My twins will be four in a couple of months and have worn out four twin strollers - we are using the fifth one right now. Obviously I didn't make the right choice - and more than once so. Maybe I can spare you the dollars I spend by telling you about my experiences. So here we go:

Don't by cheap. That was what I did (the last one I bought was more expensive and I am really happy with it. It's not really a stroller though - read on. I bought two really cheap strollers, one buggy type and one jogger, both broke down during the first three months. A total of 290 dollars thrown down the gutter. It is really simple: two kids are heavier than one. So you need a sturdy stroller to keep up with the weight of your growing kids. The cheaper twin strollers just seem to be single strollers with a second seat incorporated. Show me that I'm wrong - but that is what my experience has told me - twice!

Analyze what your needs are: will you have to deal with bad pavement or want to use your stroller off road (it doesn't have to be the Grand Canyon, just think of muddy football fields, the park or the beach - all real challenges for any stroller)? Go for rubber wheels, the bigger the better. Will you have to fold your stroller and put it into the trunk of your car? You need a stroller that is lightweight, folds up easy and isn't too big when folded up. Do you use the subway a lot? Get something maneuverable. Do you have an elevator in your building? Most tandem twin strollers are too long for smaller elevators.

There are quite a few twin strollers that are great for a baby and a toddler. Some of them allow you to strap in a baby car seat, some of them have cots for babies. You should go for a stroller that allows you to recline each seat individually.

For twin parents a stroller is so much more than just a medium of transportation. When your twins will start to walk you will either have to rely a second person to help you when leaving the house (not really a viable option in most cases) or have the twins strapped into he stroller. While other toddlers enjoy the undivided attention of their mom or dad, with twins you have to split yourself up. Imagine the following situation: the twins are walking. Or whatever walking means for a one and a half year old: running a little bit, stopping suddenly to investigate a snail / dustbin / something a dog dropped, scratching a parked car with a pebble they found, tripping over and getting their knee hurt... Now imagine two toddlers doing the same things heading in different directions.

As a parent you either sport nerves like steel cables or you break out in cold sweat in no time. For their own safety and the sake of your mental health, twins have to be strapped in at a certain age. There are many advantages of being a twin, this is one of the disadvantages.

I am using a stroller until today, although my twins will have their fourth birthday in a couple of months. But I still enjoy the freedom of a stroller that allows me to leave the car at home most days. I use it when the twins get tired after a long day at preschool, when we go to the beach (do you know the amount of towels, dry clothes, swim rings, snacks and toys two three year old need?), when I go grocery shopping with the kids - I still use my stroller on a daily base. I'ts not really a stroller anymore though, we finally got a bicycle trailer that converts into a stroller. It can hold a lot of weight, the kids are comfortable and I still can fit in a lot of stuff like the schoolbags of our three kids, groceries, the toys for the park... It has really big wheels, which makes it easy to handle even with rough ground or heavy loads.