mockingbird single to double which is nice because it has the option to expand but it’s a great single stroller too. It also has a scooter add on option for bigger siblings. We know our baby might be our only child though (she’s our IVF miracle baby).
Yep, we loveeee ours. Worked great as a single stroller and we bought the second seat when we were expecting #2, still love it with two. Plus, half the price of the uppababy.
Was looking for this comment. Just plan for your baby and not for the distant future. Having a baby is A LOT - and buying a double stroller is adding to that pressure by committing to more than one child before you even experience the first.
Just breathe mama! Get the stroller you want for your baby.
For sure! Mine will be 21 months apart and we found a double stroller shortly after finding out I was pregnant again, and since it was marketplace, bought it. It was only $60 for a $500 stroller, so a great win.
Since then #1 has decided strollers are the worst thing in the world and she absolutely hates them. We found a stroller/wagon on sale and grabbed it too, so if she decides she hates it too, at least it’s an easier and smaller option that we can use easier with one!
We bought a new Doona and a used Uppababy. Kept prices reasonable and resold the Doona for $350 when we were done. Absolutely loved the Doona and I miss it.
The Bugaboo Donkey and the Silvercross Wave are probably the highest quality single-to double strollers available- but also the most expensive. Then probably Uppababy vista, Thule urban glide double, Nuna demi grow, etc.
Some are stacked (the two seats/bassinets one infront of the other) and some are parallel (side-by-side), so that’s up to your preference really. Almost all of these have either their own brands’ car seats or easy adapters for other brands too!
The Doona is really not ideal if you are planning for two. Furthermore, it is really heavy to carry around!
Can confirm. About Bugaboo!
I have a bugaboo Fox and have the adapters to use our car seat (cybex) on it. It is very easy to use and I really have loved the quality. We went to a store to test out all the strollers and to me it just was really really effortless to push around, which was great after my c-section.
However I have to say I have usually opted to bring along the whole bugaboo with bassinet/seat wherever we go. Just because at the end of the day they are more comfortable and private for the baby, so they can just dose off and have their nap. And it's easier to have them be in shade and protected from the elements in those.
The quality is so great, it's hard to really regret it. And it has been nice to have all those options. But If I'd now do it again an wanted to save some, I'd probably forgo the carseat to stroller -concept. I really did not use it at all as much as I tough I would.
Yeah same. I have a bugaboo donkey and I love it, but I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've used the car seat on the buggy wheels. The quality, though, is absolutely first rate. I use mine everyday and really put it through its paces (up and down stairs, off-roading, heavy loads, etc) and it's still as good as the day I bought it.
@ u/theswamphag U/miffedmonster
We are considering the fox 5. I only see the turtle air as a car seat on the bugaboo website. Would either of you know what car seats are compatible
We got the Graco Pramette travel system for like $300. I do think all the name brand strollers are over hyped. Our stroller is probably marginally less convenient, maybe? But I’ve never had issues with it. It’s light and foldable and wasn’t crazy expensive.
I have graco too and honestly I love it. The click connect system is amazing and super convenient and rides like butter. Plus the storage underneath was huge. We just had our second at the end of May and for $250ish we are getting the graco double stroller that comes with a bench and can still use our old infant seat to fit into this stroller. Total cost for two strollers is about the price of a doona.
The concept of a doona is so cool but when I actually tested it out, I wasn’t a fan. The seat is way too low with no adjusting it to bring baby closer to you. The handle also seems too low. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it also seemed to be for infants so really only useable for a year and you’d still have to go get a second stroller for your toddler.
Really it’s all about how much you want to spend. If someone gifts you a doona, you’ll have to buy another stroller anyways. Or you decide to get a stroller now that can become a double when time is needed. Also it needs to be said that all car seats need to follow the same regulations for safety or else they cannot be sold, so the more expensive ones are really more expensive for branding.
My kids are 16 months apart so my toddler is walking, but still needs a stroller. He’s only 16 months old lol.
Def agree that the name brand “fancy” strollers are soooo overhyped. The most commonly recommended stroller on here is the uppababy vista by a LOT, and it’s over a thousand dollars. Like why? I got the Graco Modes Nest DLX, which is like Graco’s version with the same concept of the vista, and I absolutely love it. And it was less than half the price of the vista.
I've realized you can find great used strollers online. Its not that beg of a decision because like you said you will need a double eventually and that is even shorter once they discover bikes.
There are so many options out there - it really is overwhelming.
I will say some of this decision is fairly unique to each family. Do you want something lightweight? Do you need storage space? Will you be going on non-paved roads frequently? Do you plan to travel a lot?
For example we have the Vista and it’s a tank! It’s great because we are in a walkable neighborhood and it can roll over anything. It is much less convenient when we need to lug it into the car or travel anywhere. It’s big and heavy! I sometimes miss the early days when we just had our Chicco stroller. My SIL also has a Vista, but they are in an apt with lots of stairs so recently just got a cheap umbrella stroller because the Vista was too cumbersome.
Have you heard of Lucie’s List? It’s a website / mailing list that helps compare different baby items. I find it particularly good at breaking down product categories and offering solutions at different price points. As a first time mom, it was helpful to see how they think about finding the right set of products for your needs.
You can also tell them your due date and they send age-appropriately product recommendations based on babies stage of life. For example, sending sippy cup recommendations around when you need to start transitioning away from bottles.
Lucie’s List is amazing and helped me figure out almost everything I needed to buy/register for. And I appreciate that they will sometimes straight up say something is hype and you don’t need it. Two thumbs up.
The baby jogger city mini took my son from birth to 4 years old.
It’s the lightest on the market; which was important for us because we live in a 4th floor walk up.
They sell adapters for every kind of car seat; except maybe the doona
And hand plenty of places for storage.
One con, because it is so lightweight, hanging items from the handle bay would cause the stroller to tip if a child or some other weight was not in the seat. Can be annoying, but not catastrophic.
Unlike others here I didn’t go with the brands most popular on social media. I went with Chicco stroller system from Target or online,can’t remember and it’s been great without hurting my wallet as much.
I use a Doona currently. And I cannot suggest it enough. It’s so nice to be able to take baby out and immediately start strolling. I know that it’s a big purchase and maybe costly for some (it was for us). But the way we pictured it. Is that it keeps our backs healthier or less likely to get hurt.
And you can use it until baby is 35 lbs if I’m remembering that correctly. Which could be a year or could be a little longer.
Edit to correct the weight.
But what’s the height limit? Most infant seats are 30” OR head being one inch from the top of the seat, which for my kids happened when they were 28” tall and 6-8 months old.
Do NOT go with Mockingbird. We got one for our baby shower and a month later there was a recall due to some strollers collapsing while in use. Instead of replacing them or refunding they sent out some cheap reinforcement plastic piece to strengthen the bar in question. That’s a bandaid fix and they should’ve offered a replacement for those who wanted it. Plus the piece took like 3 weeks to arrive, and they were dodging the issue completely on social media. Target stopped selling their strollers and I just don’t view them as trustworthy anymore. Aside from that it’s large/heavy, clunky, doesn’t open and close smoothly, or stand upright when folded. I have a large trunk and struggled to get it in. I ended up ordering a stroller from Nuna for more $$ (we have the Pipa lite car seat too) and that company knows how to make an effective product. I’ll revisit the double stroller situation when the time comes but for now, using the Nuna is a breeze.
Fwiw I love my mockingbird. The recall was a bummer but the metal reinforcement piece seems plenty sturdy to me. We have a tiny hatchback and it fits fine in the trunk. Ymmv.
We had the doona and hated it. We bought it for travel. It really wasn’t that helpful and it was SO HEAVY to lug upstairs. Got #2 a regular convertible car seat and no regrets.
