Joovy Ultralight Caboose Stroller

I am VERY picky when it comes to strollers and I have yet to find the absolute perfect one that meets all of our families needs. I’m not sure such a stroller exists so we have a growing collection of strollers that we use for different types of outings. Our latest addition is the Joovy Ultralight Caboose Stroller, I was very interested in trying this stroller because its a stroller designed for a baby and a bigger sibling. The baby has a traditional seat (and there is an easy to use car seat adapter for newborn use) and the older sibling can either stand on the back or sit on a bench type seat. We have a standard Graco double stroller that we bought when our second child Ben was born but I have never been thrilled with it. The Graco is so long and heavy and hard to maneuver in stores. I used it a lot when we just had 2 kids but when we had Jamie I found I used it much less for some reason. We also have an InStep double jogging stroller and its great for going to playgrounds and anything else outdoors but its too big and wide for indoor use. Our other stroller is a single jogger that we can use both indoors and out fairly easily but then we can only put one child in it and we’ve had so many times where one of the boys gets tired and wants a ride too but can’t.

Back to the Joovy Caboose, this is a great idea for a stroller for so many reasons! Its not as big or heavy as the Graco double and so its nice for having a baby who needs to ride in it while having just enough room for an older sibling to hop on when they get tired. I feel confident that this is our new indoor stroller with the new baby in the front and Jamie mainly as the backseat driver (I’m sure there will be times the boys ride in back when Jamie isn’t in it)!

Here is what I love about it:

• I love the ease of the older child being able to be more independent getting on and off the stroller as they choose.
• I can still buckle in the older child if I want to discourage hopping off.
• The size is great for indoor shopping with a double stroller.
• The parent organizer is very different from most strollers and I think its great! You have a nice zippered area to put things like a wallet and cell phone. Its made out of neoprene so the TWO parent drink holders actually keep your drink cold and prevents them from falling out if hit a bump in the road!
• The hood is designed very well and is adjustable to block sun or cover a sleeping baby.
• The front baby seat has a great comfy pad that is reversible for different seasons and easily comes off for cleaning.
• The basket underneath is great.
• 2 year old Jamie can ride easily in the front or the back and she is excited about standing so that keeps her happy!
• There is an easy to install attachment for use with a infant car seat (just snaps in place instead of the front snack tray).
• It was VERY easy to put together, it took pregnant me 25 minutes with the 3 kids “helping”.
• Unlike other strollers we have the child snack tray doesn’t just pop off or unbuckle easily (our daughter has a thing for flinging our single jogging stroller tray off). The child tray also has 2 cup holders.
• A HUGE plus is that is folds up really nicely and compactly for a double, so much smaller folded than the Graco double or even our single jogger! When I first folded it I was amazed!

Here are the things I’d like to see improved with the stroller (yes I did say I was very picky about strollers so some of these are minor details but strollers are a big purchase and I don’t want to leave anything out!):

• The only big thing is that I would love more all-terrain type of wheels, I just don’t think this stroller is ideal for going to the playground and navigating easily over grass or wood chips.
• I’d like the rear seat to hold more weight. My kids are all pretty tall and at 4 Ben weighs exactly what his big brother Ethan weighs: 50lbs. Both front and back seats of the stroller are designed to hold up to 45lbs each. This means both boys are heavier than what the back seat is designed for. I’m letting the boys sit on it anyway though because at 4 and almost 6 they still get tired and need a seat sometimes!
• It doesn’t stand on its own when folded. If you lock the wheels before you fold you can lean it against something though.
• There is a latch that you need to push down after opening the stroller and then you need to lift it up before you fold it. Obviously this is a safety thing but I’ve never had a stroller with this feature and its something to get used to.
• You need two hands to open or close this stroller, so there is no way to hold a baby at the same time.  With other strollers I am able to open/close them with one hand and I’ve done so holding one of the kids on several occasions. This isn’t a big thing for me though because when I get to the car I normally put the kids in before putting away the stroller.

So the bottom line: Everyone’s stroller needs are different but for me right now this is an ideal stroller for going anywhere indoors with all the kids and it will be great once I have the baby (it definitely replaces the Graco double for us). I love that when I have the new baby Jamie can still sit to ride or feel like a big girl and stand if she wants to. I will still use one of my joggers for going to the park and “off road” activities like apple picking but I have a minivan so I can fit two strollers in the trunk if I don’t know where the day will take us!