In-Line Double Stroller Review: Baby Jogger City Select vs. Phil&Teds Vibe

 As I may have mentioned before, I have a serious stroller affinity.  I walk a lot, more than I drive (in sunshine, rain and even knee-deep snow), and take my two wee ones, both well under three, with me everywhere I go.  So, I consider my stroller to be an alternate vehicle and it needs to function as such.  

Since reluctantly giving up my Micralite Toro early last year for a Phil&Teds Vibe ($809 with extra seat) in anticipation of our Little Lou, I’ve acquired three additional strollers to meet my various strolling needs.  These include an umbrella stroller, a higher-end umbrella stroller with recline and a Maclaren Twin Techno.  

The question is, though, why, after paying an arm and a leg for a Phil&Teds Vibe + doubles kit, the in-line stroller that’s touted as an all-around solution, did I purchase three other strollers where previously just one Micralite Toro did the job?  A good question indeed.  One my dear husband has oft asked, until he too fell for my latest and greatest stroller acquisition, the new Baby Jogger City Select ($660 with extra seat), which I now take everywhere I go. 

Mamas, it's sad but true.  Just 28 months into parenthood, I finally figured out what you may already know. When it comes to a stroller, for me at least, it’s all in the fold and that is Baby Jogger's speciality.

Here’s the upside with the Phil&Teds Vibe: Especially after I greased-up the front wheel, which was so tight it barely turned when I first purchased it, the Phil & Teds Vibe drove nicely for strolls in the park.  During the winter, when the tiniest man in my house was still a newborn, the lay-flat bassinet function was a godsend (the jump seat clicks on the front of the frame for the older child while the main seat reclines all the way flat for a newborn.  He was nestled in cozy and tight and shielded from the winter air, which left Huck and I free to carry on and frolic in the manner to which we had become accustomed.  And with the front wheel locked, it easily plowed through two feet of snow for provision trips in blizzards.

But the conveniences stopped there.  I was already unexcited by the limited and/or bizarre color selection (I’m no great lover of pastels, but graffiti? for babies? really?) and general style of the Phil & Teds line, but on top of it all, the “genius” fold turned out to be roughly 20x more difficult than anticipated, either breaking nails, giving blood blisters or scraping shins literally every time I tried to get it into my trunk.  Then I stopped trying to get it into my trunk, precipitating my purchase of the three aforementioned auxiliary strollers and an extra Ergo baby carrier for the car.  Add to that the fact that I always felt guilty squishing my little bub in the lilliputian, viewless, sun-bonnet-less back seat, and that the hand break was so easy to trigger accidentally that I nearly whiplashed my kids on a regular basis, and I was more than happy to unload it on CraigsList last weekend for just $35 less than it cost me to purchase a brand new Baby Jogger City Select in Diamond.

 
By contrast, the City Select folds and locks in a snap, as do all of Baby Jogger's strollers, which pull simply to a folded position (see this video review on BabyGizmo.com to watch how another Baby Jogger stroller, the City Mini, folds in seconds, one-handed).  The City Select's second seat is full-size and identical to the main seat.  Both have a four position one-handed mechanical recline and have huge, full-coverage sun bonnets.  The seat configurations are nearly limitless--they can face the driver, face out, face each other, accommodate car seats, a bassinet and on and on, in 16 different configurations.  Another fabulous amenity is something I didn’t even know I really needed until I had it: the Baby Jogger City Select has an enormous undercarriage basket that will fit two large diaper bags or three bags of groceries or a picnic blanket and a small soft-side cooler, etc.  The seats also have a great elasticized mesh pocket on the back that’s perfect for a phone, keys, sunscreen and a small snack.  
 
