By Jane Han
The joy of raising a baby is priceless, but I must admit, it does cost quite a lot. And when you have twins, it’s pretty much twice as much more money.
So what I often do is try to put off spending on certain things as much as I can because, sometimes — if I wait just enough — I realize that I don’t even need it at all. But of course, that’s not always the case and, after waiting a good eight months, I finally took the plunge and bought a stroller.
I contemplated, researched and contemplated some more for a whole eight months over the stroller situation, so you’d think I would pretty much know what I want. Well, the reality turned out to be just the opposite. The information overload only made me more confused and indecisive.
I don’t know why on earth there has to be so many different types of strollers. Some names I can’t even pronounce. Some are more expensive than a used car. And some are just too fancy I wouldn’t even know how to operate them.
The choices seemed endless so I had to set a range and define my preference before shopping.
The good thing is, I did have a double Snap-N-Go, an infant car seat carrier with small wheels, so it gave me at least one reference point to start from. I knew I wanted something with big wheels.
A lot of moms are into fancy looking designs, but for me, smooth and comfortable handling was top priority, especially since double strollers are tougher to maneuver.
In terms of luxury level, do I want my girls in a Mercedes Benz of strollers or just a Pinto? Of course I want my precious little ones to glide in a Mercedes Benz, but I had to stick to my buy-only-what-you-can-afford philosophy. So I set my price range to roughly $600. Since twin strollers start off more expensive, I thought that was a fair price.
This price cap immediately eliminated high-end strollers like Bugaboo Donkey and Orbit Double Helix, which both cost almost $2,000. To be honest, I daydreamed about owning these and taking my girls on a nice, comfortable ride. But my husband quickly helped me snap out of it.
After weighing the pros and cons, I narrowed down my list to Maclaren Twin Techno, Bumbleride Indie Twin and Baby Jogger City Select. But going back to my wish for big wheels, I took Maclaren off my list.
So finally, it was Bumbleride vs. Baby Jogger.
I don’t think I’ve switched back and forth between two things this much, ever. Both were labeled a “lifesaver” among twin parents, so I just had to decide which lifesaver to save me.
After analyzing every possible review I could find on these products, I let Baby Jogger be the winner.
Despite all the fuss, the reason was pretty simple. I figured tandem style would fit my lifestyle best. The thought of trying to squeeze in to tight aisles with a side-by-side stroller was already giving me stress.
The funny thing is, as soon as I put in the order, I began to wonder if my purchase was too focused on me, not the babies. I started feeling a little guilty and worried whether the girls will be snug in their new stroller.
Well, it didn’t take long for me to find out. The shipment arrived just three days after ordering and I was out and about with my twins in their new ride. They fell asleep in less than five minutes. That’s got to be a good sign, right?