The Best Double Stroller? Ours Had to Last Longer Without Taking Up More Space
We've already owned a double stroller.
So when we started using the Austlen Entourage, we weren't comparing it to some imaginary idea of what a double stroller should be.
We knew exactly what we wanted to improve.
My husband noticed the practical things first.
The way the wheels lock straight when we roll it into the car.
The fact that we don't have to remove the seats before folding it.
How it takes up less space than our previous double.
I noticed something else.
The kids aren't going to outgrow this one nearly as quickly.
Put all of that together, and the Entourage has become our best double for a pretty simple reason:
It gives us more of what our growing family needs without making us deal with more stroller than we want.
My Husband's Favorite Feature Might Be the Wheels
It's funny which stroller features become important once you're actually using one every day.
My husband especially loves that the Entourage's front wheels can lock straight when we're putting it into the car.
Once the stroller is folded, we can stand it behind the vehicle, lock the wheels straight and roll or slide it into the cargo area rather than having to pick up the entire stroller and hoist it inside.
It's one of those little design details that probably wouldn't have been at the top of our stroller-shopping checklist.
Now?
We appreciate it every time we load the car.
And We Don't Have to Take the Seats Off First
This might be an even bigger difference from other doubles we've used.
No seats have to be removed to fold the Entourage.
When we're using the Primary Seat and optional Second Seat, both can stay attached.
Fold.
Load.
Go.
That sounds simple because it should be simple.
But with two kids, I'm very aware of every extra piece that has to be removed from a stroller and then separately stored somewhere in the car.
A double stroller that folds smaller after you remove one of its seats isn't necessarily giving me a smaller total package.
I still have to put that seat somewhere.
With the Entourage, the seats fold with the stroller.
And despite that, it takes up less space than our previous double.
That's the kind of compact fold that matters to us.
The Weight Limits Were a Big Deal to Me
My favorite difference is what happens as our kids get bigger.
Even in the traditional double configuration, the Entourage gives us impressive longevity.
The Primary Seat holds up to 65 pounds, while the optional rear Second Seat holds up to 40 pounds.
Compared with our previous stroller, I love having higher seat capacity available.
But the configuration I'm especially excited about is the Sit + Stand.
The Entourage's Sit + Stand is rated up to 75 pounds and gives a bigger child two ways to ride: a Jump Seat for sitting and an integrated Platform Rider for standing.
That means our stroller doesn't stop being useful for two children simply because our older child eventually outgrows a traditional stroller seat.
We can change the way that child rides instead.
Double Today. Sit + Stand Tomorrow.
That's probably the biggest reason I think of the Entourage as our best single to double to Sit and Stand stroller.
We can use the Primary Seat and Second Seat when two traditional seats make sense.
As our older child gets bigger, we can remove the Second Seat and replace it with the Sit + Stand.
Then, instead of being strapped into another traditional stroller seat, our bigger kid can step onto the Platform Rider when a ride is needed or sit on the Jump Seat when it's time for a real break.
And the Sit + Stand stays attached when we fold the stroller, too.
Eventually, when our older child doesn't need to ride anymore, we can remove the rear accessory, retract the patented expandable frame and use the Entourage as a single.
Single. Double. Sit + Stand. Then back to single.
That's a lot of stages for one stroller to cover.
And it's why I'm confident we'll be using ours for many years.
Then There's All the Stuff Two Kids Bring
Two children don't just require more seating.
They somehow generate an astonishing amount of stuff.
That's another area where the Entourage feels different.
The lower storage area holds up to 70 pounds, and the included Market Tote adds another 30 pounds of removable storage.
Together, that's up to 100 pounds of dedicated cargo capacity, with up to 200 pounds of kids + cargo capacity across the appropriately configured stroller.
But what makes this our best stroller for storage isn't just the number.
It's the way that storage is designed.
The Entourage's expandable lower cargo area isn't boxed in like a typical small stroller basket. The open cargo rails make it possible to accommodate larger, bulkier items that simply wouldn't fit inside many conventional stroller baskets.
So whether we're carrying diaper bags, groceries, sports gear, a cooler or other bulky family necessities, we have somewhere useful to put them.
And as the stroller expands, so does the space available for our family.
More Capacity Doesn't Have to Mean a Bigger Stroller Forever
That's one of my favorite things about the Entourage design.
When you hear 200-pound total capacity, 70-pound lower storage, 65-pound Primary Seat and 75-pound Sit + Stand, you might picture an enormous stroller.
But we don't have to push around its largest configuration all the time.
The chassis expands when we need the additional room and retracts when we don't.
And once our older child completely outgrows riding, we're not left with a permanently long or wide double stroller.
We can take off the rear seating accessory, retract the frame and keep using it for our younger child.
For us, longevity isn't just about whether the stroller itself will last.
It's whether the design will still make sense several years from now.
Why It's Our Best Double and Best Stroller for Storage
Here's what makes the Entourage our best double, best stroller for storage and best single to double to Sit and Stand stroller:
- Primary Seat holds up to 65 lbs, providing exceptional longevity for a traditional stroller seat
- Optional Second Seat holds up to 40 lbs, giving us two traditional seats when that's the configuration we need
- Sit + Stand holds up to 75 lbs, extending two-child use well into the bigger-kid years
- Jump Seat + integrated Platform Rider, giving an older child the choice to sit or stand
- No seats need to be removed for folding, so our double configuration folds as one package
- Sit + Stand can stay attached when folding, eliminating another loose piece to load separately
- Straight-locking front wheels, making it easy to roll or slide the folded stroller into our vehicle
- 70-lb lower storage capacity, giving us serious room for everyday family gear
- Included Market Tote holds another 30 lbs, bringing dedicated cargo capacity to as much as 100 pounds
- Open, expandable cargo area, allowing us to accommodate bulky items that wouldn't fit inside a typical enclosed stroller basket
- Up to 200-lb kids + cargo capacity, designed for the reality of bigger kids and all their stuff
- Expandable and retractable chassis, providing extra room when we need it without locking us into a permanent double-stroller footprint
- A path back to a single, so the stroller can remain useful after our oldest stops riding
One Stroller, A Lot of Years Ahead
Our previous double gave us a pretty good idea of what we did and didn't want from the next one.
We wanted something that was easier to put in the car.
Something that didn't require us to remove seats every time we folded it.
Something with plenty of storage without taking over our vehicle.
And, most importantly for me, something our kids weren't going to outgrow too quickly.
The Entourage checks all of those boxes.
Right now, we can use it as a traditional double.
As our oldest gets bigger, we have the higher-capacity Sit + Stand waiting for that next stage.
And eventually, we'll retract it and keep using it as a single for our younger child.
Our family loves this stroller.
And knowing how many different stages are still ahead of us?
I'm pretty sure we're going to love it for a long time.
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