These little details work together to create a much more streamlined, easier-to-fold (not to mention less expensive) stroller by eliminating the need for the seemingly limitless accessories one needs to purchase simply to make a Phil&Teds functional.  Like the ridiculous Hangbag ($29.99), which dangles just above your back seat babe’s head and has two useless cup/bottle holders, necessitating the purchase of an additional, albeit very well-designed, cup holder for $19.99), saddle bags to ameliorate the woeful storage situation  ($49.99, and which makes the stroller nearly as wide as a side-by-side double), the Sunny Days UV shade ($59.99, which [a] your child, if he’s anything like mine, will detest and [b] will occupy nearly all of the meager space in your undercarriage basket ) and, after you’ve tried the former, the Protect-a-Bub Tandem Sunshade ($38.99, which is a good solution to a bad problem and a slight improvement since only your second kid will hate it).  All this amounts to nearly $200 in accessories to tack on to the $800+ initial price tag.  Ugh.  Death by a thousand dollar paper cuts.

All-in-all, Mamas, I am infinitely happier with the Baby Jogger City Select in less than two weeks than I ever have been with the Phil & Teds Vibe.  WIth only a few exceptions, I love the amenities, I love the styling and I love the functionality more than any other stroller, single or double (or add a glider board to make it a triple), and that's really saying something since double strollers usually feel like a compromise.  I only wish it had been around two years ago when I purchased my first stroller.  

If you're still unsure and, like me, you're having trouble finding a store where you can demo a City Select, I highly recommend purchasing yours from www.joggingstroller.com.  I am not in any way affiliated, but I bought both my Micralite and the City Select from them (I purchased the Vibe elsewhere only because I had a 20% off coupon). They have impeccable customer service, an excellent selection and  best of all, you can purchase "shipping insurance," which allows you to ship back unused merchandise for only $5 if it turns out you don't like it after all. 

For my side-by-side comparison and photos, read on . . .

- M

 

Baby Jogger City Select (left) beside Phil & Teds Vibe, front and back

 

Side view.  City Select (left) beside the VIbe.  You can see here why the weight distribution feels different.

 

Folded size is very similar with the CIty Select being slightly larger due to the full-size second seat. 

 
 The Vibe storage basket with jump seat attached. 

  
   
 
 The City Select storage basket.

 
The Vibe (left) and the CIty Select, both seats reclined. 
 

