Maclaren Rally Twin - The Best Double Stroller (Updated 06/07)
Written: Oct 15 '03 (Updated Aug 02 '08)
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Pros: Compact folding, light weight, excellent value, easy to push and steer
Cons: Mine did not come with an instruction booklet, folding mechanism
The Bottom Line: The Maclaren Rally Twin is a great stroller for shopping and strolls around the neighborhood whether you have twins or two young children of different ages.
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| mmcphee's Full Review: Maclaren Rally Twin - Chilli Umbrella Stroller |
When daughter number two was on her way I took stock of our baby equipment. Since our girls are only 21 months apart most of the baby equipment we had for our older daughter barely had time to cool off before we were breaking it out again. About the only thing I knew we were going to need was a double stroller.
I was very fortunate to have a friend who was done with her Graco Duo Glider. She loaned it to me so I could test it out. I was never so glad to return a borrowed baby item. I quickly discovered why my friend had purchased another double stroller for her twins and had the Duo Glider to loan out. I know lots of people rave about that stroller but it simply did not work for our lifestyle.
Front-to-Back or Side-by-Side?
Those are your choices when it comes to strollers that will hold two children. Whether you have twins or just two children under 3, chances are you are going to need a double stroller at some point.
The front-to-back (tandem) style strollers place the children one behind the other. For safety reasons the lighter and smaller child needs to go in the back. This gives the little one a clear view of the older child's head. The set-up also doesn’t allow the children to entertain each other. There are models where the front child can turn around and ride backwards so the children can interact, but then no one gets to see where they are going. Side-by-side strollers allow both children a clear view of where you are pushing them. Since they can easily see each other they can also entertain each other.
Tandem strollers are narrower than side-by-sides strollers making them easier to fit down narrow aisles. But their extended length makes them more difficult to turn in narrow spaces. Having used both styles I found the side-by-side strollers to be the hands down winner.
Narrowing Down the Field
There are lots of side-by-side strollers out there. Price being a factor in my decision I quickly narrowed my choices down to the Schwinn Double Sport Utility, Combi Twin Savvy, Peg Perego Aria Twin and the Maclaren Rally Twin. Other than the Schwinn you wouldn’t make a bad choice buying any of these strollers. It comes down to the features you want and need for your family.
I chose the Maclaren because for our use it had everything I wanted and yet I wasn’t going to be paying for extra features that I simply didn’t need. I was looking for a compact umbrella style stroller that would travel easily but be primarily used while running errands. The Maclaren Rally Twin fits that bill impeccably so I ordered it from Albee Baby
The Good
At "only" 22lbs Maclaren Rally Twin is a light stroller as far as doubles go. It could be lighter, but the frame is made out of steel. The heavier steel makes the stroller more durable than strollers with all aluminum frames. You won’t have to worry about the stroller bending as your children approach the combined 90 lb weight limit.
The handle height is 41" making it comfortable for even my 6-foot tall husband to push. My husband is not one to comment on baby products, but after the first time he pushed this stroller he commented that "if you have to push a stroller, this is the only stroller to push."
The stroller folds compactly, leaving plenty of room in the trunk of your car for groceries. When folded it is 43" long and 21" at the widest point, which is the canopy. If you decide to remove the canopy then it is only 13" wide when folded. There is an extra handle attached to the side of the steel frame so that the stroller can be carried like a suitcase.
There is always the concern that a side-by-side stroller is going to be too wide to fit through doorways. This is not an issue with this stroller. It is not much wider (29") than a standard wheel chair and fits easily through doorways. I find this stroller goes far more places much easier than the tandem ever did since with tandems you need a long clear path for turning. The Maclaren Rally Twin turns on a dime.
Even though there is a 20 lb weight differential between my children the stroller does not pull to either side. It is easy to push even if my toddler is the only one riding. It is an absolute dream to push.
The seats recline independently so my infant can lie down and my toddler can sit up. While the seat does not recline perfectly flat, it was flat enough for my daughter who was 6 weeks old when I purchased it. There are only two positions to the recline, almost flat and nearly straight up. Even though I have had strollers with additional recline positions I have never used them so it is fine for us that there are only two positions. The seats are wide enough and deep enough for my very big 2 1/2 year old and are rated for up to 45lbs each. In general I do not like 5-point harnesses on strollers, but most come standard with it now. The harness adjusts quickly and easily to allow for heavy winter coats outside or just a shirt in a store.
