The Best Stroller for Babies, Dogs and a Family Planning for Baby #2
My husband calls it the Cadillac of strollers.
And honestly, I get it.
When we first got our Austlen Entourage, we loved how nice it looked. It has that polished, high-end feel you want when you're investing in something you'll use constantly.
But now that we've actually been using it?
It's everything the stroller lets us do that I love even more.
One of my favorite examples is something that probably wasn't at the top of the traditional stroller checklist:
Taking our baby AND our dogs for a walk.
Because apparently in our house, "family walk" means everybody comes.
The Best Stroller for Babies and Dogs? We Think So.
When we head out for a walk, our baby obviously gets the best seat in the house.
But our dogs are part of the family, too.
And sometimes those little legs need a break.
That's where the Entourage's expandable frame and incredible cargo capacity have been such a fun surprise.
With our baby riding safely in the Primary Seat, we can expand the Entourage to create a huge cargo area behind it. Our dogs can ride, too! One in the lower storage basket, and one in the cargo bag zipped up halfway, while we walk.
So instead of choosing between a stroller walk with the baby and an outing that includes the dogs, we can bring everybody.
It's one of those configurations that perfectly demonstrates why I think the Entourage is the best stroller for babies and dogs.
And when the dogs want to walk again?
They can get out, and suddenly we have all that space for everything else we're bringing.
The Storage Is on Another Level
This might be the feature that surprises people most when they first see our stroller.
The Entourage's lower storage basket can hold up to 70 pounds, and the included Market Tote adds another 30 pounds of dedicated cargo capacity.
Altogether, the Entourage can carry up to 200 pounds of kids + cargo when appropriately configured.
That's why I'd absolutely put it in the running for the stroller with the best storage capacity.
We're not talking about squeezing a diaper bag underneath a stroller seat and calling it storage.
There's room for the stuff that comes with actually leaving the house as a family.
Diaper bag.
Jackets.
Groceries.
Picnic supplies.
Cooler.
Folding chairs.
Baby gear.
Dog gear.
And, yes, sometimes the dogs themselves.
But We Didn't Just Buy This Stroller for the Family We Have Today
Here's the part that really helped us justify the investment.
We plan to have another child in the future.
Right now, the Entourage works beautifully for our baby. The Primary Seat is rated from birth all the way up to 65 pounds, so there's already a huge range of use built into the stroller.
But when we have another baby someday, we won't have to start stroller shopping all over again.
The stroller we already own can adapt.
And that's probably my favorite thing about it.
From One Baby to Two Kids
If we eventually have two little ones who both need traditional stroller seats, we can add the Second Seat, which is designed for children from 6 months up to 40 pounds.
That gives us a true double stroller.
And then, we might reach a point when our oldest doesn't really need a traditional stroller seat anymore.
That's where the Sit + Stand comes in.
Instead of being strapped into a second seat every time we go somewhere, an older child can stand on the integrated Platform Rider, sit on the Jump Seat when they get tired, or hop off and walk when they're ready.
The Sit + Stand is designed for children beginning around age 2.5 with appropriate balance and coordination and supports up to 75 pounds.
So we're not committing ourselves to one idea of what a two-child family will look like.
We have options.
Why I Think It's the Best Single to Double to Sit and Stand Stroller
A lot can change between having your first baby and the day your youngest child finally outgrows a stroller.
That's a long stretch of family life.
And that's why I love that the Entourage doesn't just convert from a single into one particular double configuration.
It can be a single stroller for the baby we have today.
It can become a traditional double stroller with the Second Seat when we have two little ones.
Then, as our oldest becomes more independent, we can switch the Second Seat for the Sit + Stand, giving that child both a seated Jump Seat and a standing Platform Rider.
Eventually, when only our youngest needs the stroller, we can take the rear seating off and retract the frame again.
That's what I want from the best single to double to Sit and Stand stroller.
Not a stroller that's merely capable of adding another child.
A stroller that can adapt as what our family needs from it changes.
Even the Frame Changes With What We're Doing
This is another feature that's hard to appreciate until you actually use it.
The Entourage's patented frame expands and retracts.
So we don't have to push around a giant double stroller just because we might have two children someday.
Today, we can use it with one baby and retract it to the footprint of a single stroller.
Want to bring the dogs?
Expand it.
Need extra cargo space?
Expand it.
Eventually need room for a Second Seat or Sit + Stand?
Reconfigure it.
Don't need the extra space today?
Retract it again.
The stroller changes based on what we're actually doing.
And It Still Feels Like the "Cadillac of Strollers"
I think that's what my husband was getting at when he gave it the nickname.
It's not just about how it looks, although we definitely love that part.
It feels thoughtfully designed.
It pushes beautifully.
It feels substantial and high-quality.
And the different configurations don't feel like afterthoughts added to a basic stroller.
They're part of the system.
We bought a beautiful stroller for one baby, but what we actually got was something that can carry our baby and an incredible amount of gear, bring our dogs along for the ride, become a double when our family expands, and then change again as those children get bigger.
That's a lot more than I expected from a stroller.
Why the Entourage Works So Well for Our Family
Here's why we'd call the Entourage our best single to double to Sit and Stand stroller, stroller with the best storage capacity, and best stroller for babies and dogs:
- Single → double → Sit + Stand adaptability, so we can use the same stroller with one baby, two younger children, or a younger child + bigger kid
- Patented expandable and retractable frame, creating extra room when we need it and returning to a single-stroller footprint when we don't
- 70-lb lower storage basket, with enough capacity for serious family gear and, for us, even a place for our dogs to ride
- Included Market Tote with 30-lb capacity, adding even more dedicated storage
- Up to 200 lbs of kids + cargo capacity, giving us tremendous flexibility for family outings
- Primary Seat rated from birth to 65 lbs, so we can use it directly with our baby now
- Second Seat rated from 6 months to 40 lbs, giving us a traditional double option if we have another baby
- Sit + Stand rated up to 75 lbs, with both a Jump Seat for sitting and integrated Platform Rider for standing as our future older child becomes more independent
- Easy reconfiguring, so we can change the stroller based on who's coming along and what we're carrying
- Premium look, feel and smooth push, earning it the nickname "Cadillac of strollers" in our house
- Long-term versatility, so adding another child doesn't mean buying another stroller
One Stroller for the Family We Have...and the One We're Planning
When we bought the Entourage, I knew it was an investment.
But I also knew we hoped to have another child.
The idea of buying a premium stroller now and potentially replacing it with another stroller once baby #2 arrives didn't make much sense to me.
Instead, we invested in one that already gives us what we need today.
Right now, that's a beautiful single stroller for our baby with enough storage to bring a truly ridiculous amount of stuff along with us.
Or our dogs.
Someday, it might be a traditional double with two little ones riding.
A few years later, it could be our youngest up front while our bigger kid alternates between walking, standing and sitting on the Sit + Stand.
And eventually, it can retract again when we're back to just one child who needs a ride.
I don't know exactly what our family walks will look like a few years from now.
But I love knowing I don't have to buy another stroller to find out.
For us, that's what makes the Entourage the best single to double to Sit and Stand stroller, the stroller with the best storage capacity, and definitely the best stroller for babies and dogs.
And according to my husband?
Still the Cadillac of strollers.
Image provided by customer is for illustrative purposes. To read their review and other customer reviews, click here.