Convenient, but Heavy... City Select vs. City Mini GT Double
February 24, 2015
We bought our City Select in 2012 when we were expecting our second son (our first was just under two years old). It was the perfect option for our growing family. I loved the big storage basket, the carseat adaptor, and all the different seat configurations for when both our boys were in bigger. I must say we put it to the test for the past two and a half years, It was great for trips... we would check one stroller seat and one carseat. Then, we would actually set one of the toddler carseats in front, facing forward, and put our other child in the CS seat facing us to stroll through the airport when we were leaving for vacation. That way we didn't have to lug the carseat all the way to the gate to use it on the plane. We used the huge storage basket as a shopping cart on many occasions and without any seats to transfer groceries from the car to the house. We used it on all terrains and it held up well. My major complaints came when folding it down... it is heavy. It's way easier to fold it without the seats so it would take me forever to take the seats off and fold it then put them back on when building it. When I'm in a parking lot and have two kids in the car, I want to get in and out as quickly as possible. Albeit, I'm not very strong and folding the stroller with the seats didn't seem to bug my husband much, but I was the one using it most. Next, the seats do not accommodate growing toddlers well, we just sold ours because our four year old was way too big for the seat. He could bend his legs and rest them on the foot bar but his head was over the back edge, and depending on his mood he would drop his feet and touch the ground to stop us while we were pushing. He's not a huge four-year-old by any means, slightly above average in height and weight. Also, the stroller had a smooth ride, but was pretty difficult to maneuver due to the length of the stroller and the weight of the kids. Definitely needed a ramp for even the slightest curbs.So, we just bought the city mini double GT since it has a larger capacity for both seats. My boys love sitting next to each other. The seats accommodate both of them perfectly (my four year old actually has room to grow!). They are super padded, recline completely, and have way longer sun canopies. Both boys nap in them almost every time we use it. It folds in one step, but is still pretty heavy. It is much easier to maneuver and push, and handles curbs like a champ. But, it is definitely a little wider so it can't fit into as tight of spaces as the city select. Most door ways are a bit of a squeeze, it feels wider than a standard shopping cart. Also, I'm missing the huge underneath basket the CS had. In addition, they weigh about the same, but the city select feels a lot more durable. The GT definitely suits our needs better now, but I'm glad we had the city select when the kids were small. And let's be honest, the City Select looks a million times better than the City Mini GT. Hope this review helps anyone debating between the two!
Pros
- Versatile
- Good looking
- Durable
- Huge Underneath storage basket
Best Uses
- Walking
- Shopping
- Light jogging or paved hikes
- Daily use
Cons
- Difficult to fold
- Heavy
- Difficult to maneuver