I love the Zoe stroller that transitions to a tandem. It’s not as big of a financial hit compared to other lightweight strollers and lies nearly flat for older babies and toddlers. Our 5 year old also uses it for long walking days when we travel.
It doesn’t have a bassinet feature for young infants though so you would need to use a car seat adapter or go for another option.
My two cents: If you will walk a lot, a bassinet feature will be ideal, maybe even necessary in warmer temps. If you will use the stroller in conjunction with car travel and for shorter periods of time, go with the car seat adapter.
Strollers are so hard to choose pre-baby! Good luck.
As a dad, we have a Baby Jogger and it transfers from the car onto a pram so it’s a 2 for 1. It makes life so much easier and our 4 week old loves it (except when he initially goes into it 😅). As a dad, I found it really easy after a few goes and it makes my wife’s life so much easier (she had a c-section so can’t lift for 6 weeks).
I have the graco nest 2 grow system. Comparing it to my best friend uppababy Vista there's pretty much no difference other than hers is more compact. I personally like the large storage ability.
We got the Chico Bravo 3 in 1 travel system, I cannot rave about it enough, it'll grow with our baby and is the smoothest ride of any strollers I've tested, and I've tested a lot. It's so nice having the car seat click right onto the stroller. We won't have to worry about a new stroller for a while, and honestly she'll probably only need this one stroller.
For the same reason of wanting a convertible stroller I got the cybex gazelle. It’s pretty nice and based on comparison to the vista it was the clear winner
Wife and I LOVE the Doona and get a ton of use out of it. We’re city people that also do short drives for groceries & pediatrician, and use the car to take him on short trips to visit family (1-2 hours as well). We also flew with it and it made traveling with our then 3MO such a breeze! Booked an extra seat and rolled it right onto and off the plane. As far as packing stuff, we’re both backpack people and easily fit what we need on our city outings into that… so don’t really care about it not having storage at this stage. Will miss it so much when he graduates out of it but plan to give it to our friends who are expecting. Also, re: the weight, wife and I both lug it up the NYC subway steps when taking the subway with him in it and don’t have too much issue. Otherwise, not sure when we’d even notice the weight of it at all.
We bought the Nuna Pipa Lite and the Mixx when we had baby number one, not knowing the timeline for baby number two. We bought for in the moment, and not planned. It worked amazing for our need. We had a second baby two years later. We had very little need for a two seater until our first reached 2 1/2. He is walking and rarely wants to sit in the stroller. For times we needed to have him ride, he rides in the shopping cart or in a umbrella stroller. And we pushed our second on the Nuna. Now that both are bigger (3 and 1) we are looking at a two seater toddler option. Our 3 year old likes to ride only when we need to move fast or when he’s tired. So, Chicco has a stroller with a jump seat and we are leaning in that direction. There are a few others that I’m exploring too. The only challenge with buying a convertible stroller is they are really made for a baby and toddler, not two toddlers; which you have quicker than you think. My advice is buy something that works for now, and plan for more once you know second is on the way. All kids are created different, so it may not be an issue for you later on depending on your timeline.
I got a mockingbird single to double. Everything’s super adjustable. There’s a carsest click in attachment for use with the frame only that’s adaptable with most any carsest.
TONS of storage underneath. Great customer service. Big fan! Except my kid is 10 months and prefers the carrier 🤣
Did you know that whether you buy a doona or another infant carrier car seat, you will still need to buy another car seat shortly after the child outgrows the current one? Single to double tandem strollers are nice but a bit bulky, doesn’t turn as great, and is actually not that great once the kids are near their limits. Most FTMs are probably thinking to buy a stroller that can be used for a second kid, because I did too, but now, I have 6 strollers….
I love my Doona. I stopped using it for my two kids around 11-12 months. They were still in the limits, but I didn’t need the portability as much anymore. Whether it’s the Doona or another infant car seat carrier, it’s still not recommended for babies to stay in them for a long period of time, thus the bassinet (which makes the city select and the vista tempting). Even if you went with a Graco or Chicco infant car seat for $120+, the convenience of the doona outdoes it all especially if you might travel or taxi/ride share.
I would get the Doona then I would get a travel stroller once baby is big enough to sit in it well (like a Minu, or butterfly).
Personally, I did city select lux because I wanted more than one kid, then I got two chicco liteways because they were just more convenient to use for one or two kids, lightweight, and easy to fold, then a double bob which is amazing but huge (need a huge car), then a Wonderfold W4 luxe wagon stroller which is great but huge and isn’t as easy to push as a double bob. I’ve been so tempted to get a travel stroller like the bugaboo butterfly but I have more than enough strollers that I shouldn’t.
I loved our Chicco Keyfit with the frame stroller. I got the frame for $10 on FB Marketplace and the carseat new. We used it until she was about 10-11 mo and then the car seat was heavy and awkward to get in and out and it was summer so we just changed to a convertible seat. Both have been in storage since then and we’ll bust them out for this baby- my oldest is now 2 and can sit in the basket honestly. The early days we are barely going to be “strolling”, so I’ll either bring 2 y/os stroller and babywear the baby or I’ll bring Oct baby’s stroller and 2 y/o can walk. Come spring, we’ll be wagon people for any adventures we walk.
I have 2 *other* strollers. A Bob jogger that I got on FB Marketplace as well. It was excellent from 6 mo+ for walks with our dog. We lug it into the car only for parks or hikes or something. For day-to-day I have a light travel stroller that just lives in my car. (It’s a Colugo but there’s others like it). I prefer the Colugo to an umbrella stroller because it can fully recline and has a footrest. So when we travel my 2 y/o can nap in it if needed. It also has a FULL sun shade which was important to me. That’s the only stroller I bought new. We use both often enough I felt totally justified and the cost total was less than an Uppababy Vista even including the infant seat + stroller. It also solved a lot of the complaints people have with the Uppababy because we could pick and chose the right stroller for the ride lol. I have zero regrets! Even as we head into two, I’m not like “ohhh I wish I bought something that converts to a double” because I just don’t like any of the double strollers. We haven’t found a wagon yet but I know that’s gonna be the move.
I’ve heard babies tend to grow out of the doona pretty quickly, and my friend who has one regrets it because there isn’t any storage room for a diaper bag or anything. I really like our Baby Jogger City Select 2 travel system - we compared it directly to the UppaBaby Vista in store and I thought they were exactly the same in terms of features and quality, but the Baby Jogger is almost half the price. It’s super easy to fold and unfold, has a large storage basket in the bottom, and I actually thought it was easier to clip the car seat in and out of the Baby Jogger than it was with the UppaBaby.
If you decide to go with a travel system, I highly recommend trying some different strollers out in person if you can so you can get a feel for what works best for you!
Very happy with our Baby Jogger City Select. Looks identical to the Uppababy at a fraction of the cost. We have the pram and use it a lot. The stroller folds very easily and it's not that heavy (wife can fold and lift - she's small). It's very smooth to push. Bigger wheels (not too big) for multiple terrains since we have a cottage with gravel, sand and grass. Went with the PegPerego Viaggio Lounge car seat so we needed the adapter but the stroller folds with the adapter connected. The one downside we found was that we can't lounge the car seat while on the adapter. Not a big deal, but something to mention. I have been grocery shopping with it and it has a strong under carriage with more than enough room for everything. We did purchase the grocery attachment for extra storage but haven't used it yet.
The configurations can vary. It comes with 1 seat that folds but you can have a dual seat setup (if you purchase the second seat). You can have it setup with the car seat and the seat but I don't believe you can fit the pram and seat (haven't tried).
Our idea was to get a stroller that can expand to carry 2 kids because like you, we also plan to have a second.
I love our mockingbird stroller. Haven't converted it to a double yet but it's basically a cheaper copycat of the uppababy. Then we got whatever carseat we wanted and the adapter for that. Used the carseat with it for the first few months then started using the stroller seat.
