Baby Gear: Mountain Buggy Duet

Apparently having children means you need a lot of gear. That may be true, but for the sake of our pocketbook and house space we have always tried to limit the amount of child equipment we have, only getting things that are absolutely necessary or particularly helpful. For those who are interested, I am occasionally going to write about some of the different baby gear that we have and especially enjoy.

Mountain Buggy Duet Stroller

Along with cribs and high chairs, strollers are right up there as an essential piece of equipment when you have a little one. When Steven was born we made do, first with a garage sale find from my parents, then with another umbrella stroller that we found for free. But when we were getting ready for kid #2 we knew that we wanted a double stroller.

Beyond being able to seat two kids, the most important factor for us was a stroller that could handle uneven terrain well. After some research we decided on the Mountain Buggy Duet. It's a pretty expensive stroller, but we were able to find a used one for a good price, and my family bought it for us as a gift when Kenneth was born.

We've been using this stroller for 4 months now, and I am very happy with it. It's good quality and easy to maneuver. One of my favourite things about it is that the handle height is adjustable. I also appreciate that the seats can fully recline, so we could take Kenneth out in it right away without having to buy one of the bassinet or car seat attachments. The only downside I've found is that it is quite large and heavy for lifting in and out of the car, but that would be true of pretty much any double stroller, and I don't have to do it very often. Because we are a one car family and Jesse usually has the car for work, the stroller kind of is my car! We got a rain cover with it, and that has let me take the kids out in all kinds of weather.

Of course, the ultimate test of a stroller for us is how it does off the road. The Duet handles grass, dirt, and other uneven terrain quite well. We even took it hiking up an old service road.  Usually when we go hiking we use baby carrier packs, but it is nice to have the option of using the stroller when it is an easier trail.

We are glad that we found a stroller that suits the needs of our family, and we're looking forward to lots more family adventures.