Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem Stroller, Ruby

good for twins not siblings
the stroller would work good with twins i guess,
my daughter difference is 13 months and my older one
almost grew out of it.
we returned the product

Had higher expectations for it
I bought this stroller while I was pregnant with my second child. Never having to use a double stroller before, I didn't know what to look for in buying one. I saw a family with this and asked them how they liked it. They gave it rave reviews so after reading up on it more I decided to purchase it. I didn't want a side by side because I feared it would hog store aisles and sidewalks. That being said, this stroller still cannot fit through clothing sections at department stores. Since it's so long you have to strategically place it away from where you're shopping, which I do not like not having my kids right next to me. It's akward to take into restrooms to change diapers because there's no where to put it without it being in the way of others. **My biggest complaint with this stroller is that the company did not give the construction of the handle much thought. They used screws to assemble the handle bar to the arms. Both screw faces have snapped off(at different times) and we've had to replace them with a stronger temper screw. Also, the drink carrier should have fasteners to secure it to the backside of the handle because it has popped off on me a few times.**

Likes:
Seats are comfy, can recline, and can be put on in any combination
The basket underneath has lots of room for storage
It's easy to steer(see dislikes below)
It comes with a carseat adapter(which fits MOST carseat brands)
It has a 3 point harness system
The canopies are nice and thick and keep out the sun
The bar, over the child, unlatches so you can pull the child out easier

Dislikes:
With the seats reclined(both facing the same direction), one child is laying on top of the other
It's difficult to steer the more weight you have in it
It takes up alot of space when storing or transporting
It doesn't come with food trays
It's long(you have to do 2+ point-turns to get it in & out of elevators)
Parts of it feel cheap

Best Double Stroller
Amazing just about covers it. I have this stroller in red and it is just beautiful. I have 2 other double strollers in the garage that I had purchased before finding this one. I only needed to use the other strollers once to know that they were horrible and only had to use this stroller once to know I had finally struck gold. The best things about this stroller are:

*The many different options in the seat configuration. Anyone with more than 1 child knows that somedays your kids are in love with each other and will not do anything without the other one and then there are the days were you think they might actually kill each other. I can face them and they keep each other occupied or turn them back to back.

*The seats themselves are great. Plenty of room for toddlers or infants. The adjustable footrest is wonderful.

*Very roomy. It's like each child gets their own front seat. No more fighting over who gets to actually enjoy their ride! Other double stroller have no room for whichever poor child gets stuck in the back. They cant see anything or even move their feet. I can't tell you how many shoes I've lost because my daughter tried to move her feet and they got stuck on the front seat.

*A large basket that you can actually use. It doesn't matter how big of a basket they put on other doubles because you can't use any of it except a tiny little spot thats free in the back.

*Great manuverability. Comfortable to push. We live in a small out of the way community where not all the roads are paved and the ones that are most of the time need some serious work and this stroller takes the abuse well and my daughter doesn't complain about the bumps.

I do have to admit that I drive a large vehicle so I have never had to try and fit it in the trunk of a car. However I have had no problems with folding the stroller for storage. It doesn't take up more room than any other double I have had.

BOTTOM LINE: GET THIS STROLLER YOU WON'T BE SORRY

After 3 years - still happy, would buy again
I personally cannot understand the negative reviews. I "studied" the stroller before purchase and once it arrived (3 years ago), I simply got used to it, and was fine. Never ever I had a problem in removing one seat in order to fold and fit the stroller into our SUV. It would also fit a smaller car, and it does. Nowadays, it is recommended to measure car and stroller before purchase. I know lots of twin parents who do that. They either purchase the car according to the strollers size (no kidding here), or purchase the stroller according to the trunk width.
When getting this stroller, I was the most excited Mom ever. I was thrilled by the options and still am. I would always get it again, looking back. No other stroller had caught my attention more than this one. And I did look at other strollers. I personally dislike side-by-side strollers (too squeezed for two bigger kids), or no space to get through doors and more. So, Tandem was always my option as main stroller, and the nice thing is that both children always have space. My kids, if needed, will still use this stroller, and they still fit inside just fine.
Since this stroller can be taken apart, it has made my life very easy in an apartment upstairs. I was able to carry it upstairs, either in two hands or walking twice without too much effort, and I could put the seats into the bath tub to wash with soap and let it dry. Nothing happened to the seats. It looks as new, and I did that quite a few times, since kids can be really messy, including throw-ups.