The baskets underneath are adequate in size. I use one basket to hold my diaper bag and the other to hold the girl's coats or packages. As is the case with many strollers, if the seat is reclined it can be difficult (but not impossible) to access the basket. With 2 separate handles instead of one continuous bar across the stroller you can hang shopping bags on the handles for extra storage.
The stroller comes with a clear plastic rain and wind shield. The cover attaches with some effort by "slipping" the reinforced holes in the cover over pegs on the stroller frame. Not surprisingly my 2 year old does not like it on while the baby doesn't mind. I would think if children were used to this rain/wind from day one, it wouldn't be an issue. I have used the cover a few times and it is very difficult to get onto the pegs, but once on it is very secure and indeed a little difficult to remove.
The brakes on the rear wheels work slightly differently that the other 5 strollers I have owned. Instead of stepping down to lock the wheels and then lifting up to unlock, you kick the brake lever to the right to lock and the left to unlock. It is simple to operate and keeps the wheels locked in place.
The Bad
My stroller did not come with an instruction manual, making it difficult to figure out how to put the stroller together. There is not much to the assembly, but you do need to put on the canopy and the mesh storage baskets underneath the stroller. But I called the customer service number and they sent me out a booklet that I received in 2 days in the mail. Instructions are not available on-line.
The reclining mechanism is not the best I've ever used. It is a clip, similar to what is used on any harness. Put the male end inside the female end and the seat is up. Release the clip and the child can recline. There is no in between. The straps that attach the clip to the seat are short. When you want to move the seat from recline to sitting the clips on the short straps can get lost in the folds of the seat.
The folding and opening mechanism is fair. You need to unlock the stroller with 3 separate foot levers when you are ready to fold it. You push up on the lever located between the wheels at the rear of each seat. It is a little uncomfortable to do if you are wearing sandals, since you need to apply a great deal of upward pressure with the top of your foot on the levers! Next you step down on the lever attached on the right outside of the stroller frame. Then the stroller collapses on itself when you push gently down on the handles. You need to bend over to close the stroller. Once it is completely folded locks on the side engage to keep the stroller closed.
The stroller does not stand when folded, however I haven't found this to be too much of a problem. Since the handles are umbrella style they "hook" around the edge of the trunk or grab onto the floor of our station wagon. Nearly any place I need this stroller to stand while folded I am able to find something for the handles to hold on to.
To open the stroller you need to pull back on the side locks and the weight of the stroller wheels pulls them down to the ground. Locking it open requires exerting some effort into pushing the sides out as wide as possible. I do this by pushing with my feet on the outer sets of the rear wheels to spread it the stroller out as far as possible. Then you step down on the rear brace above the closing levers to lock the stroller open.
This stroller is designed for pushing on man-made surfaces. The 6 sets of small 4 1/4" wheels are not meant for uneven grass or dirt surfaces without a lot of effort on behalf of the pusher, which I have done. But the stroller glides easily while shopping or just out for a stroller around our neighborhood. I do like that the wheels are rubber instead of hard plastic. I think the rubber gives more traction and additional durability.
The Surprise
I like that the canopies move independently. I never would have thought that this was a big plus in a side-by-side stroller. I can push the canopy away for my older child so we can talk while still leaving the canopy down to cover the younger one. There is a plastic window in the top of the canopy so you don’t have to pull it back to check on the child. It would be nice if the canopies were a little larger to keep more of the sun off of the children.
On the back of each of the canopies is a small mesh bag. When I first got the stroller I couldn’t figure out what anyone would use these little bags for. Since this stroller does not have a parent cup holder I discovered those pockets hold a drink perfectly. Even a cup with just a flimsy plastic lid from the food court at the mall sits in the pocket without spilling. They are also the perfect size to hold my keys, phone and a bottle of water when we go for a walk around the neighborhood.
The Shocker – What Maclaren Doesn’t Tell You - Updated 5/28/04
After an unfortunate incident with a chocolate coated ice cream "Mickey Bar" while on vacation in Disney World I am sure the seats would look a little less "lived in" if they were removable for washing. But I didn’t really worry about it since knowing myself it was unlikely that I would ever do more than spot wash the seats anyway.