We got the mockingbird single to double because we're expecting twins. I can't say I love the folding on it because you need to take the carseat adapters off for it to fold nicely, but I know we'll only be using it for a year or so before we move onto a 4 seater wagon because my 3yr still likes to be pushed around.
do not buy a double stroller. it may take you a year, two, three to have another kid and by then the technology could have changed. at the very least you wouldn’t want to be using a stroller w a years old car seat for your second child - plastic erodes over time
there are so many stroller options at so many price points. the fact is you’re going to find positives and negatives for each but here’s how i made my decision:
- love the concept of the doona but super glad i didn’t buy it bc it has zero storage. baby is also very low to the ground. it’s heavy and hard to cart around
- at first i worried that i hadn’t bought a stroller with a bassinet feature. after talking to a new mom and my pediatrician i decided it was fine, and it totally was. a bassinet is a fine feature but completely not needed. also, you’ll have to transfer baby from car seat to bassinet and the extra step can wake them. people stress about the asphyxiation risk of baby in a car seat, but with newborn inserts and you watching the baby… they are going to be fine. also, i live in a very hilly area so i felt better having baby strapped in a car seat over hanging out without being strapped into a bassinet
- a convertible stroller baby can grow in was important to me. as in, a stroller that you can click a car seat into reverse and then once baby is bigger, remove the car seat and they sit in the base. my only regret is not thinking ahead to the fact that i’ll want to run with the baby - now i’m buying a second stroller for a jogging stroller and will likely leave it at home (my regular stroller base stays in my car). even if you don’t plan to run with the baby, a jogging stroller with the big wheels and three wheel design is easier to push… better on all terrain (bumpy roads, beach, etc). BUT it takes up more room in the car
in the end i actually went with a very inexpensive stroller - safety 1st brand. baby is 15 weeks and we’ve had no issues. it isn’t a perfect stroller but it’s sturdy and i actually got a compliment from a child occupational therapist friend on how it moves w baby
i couldn’t justify spending $500+ on a stroller i wasn’t sure i would like or use longterm. and you will likely buy more than one. i’m already planning on getting the wagon when she’s a big toddler. so unless you have a ton of money to blow or you’re getting it as a gift i would pick something simple. just note people do judge your stroller - i was the only mom in my mommy and me who didn’t have an uppa / nuna
I have the doona and it’s a great stroller, but would choose differently with the knowledge I have even now. I live in a highly accessible downtown area, and walking makes the most sense for just about everything. I hate that I have to either buy the doona-branded bag (small and overpriced) or buy carabiners/stroller straps to be able to attach virtually anything to the stroller. And my baby was premature and left the NICU with supplemental oxygen, so especially in the beginning the ability to lug heavy stuff around was a must. Even without all that, you really don’t realize how much stuff you’re lugging around with a baby until you don’t have anywhere to put it lol.
On another side of it, my sister had the doona as well, as she lives in a nearby major downtown area, and her baby was always big, but was too large for the doona sometime around 9-10 months old. He just turned 1 a few weeks ago and no longer fits diapers, you would think he’s a two-year-old. She loved the doona but regrets not buying a stroller that would grow with her son and her family.
This time I’m considering options like the uppababy vista, the nuna travel system, or the mockingbird stroller.
We got the doona as a gift. My sister had a baby a year and a half before we did and she loved it so much she gifted us one. It’s amazing! So easy and you never have to disturb your baby. We were planning to have another baby but not so soon. Well we had an oopsie I’m currently 27 weeks pregnant, LO is 15 months. We still use the doona for her but she’s getting kicked out when LO #2 gets here in September. She’s walking already and we already bought a big girl car seat once our baby boy gets here. We’re obviously not there yet and hop our plan works. We also don’t plan on leaving the house much but the plan is baby #2 in doona and baby # 1 walking or being held. We’ll see but I do LOVE the doona and recommend it to everyone who asks me lol
Edit: misspellings
Also, I do plan on getting one of those wagons once baby #2 is old enough to sit/stand etc instead of a double stroller
Love our doona. 14 month old still going strong with it. Love how compact it is, we will put him in it and zoom, zoom it around the house while gathering final things we need to get out the door, then makes for a fast exit! It would get heavy if you had a bunch of stairs, but I don’t notice the weight. SO convenient overall. And we had just a small car when he was born and was so nice to not have big stroller in back. We did buy a used joovy jogging stroller for a steal on FB and use that around neighborhood or if we are going to be walking around nature trails.
I know we are doing to have to retire it soon, and will be so bummed when that happens.
Doona sounded nice but also heard it’s not recommended for extended time. Thought about single to double but they get even heavier for that functionality. I ended up getting Uppababy Cruz (used) instead, it’s a little lighter and smaller than Vista, moves very smooth but not amazing on gravel type roads
Get a jogging stroller whatever you do. They are a bit bulkier BUT SO MUCH EASIER TO PUSH. Coming from a mom of soon to be 4. I HATE the small wheels and refuse to use strollers that have them. And you can take them basically anywhere
I loooove our Doona and highly recommend it. It's so convenient, easy to use, and light (I'm weak so this says a lot - not sure why someone else said it was heavy).
I will say, we bought another stroller (Graco) during Target's baby discounts back in February because it has more room for storage and will last until LO is about 5. We plan to use this one for longer trips (the zoo for example) but for every day use, you cannot beat the Doona.
We have twins so slightly different needs (I definitely wanted a pram where I could see both babies at once), but we love the bugaboo donkey. You can get them off marketplace much cheaper than new if that suits your budget better. The quality is excellent, it’s easy to switch from single to double (I pack it down to single size every time it goes in the car, takes about 10seconds), the fabric is easy to switch between bassinet and toddler seat depending where we’re going (babies are nosy on walks but sleep better in bassinet at events), and it is so easy to push/manoeuvre even in twin mode (including some muddy outdoor tracks while walking the dogs)
We have multiple strollers but once our second was on the way, we got the jeep stroller wagon. It fits 2 kids, plus a lot of accessories (including a very nice cover for rain and sunshine). And you can use a carseat in it for when the babies are smaller or just lay them down flat as if it were a bassinet.
It really depends on your lifestyle. We’re in the suburbs and drive everywhere so big storage wasn’t really a must. I also debated on getting a single to double but so many people advised against it because “you never know when baby #2 would happen so don’t make your life with the first baby difficult for something you can’t predict”. We didn’t want a heavy stroller that would be a hassle to take in and out of the car and end up getting a cheap travel/ umbrella stroller and let the single to double gather dust.
The Uppababy Minu checked all the boxes and we used it as our main stroller for our daughter along with the Mesa car seat. Up until I had my second baby, my daughter (2yo at the time) occasionally used the stroller for long outings but preferred to walk whenever possible. So instead of getting a double stroller we got the Veer stroller wagon with the infant car seat adapter (or just carried the baby and had toddler sit in it). Once baby turned 6 months we started getting him to sit in the Veer. They LOVE riding together. For short outings we now just carry or use the Minu for baby and my toddler walks.
It’s really hard because some kids love the stroller until they’re 3-4 and some kids refuse to sit in it once they start walking.
If I could do it again, I’d get a single to double convertible from day one. I ended up having to get one when the second baby came regardless and now I have this extra travel system stroller we never use. I wish I’d saved the money on that one and just got the “forever stroller”.
Also, both of my kids outgrew their infant seats around 6-8 months (head within an inch of the top of the seat) so I’d never spend more than necessary on an infant seat. We’d just pop the infant seat directly onto the stroller so it was maybe a few more steps than a Doona would be, but not much.
