Double dilemma: Is Maclaren enough?

This is more of a budgeting/finance/psychological spending question than a stroller question but couldn't figure out where else to post it! Stroller question first, then read the story for the psychology question Wink

Stroller question: With a toddler and a new baby, city life in which we walk most places but not very far (e.g. a few blocks to grocery, 15 minutes to cross most of the neighborhood, not really hiking or doing anything more than neighborhood errands/outings) is a double Maclaren enough stroller or do I need (or will I STRONGLY want) a better/fancier/fuller-featured stroller? (e.g. City Select or thereabouts) Experienced mamas please weigh in!

Long Story:
DD will be just under 2y/o when #2 is due. Money is pretty tight for us but I'd just about decided that I was willing to save up and splurge for a really good double stroller - I'd hunt on Craigslist to bring it into more affordable range but it would still be a real splurge. I hadn't quite decided on one, but I've been pondering and comparing options like the City Select and other convertibles so we could get the most mileage out of it even when DD#1 outgrows strolling or goes to preschool. I am attracted to features such as being able to position the baby (or even both babies ideally) facing the steering adult, roomy baskets, smooth steering/big wheels/shock absorbers... Besides for being nice for me I was also thinking of my aging mother (she's not that old, ok, by "aging" I just mean "not getting any younger") who will IY"H be watching the little ones while I work and I want to make watching them as user-friendly as possible for her (she is not even confident that she can hack it, but wants to try. She has been caring for DD beautifully and it's great for both of them, so it would be ideal to continue...) - Easy to take them out, do her errands with them, etc.

So go for it, you're saying. In a couple of years tuition will wipe you out and the $600 won't make a difference!

Then... SURPRISE! We told a kind relative about our anticipated arrival and she tells us she has a double Maclaren stroller waiting! Her neighbors were looking to get rid of it as their twins outgrew it so she took it in case we were going to grow the family Smile

We haven't seen it yet so I don't know exactly what kind it is but she tells us it's like new. Manna from heaven.

So now I have a slightly different dilemma: Originally, I was trying to decide between buying a less expensive stroller with fewer comforts, vs spending a couple hundred more and getting full features. But now that we have been given one for free, it's a choice between spending NOTHING and spending probably about $600 (that's about a week's earnings in a pretty good week. A nice stroller or an extra week of maternity leave?) Does this change the situation or is it all in my head? That's the psychological spending question.

So if anyone actually read this far, you can help justify the spending or the saving, besides for just telling me your stroller preference. Thanks! Smile

Silver Member Joined: Mar 26 2009 Posts: 962

Why not try out the Maclaren for awhile and see if you like it?

If not, buy something else.

Personally, I bought a Maclaren because I wasn't going to use it a ton and didn't want to feel guilty about that (just for gan pick-up and the occasional outing to park/ mall etc.)

I hate it!!!! It's hard to fold, hard to unfold, hard to adjust straps and open or close the buckles. It's hard to steer too- all in all a huge pain!

So IMO if you'll be using the stroller alot go for something better. Most of my friends have the Citi-mini and are VERY happy with it (would have cost me 3000 shekels!).

Good luck!

OP here. Thanks for the input. Forgot to mention, we won't really be needing the foldability factor as our building and most in our area have elevators and no steps in front, and we go out just about every day. So we DO need something nice to push around town every day but we don't need small/light/foldable except for car trips, which are not so frequent.

I don't really want to wait and see because I want to scout for a good deal. They don't hit often, in the past I've found that for big purchases it's good to decide what you want as early as possible and then wait for it to come. We got our car seat of choice almost half off that way on a daily deal site, our single Maclaren was dirt cheap used from a neighbor (we use it as a car stroller, it practically lives in the car, when it's home we use it for brief runs but we got a nicer single as a hand-me-down that's better for strolling). When I looked just to case out the market before deciding what I wanted, I saw nice doubles on Craigslist for really nice prices but I have not seen the likes since (I stopped scouting until I decide, but I still scan CL for other things and "just in cases.") You can get practically anything half price if you're ready when the lightning strikes.

I had a double maclaren (10 years ago) and hated it. Really really hard to push. If you (and your mother) will be walking a lot you will not enjoy it.

OTOH I would take it, use it until you can find a good deal on Cragislist for a better double. phil and teds or citymini are probably good options.

I would choose a nice stroller over a week of maternity leave.

If you have the money, buy the stroller you really want.

I borrowed a friend's Maclaren double for a week and I didn't like it one bit. It was quite heavy (for how compact it's supposed to be) and the wheels are tiny, so you feel every bump on the sidewalk.

I found a faaaabulous double stroller on ebay - used, for half the price of new. We have the Perego Duette, and it's a great stroller, but it doesn't fold so well to put in a car. We bought it when I was expecting #2 and now we use it for #2 and #3 to sit together. If you buy something solid, you may be able to hold onto it for future kids.
_________________
See my ad to buy pregnancy tests and ovulation tests in Israel for a great price. http://imamother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=136877&highlight=pregnancy+tests

also, if you have the maclaren you can use that as the car stroller and you will be more flexible in what you can get for your other stroller.

Well I guess I'll be the decenter. I had a double maclaren, and I had no issue at all with it. Yes, it's heavy, but it pushes really well. I say for free, try it out. If you hate it you can resume your scouting. In the beginning it's just as easy to put the baby in a carrier and push a single.
_________________
Lucky Mom to 5
Nechama & Rena 21 Sh'vat, 5764; Rivka 5 Tamuz 5765; Avraham Tzvi 11 Adar I, 5768; CHD "1 in 100" miracle baby Eliezer Yosef, 13 Av 5772 (TAPVR, now repaired B"H)

I used RachelEve's double and I didn't find it that heavy. Yes, it fit in the trunk of my hatchback. No, it wasn't a pain. My SIL certainly found it easier to handle than her Peg Aria twin...
_________________
Emmanuel Tzvi: 26 Shevat 5766
Shai Michael: 8 Cheshvan 5768
Yitzchak Meir: 19 Iyar 5770
Dvir Aharon: 10 Tammuz 5772

I had a Techno Maclaren double and used it happily for my two kiddos that are just under two years apart. There are different Maclaren doubles, the Techno has more recline and larger wheels (still not huge but B"H work fine) and the Triumph has less recline, smaller wheels and not great shocks.

If they used it for their twins hopefully they had the Techno. Very Happy

I would give it a try before spending so much money on a stroller when the one you are being given might be perfect for your needs and free.
_________________
Liba, mommy to Zlata Tova 5/6/98, Tziporah Faiga 1/12/01, Esther Rivka 7/13/04 and Avraham Chaim 7/2/2006

Senior Member Joined: Oct 03 2011 Posts: 136

I would take the free one, if its that bad then buy but let me tell you from experience all double buggies are big because in less you have twins you are used to a single so you will probs never be happy with any double

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 22 2008 Posts: 6469

is it the older style with 3 handles? people where happier with those. otherwise they are much harder to push. how much walking is done everyday?

OP here, thanks for the reviews. I think I'll try to get it from her as soon as possible and test it out pushing DD and a couple of sacks of flour in the other side, that way I'll have some preview to figure out if I like it because the reviews are pretty mixed here...

Daily walking is sometimes almost nothing, especially in winter (baby is due right before winter) but in nice weather we go out just about every day except Shabbos (no eruv). Playground down the block, grocery store about 5 minutes walk, a few minutes in the other direction if I have any banking to do... things like that. Daily errands around town but small town.