Monthly Archives: June 2011

The Mountain Buggy Duet…..

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A few years back, the ‘ultra-terrainy-not very sleek-more suited for being thrown on the roof of a 4WD than for the mall Mountain Buggy’ was bought out by Phil and Teds, and they have made some big steps forward under their new ownership and design team.

I used to own a Mountain Buggy Urban Double for walking in Hawaii, and it was a tank. Not as much of a tank as the BOB Duallie, but still a tank. Well now they have revised their double stroller line and are introducing their newest little baby: The Duet.

Before I say anything else, let me just get this out of the way: The width of this stroller is:

24 INCHES. 

Lets just all take a moment for that to sink in. Thats 6 inches narrower than the Donkey in duo mode, and 8 inches narrower than the BOB. In fact, its one inch narrower than the BOB Revolution single stroller, and the same width as its single seated older sister the Urban Jungle.

It will accomodate two infant car seats, two bassinets, two toddler seats or any combination of all three. The infant seats will be stadium set (one higher than the other…) because its the only way it can be done on such a slim frame.

Mountain Buggys are known for their brilliant easy push, and accomplish this on air filled tires that can be adjusted by pressure for different terrains. As you can see, each seat has an individual canopy as well.

They have also managed to make this stroller very competitively priced at $599, which is $30 less than the BOB Revolution Duallie (I dont mean to pick on the BOB, I *love* mine and it is still the only decent choice for joggers, but if you arent wanting to jog but wanting a terrainy, muddy, ‘lets walk up Everest before breakfast dear’ stroller, then this is the obvious competitor) and *ahem* ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS less than the Donkey.

Since I started this site, I get at *least* one, and normally 2 or 3 emails a day about double strollers. A mere two years ago the market really really sucked, but it does seem like a lot of manufacturers are becoming aware that this is a very real need for so many families. And its getting better! Hopefully this is another option for someones family, since it is so versatile and user friendly. The Mountain Buggy Duet is available for pre-order, with a mid to late July shipment date. :)

Guest Review of the 2010 Stroll-Air ‘My Duo’….

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Its funny, everybody flipped their lid about the Donkey and the fact that it could have two side by side car seats, reversible seats, etc etc, and I imagine Stroll Air was a little like “Helllloooooo!!! Thats SO 2009 for us!!!” 

The Stroll-Air is a much overlooked side by side stroller, with so many different configurations and options. This is a review from Tracey, who bought this stroller in early 2010 for the arrival of her twin girls, who are now 14 months. If you have any questions about the My Duo, please let email me at thestrollergirl@gmail.com and I am sure Tracey will be happy to help if she can. :)  

Real Life Review of the Stroll-Air My Duo

First of all, I have to say it…I LOVE THIS STROLLER.  To me, this is the only stroller a mama of twins (or two youngsters) needs!  It has everything I was looking for in a stroller and lucky for me, it came into production just before I had my babies.  In fact, I received it in the mail the day after I had them!  It has all the versatility and ease of use as a single but in a side by side fashion.  My number one requirement for a double stroller was that I had to have a side by side that could accommodate two car seats.

I heard nothing good about tandem strollers, i.e. hard to turn, not easy to access the baby in front, bumps into a lot of things.  But I also heard some negative comments about side by side, i.e. too wide, very heavy.  As a runner, I was really hoping to get a BOB Duallie.  But after months of research, I was very disappointed that there was no possible way to fit two car seats in the double BOB.  I finally stumbled upon this stroller, the Stroll-Air My Duo!   One of the nicest features of this double stroller is that it fits through a regular size door.  It is only 29 inches wide!

No need to open two doors to fit inside.  Every time some helpful stranger wants to help me, they try to open both doors.  I say no need, we fit through one!  They are always amazed at this and I just tell them this is why I picked this stroller. The turning radius is also a nice feature, where the two front wheel turn 360 degrees.  It is very easy to maneuver, especially when you are in tight spaces.

The other feature I really like is the optional car seat adapters.  They do not come with the stroller, but are a separate purchase.  To me, having to not wake up my sleeping babies to move them to the stroller seat was a huge deal.  The car seat adapters sit one high and one low to keep the stroller narrower that other double side by sides.  I love the fact that I can see both babies because they are both facing me and easy to reach them if necessary, i.e. lost binky!