Feature	Phil&Teds Vibe	Baby Jogger City Select
Brake		x	Especially with a pregnant belly, it was too easy to hit the hair-trigger-sensitive brake placed right at navel level on the Vibe, bringing us to many a whiplash-fast stop.
Child seat - padding	x		The P&T has a nice thick foam pad that is easily removable and washable.  The Baby Jogger has no pad at all.
Child seat - harness	x		I love the easy-to-adjust harness height on the P&T Vibe and the super-thick shoulder pads.  The City Select has flimsy pads and a snap-on harness with no more bells or whistles than Baby Jogger’s utilitarian performance strollers.
Color selection		x	Baby Jogger wins this by a hair for offering, in addition to black and red, a “diamond” or silver/stone color option, which I am loving after all that graffiti noise I’ve been tolerating for the past several months.
Fold - Compact	x		Once folded, the P&T lays flatter, mainly due to the fact that the jump seat is about half the size of the main seat.  The Baby Jogger seems narrower and the wheels lay flatter, however.
Fold - Ease		x	The folding action (pulling up on a hinge in the middle of the frame) is identical, but the mechanism on the Baby Jogger as well as the ability to lock it easily is far superior to the Phil&Teds.  The Vibe fold/lock mechanism is overly complicated.  It has a triggered disengage lever and two stiff flap-locks that don’t engage unless the stroller is folded juuuust right, while the Baby Jogger just pops up, then has a simple clasp lock.  I’ve experimented with several configurations and the Baby Jogger City Select can be folded compactly with both seats on in almost any seating configuration, but it takes fusing with the foot rest angle after it’s folded and before it’s unfolded.  It is so easy to just pop off the lower seat, however, so that’s what I do.
Maneuverability - double	x		This is actually a toss up.  I am able to steer the Baby Jogger loaded with both boys (totaling 48 lbs combined) comfortably with one hand, but I feel the heft of the stroller in my wrist and wouldn’t do it for an extended period. With one full-size seat on the stroller’s center and another full-size seat forward of the center, the weight is distributed less advantageously than with the P&T.  Because the front and back seats on the P&T are virtually on top of one another, the weight is combined right on the stroller’s center.  I think the P&T would win this more definitively, but the hand break is placed smack-dab in the middle of the handle bar, where a one-handed driver would naturally place their grip (who’s the genius who thought of that!?).
Maneuverability - single		x	The Baby Jogger is easy to steer one-handed even with two kids, and two front swivel wheels will always be more maneuverable than a single wheel.  They may not plow through snow, however.
Recline - main seat		x	One of my least favorite features of the P&T Vibe was the horrible zipper and strap recline function.  After The Boy Wonder the Eldest had fallen asleep, I could rarely get the seat reclined without waking him, defeating the purpose of a reclining seat entirely.  WIth Lou in the jump seat, I never reclined Huck in the front as it would have been right on top of him.  Although it does not lie flat, like the P&T does, the Baby Jogger’s single-handed mechanical recline is brilliant, even better than the Micralite’s two-handed mechanical recline.
Recline - second seat		x	The second seat on the Baby Jogger City Select is identical and interchangeable with the first, including the recline.  Reclining the seats is only a matter of finding what seating configuration will allow one or both kids to recline--it can be a bit tight. The jump seat on the P&T may as well not even recline at all.  It only lays back a few inches and my average-height 9-month-old is already hitting his head on the support bar, rendering it unusable after only 3 months. Poor back seat babe. No nap for you!
Reflectors/Wrist strap	x		The P&T Vibe has reflective trim on the undercarriage basket and it also has a wrist strap.  I am a very brisk, all-seasons, all-hours, all-terrain walker and I wish, especially at this price point, that Baby Jogger would have included these very simple safety accoutrements.
Second seat		x	The second seat on the Baby Jogger, as I mentioned before, is identical and interchangeable with the main seat and since it’s not just tucked under the front seat, it actually has a view and some leg room.  The Vibe’s second seat is tiny--maybe two-thirds the size of the main seat.  It looks directly at the back of the main seat and is low to the ground in the back.  Little Lou actually got splashed in the rain the other day because the back tire shields are aimed directly at his face.  Woe to the back seat babe.  Again.
Storage - basket		x	The Baby Jogger City Select has a positively enormous expandable storage basket that is only marginally reduced in capacity when the front-position seat is facing the driver.  The P&T’s storage basket is small to begin with but when you throw a jump seat and a kid into the mix, its capacity is reduced by half and made inaccessible to boot.  I can fit my Ergo baby carrier and a lunch bag and that’s it.  I added some Skip Hop saddle bags, which are great, but the stroller didn’t fold with then on, making the fold that much more difficult.
Storage - other		x	Sometimes the simplest things please us best.  I love the Baby Jogger’s elastic mesh storage pockets on the back of both seats--perfect for phone, keys, a small snack, wipes, etc., eliminating the need for a junky accessory like P&T’s ill-conceived “hang bag,” which hangs right in your back seat child’s face.  Poor back seat babe.  Again.  Again.
Style		x	To my eye, and I like to think I have a good eye, the City Select is nearly as stylish and significantly more functional (if you plan on having more than one child in a 3-4 year period) than a premium stroller such as the Bugaboo.  The Vibe is cool looking, but the seat is terribly deep, which Huck never liked--he was always trying to claw his way out, even whilst moving--and the second seat option feels terribly inequitable from the back seat babe’s viewpoint.
Sun shade - main seat		x	This is another toss up.  I did like how the P&T bonnet could fold all the way in front of my kiddo (we live due west and downhill from our park, so we’re often fighting late afternoon sun).  It also swiveled all the way back and over the handlebar, covering the infant bassinet to shield my newborn from sun and wind, which was fine in the winter when Huck didn’t need it so much.  But I’m going with the Baby Jogger because I love the peek-a-boo UV mesh window and because the sun shade is he-uge.
Sun shade - second seat		x	This is something I didn’t think about when I was still in single stroller, then newborn stage, but the P&T has no integrated sun bonnet whatsoever.  In a place that’s over 5,000 feet above sea level and has 300+ days of sunshine per year, that is a very serious problem for a tiny person with virtually no melanin and a mother who, after dressing and feeding herself and two other small, protesting people, is lucky to get out the door by 10 AM.  I purchased both the Sunny Days UV Mesh and the Protect-a-Bub Tandem Sunshade, but neither of my children liked either of the solutions, which completely ensconced them in thick, black fabric.  For dear Little Lou, the Protect-a-Bub was nice for an on-the-roll nap, but whilst awake he batted and sobbed at it.  Little wonder considering he was already looking at the back of a black seat.  It was like sensory deprivation, but when it wasn’t on, he got the tiniest farmers’ burn ever.  Poor back seat babe.
Mom Points	5	11

