Customer Reviews

Contours Options Tandem II Stroller, Tangerine

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am not one to review items, but I had such a hard time choosing a double stroller that I thought I'd share my experience. My children are 15 months apart and when I started looking for a double stroller that would meet all of my needs (especially with my PegPerego infant car seat), I had the hardest time. I borrowed my sister-in-laws Joovy to see if that would work for me before I bought it. It absolutely didn't. First the infant car seat attachment was fine, but when I used that my 15 month old couldn't sit on the bench. And being so young it was way too hard to either have him hold on and stand or not run away from me at the mall (which he is at the age that he thinks that's funny). He's really too young to ride on the bench even when it is accessible. So then I considered getting a Joovy triple with 2 seats, but the thought of such a long stroller was awful and I read that a lot of people had trouble fitting it in their trunks.

So I tried out this stroller, bought it and I love it. It is easy to push (even with 50 pounds of kids/car seat (my now 18-mo old is 29 lbs. plus my 3 month old and car seat). The canopy adjusts which is nice for my 95th percentile child and its comforable for everyone when the car seat is attached. I'd read before other people mention it wasn't deep enough or long enough for their large children, but this seat is actually deeper than the Joovy and my son's legs fit just fine. The basket is great and I usually put my VERY large diaper bag inbetween the seats in the middle. A new feature is the cup holder for the kids which is great, but I wish they had a snack tray (which is why I only gave it 4 stars). Plus I love the parent tray/cup holder. The iPod dock thing is basically just speakers for your iPod, so don't get too excited about that new feature! I guess all I can say is that this stroller works for me!

I did TONS of research on the previous model, Kolcraft Contours Tandem, and I loved everything about it. So I was ready to buy the original model used from someone but then I found that they had a NEW model and had improved all the minor things that some of the ladies complained about the first model (canopy not tall enough, seats not deep enough, no cup holders for toddlers, etc.) So I couldn't bring myself to get the older model when the new model had fixed all the things that people wanted changed from the first model! But since it was a new model I would never be able to find it used...so I gave in and bought it new and WOW I love it! The wheels are my favorite part, super smooth and the front wheels turn on a dime! You have a million options for switching the seats and customizing them to your toddler or infant, this stroller is a dream come true for me. TONS of storage underneath also! I have no complaints, I love this stroller!

I read all the reviews and I'm wondering how no one has mentioned that the seats aren't high enough. I bought this stroller for my two and a half old and four month old. And when I laid my older son back to fall asleep on our walk home I saw that his head hangs over the top of the seat! How is a child supposed to sleep with a bar in the back of his head! And my son is not tall at all for his age. Why have such a high canopy, but a low seat back! Gonna try to return it. I really liked all the other features but i have to say that my kid not being able to sleep comfortably is a deal breaker.

Just had my third child, so I guess you'd say I'm an "experienced" mom and have gone through tons of strollers and baby products. We researched like crazy before buying this stroller, and I am thrilled with it. Here's my pros/cons list...

Pros: variable seat positions, carseat adapter fits almost any infant carseat (I have a Chicco Keyfit 30 and it fits just fine), cup holders, VERY sturdy frame, huge storage basket, handles very well, nice looking (I get complimented quite often about it)

Cons: no trays for snacks/toys, you have to remove one seat or the carseat adapter for it to fold (isn't a big deal once you get used to it though), doesn't fold down small (we have a van so we're fine with it, but if your car is small this might be impossible to get into your car).

Stuff that is common to all double strollers (other than umbrella ones): the are ALL heavy, they are ALL pretty big, and if you want something comfy for your kids its just gotta be a bit bulky. Someone complained that this was too long, but my word it's for 2 kids - it's gonna be long. If you prefer something compact I'd say get a Sit-N-Stand, or an umbrella stroller.

Anywho, highly recommended! Wonderful design.