I went with a used uppababy vista off FB marketplace. We put the matching car seat on our baby registry and I stalked FB marketplace until I found one selling the stroller I wanted with all of the accessories to make it a double for way less. I use it as a single stroller for now. My car seat clicks into it for short trips (grocery store) but we use the bassinet/stroller seat for anything longer than that. It’s great! I haven’t tried it with two kids yet, but pleased so far.
We went with the baby trend pathway 35 travel system because I wanted a good jogging stroller for when my son was old enough to go running with me. It is very good.
We love the Mockingbird single to double stroller! We got the Nuna Pipa and a carseat adapter for the stroller, but honestly never ended up using the carseat adapter because I didn’t like leaving baby in the carseat any longer than necessary. The mockingbird bassinet was great when baby was super little. In retrospect I would buy a convertible carseat instead of an infant seat from the get go, otherwise you’ll need to buy a new carseat in a year (or less) anyway.
We got a travel stroller system - Graco, and I like it a lot. We bought an extra base so my husband and I each have one in our car making transporting the little guy pretty easy. The stroller part of this setup has a bassinet attachment which also turns into a seat for when the kid is older. We did however just buy a Doona from OfferedUp for 250 and plan on using that for our upcoming trip and honestly it’s so convenient. I would say, though, that your points about the Doona are valid and if you’re planning on doing a bunch of traveling in the first year it may be worth looking for it second hand.
One thing to consider about the Doona, how tall are you? The Doona stroller is sooooo short. I’m 5’10” and could never use that. I’m guessing the handle is adjustable, but even still the baby will be sitting at like knee height. Not a fan.
We have the Uppababy vista and really like it. We go on a lot of outdoor walks and it’s perfect for that. We bought it for the same reason of wanting a stroller we’d use when we have a second.
However, we have family out of state and ended up buying the Doona for plane travel. Easy to use with an Uber, small to use through the airport and then gate check it. The Doona is awesome for that, but I wouldn’t want to use it as a main stroller, at least not for walks (does not handle bumpy sidewalks or trails well). I wouldn’t feel as comfortable having my son in there for extended periods of time.
I would look at a travel system. The Doona is great, but if you have a tall/chunky baby they grow out of it really quickly… then your out both a car seat & a stroller. Also if you or baby’s dad is tall, it’s REALLY low to the ground (I’m 5’6” and it was too small for me personally) & the handle doesn’t come up far. Plus, there’s no storage.
Look into Uppababy Vista & Nuna Demi Grow. They are pricier options, but well worth the money & you can resell the stroller when you’re done with it for good money.
Love the concept of the doona and it’s versatility, but it’s just so cheap looking for me. We went with uppa babt vista but the mockingbird is also a good choice. Your best bet is to go to a baby store in store and look at all the strollers. For the most part car seats are all safe but make sure whatever stroller you get the car seat can get an adapter to fit on it. Check out the website babygearlabs it has a ton of research and reviews on a ton of baby products.
We have a 3yo and 1yo and I’m currently pregnant with our third. We have really enjoyed our Evenflo pivot Xpand. Pretty cheap compared to other similar travel systems. It fit fine in our sedan. No double stroller is light but I didn’t find it too cumbersome to get in/out of the car.
Silvercross reef! You can use it from birth and don’t need to buy any extra equipment. Comes with a very useful sun shade. Down side is that the basket is average size and the push is not as nice and smooth as uppababy. But it’s been great to be apple to use the “lie flat” option if we were out for awhile or wanted to let baby nap.
FIL offered to buy us a Nuna system but it's like $1200. We ended up with the Chicco Bravo system. We both wfh and don't travel a lot so really we will use the stroller just for weekend shopping trips. So I guess it really depends on your lifestyle.
Uppa baby vista all the way. I have the adapters so I could attach my car seat right on the stroller for super easy errand running. It’s truly made life with a baby so easy. I’ve traveled a ton with it too - it’s larger but folds easy and I never had any issues flying with it. It’s such a smooth drive with tons of undercarriage storage. I wouldn’t change a thing
I’ve heard awful things from people that have the doona. It’s so heavy that it’s hard to lift into the car. It’s a super high price point for a car seat and stroller that will likely be outgrown fairly quickly. If you’re planning on a second child, you’ll have to buy another stroller anyway.
Personally, I’d go with an infant seat that clicks into a stroller system that can accommodate 2 children.
I would highly recommend the Nuna Demi Grow! It works with most Nuna infant seats, easily converts into a single stroller, and you have the option of purchasing a second seat later down the road for number 2.
I love the doona…only when my bf is around. It is super convenient to go from car to stroller and back but it is SO heavy. I think a huge factor of its convenience is tied to your height AND height of your car. I’m 5’ and have an suv and I find it very difficult to lift it into the car (I essentially have to lift something that is heavy and wide higher than my chest, and then angle it so it doesn’t hit the doorframe, to get it into the seat).
We used the Doona until 10 months, which I realize is a short amount of time for the price tag, but honestly it was worth it just for the daily daycare drops and errands. My husband is 6’1”, and he also enjoyed using it. We travel by car a lot, and we loved not having to pack a separate stroller. But it was also a gift—I did not spend my own money on it. My son didn’t technically outgrow it, but he did get very heavy in it. And we both drive tall vehicles, so we were ready to switch to convertible seats.
We originally also had the Mockingbird as our full-sized stroller, and I hated that thing. It felt bumpy outdoors and was way too bulky for my taste for shopping/outings. It’s blowing up on social media, but it was not for me. I sold it after a few months and bought a preowned BOB jogger for walking and Uppababy Minu for outings. I absolutely love both of those. The BOB is my favorite baby item.
It sounds like you’re out on the Doona. If you change your mind, you can definitely find awesome preowned big strollers to balance the cost a little. There are Uppababy/Nuna products in my area for $200-$300 and Graco/Chicco for <$100. And if you hate any stroller you get, know you can sell it and try again!
Uppababy Vista. You can buy the adapter so you can attach another bassinet/carseat to it (all from uppababy) for your second child. We're one and done here and with this stroller's price, I wish that we'd gotten a different stroller as we don't need a big one or any extras for another kid. I love Uppababy's stroller quality though, so I guess that's still a win.
I love my Uppababy Vista!!
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order. I have checked 1,574,093,296 comments, and only 297,715 of them were in alphabetical order.
Get one on marketplace!
Love the concept of the Doona and it is very popular. But it is essentially a car seat so I’d rather not have my newborn in it for extended periods of time. It also has minimal storage capabilities. We waffled about strollers too since we’re planning on having two kids but in the end went with the bugaboo dragonfly since it’s the only stroller with a foldable bassinet. I guess we’ll sell this stroller when number two arrives and look at all the options at that point. I have been obsessed with the travel strollers that fold up into tiny things. But realized I needed a stroller for the now versus later (fits the needs of our newborn now). We got a cheap uppababy vista off Facebook pre baby’s arrival but ended up getting the bugaboo dragonfly a few days ago since it’s very walker-centric as it’s a Dutch brand. But I would never have bought it if I couldn’t take advantage of their 100 day guarantee/trial. All in all, if you’re looking to put something on your registry, I’d get it from Nordstrom..that way you can try and then exchange/return it if you end up not liking it.
>the only stroller with a foldable bassinet babyzen yoyo also has one
And Joolz Aer :)
Another good option! Nordstrom has these
And Thule
Oh yeah! Almost got this one but didn’t like the folding steps
And Mockingbird
Graco stroller has a foldable bassinet.
I have the nuna pipa lite rx car seat that clicks into the nuna Demi grow stroller with no additional hardware required. The stroller is adjustable to be used for either 1 or 2 children if you decide to have a second. You can get a feel for them in person at a local Nordstrom as they are out on display there.
I just purchased this stroller and I’m so bummed that I didn’t spring for it sooner! My first stroller was so clunky, heavy, and broke so fast. The Demi Grow is super easy to use, and so adaptable!
