This past week, three friends have been seeking double stroller advice as they prepare for the arrival of their second children, so I thought it was time to update on our double stroller choice.
Remember my double stroller shortlist and how we ended up choosing a Bugaboo Donkey?
We started using the Donkey a few days before the arrival of Little Baby L (we left our old stroller in the country to use for weekends etc), and I think we did our first outing to the park with both children in the stroller the very same afternoon that we brought Little Louis home from the hospital (or it could have been the next day). And we have used it every day since then. And we are happy with it all round.
Originally we bought sun canopies, seat covers, a cup holder and an organizer as accessories. In hindsight, the sun canopy for Little A’s seat was probably unnecessary. He didn’t really allow us to lower the canopy in front of him when it was sunny , so it was kind of a waste of money. But for as long as it was sunny in Stockholm – we loved that canopy for the baby! It gave such good protection while still allowing air flow – fantastic!
We have also added a few additional accessories…
- A “cocoon”. We have the smallest elevator known to man, so we leave our stroller in a stroller room in the foyer. The bassinet of the Donkey is too big to fit in our elevator. So we had to get a cocoon that we could easily lift right out of the stroller and up in the elevator to our flat. We have one from Phil & Ted, though I am unsure if it’s the Vibe or the Explorer. It is light and super easy to carry around (it’s just like a big purse). I have it made up with a lambskin in the bottom and a little pillow. It’s nice and cozy so Louis doesn’t have to be otherwise swaddled and he doesn’t roll around in it. I also don’t think we will need much else in the way of bunting for winter since it has plush filling and zips up all around Little Baby L. Remains to be seen how long we can use it though since he is already a tall little boy! He actually often sleeps in the cocoon for naps at home since he does so well in it.
- A lambskin pad for the seat. This year Alec will be too big (and too dirty!) for bunting, so I’ve just put a lambskin pad on the seat for him to keep him a little more warm on the way to and from nursery school. He is in an overall for the most part anyway and if one day he isn’t, I can just tuck him in under a blanket.
- A snack tray. I never thought we would ever buy this since I am not all about constant snacking. But a handful of cheerios on the way home from the park has become a routine for us and this tray keeps the cheerios in place and ensures that Little A can always have a cup of water nearby which I like.
- A lock. Once in a while I have to leave the stroller somewhere where it’s stealable so the lock is good to have.
- A pump. The Donkey has air tires and the pump that comes with is useless. We bought a small bike pump that does the job.
See our double stroller shortlist here. Here are my thoughts on the Baby Jogger City Select, Baby Jogger CIty Mini, Teutonia Double Stroller and Bugaboo Donkey. Click here to read why we chose the Donkey. And here are all the accessories etc that we got.