Comments

[S]

Wow M - thanks!!! I think I might (finally) be ready to move past the Bugaboo. The City Select looks pretty darn perfect.

[Rachel hill]

Thanks for the great post. I've been considering the baby jogger as number two is on it's way giving 19 months between the two. I looked at it in the store and the seats seemed so close, I was sure someone was going to get kicked in the face. What's your experience on how close they sit? I don't have two to try it out with.

[Rachel Ostlie]

Fantastic post! I too, have a Phil and Ted's and wish that the City Select had been available when my son was born a year ago.
Please post again when it snows, to let us know how the new stroller works. I live in Chicago, and my kids are 16 months apart (even crazier than you!) and the stroller is my "car" as well, so I'd love to hear how it does in the winter.

[Amanda Wood]

Shana - or any other readers out there...I need to get my first stroller and I need help! I am having a fall baby and so I need one that will be easy for using in the winter as it is for in the mall...Am I ridiculous to think that I can find one stroller that can do it all. After a good read of consumer reports I was less than pleased that pastel patterned graco strollers with their plastic wheels were getting the best ratings. I need something light and easy to fold up(I'm not a big person and I have a feeling that I'll be doing most of the lugging), something that is car seat compatible if not included in the system, comes in a solid color for my little modern man...I need help. (on a side note - has anyone tried the teutonia t-linx system yet???)

[Shana]

Amanda -- Ugh. The stroller thing is a total pain. I've been a fairly die-hard Bugaboo girl (need to do a write up)...but it's not exactly lightweight. However, because it breaks down into two pieces, I've never had a problem. The reason I still LOVE my bug is because it seriously goes everywhere - snow, sand, trails, city sidewalks, etc. The fact that the handlebar can be used over the large back wheels OR the small front wheels gives it amazing traction in snow & sand, etc. And it does have one-hand maneuverability. Which is a must. You can find various attachments to make it car seat compatible. I bought mine on ebay for a steal. :)

I'm intrigued by the City Select, though. Did you notice that it does have a one seat option (if you just have one kiddo)? And you can find adapters for car seats, also.

If you can, try out a couple. Use the website M listed (joggingstroller.com), and purchase the shipping insurance. Get all of the crap - car seat adapter, etc. so you can practice putting it in (and out of) your car, see how it fits in various places, etc.

Remember, you have time. If you don't have a stroller by the time the kiddo comes...no big deal. Newborns are SO tiny, it's almost easier to use a wrap for the first few weeks (or months). I swear, M swaps out her stroller every few months as she figures out what works best. And her oldest is almost 2.5. :)

[Amanda Wood]

Thanks Shana! We actually went this weekend and loved the city select - which is amazing because I was havign a hard time convincing Blake that we needed to spend the money on anything more than the consumer reports recommended Graco. But after seeing that the city select has 12 different options for configuration and that we might only need one stroller (ever) he was much more enthusiastic. And it comes in solid colors... :) Would you do a post on car seats??? Consumer reports recommends the Chicco Keyfit 30 but the people helping us have all recommended the Peg Perego Viaggio...again I have no clue!!!