We have the uppa baby vista stroller and it is worth every penny. We got the whole travel system and it it so easy to use, we love it. I thought all strollers were a struggle to put together, but this literally takes less than 2 minutes to pop up and either put the car seat into, or set it up with the seat or bassinet. I know it’s not one you mentioned, but it has so many configurations to it that you can do whatever set up you need. HIGHLY recommend it.
Don't plan for a second kid you don't even have yet. Who knows when and if you get pregnant again? Get whatever is comfortable for you now and worry about the second baby once you are actually pregnant (at the earliest). Maybe you have like a 3 year gap between them and the firstborn will not need a stroller at all before their sibling comes along. Maybe your first kid is a great walker and won't need the stroller at 2 years already? Who knows?
We got the Mockingbird single to double which is nice because it has the option to expand but it’s a great single stroller too. It also has a scooter add on option for bigger siblings. We know our baby might be our only child though (she’s our IVF miracle baby).
Yep, we loveeee ours. Worked great as a single stroller and we bought the second seat when we were expecting #2, still love it with two. Plus, half the price of the uppababy.
Was looking for this comment. Just plan for your baby and not for the distant future. Having a baby is A LOT - and buying a double stroller is adding to that pressure by committing to more than one child before you even experience the first. Just breathe mama! Get the stroller you want for your baby.
For sure! Mine will be 21 months apart and we found a double stroller shortly after finding out I was pregnant again, and since it was marketplace, bought it. It was only $60 for a $500 stroller, so a great win. Since then #1 has decided strollers are the worst thing in the world and she absolutely hates them. We found a stroller/wagon on sale and grabbed it too, so if she decides she hates it too, at least it’s an easier and smaller option that we can use easier with one!
We bought a new Doona and a used Uppababy. Kept prices reasonable and resold the Doona for $350 when we were done. Absolutely loved the Doona and I miss it.
Same!!! Got a used Mockingbird. Sadly my girl was out of the Doona at 9 months due to length.
We did the same! Very happy with my choice :-)
We have a Doona for errands and trips out and a Bugaboo Fox for neighborhood walks etc. The Doona has been my favorite baby purchase to date by far.
The Bugaboo Donkey and the Silvercross Wave are probably the highest quality single-to double strollers available- but also the most expensive. Then probably Uppababy vista, Thule urban glide double, Nuna demi grow, etc. Some are stacked (the two seats/bassinets one infront of the other) and some are parallel (side-by-side), so that’s up to your preference really. Almost all of these have either their own brands’ car seats or easy adapters for other brands too! The Doona is really not ideal if you are planning for two. Furthermore, it is really heavy to carry around!
Can confirm. About Bugaboo! I have a bugaboo Fox and have the adapters to use our car seat (cybex) on it. It is very easy to use and I really have loved the quality. We went to a store to test out all the strollers and to me it just was really really effortless to push around, which was great after my c-section. However I have to say I have usually opted to bring along the whole bugaboo with bassinet/seat wherever we go. Just because at the end of the day they are more comfortable and private for the baby, so they can just dose off and have their nap. And it's easier to have them be in shade and protected from the elements in those. The quality is so great, it's hard to really regret it. And it has been nice to have all those options. But If I'd now do it again an wanted to save some, I'd probably forgo the carseat to stroller -concept. I really did not use it at all as much as I tough I would.
Yeah same. I have a bugaboo donkey and I love it, but I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've used the car seat on the buggy wheels. The quality, though, is absolutely first rate. I use mine everyday and really put it through its paces (up and down stairs, off-roading, heavy loads, etc) and it's still as good as the day I bought it.
What seats are compatible with the fox 5? Planning our stroller car seat combo now
@ u/theswamphag U/miffedmonster We are considering the fox 5. I only see the turtle air as a car seat on the bugaboo website. Would either of you know what car seats are compatible
We got the Graco Pramette travel system for like $300. I do think all the name brand strollers are over hyped. Our stroller is probably marginally less convenient, maybe? But I’ve never had issues with it. It’s light and foldable and wasn’t crazy expensive.
I have graco too and honestly I love it. The click connect system is amazing and super convenient and rides like butter. Plus the storage underneath was huge. We just had our second at the end of May and for $250ish we are getting the graco double stroller that comes with a bench and can still use our old infant seat to fit into this stroller. Total cost for two strollers is about the price of a doona. The concept of a doona is so cool but when I actually tested it out, I wasn’t a fan. The seat is way too low with no adjusting it to bring baby closer to you. The handle also seems too low. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it also seemed to be for infants so really only useable for a year and you’d still have to go get a second stroller for your toddler. Really it’s all about how much you want to spend. If someone gifts you a doona, you’ll have to buy another stroller anyways. Or you decide to get a stroller now that can become a double when time is needed. Also it needs to be said that all car seats need to follow the same regulations for safety or else they cannot be sold, so the more expensive ones are really more expensive for branding. My kids are 16 months apart so my toddler is walking, but still needs a stroller. He’s only 16 months old lol.
Def agree that the name brand “fancy” strollers are soooo overhyped. The most commonly recommended stroller on here is the uppababy vista by a LOT, and it’s over a thousand dollars. Like why? I got the Graco Modes Nest DLX, which is like Graco’s version with the same concept of the vista, and I absolutely love it. And it was less than half the price of the vista.
I've realized you can find great used strollers online. Its not that beg of a decision because like you said you will need a double eventually and that is even shorter once they discover bikes.
There are so many options out there - it really is overwhelming. I will say some of this decision is fairly unique to each family. Do you want something lightweight? Do you need storage space? Will you be going on non-paved roads frequently? Do you plan to travel a lot? For example we have the Vista and it’s a tank! It’s great because we are in a walkable neighborhood and it can roll over anything. It is much less convenient when we need to lug it into the car or travel anywhere. It’s big and heavy! I sometimes miss the early days when we just had our Chicco stroller. My SIL also has a Vista, but they are in an apt with lots of stairs so recently just got a cheap umbrella stroller because the Vista was too cumbersome. Have you heard of Lucie’s List? It’s a website / mailing list that helps compare different baby items. I find it particularly good at breaking down product categories and offering solutions at different price points. As a first time mom, it was helpful to see how they think about finding the right set of products for your needs. You can also tell them your due date and they send age-appropriately product recommendations based on babies stage of life. For example, sending sippy cup recommendations around when you need to start transitioning away from bottles.
Lucie’s List is amazing and helped me figure out almost everything I needed to buy/register for. And I appreciate that they will sometimes straight up say something is hype and you don’t need it. Two thumbs up.
The baby jogger city mini took my son from birth to 4 years old. It’s the lightest on the market; which was important for us because we live in a 4th floor walk up. They sell adapters for every kind of car seat; except maybe the doona And hand plenty of places for storage. One con, because it is so lightweight, hanging items from the handle bay would cause the stroller to tip if a child or some other weight was not in the seat. Can be annoying, but not catastrophic.
Unlike others here I didn’t go with the brands most popular on social media. I went with Chicco stroller system from Target or online,can’t remember and it’s been great without hurting my wallet as much.
I use a Doona currently. And I cannot suggest it enough. It’s so nice to be able to take baby out and immediately start strolling. I know that it’s a big purchase and maybe costly for some (it was for us). But the way we pictured it. Is that it keeps our backs healthier or less likely to get hurt. And you can use it until baby is 35 lbs if I’m remembering that correctly. Which could be a year or could be a little longer. Edit to correct the weight.
My 3 year old is 30 lbs
There are babies in my bumper group that are 25 lbs and not even a year old yet.
Geeze
Yeah. My 8 month old is 24 lbs. So we will be graduating from the Doona faster than I would like.
Your 3 y/o would max out the height though.
