I started researching double strollers before I even got pregnant with my second child. I love my lightweight
Graco Metrolight and couldn’t imagine dealing with some giant, heavy monstrosity on a daily basis. I did, however, want to be able to click an infant carrier into the stroller and I did want my almost-three-year-old to be comfortable. What I decided almost immediately was that I wanted a
sit-and-stand style stroller. The side-by-side doubles looked too wide for my clumsy maneuvering and the front-and-back ones looked like I’d never be able to lift or fold them, let alone wheel them around with two kids. There were only two sit-and-stands I looked at. The Baby Trend one that everyone has and the original Joovy Caboose. None of the baby stores near me had both assembled side by side for comparison but I researched both separately. When I started looking up prices for the Joovy I noticed that there was a new Caboose in town: the Joovy Caboose Ultralight. It was a good $75 extra, but with its parent organizer, extra-large canopy, easy-glide wheels, and 20% lighter frame, I was sold.
What’s so special about a Joovy Caboose Ultralight?
Unlike your typical double stroller, the Joovy Caboose Ultralight allows one child to sit in front while the second, older child can either stand on the platform in the rear or sit on a little padded jumpseat (both ways face the adult). It comes with a
universal attachment for use with most infant car seat carriers, including the Graco SnugRide, the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio, the Evenflo Embrace, the Britax Companion, and the Chicco Key Fit (for a full list of compatible infant car seats, consult the Joovy Web site—www.joovy.com/pages/carseat.htm). It also comes equipped with a
neoprene parent organizer, a
snack tray for the front (can only be used when the car seat adapter is detached),
sealed ball bearing wheels, a
deluxe sun canopy,
shoulder harness for younger child and a
belt for the older one, an elastic-sided
basket, and
foam-covered handles for the adult and the older child.
When I purchased the Ultralight last year (its debut year), it was only available in three colors: sage (the one I have), black, and sunset (orange). According to the Joovy Web site, it is now available in several other colors, some of which are limited edition, including camo (tan camoflauge), red, and pink. This model is hard to find in stores but it is available online on Amazon.com as well as many baby specialty sites. I purchased mine on Amazon for about $225 with free shipping. I also had a gift certificate I had won so I got mine at a steal. The Joovy site claims the MSRP for this stroller is $299. The company also makes a Joovy for three kids.
Lightweight Champion
At a mere
21 lbs., the Joovy Caboose Ultralight is
one of the lightest two-kid-capacity strollers out there. Most of the other double capacity ones weigh in at 30-40 lbs. Most full-size one-child strollers are even comparable in weight. The comparable Baby Trend Sit and Stand, I believe, weighs a little over 30 lbs. I was used to my approximately 15-lb Metrolight, so I couldn’t imagine anything much heavier than that. Still, the Ultralight has some weight to it. I do need two hands to lift it into my minivan but I’ve been able to push it uphill with two kids inside with ease and packing it away doesn’t require sweat and tears.
That said, it does take up quite a bit of space in my minivan. The
folded measurements are 11 inches by 21 inches by 42 inches. I took the back row of seats out of my minivan long ago (for unrelated reasons), so there’s plenty of room for me to shove this stroller in, flat or on its side, but when I used it with my husband’s Audi sedan, it was a bit more of a squeeze. For one thing, it’s pretty long when the car seat adapter is attached. Although, I trim my nails, I do have semi-long ones and I found it almost impossible to press in the release buttons for the adapter on a regular basis so I just left it attached for as long as I used it. That made the stroller longer when it was folded so I had to angle it just right in the trunk of my husband’s car. My son is eight months old now and has outgrown his infant car seat, so I have the snack tray attached instead. That shortens the folded Ultralight quite a bit but it’s still a little bulky because of the medium-sized wheels.
Folding this stroller does require two hands but it’s such a breeze. There are two red pieces to push up located beneath the foam handle and you just push up and walk it forward a little and it collapses on itself. If you have the canopy in place, you do need to push it all the way forward first. There’s a locking mechanism on the handle that attaches to the opposite end and that’s it.