Then last weekend at a local water park, I forgot to take the swimming diaper off of our now nearly one year old before she fell asleep in her seat. Stroller meets bodily "fluids." When I went to take her out of the seat well, now both sides had matching brown stains. I was not looking forward to trying to clean that!
When we got home I took a closer look at the stroller as I set about to clean it. Hmm, the sides of the seats are only held on by buttonholes slipped over pegs. So I pulled those off. The back of the fabric seat is only attached to the frame by a nylon straps with snaps on them. Those popped off easily. The top and bottom of the seats only slip over the metal seat frame. That was easy to remove too. In fact the only challenge to getting the seat cover off are the shoulder harnesses. The slots in the fabric seat cover just aren’t large enough to slip the adjusting buckle through the hole. So after struggling for about 15 minutes I discovered that you can actually slip the harness out of their attachment point on the stroller frame. Now WHY doesn’t Maclaren include any of this information with the stroller instructions? What a great selling point to know that you can remove the seats for washing.
Once the seat covers were off I looked them over. On the underside of the fabric cover is a tag that is almost 1" square that contains the symbolic washing instructions. You might have spotted this tag when the seat covers are on if you turned the stroller upside down an wedged your head into the space reserved for the baskets. Not likely. Anyway, according to the symbols the seat covers are hand wash only and should not be put in the dryer. I actually tossed them in the machine although I did hang them to dry. They went back on the stroller fairly easily and machine washing didn’t seem to harm them at all. Amazingly enough the 5 month old chocolate came out as easily as the fresh one did. The stroller looks as good as new!
The Infant Car Seat Factor
The seats on the Maclaren Rally Twin do not accept an infant car seat. Some of my friends see this as a huge disadvantage of this stroller. However I personally don't see that. Both of my girls were always happy to get out of the small car seat and into the stroller where they had more room to stretch out and change position. Would you want to sit strapped into the same position for hours on end? I never had a problem with either of my girls going back to sleep when moved from car seat to stroller. Also with concerns about potential toxins, especially in infant car seats, the less time babies spend in them the better.
The Snack Tray Factor
The Maclaren Rally Twin does not come with snack trays. This is another feature that may be good or may be bad depending on your needs. I personally don’t like them. This is stroller number five for me and all of the snacks trays from the other strollers sit on a shelf in the garage.
When trying to get an uncooperative toddler into a stroller the snack tray gets in the way. It is hard to get two flailing legs to slip into the small opening left by the snack tray. When lifting even the most agreeable child out of the stroller I seem to have a talent for catching my child’s shoe on the snack tray and pulling it off.
With a snack tray in place my toddler cannot climb in and out by herself. I’ve had strollers that let you swing the tray open and closed. However my independent little girl wants to close the tray by herself. I’ve pinched my fingers several times trying to lock the trays in place and I don’t want my daughter to do that. So off they come so they aren’t a temptation.
Also on the rare occasion that I did use any of the snack trays I felt compelled to give my child a snack. I don’t want them to associate the stroller with a stream of treats for entertainment. For me it was actually a plus to not have a snack tray since I wasn’t paying for a feature I was never going to use.
Durability – Updated 6/07
I have now owned this stroller for over 3 1/2 years. Since I purchased it we have added another baby to our home. My two youngest are the primary riders, but my now 5 1/2 year old still hitches a ride now and then even though she is over the 45 lb weight limit. Inertia is the biggest problem we have when my two oldest ride; getting 118 lbs to start rolling can be a challenge (children plus stroller), but once the stroller is moving it is surprisingly easy to push. Admitedly it is easier when I kick my kindergartner out and my 2 year old rides, reducing the weight by 20 lbs or so.
I have not had a single problem with this stroller in all of this time, and it was used on almost a daily basis for 3 years and is still used a couple of times a week now. It still looks almost new and feels as solid as the day I received it.
Final Thoughts
In my quest for the perfect stroller I wanted something lightweight that would not use up all of my trunk space. I also needed something that would be comfortable to push while out shopping. Reclining seats for my infant were a must. That is exactly what I got when I purchased the Maclaren Rally Twin.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 195
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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mmcphee
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Member: Mary Ellen
Location: Nutmeg State
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