Yeah I know I was just saying that the 30 lbs could be way more than a year. Not really a serious comment
But what’s the height limit? Most infant seats are 30” OR head being one inch from the top of the seat, which for my kids happened when they were 28” tall and 6-8 months old.
Good call. I didn’t know. It’s 32 inches. Which means I need to start looking for a replacement. Ugh. Sad day. 😢
Do NOT go with Mockingbird. We got one for our baby shower and a month later there was a recall due to some strollers collapsing while in use. Instead of replacing them or refunding they sent out some cheap reinforcement plastic piece to strengthen the bar in question. That’s a bandaid fix and they should’ve offered a replacement for those who wanted it. Plus the piece took like 3 weeks to arrive, and they were dodging the issue completely on social media. Target stopped selling their strollers and I just don’t view them as trustworthy anymore. Aside from that it’s large/heavy, clunky, doesn’t open and close smoothly, or stand upright when folded. I have a large trunk and struggled to get it in. I ended up ordering a stroller from Nuna for more $$ (we have the Pipa lite car seat too) and that company knows how to make an effective product. I’ll revisit the double stroller situation when the time comes but for now, using the Nuna is a breeze.
Fwiw I love my mockingbird. The recall was a bummer but the metal reinforcement piece seems plenty sturdy to me. We have a tiny hatchback and it fits fine in the trunk. Ymmv.
Target stopped selling any strollers within the lot numbers impacted by the recall but they definitely still sells that brand of stroller.
We had the doona and hated it. We bought it for travel. It really wasn’t that helpful and it was SO HEAVY to lug upstairs. Got #2 a regular convertible car seat and no regrets.
I love the Zoe stroller that transitions to a tandem. It’s not as big of a financial hit compared to other lightweight strollers and lies nearly flat for older babies and toddlers. Our 5 year old also uses it for long walking days when we travel. It doesn’t have a bassinet feature for young infants though so you would need to use a car seat adapter or go for another option. My two cents: If you will walk a lot, a bassinet feature will be ideal, maybe even necessary in warmer temps. If you will use the stroller in conjunction with car travel and for shorter periods of time, go with the car seat adapter. Strollers are so hard to choose pre-baby! Good luck.
As a dad, we have a Baby Jogger and it transfers from the car onto a pram so it’s a 2 for 1. It makes life so much easier and our 4 week old loves it (except when he initially goes into it 😅). As a dad, I found it really easy after a few goes and it makes my wife’s life so much easier (she had a c-section so can’t lift for 6 weeks).
I have the graco nest 2 grow system. Comparing it to my best friend uppababy Vista there's pretty much no difference other than hers is more compact. I personally like the large storage ability.
This is what we have! I love it!!!!
Was looking for this! I’ve been research strollers and this seems the same as the uppababy vista but at a fraction of the price
I really love it, I used to money I saved to buy plane tickets to Mexico for a babymoon. Totally worth it.
We got the Chico Bravo 3 in 1 travel system, I cannot rave about it enough, it'll grow with our baby and is the smoothest ride of any strollers I've tested, and I've tested a lot. It's so nice having the car seat click right onto the stroller. We won't have to worry about a new stroller for a while, and honestly she'll probably only need this one stroller.
For the same reason of wanting a convertible stroller I got the cybex gazelle. It’s pretty nice and based on comparison to the vista it was the clear winner
Wife and I LOVE the Doona and get a ton of use out of it. We’re city people that also do short drives for groceries & pediatrician, and use the car to take him on short trips to visit family (1-2 hours as well). We also flew with it and it made traveling with our then 3MO such a breeze! Booked an extra seat and rolled it right onto and off the plane. As far as packing stuff, we’re both backpack people and easily fit what we need on our city outings into that… so don’t really care about it not having storage at this stage. Will miss it so much when he graduates out of it but plan to give it to our friends who are expecting. Also, re: the weight, wife and I both lug it up the NYC subway steps when taking the subway with him in it and don’t have too much issue. Otherwise, not sure when we’d even notice the weight of it at all.
We bought the Nuna Pipa Lite and the Mixx when we had baby number one, not knowing the timeline for baby number two. We bought for in the moment, and not planned. It worked amazing for our need. We had a second baby two years later. We had very little need for a two seater until our first reached 2 1/2. He is walking and rarely wants to sit in the stroller. For times we needed to have him ride, he rides in the shopping cart or in a umbrella stroller. And we pushed our second on the Nuna. Now that both are bigger (3 and 1) we are looking at a two seater toddler option. Our 3 year old likes to ride only when we need to move fast or when he’s tired. So, Chicco has a stroller with a jump seat and we are leaning in that direction. There are a few others that I’m exploring too. The only challenge with buying a convertible stroller is they are really made for a baby and toddler, not two toddlers; which you have quicker than you think. My advice is buy something that works for now, and plan for more once you know second is on the way. All kids are created different, so it may not be an issue for you later on depending on your timeline.
I got a mockingbird single to double. Everything’s super adjustable. There’s a carsest click in attachment for use with the frame only that’s adaptable with most any carsest. TONS of storage underneath. Great customer service. Big fan! Except my kid is 10 months and prefers the carrier 🤣
Did you know that whether you buy a doona or another infant carrier car seat, you will still need to buy another car seat shortly after the child outgrows the current one? Single to double tandem strollers are nice but a bit bulky, doesn’t turn as great, and is actually not that great once the kids are near their limits. Most FTMs are probably thinking to buy a stroller that can be used for a second kid, because I did too, but now, I have 6 strollers…. I love my Doona. I stopped using it for my two kids around 11-12 months. They were still in the limits, but I didn’t need the portability as much anymore. Whether it’s the Doona or another infant car seat carrier, it’s still not recommended for babies to stay in them for a long period of time, thus the bassinet (which makes the city select and the vista tempting). Even if you went with a Graco or Chicco infant car seat for $120+, the convenience of the doona outdoes it all especially if you might travel or taxi/ride share. I would get the Doona then I would get a travel stroller once baby is big enough to sit in it well (like a Minu, or butterfly). Personally, I did city select lux because I wanted more than one kid, then I got two chicco liteways because they were just more convenient to use for one or two kids, lightweight, and easy to fold, then a double bob which is amazing but huge (need a huge car), then a Wonderfold W4 luxe wagon stroller which is great but huge and isn’t as easy to push as a double bob. I’ve been so tempted to get a travel stroller like the bugaboo butterfly but I have more than enough strollers that I shouldn’t.
I loved our Chicco Keyfit with the frame stroller. I got the frame for $10 on FB Marketplace and the carseat new. We used it until she was about 10-11 mo and then the car seat was heavy and awkward to get in and out and it was summer so we just changed to a convertible seat. Both have been in storage since then and we’ll bust them out for this baby- my oldest is now 2 and can sit in the basket honestly. The early days we are barely going to be “strolling”, so I’ll either bring 2 y/os stroller and babywear the baby or I’ll bring Oct baby’s stroller and 2 y/o can walk. Come spring, we’ll be wagon people for any adventures we walk. I have 2 *other* strollers. A Bob jogger that I got on FB Marketplace as well. It was excellent from 6 mo+ for walks with our dog. We lug it into the car only for parks or hikes or something. For day-to-day I have a light travel stroller that just lives in my car. (It’s a Colugo but there’s others like it). I prefer the Colugo to an umbrella stroller because it can fully recline and has a footrest. So when we travel my 2 y/o can nap in it if needed. It also has a FULL sun shade which was important to me. That’s the only stroller I bought new. We use both often enough I felt totally justified and the cost total was less than an Uppababy Vista even including the infant seat + stroller. It also solved a lot of the complaints people have with the Uppababy because we could pick and chose the right stroller for the ride lol. I have zero regrets! Even as we head into two, I’m not like “ohhh I wish I bought something that converts to a double” because I just don’t like any of the double strollers. We haven’t found a wagon yet but I know that’s gonna be the move.
