Saturday, June 12, 2010

baby jogger city mini double vs. bumbleride indie twin

Last weekend we went to Long Island and there was a buy buy baby 15 minutes from where we were staying. Of course I convinced DH that was just HAD to go there. It was much better than driving an hour to look at strollers and I needed his opinion too.

It's really difficult to compare these 2 strollers because they serve different purposes. One is an all terrain stroller and the other isn't. That being said I just need one of them (although I would love both it's just not in the budget!)

Baby Jogger City Mini
price - $399.99 - no accessories included
weight- 23 lbs - lighter than some single strollers!
weight capacity - 50 lbs per seat

Pros-
easy to fold
light weight at 23 lbs
50 lb capacity per seat
one handed push
can fit through doorways
large canopy
both seats independantly recline (full recline)
baby jogger has a glider board coming out (could be helpful if/when we have 3)

Cons:
Not all terrain - 8" foam rubber wheels
accessories add up
basket is hard to access
not too much growing room height wise
non-adjustable handle

Comments: I have the single. I LOVE the single. So getting the double just makes sense, right? I'm trying to think of the long run though. Eventually DS won't be in the stroller as much. He'll be in for trips to the zoo, stroller strides class & walks around the block. Basically it will be only for outdoor outings. For trips like Target, Kohls he'll probably be in the cart or he'll walk. While I use my city mini single for all these things I'm thinking an all terrain might be better for the long run.

Bumbleride Indie Twin
price- $679.99 included car seat attachment, bumper bars, rain cover, air pump, cup holder
weight - 34 lbs
weight capacity - 45 lbs per seat

Pros:
Includes many accessories - most strollers don't
easy to access large basket
can fit through doorways (without the cup holder)
car seat attachment is actually the bumper bar.
room to grow height wise
all terrain tires
adjustable handle (DH is tall)
large canopy

Cons:
much heavier than the city mini
bulky fold - will barely fit in trunk if at all
fold has a couple steps (not too bad though)

Comments: I really really like this stroller. It will be great for all the time we spend in the stroller outdoors. It seems heavy duty and will hold up well on uneven pavement and for going over grass. Maybe even sand? It's pretty expensive but you won't have to purcahse extra accessories like the car seat attachment. I think in the long run this would be the best stroller for us. I'm just not sure if I can get over the bulky fold and how heavy it is.

Price comparison: DH likes to compare apples to apples. Just looking at the base price it appears that the City Mini is nearly $300 less than the Indie Twin. However the Indie Twin comes with many accessories the City Mini doesn't. I went through and added up all the accessories it would need to be the same as the Indie Twin.
City Mini
Stroller: $399.99
Belly Bar: $39.95
Adapter: $89.98
raincover: $39.95
air pump: $9.99 (now the City Mini doesn't need the air pump but to compare apples to apples...)
_____
$579.86

Indie Twin
Stroller: $679.99
belly bar: $0
adapter: $0
raincover: $0
air pump: $0
____
$679.99

So when you compare the strollers that way the Indie Twin is only $100 more. What we need to do is figure out if it is worth that extra $100 for the all terrain tires.

Folded next to each other - We weren't able to get the City Mini as flat as they say it can go. It seems to be just as wide as the Indie Twin but the Indie Twin has some height on it. I'll have to try the fold again with the strollers laying on the floor.

Width: They both seemed to measure 30 inches. I believe they claim to be a little less (around 29) but DH measured at the widest point.
Indie Twin
City Mini
Room to grow - maybe 3 or so inches in the city mini
room to grow - seems to be about 5+ inches although it's hard to tell because DS moved his head.

6 comments:

  1. thank you. this is a great, detailed comparison. i'm in the same boat - can't decide between these two strollers!

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  2. Well I was in the same position....trying to decide between these two strollers! I ended up purchasing the City Mini... I've only had it a day, but I LOVE it! It folds so easy and is compact!! LOVE IT!

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  3. I am having the same exact dilemma. My kids will be 19 months apart. when i went to BBB to test the bumbleride it had a flat tire and the handle was stuck so I couldnt even test it out properly. I need to go to the one in Huntington for a test drive. I still have a few months before I need it however I am obsessed!

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  4. I am currently deciding between the two strollers myself. Problem is there are no stores nearby that sell the Bumbleride, so I can't try it before I buy it. Do you know which stores stock it? I've tried Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby and REI. Thanks for this great comparison, it has really helped :o)

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  5. I am also trying to decide between these 2 strollers. I have a maclaren single and my almost 2 year old really likes sitting straight and seeing. Has anyone compared the seats of the bumbleride indie twin with the city mini double? does one of them sit more forward then the other? I feel this is a big deciding factor for me.

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  6. I'm not sure if anyone is still finding this, but if you are I ended up going with the Indie Twin. It is an amazing stroller and I'm really happy with my purchase! My only complaint is that I got the seagrass color and while I LOVE the color combo the seats get so dirty when toddlers are eating in it!

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