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
The Ultralight and even the original Joovy are
very easy to maneuver. That was one of the main aspects that impressed me when I originally tested out the Joovy in Babies R Us. Honestly, the Ultralight wheels around better than my single stroller. It has sealed ball bearing wheels, like those on rollerblades or skateboards, that handle tight turns well and glide along so smoothly. The wheels are larger than the ones on my single stroller but they’re not the giant-sized, inflatable ones you’d find on a jogging stroller. Still, the front double swivel wheels can be clipped into place and I’ve run (on pavement) with this stroller for short sprints with little trouble. I would not advise this to be a good jogging stroller, however. Still, it’s great indoors and out. I use it at the park, at the mall, occasionally for window shopping and quick in and outs of stores with single non-wheel-chair accessible doors, and sometimes on rougher terrain such as grassy hills or gravel paths. Locking the swivel wheels helps tremendously for uneven surfaces.
Steering
The handle is made of a
spongy, black foam. It’s very comfortable to grip, even for long periods. It cannot be adjusted for different heights but it works well for both me (5’ 5”) and my husband (6’). The steering is so easy. I often hold the handle with one hand and don’t have a problem. My daughter sometimes wants to walk next to me so she’ll hold my hand while I push the stroller with my left hand (I’m righthanded). I’ve even sat next to this stroller and rocked it back and forth with just my foot and it glided almost effortlessly.
Assembly
I dread any type of assembly but putting this stroller together took
no effort. It was pretty much all intact when it arrived. All I did was snap the front swivel wheels in place, slide the parent organizer over the handle, slide the snack tray in front, and snap the canopy in place. I only glanced at the instruction manual to make sure I didn’t snap the wheels in backward. It literally took five minutes to get everything out of the box and up and running.
Extra extra
There is a basket, but it’s rather small and hard to get at, especially when both kids are seated. It’s long and you can fit a blanket and some diaper changing paraphernalia or a small, flat bag of groceries but it’s not deep so it’s hard to put anything big into it. It does have stretchy sides, but since it’s so shallow, there’s not much you can put in it. Still, there are ways around that lack of a basket. The footrest can be propped up and, if you’re child is still in an infant carrier car seat, the footrest is unoccupied and can hold a decent-sized diaper bag. There’s also a stretchy mesh pocket on the back of the seat and the parent organizer has several small compartments. I usually put my keys and cell phone in one of the cupholders. If your older child likes to walk beside you like mine sometimes does, there’s a nice piece of real estate on that jump seat to rest a shopping bag (I had a giant Old Navy shopping bag parked there once and a bag full of groceries another time) or a diaper bag (I often put the diaper bag around the handle when my daughter’s not seated).
The original Joovy has no parent organizer. There is one that is sold separately for about $20, but that same
organizer comes standard on the Ultralight. It is made of a stretchy black neoprene material and has a zippered compartment for sunglasses and two cupholders. Since it’s a stretchy material and the handles tip back a little, you can’t really hold a full fast-food drink in there, but a capped bottle is fine.
The
snack tray has two cupholders but they seem pretty small and shallow to me. I would probably sooner put a sippy cup in one of the parent cupholders since I’m sure my son would knock it out of his, at least now that he’s so young. But it would work well for a little snack. The older child does not have any sort of tray but I use one of the parent cupholders for my daughter. Since the parent organizer is made of a flexible material and it is tilted somewhat over my seated daughter, I would never put an open or full beverage in there. But it’s good for a water bottle or my daughter’s sippy cup or boxed drink. Do not put hot beverages in there!
The
sun canopy is huge! Now that the weather’s been warm, I’ve spent a lot of time at the park and while my daughter runs around, I extend the canopy fully over my little guy and he’s entirely blocked from the sun. The older child portion of the canopy is a little short in comparison, but it still does a good job.
Hold my baby, please!
One of the things I was nonnegotiable about when purchasing a stroller for my two children, was the fact that
it had to hold my SnugRide car seat. The universal adapter that is included with this stroller is compatible with that car seat. The SnugRide sits inside the space where the adapter meets the stroller and there’s a belt that secures over it. When not in use, there are little side pockets that hold the belt straps. It’s very easy to attach. I did worry at first that the car seat might rock around since it doesn’t click into place like it does with my Metrolight, but I never had a problem even when I accidentally hit the curb or had to jump a curb.