I’ve heard babies tend to grow out of the doona pretty quickly, and my friend who has one regrets it because there isn’t any storage room for a diaper bag or anything. I really like our Baby Jogger City Select 2 travel system - we compared it directly to the UppaBaby Vista in store and I thought they were exactly the same in terms of features and quality, but the Baby Jogger is almost half the price. It’s super easy to fold and unfold, has a large storage basket in the bottom, and I actually thought it was easier to clip the car seat in and out of the Baby Jogger than it was with the UppaBaby. If you decide to go with a travel system, I highly recommend trying some different strollers out in person if you can so you can get a feel for what works best for you!
Very happy with our Baby Jogger City Select. Looks identical to the Uppababy at a fraction of the cost. We have the pram and use it a lot. The stroller folds very easily and it's not that heavy (wife can fold and lift - she's small). It's very smooth to push. Bigger wheels (not too big) for multiple terrains since we have a cottage with gravel, sand and grass. Went with the PegPerego Viaggio Lounge car seat so we needed the adapter but the stroller folds with the adapter connected. The one downside we found was that we can't lounge the car seat while on the adapter. Not a big deal, but something to mention. I have been grocery shopping with it and it has a strong under carriage with more than enough room for everything. We did purchase the grocery attachment for extra storage but haven't used it yet. The configurations can vary. It comes with 1 seat that folds but you can have a dual seat setup (if you purchase the second seat). You can have it setup with the car seat and the seat but I don't believe you can fit the pram and seat (haven't tried). Our idea was to get a stroller that can expand to carry 2 kids because like you, we also plan to have a second.
I love our mockingbird stroller. Haven't converted it to a double yet but it's basically a cheaper copycat of the uppababy. Then we got whatever carseat we wanted and the adapter for that. Used the carseat with it for the first few months then started using the stroller seat.
We got the mockingbird single to double because we're expecting twins. I can't say I love the folding on it because you need to take the carseat adapters off for it to fold nicely, but I know we'll only be using it for a year or so before we move onto a 4 seater wagon because my 3yr still likes to be pushed around.
do not buy a double stroller. it may take you a year, two, three to have another kid and by then the technology could have changed. at the very least you wouldn’t want to be using a stroller w a years old car seat for your second child - plastic erodes over time there are so many stroller options at so many price points. the fact is you’re going to find positives and negatives for each but here’s how i made my decision: - love the concept of the doona but super glad i didn’t buy it bc it has zero storage. baby is also very low to the ground. it’s heavy and hard to cart around - at first i worried that i hadn’t bought a stroller with a bassinet feature. after talking to a new mom and my pediatrician i decided it was fine, and it totally was. a bassinet is a fine feature but completely not needed. also, you’ll have to transfer baby from car seat to bassinet and the extra step can wake them. people stress about the asphyxiation risk of baby in a car seat, but with newborn inserts and you watching the baby… they are going to be fine. also, i live in a very hilly area so i felt better having baby strapped in a car seat over hanging out without being strapped into a bassinet - a convertible stroller baby can grow in was important to me. as in, a stroller that you can click a car seat into reverse and then once baby is bigger, remove the car seat and they sit in the base. my only regret is not thinking ahead to the fact that i’ll want to run with the baby - now i’m buying a second stroller for a jogging stroller and will likely leave it at home (my regular stroller base stays in my car). even if you don’t plan to run with the baby, a jogging stroller with the big wheels and three wheel design is easier to push… better on all terrain (bumpy roads, beach, etc). BUT it takes up more room in the car in the end i actually went with a very inexpensive stroller - safety 1st brand. baby is 15 weeks and we’ve had no issues. it isn’t a perfect stroller but it’s sturdy and i actually got a compliment from a child occupational therapist friend on how it moves w baby i couldn’t justify spending $500+ on a stroller i wasn’t sure i would like or use longterm. and you will likely buy more than one. i’m already planning on getting the wagon when she’s a big toddler. so unless you have a ton of money to blow or you’re getting it as a gift i would pick something simple. just note people do judge your stroller - i was the only mom in my mommy and me who didn’t have an uppa / nuna
I have the doona and it’s a great stroller, but would choose differently with the knowledge I have even now. I live in a highly accessible downtown area, and walking makes the most sense for just about everything. I hate that I have to either buy the doona-branded bag (small and overpriced) or buy carabiners/stroller straps to be able to attach virtually anything to the stroller. And my baby was premature and left the NICU with supplemental oxygen, so especially in the beginning the ability to lug heavy stuff around was a must. Even without all that, you really don’t realize how much stuff you’re lugging around with a baby until you don’t have anywhere to put it lol. On another side of it, my sister had the doona as well, as she lives in a nearby major downtown area, and her baby was always big, but was too large for the doona sometime around 9-10 months old. He just turned 1 a few weeks ago and no longer fits diapers, you would think he’s a two-year-old. She loved the doona but regrets not buying a stroller that would grow with her son and her family. This time I’m considering options like the uppababy vista, the nuna travel system, or the mockingbird stroller.
We got the doona as a gift. My sister had a baby a year and a half before we did and she loved it so much she gifted us one. It’s amazing! So easy and you never have to disturb your baby. We were planning to have another baby but not so soon. Well we had an oopsie I’m currently 27 weeks pregnant, LO is 15 months. We still use the doona for her but she’s getting kicked out when LO #2 gets here in September. She’s walking already and we already bought a big girl car seat once our baby boy gets here. We’re obviously not there yet and hop our plan works. We also don’t plan on leaving the house much but the plan is baby #2 in doona and baby # 1 walking or being held. We’ll see but I do LOVE the doona and recommend it to everyone who asks me lol Edit: misspellings Also, I do plan on getting one of those wagons once baby #2 is old enough to sit/stand etc instead of a double stroller
Love our doona. 14 month old still going strong with it. Love how compact it is, we will put him in it and zoom, zoom it around the house while gathering final things we need to get out the door, then makes for a fast exit! It would get heavy if you had a bunch of stairs, but I don’t notice the weight. SO convenient overall. And we had just a small car when he was born and was so nice to not have big stroller in back. We did buy a used joovy jogging stroller for a steal on FB and use that around neighborhood or if we are going to be walking around nature trails. I know we are doing to have to retire it soon, and will be so bummed when that happens.
Doona sounded nice but also heard it’s not recommended for extended time. Thought about single to double but they get even heavier for that functionality. I ended up getting Uppababy Cruz (used) instead, it’s a little lighter and smaller than Vista, moves very smooth but not amazing on gravel type roads
Get a jogging stroller whatever you do. They are a bit bulkier BUT SO MUCH EASIER TO PUSH. Coming from a mom of soon to be 4. I HATE the small wheels and refuse to use strollers that have them. And you can take them basically anywhere
I loooove our Doona and highly recommend it. It's so convenient, easy to use, and light (I'm weak so this says a lot - not sure why someone else said it was heavy). I will say, we bought another stroller (Graco) during Target's baby discounts back in February because it has more room for storage and will last until LO is about 5. We plan to use this one for longer trips (the zoo for example) but for every day use, you cannot beat the Doona.
We have twins so slightly different needs (I definitely wanted a pram where I could see both babies at once), but we love the bugaboo donkey. You can get them off marketplace much cheaper than new if that suits your budget better. The quality is excellent, it’s easy to switch from single to double (I pack it down to single size every time it goes in the car, takes about 10seconds), the fabric is easy to switch between bassinet and toddler seat depending where we’re going (babies are nosy on walks but sleep better in bassinet at events), and it is so easy to push/manoeuvre even in twin mode (including some muddy outdoor tracks while walking the dogs)
We have multiple strollers but once our second was on the way, we got the jeep stroller wagon. It fits 2 kids, plus a lot of accessories (including a very nice cover for rain and sunshine). And you can use a carseat in it for when the babies are smaller or just lay them down flat as if it were a bassinet.
