Syracuse (Consumer Reports) -- Pushing one child in a stroller is enough work, but what if you have two little ones to worry about? Consumer Reports’ latest tests of double strollers found one with a potential safety risk.
Mom of two, Jennie Dean, doesn’t know what she’d do without her double stroller.
“It allows me to leave the house every single day. It can carry more than I ever could — so both kids, groceries, diaper bags, everything. Nothing else can do that,” Dean said.
Consumer Reports tested 12 double strollers to see how they handle real-life challenges and if they meet voluntary safety standards.
The Bumbleride Indie Twin costs almost $700 and can be used with an infant car seat. When children sit in the stroller, you're supposed to raise the bumper bar.
With the bar in the upper position, the stroller passed an important safety test. A ball with the dimensions of a young child's head slid easily under the bar — as it should. But when the bar is in the lower position the child's head can get trapped.
“Our fear is that harried parents may not raise the bar and if their child isn't strapped in this could happen. The youngster could slide under the bar, but her head could get stuck. In fact there have been at least 10 infants have strangled this way over the years in other strollers,” said Consumer Reports’ Kim Kleman.
The instruction manual for the Bumbleride has the warning: “When child is seated in stroller, only use bumper bar in upright position. Child can slide forward and strangle."
But Consumer Reports is afraid parents won't necessarily read the instructions and may miss the small warning tag on a cover that zips over the bar with the same caution.
Consumer Reports does not know of any deaths or injuries associated with this stroller. Still it’s rated the Bumbleride Indie Twin a “Don't Buy: Safety Risk” because of the potential danger.
None of the other double strollers Consumer Reports tested had serious safety issues. But some proved tough to maneuver, including the Safety 1st Two Ways Tandem Stroller.
Far better was this Maclaren Twin Triumph stroller for $265, which proved very easy to use and maneuver.
Consumer Reports also rates the single stroller version of the Bumbleride Indie a “Don't Buy: Safety Risk” due to the same problem.
The manufacturer has issued an alert regarding the bumper bar. And this afternoon the manufacturer and the CPSC recalled both strollers because of an unrelated problem with the front wheel.
If you own one of these strollers, Consumer Reports says stop using the bumper bar altogether. To address the front wheel problem, go to
support.bumbleride.com to get a free retrofit kit.
