The ingenuity of a sit and stand stroller

As a busy dad with three kids under five, my most used baby item was our trusty double stroller. I could plop the toddler in the back, the baby in the front - and chase the oldest, just barely out of toddler stage herself - all over the store. She was too old to sit in the back toddler seat, and too independent and squirmy for it anyway.

She did, however, take frequent breaks to slip beneath my arms and try to ride on the back basket - which invariably overbalanced the stroller and made it unsafe at any speed. That was ten years ago - and I dreamed of a stroller that would accommodate my three little treasures in a safe, comfortable and age appropriate way. Enter the Baby Trend Sit and Stand stroller.

Sit and stand strollers hit the store shelves just about the time that my youngest was striking out on his own - when I no longer needed one. These strollers, pioneered by Baby Trend, who still make the most popular models, feature a regular stroller seat/bed for an infant or toddler, and a standing platform behind it where an older child can hop on and ride when their little legs need a break from trying to keep up. Most models of sit and stand strollers are designed with safety belts and hand-hold bars for the older child to make sure that they'll ride safely.

Innovations to the sit and stand stroller design include a drop down rear-facing seat so your older child can ride in comfort if they want, or stand and look out over the stroller canopy at the road ahead. Baby Trend added stadium seating to its traditional sit and stand stroller design a few years after its introduction, setting the rear seat several inches higher than the front to give the older child clearance to see ahead without standing.

The best of the best, though, and the sit and stand stroller I would have traveled to Timbuktu (with kids in tow) to buy was Baby Trend's Triple Sit and Stand stroller, with two front facing seats for twins or younger children and one standing platform with fold down seat for a toddler who just can't keep up with adult legs. It's no longer made, but you can still find them on eBay or at tag sales.

Sit and stand strollers are one of those innovative ideas that make such perfect sense you can't help wondering why they haven't ALWAYS been available. If you're expecting and have a child up to five or six years old already, a sit and stand stroller (list price new from $149.99) is one of the best investments you can make.

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