Journal: News & Comment

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The review as the father of the man: Baby Trend Sit-N-Stand LX

If Amazon.com had existed to put end-user reviews online ten years ago, I would have been posting stuff about mountain bikes, computers, clothes, and cameras.

So what's my latest review, now that it's 2002? A baby stroller.

Baby Trend's Sit-N-Stand LX stroller may be one of a kind -- and it's a good stroller that could have been much better. I've yet to encounter the perfect double stroller (this isn't it yet), which is funny, since most parents would seem to need one for at least a short time if they have more than one child.

I couldn't find another model with a standard stroller seat in front and something that let the child in the back sit or stand. (A similar Cosco model has been recalled because it's prone to collapse.) In theory, and some of the time in practice, this is the perfect buggy for our two- and four-year-old daughters. Yet it annoys me for a number of reasons too, and my wife finds it almost unusable outdoors.

If you have two kids -- either twins or of differing toddler/preschooler ages, the Sit-N-Stand is worth considering. But try it out on some sloped or rough ground and know what you're getting into. You might prefer a more traditional double stroller, or a jog stroller -- or maybe your oldest should walk. This stroller is not suitable for infants who can't yet sit up, and I would recommend it only for kids at least 18 months old in most circumstances.

Good points (quite a number)

• Mostly metal construction, solid, but with some flex. The design seems odd at first, but it generally works.
• A flexible restraint system. Either child can safely ride either belted or not. In addition to standard child lap belts, there is a soft roll bar and crotch strap in the front and a neat clip-strap across the rear, which a child can lean against while standing to keep from falling off the back. My youngest even occasionally falls asleep in the rear facing backwards, with her head leaning against this strap, padded by a blanket.
• The bottom bin is decently big and simple to access when the front seat is up, by sliding the plastic rear seat back to reveal the top of the bin.
• The front wheels lock for gravel or rough pavement, or unlock for tight spaces in stores or malls.
• The short wheelbase makes it about the same size as many single strollers -- good for tight store aisles and the trunk of the car.
• Even with the front seat leaned back for a sleeping toddler, the child on the back can still stand (though not sit).
• The grab handles on the sides at the back help kids steady themselves, and also make a great place to hang diaper bags, groceries, etc.
• The kids can climb in or out of either seat easily. The back is particularly nice: just a low step.
• With either seat empty, or with the kids "reversed" (oldest in front, youngest in back) the stroller is still well balanced, although lifting up onto a curb with a four-year-old in front takes some strength.
• The handle is a good height, even for a 6'1" guy like me.
• Once you get the hang of it (undo two strong metal clips, then grab the handle and front bar, closing the stroller like a book), folding and unfolding the stroller is super-fast and very easy. Just don't forget the clips afterwards, or a folded stroller may pop open -- and worse, an un-clipped one may try to fold up with kids inside.
• In Canada, where I live, these strollers are pretty rare, and people ask about them all the time, so the resale value seems very good because of the Sit-N-Stand's uniqueness.

Bad points (few, but possible showstoppers)

• Steering is horrible. The wheels seem too small for the design, and even when the front ones are locked, the stroller drifts to one side or the other on even the slightest grade or rough sidewalk. The flex in the frame is good for the stroller's strength, but makes steering a test of your own power. One-handed strollering (while holding a drink or a phone, or reaching for a wet wipe) puts noticeable strain on my wrist, while two hands are manageable but still sometimes painful, and I'm a professional drummer with strong arms. My wife won't take this stroller anywhere outside -- it works fine on flat smooth surfaces in the mall, but on even a new sidewalk with any sort of hill, she hates it because of how it torques her arms and (bad) back.
• The front foot-flap is too small, with not enough of a horizontal platform. My two year old is not a big girl, but if she falls asleep her feet dangle off the front of the stroller, whether she's belted or not, laid back or sitting up. On a number of occasions I've caught her feet under the front of the buggy while doing something as gentle as pushing the stroller down into a driveway cut in the sidewalk, waking her up crying and holding her feet. At even a mild speed (jogging for a Walk sign, for instance) she might even get a significant ankle injury. I have to watch carefully now at any slope or obstacle if I have a sleepy toddler in there.
• The cover is a mere arch, with no rear flap or ability to fold down over the front seat, so I sometimes flop a blanket over top to shield my youngest. There is no easy way to shield the back seat fron the sun or rain. When it's wet, I simply give each kid an umbrella rather than try to wrestle with a plastic tarp.
• With both kids seated, getting at the bin to retrieve a sweater or pack some groceries is a pain -- you have to stretch down the mesh side and worm your way in.

I haven't yet tried to wash the fabric, so I'm not sure if it's all removable. If not, that's bad. If so, that's good!

How it could improve

Two things would make this a vastly better stroller (a 4 or 5 on the scale):

1. Bigger wheels that steer better, or at least stay straight. I'd prefer a rock-solid pram-style non-steerable axle with dinner-plate wheels on each end to the wandering sloppiness there now.
2. A better front foot flap that keeps a sleeping kid's feet from getting mangled.

My other quibbles are minor.

Would I buy this stroller again? Probably -- only because there's nothing else quite like it -- but my wife wouldn't. If there were a functional alternative at a similar price that addressed the two issues above, I'd buy that instead in a second.

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