My unpacking experience 3 years back was great. I had no issues at all, and once I got replacement parts, because the lid on the parent tray broke off (no issue, this can happen), there was no issue at all. In my handbook it says that one seat replacement is 25 Dollars. I mean, if this is not worth it, then I don't know what is... Which other stroller can do that?
Oh, and it can still be used for one child only later on.

I love this stroller, and especially the option of moving the seats all ways. Fantastic ! The children had to adjust once the legs grew longer and we wanted them to look at each other, but we knew that upon purchase... however did not use that option too long. Later though, my kids enjoyed compromising, and having space, and switch seats. Even with 3 years of age and older (as I said), I used this stroller for some day-trips, where the kids could fall asleep later on, and I could keep walking.

Recommend this stroller. I wish someone will love it as much as we have enjoyed it.

~*~*~PROS & CONS~I LOVE IT BUT ITS MISSING SOME MAJOR CONVENIENCES~*~*~
My husband and I do Love this stroller but we've realized there are some major things missing that other strollers have. To some, it might not be a big deal but to others it will be. We've been using this for over a year with twins(started using them when they were 5 months & they're now 17 months)

CONS
*No Food Tray-this was something I never thought about when I was pregnant & looking for strollers(1st time parent) but there have been many instances where having a food tray would have really helped. Like we just took a trip to the Zoo and there were no highchairs or anything and since their seats didn't have a tray we had to hold them on our lap(it was not an easy task) 2 of our friends went with us and both their strollers had trays and their kids(same age as ours) just sat in theirs and happily ate. It doesn't state that there is a feeding tray so I can't be mad about it, I'm just trying to let people who probably don't think about things like that know. Had I known what I know now, I would have gotten a stroller w/ the feeding trays...and a place for them to have a cup would have been nice too.

*You can't change a diaper in these seats. Another thing we never thought of. There are many places you will go where there is no convenient or clean place to change a baby. My best friends stroller folds completely flat so you can change a baby, we ended up using her stroller to change our girls at the Zoo.

*The front canopy takes up the back passengers space if it isn't up all the way. We always put the bigger of our girls in the back and she's constantly kicking the canopy since it falls on her legs. Not a huge deal but certainly annoying for the back rider.

*They always have to be strapped in which makes them really hot. This wasn't as big of a deal when my girls were smaller and couldn't hold themselves up as well but now that they can they don't like to be strapped down, they end up getting really fussy because they get really hot. Again, my best friends seat has a bar between the legs so she doesn't have to be strapped in. I started just strapping the waist & crotch strap on them instead of the arm straps too. I tried not strapping them in but the way the seats are they just fall right out the bottom.


PROS
*Turning the seats any direction is really handy, especially if it's really sunny out, you can turn them away from the sun. (it would be even more handy if you didn't have to take the seat off to do this, if you could just swivel the seat w/them in it)

*Reclining Seats. They don't recline so you can change a diaper but they do recline so they can take a nap. You just pull on the handle at the top of the seat and easily recline them. My girls have taken many naps in this, definately a plus. A sleepy baby is not a happy baby and I think a stroller w/ reclining seats for naps is a must. BOTH of these seats recline the same and have several different levels of recline, a lot of double strollers only have 1 reclining seat or 1 just barely reclines so one kid gets a comfy reclined nap and the other wouldn't.

*All Terrain Wheels. We've had this on every kind of terrain and its usually pretty darn easy to push, gravel, grass, hills, woods, nothing has been a problem yet. We've been on trails in the woods where other people w/ strollers were, they were struggling to push theirs and we were easily breezing right by.

*Durable. This thing is solid & very durable, both the frame & the material. Definately something that will last a very long time. We did have the parent tray crack & fall off after a couple months of use(thats kind of cheap) but I sent the company an email and they sent me a replacement at no charge to me & w/ no hassle.

*It looks nice. We get compliments on this all the time. And pushing a bright red double stroller w/ twins will definately get you noticed...so if you don't like attention, you might not want to get this ; )

Overall, its a great stroller but you need to think what your family will be using this stroller for. In our case, not having the feeding trays and having to strap them in all the time are the biggest cons & the main reason I took off 2 stars.

My message to Kolcraft: This would be the perfect stroller with just a few changes/additions. I've noticed with the new Contours Options II that the seats are supposed to be roomier, thats a plus. And also that there are now cupholders for the kids seats, another plus. Also that the umbrellas adjust, another plus. Now if you would just make a feeding tray and have a strap/bar between the legs so older babies/toddlers didn't have to be strapped in, you would have the Perfect stroller...at least in my opinion :)

Let me know if you have any questions about this and I'll try to help you out : )