[Molly]

Rachel H. - Ive come to the conclusion that there is no perfect double stroller. Side-by-sides are wide and lack the versatility to go back to a single and in-line options can be tight. Yes, there is a high kick-ability factor, especially with the seats facing each other, but its so easy to change the seat positions and Im glad it has all the options. At 9 months and almost 2-1/2 years, my two boys, who are 19 months apart LOVE the seats facing option. The first time I put them in they started just cracking up at each other. I take Hucks shoes off since Lou likes to grab and gnaw on them when theyre right in front of him, however. The other day when Huck was on the brink of losing it, I switched the front seat around and problems were averted. I should also mention that at only 9 months and average height, Lou was so cramped in the jump seat of our PT that he was already kicking the back of the main seat and Ive also seen many a sibling waking a sleeping babe in side-by-side options. So, I dont think you can get around the problem of siblings messing with each other with any stroller, unless (and this is only an option with the Baby Jogger City Select), you face the two seats away from each other, or (depending on the front seat babes height) place them both facing you. Ooh! Another thing I like about the City Select, which I discovered after I wrote the post was that, while in regular use, the stroller rolls better with the bigger child in the position closest to you, but it was great at an outing to the Botanic Gardens the other day to have Lou in the top seat and have Huck able to hop in out of the front seat--since hes 2-1/2 he wants to walk a lot, but still needs a ride or a time out sometimes. At any rate, best of luck finding the right gear for you, Rachel, and congratulations on the new addition. In my experience, 19 months is PERFECT spacing and its a total blast!

[Molly]

Amanda - not sure we'll do a post on car seats since theyre more of a safety issue, but I think the best advice is to get the seat that fits best in your car. Shana has a KeyFit and it's the only seat that fit in her small back seat. My first infant seat was a Maxi Cosi Mico, which was very attractive and fit fine (ok, by a hair) in the middle position of our car, but didnt fit behind the passenger side at all, so it didnt work for us with two kids. I now have a Peg Perego Primo Viaggio, which is a full 6 inches less deep than the Mico was and fits fairly comfortably behind the passenger. I like the easy-to-adjust side impact wings and the leveling mechanism because I think these convenience features make it easier to use the seat correctly, but it's also one of the most expensive seats out there and I dont know if the KeyFit also has those features. If I had my first car seat purchase to do over, I would do the following: 1.) try the seat in the middle AND passenger position (you should be able to get your hand comfortably between the back of the passenger seat and the car seat), 2.) look for wipe and washability, 3.) think about the weight of the seat--they get very hefty with a rapidly growing infant, making the term "infant carrier" a total misnomer.  

With regard to your stroller, if you don't end up with a City Select or some other easy-to-switch to a travel system stroller, you may also want to try a snap-n-go, like the Maclaren Easy Traveller http://www.amazon.com/Maclaren-Traveller-Stroller-Black-Silver/dp/B001LF3TRO/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8s=baby-productsqid=1277141862sr=8-14, the Combi Flash http://www.amazon.com/Combi-Flash-Stroller-Frame-Black/dp/B000V04L68/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8s=baby-productsqid=1277141945sr=8-11, or the Kolcraft Infant Seat Carrier http://www.amazon.com/Kolcraft-Universal-Infant-Seat-Carrier/dp/B001FCM24E/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8s=baby-productsqid=1277141986sr=8-5.

[Amanda Wood]

Molly - I appreciate the comments - that's actually a huge help and I keep forgetting that if I don't like something, I can always return it! With this being my first and it seeming like such a big responsibility to pick out something like a car seat, I've been feeling overwhelmed by a single decision. My husband and I were finally able to agree on the city select stroller - which is a feat that I cannot accurately describe. Thank you for your thorough help!

[Marty]

I'm so intrigued by this stroller! Do you know of any stores in the Denver area that carry it? I'd love to push it around and test it out a little before making the investment. Thanks!

[Shana]

Amanda -- Molly and I were just saying THIS morning that we both wish we had started with the City Select - good choice!!

The car seat I used for R (and the only one that would fit into my car) was actually the SnugRide by Graco (which is what I think M meant by "keyfit".) The SnugRide worked fine...but I had to order it online to avoid prints like "Jungle Jubilee". Blech. It's pretty cheap though...under $80, I think.