For the past month or so, I’ve been using this stroller without the universal adapter. There are only two positions for the front seat (upright and semi-reclined). Since my son is still young and sometimes sleeps in the stroller, I leave it in the semi-reclined position. That, unfortunately, gives my daughter a little less room in the back. There is a shoulder harness for the front seat but I have it stretched out all the way and it comfortably fits my reclined 8 month old. Will it fit my tall little guy for the next 2-3 years? I doubt it. I have the feeling we’ll have to stop using it once he hits around 2 and just push the straps to the side. Out of curiosity, I tried putting my daughter in the front seat before he was born (when she was a little under 3), and the harness straps did not fit her. The other annoyance I discovered during that little experiment was that the front tray doesn’t easily come free so the child can climb up on their own. For now, I pick up my son and put him in from the top so it’s not a concern. But next year, when he starts getting independent, it might be. Still, my daughter will be older and I probably won’t use this double stroller as often so it might not matter.
One thing I really do like about the front seat is the
adjustable foot rest. I often use it extended out and upright so my son can rest better with his legs against the solid plastic piece. The recline of the seat does not go all flat, so it’s not the most blissful sleep he’s ever had, but it does look comfy.
Maturity matters
Before my son came along, I often went sans stroller on trips with my daughter. She liked to walk next to me and would only tire toward the end of longer trips and want me to hold her. So I couldn’t see buying a full-size double stroller for her and her brother. She was almost 3 when he was born and I was sure I wouldn’t get enough use out of one to justify the big bulkiness of one.
While there is a belt for my daughter when she’s seated on the jumpseat, there is nothing to contain her when she’s standing on the platform and holding onto her handles. For me, that’s fine. I trust her. I know when she needs to be seated. But it’s definitely something to factor in before purchasing this stroller. She usually likes sitting instead of standing and chastises
me when I forget to buckle her up. She’s my little helper and loves being able to quickly jump off her perch to push the automatic door opener button outside buildings. She’s 3 ½ now and can buckle herself but hasn’t been able to release the buckle on her own yet.
The jumpseat slides closer to the front seat when it’s not in use. When it’s pulled out for use, it doesn’t click into place so it can still slide around a little. It’s not loose so it’s not too big of a deal, but I do need to make sure it’s pulled out all the way every time my daughter sits on it. From the first time we used this stroller, my daughter appeared a little hunched when seated with the front seat reclined (it must be reclined for use with a car seat and for younger infants). She has always insisted she’s comfortable so I can’t come down too hard on that quirk, but it still bothers me that she doesn’t have as much room as she needs. I’ve heard that the Baby Trend Sit n Stand offers more room for the older child, but it’s also heavier and harder to steer.
Cleanup
I haven’t had the misfortune to need to wash up this stroller yet but I have touched it up with a wet wipe. There are snaps holding the seat cover on, so it looks straightforward on how to launder it.
Why choose Ultralight over the original?
• 20% lighter
• Larger sun canopy
• Parent organizer
• Ball bearing wheels for greater maneuverability
• Reflective strips on harnesses for night walks
Is that worth an extra $75? Absolutely! But shop around. It seems the price of this stroller has gone up since I bought it.
Overall impression
For me, this stroller is a versatile asset. It sort of works as a one-and-a-half stroller for my two kids. If your children are closer in age or your older child is still very stroller-dependent, you should look into another option. But since my little girl didn’t always sit in a stroller before little brother came along and I can trust her to stand or sit on the jump seat, the Ultralight is perfect for my needs. I do worry that my son will outgrow the shoulder harness since my daughter doesn’t fit in it, but I suppose (and hope) he’ll be mature enough to push those straps to the side when he’s 2 or 3. The basket isn’t huge, but I generally don’t use this stroller for shopping, and the tray and infant car seat adapter are hard to remove, but we’ve moved on to the tray and I don’t think I’ll be removing it any time soon. I really like using this stroller but it does have a few things that bother me so
4.5 stars.
BabyEarth