But if you decide not to get the adapters, the seats recline fully and have the ability to turn around so both babies can be seen.  If you only have one baby, there is no need to turn your toddler around since the seats are individually placed.  The one-pull release is easy to use, smooth to slide and won’t wake a sleeping baby.  Plus, the hood completely covers the reclined seat but also can be unvelcroed to expose a mesh lining that is breathable and allows for the child to have a new view.


One finger release for seat recline

Amazing amount of canopy cover! 

Harness with strap covers and tummy pad

Another nice feature of the My Duo is the height adjustable handlebar.  There are four different positions to accommodate many varying heights. I can have the height at the perfect level for me (at 5’7”) and my husband has the same availability (at 6’2”) as well as my mother-in-law (at 5’1”).  Safety features include the five point harness.  It is fully adjustable at the shoulders, waist and crotch.  The shoulder and crotch straps come with padded covers that match your stroller.  I chose to remove mine since they seemed to get in the way or fell off when my girls were younger.  I keep them in the three closable pockets underneath in the basket.  Speaking of the basket, it is a large, open space that can hold numerous shopping bags, toys, etc.  I recommend placing items in the middle first, then spreading out to the sides to keep the stroller more “even” when turning.  Although you won’t have too much trouble with those 360 degree rotating wheels!

People ask me if the stroller is heavy…umm, it’s a double stroller so yes, it is heavy.  But not as heavy as other double strollers.  I was able to lift it into and out of my trunk with ease. The stroller weighs 26 pounds total.  It also folds down easily into a flat square.  With the car seat adapters, it will be a little bigger.  Before I got my Odyssey, I was driving a Camry and the stroller with the adapters would not fit into my trunk.  But the adapters are easy to remove and put back on.  It just takes a little more time to get it together, so always plan ahead!  With the minivan, however, there was no need to take the adapters off.  Not that you have to buy a minivan to accommodate this stroller, but I was getting one anyway:)  You can take the back wheels off and fold the adjustable seats (the footrests) underneath the stroller to make it even more compact.


Folded in the back of a Honda Odyssey

Now as a runner, I don’t use this stroller as my go to buggy.  However, if you were to go for a light jog on a paved path (not trail running) I think this stroller would be great.  You can lock the front wheels in place to enhance the stability and there is a shock system in both the front and rear that can absorb andy minor bumps along the way.

The My Duo is available in two colors, black & red.  It comes with the stroller chassis, two seats, two hoods, two foot covers, shopping basket, diaper bag, two rain covers, and two mosquito nets.  The diaper bag is a nice feature in that the strap is very long and can be put over the handle bar easily.  That way you have room in the basket for whatever else you need to transport!  It also has two short straps with snaps that I snap onto a shopping car when I go to the store.  It stays out of my way and doesn’t take up any extra room in the cart!  Extras (for purchase) are the double stroller universal organizer, handle sleeve for the for the front bars or the push bar, snack tray, and the infant car seat adapters (high & low).  If you are getting two adapters, you need to get one high & one low.

A couple things that were tricky in the beginning…
The fold down feature was a little hard to figure out at first, but once I read the directions again (I have a tendency to not read directions) I figured it out.  By pulling the middle release first, it will then unlock the sides so you can then release the side pulls.   Also, when you fold it down, you have to make sure both front tires are facing out.  Took me a while to figure this out, too. If they are not both facing out, it will not fold flat and has a bouncy feel to it.  You can lock the front wheels in place if it makes it easier to remember.  Once the stroller is folded, there are two black straps with beveled holes that are the actual locks that will hold the stroller in place when folded.  I didn’t find that feature until AFTER my trip from Hawaii to Pennsylvania with two layovers in between.  I used a bungy cord instead…another reminder that I should have looked at those darn directions!

As I said in the beginning, I love my stroller.  It is a bit pricey at $799, but if you consider this is truly three strollers in one it is worth every penny.  I get positive comments on it everywhere I go, especially when I had the car seat adapters attached. It is a very unique looking stroller and will turn heads everywhere you go.  If you don’t mind the attention and appreciate the versatility of the My Duo, this stroller is for you!