Marty - Did you call Real Baby? Sometimes if their Denver location doesn't have it...their Boulder location does.

[Nicole]

I'm curious which configuration mamas use with a ~4 mo. old and 2 yr old? This is when I would begin using the City Select as a double. Also, has anyone had a problem with their toddler being too tall for the seat?

[Karen]

Hello! Love your website! This is the question every mom seems to be asking.

The Uppababy Vista 2010 or City Select? Is it important that both child be facing forward and not towards mommy? So hard to decide! The seats on the City Select are smaller, and less cushioned. Does that matter???

Thank you for ur advice, if u have time to reply!

[S]

Nicole - so sorry your comment somehow went un-noticed! I don't think M has had much of a problem with the seat being too tall for her little man (who runs a bit small, like my own)...but now that both of her kiddos are bigger, if the heavier one is in the FRONT of the stroller it's tough to get over curbs. Sigh. There's no perfect double stroller solution it seems.

Karen - I'm currently researching the heck out of double stroller options (or really, just picking M's brain since she is SO obsessed with this topic)...and between M, various sales clerks and discussion boards, the consensus is that the Uppababy Vista is cute...but the "double" component seems to be an afterthought, and just doesn't work that well.

I'm currently trying to decide between the following:
City Select (but I'm worried about when both boys get big)
Britax B-Ready
Phil & Ted's Explorer (the NEW one - they've addressed virtually all of M's concerns with the Vibe, above)
Or maybe a side-by-side like Baby Jogger's City Mini.

Sigh. If I know M...we'll probably end up doing a major double-stroller article. So stay tuned, and let us know if you have any specific questions in the meantime.
xo
S

[Ann]

I have this same dilema! I just had my 2nd and my oldest is 2 1/2 - we didn't like how front heavy the Baby Jogger City Select was with the carseat in back and toddler in front.

But the 2nd seat on the Phil&Ted's only is meant for 33lbs when used in back, and this is the configuration required when using the infant carseat, right? My toddler is about at 33lbs now!

I want to get out and try the Britax B-Ready, it seems similar to the City Select, but perhaps without that weight distribution issue? Has anyone tried it?

[Molly]

The B-Ready is great and is almost as stacked as the P&T, so it doesnt have the front-heaviness that the Baby Jogger has.  But it is a MUCH larger stroller than the P&T and the styling and color selection isnt as elegant as the City Select--the green and red are actually pretty lurid.  S. and I checked the B-Ready out and took comparison pictures a few days ago. We like that the P&T is narrower, has a super easy fold and has a lockable single front wheel, great for light jogging, in the snow and sand.  When I had the P&T Vibe for Little Lou's first 6 months, I loved having L. in the lay-flat bassinet with the jump seat up high on the front and Huck loved it too. 

How close to 33 lbs is your toddler?  They start gaining weight a lot more slowly than the crazy growth you saw in the first year.

[Jenny]

Thank you so much for this excellent and thorough review.
I think many parents have been waiting for someone to do a side by side comparison of these two double strollers, as they are both considered the best.

One question.
Overall, is the P&Ts double stoller smaller (or more compact)?

[Molly]

Hi Jenny! As far as I'm concerned, the P&T Vibe is dead. It's just not worth it. HOWEVER, a month or two after I published this post, P&T came out with a new souped-up version of the Sport, called The Explorer, and S & I now both have identical (yes, even down to the color) Explorers. The Explorer isn't as swank as either the City Select or the Vibe or S's droolworthy denim Bugaboo single, but it is extremely compact (it fits in S's subcompact VW Golf trunk, for example), has the footprint of a single, turns and jumps curbs on a dime, plows through sand and snow, and is SUPER easy to fold. The problem I had with the Vibe splashing my back seat babe is fixed with adjustable mud shields and my boys actually like to take turns sitting in back, so it no longer seems so unfair to the little one. The problem with the Vibe's hairtrigger brake placed smack in the middle of the handle bar has been fixed with a pedicure-friendly foot brake. The back seat now has a bonnet, and the janky Sport main seat sun bonnet (which barely covered babes, I thought) has been replaced with a huge telescoping shade like the Vibe's. So pretty much every concern I had has now been addressed. We're going to do an exhaustive post (or series of posts) on double strollers because they're so tough to figure out--it seems there's no perfect solution, but we think the Explorer comes close, so stay tuned!

