Joovy – Caboose Ultralight Stand-on Double Stroller Review

I have been researching double strollers for about six months now. Just before our second daughter was born in May I began looking around for one that would best fit our needs. You may recall me asking you in a previous post about what type of stroller to buy. I was torn between a sit and stand stroller and a side by side stroller.

Thanks to your responses on my post and on Facebook and Twitter, I narrowed it down and started looking at the sit and stand strollers. Ultimately, my deciding factor was the time of year it is and the age of my oldest.

Since we are located in a colder climate, our winter months can start as early as October, and last as long as April. Walking outside with a stroller during the possible 3 – 7 months of winter when there is snow on the ground is very difficult; next to impossible even. We are lucky that we are located very close to the largest mall in Canada, so our walking in winter is spent indoors. Some stores have such crowded aisles, so we wanted as thin of a stroller as we could get while still getting a comfortable ride for our two girls.

As for my oldest daughter’s age, she is about three and a half years old now. We wanted a stroller that would offer her the luxury of safely hopping on and off as she wanted with little to no disruption to our youngest.

We decided on the Caboose Ultralight Stand-on Double Stroller by Joovy and were really excited to learn that I was accepted to try it out and put it to the test to see if it was as good as I had read it was.

Setup and Specifications
The stroller itself weighs a total of 21 pounds which makes it very easy to lift and transport. The instructions to set it up were very easy to follow and I was able to get it completely set up on my own with no additional help.

The stroller is beyond easy to fold and store and when it is folded it measures 10.5″H x 21.5″W x 41.5″L. We drive a Rav 4 so size is not an option, but we also have a compact Tercel and it is nice to know that if needed, we would be able to store it in the smaller trunk.

At 21.5″W, the width of the stroller is the same as or smaller than most of the single strollers I looked at which makes it easy to maneuver in stores and through doors.

The front seat of the stroller is good from birth onwards with the carseat adapter and from six months on without. The back of the stroller is good for kids aged two and a half and older.

Accessories
This stroller comes complete with some accessories that would be considered add-ons by other companies.

I found in researching other strollers, that the carseat adapter was considered an extra by a lot of companies, but Joovy has included it as part of the stroller package at no extra charge. The carseat adapter is also compatible with numerous carseats from companies such as Graco, Safety First, Peg Perego and more. A full list of compatible carseats can be found on the Joovy website with images to show you how they fit together.

The stroller also comes with a snack try that fits in to the same slot as the carseat adapter does and has two cup holders, plus a snack area that has a slight indent to keep treats from rolling around and off the tray.

There is also a Parent Organizer that is included and it fits over the handle bars. There are two drink holders and a zippered pocket that is perfect to keep wallets, small cameras, drinks and keys in easy reach.

Not really considered an accessory is the large canopy. It covers a lot of area and can be adjusted to keep out the sun from various angles and can protect both the child in the front or the back. The canopy can also be easily removed if it is not needed.

Chillin' at the playground!

Ease of Use
My sister and brother-in-law were out visiting this past weekend and everyone was taking turns pushing our girls on our walk. Everyone commented on how easy the stroller is to push. It turns smoothly and moves better than our single stroller does.

We took it out on sidewalks, across grass and up and down street curbs without any problems. The wheels can be placed in an unlocked position so they are free to turn, or they can be locked to stay in one position which is great for rocking your little one to sleep while your oldest is off playing in the local playground with her dad. With the wheels in a locked position, you are free to smoothly push the stroller back and forth without the wheels trying to adjust.

The front seat has three positions to it. It is best when the front seat is in its complete upright position because this is the position that allows both the front and back person to sit down at the same time most comfortably. To use the carseat adapter, you need to recline the front seat to its second position. In this position, a second child can still sit on the back, but I had to pull the seat forward a little bit to make it more comfortable for my daughter. If the front seat was in its lowest reclined position, then our daughter would pretty much have to stand. I did know this before I chose this option and this is pretty much the same with all sit and stand strollers.

Safety
I’m all about safety and this stroller has some great features in this area.

On the back seat, there are padded handles that kids can hold on to to steady themselves if needed. There are seat belts on both the front and the back seats, and there is a belt that goes across the top of the carseat if you are using that attachment. The belt is hidden in pockets on the side of the stroller and they are easily removed and attached to keep your infant securely in place in their carseat.

Carseat adapter safety belt keeps the seat (and my baby) firmly in place.

The locking mechanism on the rear wheel is a dual lock which means that the lock at both wheels is attached together, so if you lock one wheel, the other locks with it.

The stroller also features some light reflective materials which make it a great option for evening strolls. This material catches on the setting sun or passing cars and lights up alerting those around you of your presence. On this stroller, the corners of the canopy, the word ‘joovy’ and the lining in the front and back seat belts is reflective.

The sun reflects off of some of the material. Great safety feature.

Storage
In addition to the Parent Organizer, this stroller features a large basket underneath the stroller that is accessible by sliding the back seat forward. Along both sides of the basket are pockets that are easy to get to without moving the back seat and are perfect for carrying the items you would use the most so you don’t have to continually ask your oldest to move.

Overall
I am really impressed with how this stroller handles. I am able to turn quickly and set up and storage is so easy. I love the positions of both of my girls at this age. When I am pushing this stroller, I can see both faces looking at me as the car seat faces towards me so I am easily able to assess situations without breaking my stride.

Peek-a-boo! I see both of you!

I also love the canopy. When we get to the park in the evening and my daughter and husband run to play, I can set the canopy to make it an extension of my carseat cover to keep the setting sun out.

I recommend this product to anyone looking for a sit and stand stroller and I recommend Joovy to anyone looking for a stroller.

Joovy sells a wide range of strollers, accessories and other products for kids. This stroller comes in a total of five colors (blueberry, greenie, orangie, brownie and black) and is available on their website for $269.99US. They have a lot of information on this stroller and all of their other products including specs, features, pictures and reviews and you can find them at joovy.com.

If you are interested in Joovy, make sure you also check them out and like Joovy on Facebook (they also have a contest on FB right now for Canada and the US) and/or follow Joovy on Twitter to stay in the know.

*Disclosure – I received the stroller described above in order to complete my review. The opinions in this post are mine only.

Sheri Landry

Sheri publishes, and writes at This Bird’s Day where she shares all of the thoughts in her head without the voices. Sticking mainly with content for Canadians, Sheri shares family stories, product information and anything that fits into her (and her family’s) daily activities.

www.thisbirdsday.com