I have worn out one double stroller and needed a new one. I looked at many strollers and finally decided on this one. I love it! As most reviews stated, it is heavier than smaller ones but I don't have any trouble with it. I feel that it is better quality and will last longer than the other one I had. I absolutely LOVE that both seats are full size w/full size canopies. The seats move easily and adjust with no problems. The only thing I would change is that it would be nice if the stroller folded down better with both seats attached. However, I would still purchase this same stroller again!

after much reviewing of double strollers that would accept two infant car seats we settled on this one because it would accept two infant car seats (when you purchase the other car seat adapter which does not match the color of the stroller) and the seats could be configured to different seating positions. we have a set of 11 week old twins and a little girl who just turned two in June so we needed something that would be versatile for both and we found it in this stroller. There are pros and cons to this stroller and here they are

Pros: 1. iPod docking station (I don't own one so that is not a pro for me)
2. reconfiguring seat arrangements
3. adjustable height canopies
4. padded shoulder strap covers that cover the chest and shoulders
5. extra large basket
6. peek a boo window on the canopies
7. easy to fold (pull up on the sliders located just below the handle)
and push on the grey pedal on the basket
8. easy to open (just flip it open)
9. nice size parent tray with two deep cup holders
10.one detachable cup holder per child seat
11.padded removeable safety bar per seat that swivels and opens to
access the child easier
12.rides on rough terrain fairly smooth

Cons: 1. front wheels can be removed and sometimes fall off when opening stroller
2. the seat itself is not long enough for older or taller children
3. there is not enough room to fully recline both seats at the same time
4. sometimes difficult to steer when there is a heavier child in the front
seat and a lighter child or infant in the back seat
5. heavy
6. shoulder straps do not tighten down tight enough even for my two year old
7. big and bulky (takes up the cargo area of my minivan)
8. have to remove the seats or infant carriers to fold compactly and
completely
9. when using both seats it's difficult to access the basket underneath the
stroller
10.when reclining the back seat you cannot elevate the foot rest because it
will hit the seat in front
11.when using the infant carrier in the backseat you cannot recline the front
seat because it hits the infant carrier

for the cost of the stroller and if you need something that will carry two infant seats this is a good stroller. If you need to carry one infant seat and an older child I would look into something else (just my opinion). This stroller will probably need to be replaced when my twins reach two to three years of age.
**UPDATE** I have been using this stroller for six months now and I'm liking it less and less. The wheels have become very squeaky and it has become more and more difficult to turn and steer...the wheels seems to get stuck in the sideway position and it takes a couple of maneuvers to get it to go straight. One of the clips that attach the canopy to the stroller seat have broken in half (the stroller seats were rarely used and were covered with plastic to protect them) and now we cannot use the canopy with one of the seats. I will be contacting the company to see if it is under warranty and if so hopefully they can send us a new canopy. I have also discovered with this stroller that the seats don't recline flat, rather they tilt so the baby is still in a sitting position and not truly lying flat. You cannot change diapers in this stroller because the seats do not go flat which is a big downer since we're always outside with no place to change diapers....i've gotten very good at changing diapers on my lap since I cannot use the stroller seat for that.

i, too, am a research fanatic before making purchases! i also love to get ideas from mothers who have 'gone before me' --- HOWEVER, this stroller goes against it all! before the baby was born, i was convinced that i needed to get a side-by-side for my girls (now 3 yrs old and 4 months old) so i went to a baby store to look at side-by-sides. it didn't take but just a minute to realize that you cannot shop in stores with those wide strollers! so i, against all recommendations, began looking at tandems. i actually purchased this kolkraft b/c it is one of the cheaper ones on the market and i thought "if i hate it like everyone says i will, then i won't be out so much money!" .....today, after using it multiple times every week for 4 months, i would buy it again and again. i would even buy it again if it cost twice as much!

now on to the pros and cons....
pros - #1 the seat situation is fabulous. i LOVE being able to position the seats to face whichever way i need them to. if the baby is awake, i face the girls towards each other so they can 'play/talk'. when the baby is sleeping, i turn the back seat towards me too so that my 3 yr old is also facing me (and she can also get in and out by herself this way). when my 3 yr old is walking, i leave a seat in the car and put the baby in the back seat closest to me then use the space in front for carrying stuff.....excellent.
#2 rubber wheels make for super easy steering **NOTE - it didn't take but one try to realize the big kid cannot go in the front!!! big kid must go in the back or else you're in for tough steering!** as long as the smallest kid is in the front, the stroller can be pushed and turned with only one hand -- the rubber wheels make it roll SO smoothly.
#3 big basket - while it is a little challenging to get to the basket sometimes, the basket is quite large and can hold alot of stuff! i do wish the back let down like on other strollers, but it's not too big a deal.
#4 huge parent tray - 2 deep cup holders and a rectangle that is big enough to hold cell phone, wipes, a toy, etc
#5 child cup holders - these snap off if/when you don't need them - but they are nice for holding any/everything
#6 easy fold up ONCE YOU GET USED TO IT! this was very frustrating for a while - but now i've figured it out and i can do it quickly and easily. hang in there - b/c it will make you MAD til you get used to it!
#7 big sun canopy on each seat and easy sliding adjustment for taller children - the canopy is attached to the back of each seat by velcro but it can easily be unsnapped for pulling around to the front of the seat
#8 seats recline almost all the way back. nice for little ones who can't hold their heads up well yet!
#9 car seat attachment easy to use