[LaTisha]

I'm curious as to what you thought of the color now that you've had it awhile? Do you think you would have preferred the black? I've seen reviews where Mom's have blasted the company for making a color so hard to keep clean- and wash. Your thoughts? I'm trying to decide between the diamond and onyx. Thank you!

[Molly]

Hi LaTisha! Actually, I now have the Phil & Teds Explorer. I sold the City Select a few months ago. I used it at least once a day throughout the summer, however, and didn't have a problem with the color at all. I certainly wouldn't check it on an airplane without a bag, but for everyday use, I find most kid spills are sort of neutral colored anyway (milk, peanut butter, apple juice, spit up and the like). The foot wells are black mesh, so foot/shoe dirt doesn't show, and I didn't have a hard time cleaning it at all. I tend to clean spills right away with a wipe or napkin, then sponge later and I keep my strollers inside, so that probably makes a difference. As for major cleaning, I thought it was one of the easier-to-clean designs--the fabric slips off the frame and the back boards come out, allowing you to machine wash the whole seat fabric piece and then you just put it back on the frame while it's damp to let it dry. I also had good luck spraying it down with a hose in my backyard. So, all that said, I think the color issue is a matter of preference and I'd just go with what you like.

[Chuck Sarah Laubach]

I loved reading your review of the Vibe vs. the City Select.

Why did you sell the BJCS after less than a year?

We are expecting #2 in June, when #1 will be 18 months old. My husband is tall, and I worry about him kicking the bottom seat of strollers like the Vibe or B-Ready. He hasn't actually been to a store to test drive any, yet, though.

[Kelly]

Wow great post! I have a P&T now that I used with my girls (now 2 and 4) which I would still continue to use, except I found out I am having twin boys now! I'm thinking the City Select would be a better 'twin' stroller because of the second seat weight limit. My question- have you had any issues with the diamond color staying clean? I love it but am holding back because of that. Would love your input! Thank you.

[Laura]

Have you written a comparison post with the Explorer vs the City Select? I am very interested to see if the City Select's easily accessible basket, and ability to have kids facing each other outweighs the compact fold and light weight Explorer.

This June I will have a 2 year old and a newborn and I don't know if my 2 year old would like to sit in the back of the Explorer.

Also, what are the weight limits for those two stroller seats?

[Karena]

I am also looking for a comparison post between the Explorer and the City Select. This post had me all geared up for the City Select, and then I read the comments.

My boys will be 18 months apart. I am being optimistic in finding a stroller that will last awhile. Does the Explorer have a compatible rider board? I know the City Select recently got one.

Boo to double stroller hunting and wanting everything.

[Molly]

Hey Mamas!  I have lots to say on this topic.  I'll get a comparison post between the City Select and the P & T Explorer out in the next week or two!

[Karena]

Thanks, Molly!! It is greatly appreciated.

We're going to check out strollers today. A local store is going out of business, so we might score a great deal. I might pull the trigger if the deal is too good to pass up. I figure that I can just resell it if we change our minds.

We have a Bumbleride Indie that I love, but I think I want a tandem.

[Karena]

After testing out the City Select, I really, really liked it. The 16 configurations got me. I was impatient, so I started shopping around.
I scored the 2011 WITH 2nd Seat Kit in Diamond for $499 at AlBee Baby's website. (Don't know what your policy is about linking, so I didn't.) Since the diamond color is being discontinued, it is on closeout on their site.

I am contemplating customizing the fabric by dyeing it. I might see if a local place can dye the seats a gunmetal gray. :)

[Damasy]

My issue is with the snow. i only have a 5 month old but i do plan on having a second child so i want something i can use as a single in the mean time. I'm in love with the BJSC I just want to make sure it'll be good for about 2 feet of snow when necessary. I would love to hear your response. Thanks