Top pick
This stroller excels in maneuverability as the narrowest side-by-side model we tested. It puts the kids in equal-size seats, lets them both recline, and has a notably simple fold.
The simple but effective Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 Double Stroller basically takes one of our full-size stroller picks, the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 All-Terrain Stroller, and doubles it. This safe, sturdy stroller is one of the most comfortable double models for both kids, with deep, reclining seats and generous, separate canopies.
It’s easy to push and use. The double City Mini GT2 is the narrowest (slightly less than 30 inches) and lightest (27.8 pounds) side-by-side stroller we tried. Narrower models exist, but we found that they had low weight limits or uncomfortable seats. Most side-by-sides seem to come close to the 30-inch mark, and while all of them fit through standard exterior doorways in our tests, we found that even a quarter inch could make the difference between fitting through an interior doorway easily or having to shove or wiggle our way in.
The City Mini GT2 Double Stroller can hold up to 100 pounds of combined kid weight, so it should carry both kids well into school age. In our maneuverability course, only the true jogging doubles, with their bigger, air-filled tires and more robust suspension, offered easier pushing and turning and handled uneven terrain better than the double City Mini GT2, which felt smoother and more effortless to push compared with other regular side-by-sides. Its four 8-inch EVA tire wheels are comparable to those of our tandem pick, the Chicco BravoFor2, but unlike that stroller, it has front-wheel suspension.
Both seats are comfortable and adjustable, and they offer versatile configuration options. Because the side-by-side seats give each child an equal position with lots of legroom, the double City Mini GT2 is comfortable for both kids, including older twins. With the pull of a buckle, the seats easily recline separately to near-flat plus any of three intermediate positions; to bring them back up, you use both hands to pull on the strap ends. The seat backs are made of a softer fabric than those of its predecessor. And they each have a canopy, so little nappers won’t get too hot in warm weather and can stay protected from the wind when it’s cold out. Each seat has its own UPF 50+ canopy, which extends far enough to provide real shade and includes a peekaboo window. One child can lean back, shaded for a nap, while the other can sit up and look out at the world.
The double City Mini GT2 can accommodate one infant car seat of many brands—though just one—and you can attach the Baby Jogger Glider Board for a third, standing passenger. You can also use this stroller from birth with the seat reclined and without a car seat, which means you could technically use this stroller with twins; if you wanted to move your sleeping twins from the car to the stroller without waking them, however, that would be possible for only one child.
Baby Jogger makes two car seat adapters, sold separately, so make sure to read the product details carefully and check the company’s compatibility chart (PDF) to confirm that you’re getting the right adapter for the kind of car seat you have.
This stroller offers an awesomely quick one-step fold, much like that of its single sibling. To collapse it, you just grab the straps in the middle of the seats with both hands and pull up. It folds quite flat and locks automatically in that position, and we found that it could stand on its own when folded if the wheels were facing the right way. In our tests it fit in both an SUV trunk with lots of room to spare and a compact hatchback with space for other bags and gear. It was also the easiest model to assemble of all the double strollers we tested, taking only ten minutes.
The City Mini GT2 Double Stroller comes in two colors, jet black and pike gray. Its frame has a lifetime warranty, while the other parts have a one-year warranty. It’s the only stroller among our picks here whose fabric you can easily remove and machine-wash.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Like all side-by-side models, this stroller is wide. We tried and failed to use it in a shoe store where the aisles were crowded with piled-up boxes. We also had to park the stroller when touring a 1908 historic Minneapolis mansion because the doorways were too small to get through without scraping.
Its storage basket is divided by a bar. During a beach day, we found ourselves fighting to pull towels and blankets out of the base, nearly knocking the whole stroller over in the process, and even a large backpack was hard to fit.
It doesn’t accept infant car seats from all of the major brands. Notably, it doesn’t work with most Chicco and Graco infant car seats, including our picks. Though Baby Jogger says that the double City Mini GT2 is suitable for use from birth, parents often wait to use a stroller like this without a car seat attached until the baby is at least able to hold their head up, generally around 6 months old. The manual also warns caregivers not to use the seats in the upright position until the kids are at least 6 months old.
The buckles are some of the hardest to fasten among the double strollers we tested. Even so, they were still easier to attach than those on the tandem Contours Options Elite V2 Double Stroller. Both strollers have harness components that you must carefully thread together before you can buckle them. Baby Jogger, which now shares a parent company with Graco, changed the design of its restraint buckles after a 2009 recall, so if you’re purchasing one of these strollers secondhand, be sure to check the year.
Key specs
Assembly time: 10 minutes
Weight: 22.4 pounds
Frame dimensions: 48 by 32.7 by 44.3 inches (LWH)
Folded size: 30.1 by 30.5 by 12.6 inches (LWH)
Child weight, height limit: 50 pounds, 19.5 inches
Car-seat compatibility without adapter: variable but limited; view chart (PDF)
Wheel diameter: 8.5 inches
Add-on accessories: Glider Board, Belly Bar, car seat adapters