cons - (while i will list the 'cons' i still love love the stroller! just need to list the 'negatives' that come with a stroller of this size...)
#1 it's bulky and awkward when folded. when it folds up, it doesn't like to stand up like single strollers will. it kind of flops and collapses and it's a quite a bit heavier than a single stroller - don't forget how big it is!
#2 at first, difficult to fold up. like i mentioned in the 'pros', it was hard for me to figure out how to close it for a while. now it closes with ease - but it IS NOT a one-hand close. requires both hands for sure.
#3 seats could be considered 'short'. my 3 yr old is very tall for her age and she fits in the stroller fine - but the seats are not big enough for her to nap comfortably (which, i think, she is too old to do in a stroller anyway) she also knows that when she pulls the canopy over her head she has to slide down in the seat a little bit. not a big deal for us - but a fact

overall - i think this stroller is great, especially for the money!!!

Very cool stroller. I ordered it last week and just finished putting it together. After our first trip around the block, I have a couple of concerns: My primary complaint(s) are that the child carrier I have (Compass/Inglesina) will not work with this stroller, and that my 2 1/2 year old son is too tall for the seat. He is tall, but I excpect that even an average height child would outgrow these seats quickly. His head sits five inches above the back of the seat, and his feet dangle below the foot rest. On the positive side, it does appear to be well constructed, the basket is HUGE, and it is a smooth ride. I found it to be a breeze to put together, only needing a phillips head screwdriver. I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant and I had it together in less than a half hour. Overall, I think this stroller would be fantastic for a family with twins or children very close in age, but not so great for toddlers or preschool kids.

We have 7 month old twins, and have used it since day 1. In short, it is an excellent stroller for Twins, highly recommended. It has very high build quality and a lot of great little added features.

First of all, if you have babies, I would highly recommend the "Kolcraft Contours Tandem Car Seat Attachment". It allows you to put most brands of car seats on this stroller--a great idea! You can put 2 of these attachments on, so both car seats will fit.

The stroller itself drives very nicely, it's easy to push considering how big it is, and rides very smoothly. The wheels allow for quick turns, and the handle is nicely padded for extended use. It has a very large storage area underneath with plenty of space. There are some great "extras" they thought of that are nice to have. There are handles on each side that an older child can hold on to. Our 3-year-old likes holding the handle and walking next to the stroller. The stroller folds open and closed fairly easily. I love that it's back-and-front and not side-by-side. Some of our friends with side-by-side strollers complain about being able to fit through doors and things like that. We never have that problem.

When attaching the seats that come in the stroller, there are many different positions you can put them in...facing each other, both forward, and so on. It's easy to detach and re-attach the seats. The seats are comfortable and have a 5-point harness that seems to have a wide range of adjustable positions. It's easy to adjust the back position of the seats and footrests as well. I wish the shades were a little wider on top--sometimes it doesn't block as much sun as I would like. But, it's not terrible. The seats also have detachable cupholders which is useful. The stroller comes with an iPod adapter, but it seems fairly cheap and gimmicky--we've never used it, it seems kind of silly. Overall the stroller is very well-built, sturdy and we love it.

The only negative is with both seats in place, the stroller does not collapse very well. You really have to remove one of the seats to get it to fully collapse, which is a nuisance, especially when you're trying to manage 2 babies. However, I'm not sure if they could have designed it any differently.

Overall we are very pleased and have recommended this stroller to a number of our friends. If you have Twins especially, I highly recommend this stroller!

This is a beautiful stroller, but it is not a great buy if you have an older toddler. My son is 3, (39" and 38lbs) and it is so incredibly hard to push...it's like pushing a limousine around. I literally have to stop and turn it with all my might. It wouldn't be bad if I had 2 younger kids where there wasn't such a weight difference, but when you put a newborn and a 3 year old together in a long stroller, it doesn't work out. I wish I would have bought a stroller that was side by side...all 5 of my girlfriends bought the Bumbleride double and I'm wishing I would have spent the extra money :(