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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Update! Britax B-Ready Double Stroller Review - Infant & Toddler Configuration

I've been using our Britax B-Ready double stroller for about 10 months now, so I figured it was time for an update on how I'm liking it. I used it for a little over 7 months as a single stroller - and now of course I'm currently using it as a double stroller, in infant bottom & toddler top configuration.

Here's my You Tube video review:



I really loved using the stroller as a single stroller. It folded up neatly and only took a bit more space in the back of our Honda CRV than the Chicco Cortina I was previously using. Cupcake had a higher riding position, so she liked the vantage point and being able to get into the bottom storage area from any angle with the zippered entrances was a definite plus. The larger wheels in the back make it incredibly easy to navigate tough terrains or to "ramp" the stroller onto a curb - however I do still get caught on doorways more often than I probably should. Operator error?

Britax B-Ready in Double Configuration: Infant bottom, Toddler top
When we transitioned it to a double stroller, it felt very odd for about a week - but then after I had a chance to get use to it, it was very user friendly again. We purchased an adapter to be able to place the infant carseat on the lower level from Buy Buy Baby. (Also available for purchase on Amazon HERE.) Our Britax Chaperone carseat snaps right into the adapter and after a bit of practice you can practically do it with one hand.

Carseat adapter for lower level

Speaking of one hand, most operations on the stroller DO take two hands to operate it - closing it you have to simultaneously pull levers on both sides of the push handle. Opening it also takes two hands to open the lock and kind of balance the stroller as you open it. However for the loss in being able to easily open or close the stroller with one hand - I would much rather gain the smaller footprint that this double stroller has, compared to other double strollers.

It is very similar in size to a single stroller and has a similar footprint when folded and when open. My biggest concern was that it didn't take up the entire back of our Honda CRV - or possibly even not fit. (When I looked at the Chicco Together in the store, I took one look and first thought, "Would that thing even fit in the back of my car when it is folded???") When you have the second toddler seat on the stroller, it folds up with both seats still in place, likewise - you can also fold it up with the lower infant carseat adapter still in place as well.

Britax B-Ready folded up in the back of our 2008 Honda CR-V

All in all... it gets good ratings from me still. The only issues we've had with it were Cupcake being able to chew pieces of the foam off of the bar that goes across the front of the upper toddler seat. (Which thank goodness is removable.) The five point harness straps on the toddler seat can also get kind of "fumbly" sometimes, since the top strap is removable from the waist strap - and if they detach when you're not wanting them to, that gets frustrating. Also, we've had one seam starting to come undone in the footrest area of the toddler seat... I haven't decided what to do about that and I may even contact Britax about it to see what they say. I will get back to you guys on that one.

Area my daughter chewed on the toddler safety bar

Loose seam on upper toddler seat

With these things in mind, I still think that its issues pale in comparison to issues I would be having with different larger, harder to fold, and bulkier to push double strollers that are on the market. I think this has been a great option for us!

5 comments:

  1. thanks for the post.. it helps a lot

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. what brand can you recommend for a breast pump? i need a double electric.
    I hope you can share base on your experience... Thanks

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    1. I would say definitely check out the Medela...I had a Lansinoh one that I didn't really care for at all. It didn't seem powerful enough. If you're planning on buying one, I would just go with the best on the market and get your money out of it instead of getting one that half works. Hope that helps! Good luck, and thanks for stopping by! :)

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