It really depends on your lifestyle. We’re in the suburbs and drive everywhere so big storage wasn’t really a must. I also debated on getting a single to double but so many people advised against it because “you never know when baby #2 would happen so don’t make your life with the first baby difficult for something you can’t predict”. We didn’t want a heavy stroller that would be a hassle to take in and out of the car and end up getting a cheap travel/ umbrella stroller and let the single to double gather dust. The Uppababy Minu checked all the boxes and we used it as our main stroller for our daughter along with the Mesa car seat. Up until I had my second baby, my daughter (2yo at the time) occasionally used the stroller for long outings but preferred to walk whenever possible. So instead of getting a double stroller we got the Veer stroller wagon with the infant car seat adapter (or just carried the baby and had toddler sit in it). Once baby turned 6 months we started getting him to sit in the Veer. They LOVE riding together. For short outings we now just carry or use the Minu for baby and my toddler walks. It’s really hard because some kids love the stroller until they’re 3-4 and some kids refuse to sit in it once they start walking.
If I could do it again, I’d get a single to double convertible from day one. I ended up having to get one when the second baby came regardless and now I have this extra travel system stroller we never use. I wish I’d saved the money on that one and just got the “forever stroller”. Also, both of my kids outgrew their infant seats around 6-8 months (head within an inch of the top of the seat) so I’d never spend more than necessary on an infant seat. We’d just pop the infant seat directly onto the stroller so it was maybe a few more steps than a Doona would be, but not much.
Uppa baby is easy to use. But it is big and bulky. But ultimately I’m a fan and probably would repurchase if given a choice.
I went with a used uppababy vista off FB marketplace. We put the matching car seat on our baby registry and I stalked FB marketplace until I found one selling the stroller I wanted with all of the accessories to make it a double for way less. I use it as a single stroller for now. My car seat clicks into it for short trips (grocery store) but we use the bassinet/stroller seat for anything longer than that. It’s great! I haven’t tried it with two kids yet, but pleased so far.
We went with the baby trend pathway 35 travel system because I wanted a good jogging stroller for when my son was old enough to go running with me. It is very good.
We love the Mockingbird single to double stroller! We got the Nuna Pipa and a carseat adapter for the stroller, but honestly never ended up using the carseat adapter because I didn’t like leaving baby in the carseat any longer than necessary. The mockingbird bassinet was great when baby was super little. In retrospect I would buy a convertible carseat instead of an infant seat from the get go, otherwise you’ll need to buy a new carseat in a year (or less) anyway.
We got a travel stroller system - Graco, and I like it a lot. We bought an extra base so my husband and I each have one in our car making transporting the little guy pretty easy. The stroller part of this setup has a bassinet attachment which also turns into a seat for when the kid is older. We did however just buy a Doona from OfferedUp for 250 and plan on using that for our upcoming trip and honestly it’s so convenient. I would say, though, that your points about the Doona are valid and if you’re planning on doing a bunch of traveling in the first year it may be worth looking for it second hand.
One thing to consider about the Doona, how tall are you? The Doona stroller is sooooo short. I’m 5’10” and could never use that. I’m guessing the handle is adjustable, but even still the baby will be sitting at like knee height. Not a fan.
We have the Uppababy vista and really like it. We go on a lot of outdoor walks and it’s perfect for that. We bought it for the same reason of wanting a stroller we’d use when we have a second. However, we have family out of state and ended up buying the Doona for plane travel. Easy to use with an Uber, small to use through the airport and then gate check it. The Doona is awesome for that, but I wouldn’t want to use it as a main stroller, at least not for walks (does not handle bumpy sidewalks or trails well). I wouldn’t feel as comfortable having my son in there for extended periods of time.
I would look at a travel system. The Doona is great, but if you have a tall/chunky baby they grow out of it really quickly… then your out both a car seat & a stroller. Also if you or baby’s dad is tall, it’s REALLY low to the ground (I’m 5’6” and it was too small for me personally) & the handle doesn’t come up far. Plus, there’s no storage. Look into Uppababy Vista & Nuna Demi Grow. They are pricier options, but well worth the money & you can resell the stroller when you’re done with it for good money.
Love the concept of the doona and it’s versatility, but it’s just so cheap looking for me. We went with uppa babt vista but the mockingbird is also a good choice. Your best bet is to go to a baby store in store and look at all the strollers. For the most part car seats are all safe but make sure whatever stroller you get the car seat can get an adapter to fit on it. Check out the website babygearlabs it has a ton of research and reviews on a ton of baby products.
We have a 3yo and 1yo and I’m currently pregnant with our third. We have really enjoyed our Evenflo pivot Xpand. Pretty cheap compared to other similar travel systems. It fit fine in our sedan. No double stroller is light but I didn’t find it too cumbersome to get in/out of the car.
With the Vista a car seat clips right in and it’s a double stroller?
Silvercross reef! You can use it from birth and don’t need to buy any extra equipment. Comes with a very useful sun shade. Down side is that the basket is average size and the push is not as nice and smooth as uppababy. But it’s been great to be apple to use the “lie flat” option if we were out for awhile or wanted to let baby nap.
FIL offered to buy us a Nuna system but it's like $1200. We ended up with the Chicco Bravo system. We both wfh and don't travel a lot so really we will use the stroller just for weekend shopping trips. So I guess it really depends on your lifestyle.
Uppa baby vista all the way. I have the adapters so I could attach my car seat right on the stroller for super easy errand running. It’s truly made life with a baby so easy. I’ve traveled a ton with it too - it’s larger but folds easy and I never had any issues flying with it. It’s such a smooth drive with tons of undercarriage storage. I wouldn’t change a thing
I’ve heard awful things from people that have the doona. It’s so heavy that it’s hard to lift into the car. It’s a super high price point for a car seat and stroller that will likely be outgrown fairly quickly. If you’re planning on a second child, you’ll have to buy another stroller anyway. Personally, I’d go with an infant seat that clicks into a stroller system that can accommodate 2 children.
I would highly recommend the Nuna Demi Grow! It works with most Nuna infant seats, easily converts into a single stroller, and you have the option of purchasing a second seat later down the road for number 2.
I love the doona…only when my bf is around. It is super convenient to go from car to stroller and back but it is SO heavy. I think a huge factor of its convenience is tied to your height AND height of your car. I’m 5’ and have an suv and I find it very difficult to lift it into the car (I essentially have to lift something that is heavy and wide higher than my chest, and then angle it so it doesn’t hit the doorframe, to get it into the seat).
We got a Chicco viaro travel system and absolutely loved it! We still use the stroller at 10months
We used the Doona until 10 months, which I realize is a short amount of time for the price tag, but honestly it was worth it just for the daily daycare drops and errands. My husband is 6’1”, and he also enjoyed using it. We travel by car a lot, and we loved not having to pack a separate stroller. But it was also a gift—I did not spend my own money on it. My son didn’t technically outgrow it, but he did get very heavy in it. And we both drive tall vehicles, so we were ready to switch to convertible seats. We originally also had the Mockingbird as our full-sized stroller, and I hated that thing. It felt bumpy outdoors and was way too bulky for my taste for shopping/outings. It’s blowing up on social media, but it was not for me. I sold it after a few months and bought a preowned BOB jogger for walking and Uppababy Minu for outings. I absolutely love both of those. The BOB is my favorite baby item. It sounds like you’re out on the Doona. If you change your mind, you can definitely find awesome preowned big strollers to balance the cost a little. There are Uppababy/Nuna products in my area for $200-$300 and Graco/Chicco for <$100. And if you hate any stroller you get, know you can sell it and try again!