City Select with "Stadium Seating"
The iCandy Pear versus the Baby Jogger City Select.
This year, a common display at Strolling in Style involves two tandem strollers; the iCandy Pear and the Baby Jogger City Select. If you are in the market for a tandem (front to back) double stroller, these two options, which both hit the market in 2010 (The U.S Market for the Pear and the general market for the Select) offer the highest function and quality in the industry. And, you’re in luck that you’re searching in the year 2010! Neither option was available for parents at this time last year.
Both strollers share many similarities. First off, they are both what we term “single chassis double strollers.” This means that two children are able to fit onto the same single chassis frame, usually meant to hold one child. The original single chassis double is the Phil and Teds model, where the younger child is pushed underneath the frame. The new single chassis double allows both children to sit above floor height.
The iCandy Pear and the Baby Jogger City Select can both hold two infant car seats (Maxi Cosi and Graco on the Pear, and a huge list of options for the Select) or two infant bassinets, yet will also work well for families with younger toddlers and newborns- with either option you may mix and match bassinets, car seats and stroller seats as you wish. With both strollers, the children can face their parents or face the world. The two strollers also share the following characteristics; large back tires (air filled on the Pear and foam on the Select depending on your preference!), with smaller composite wheels in front, and telescopic handlebar (although the height is much higher on the Pear if this is an issue), and both feature a larger sized underbasket, leaving room for more than just little feet in sneakers! Both can also be used as single strollers, when you are only around town with one child, making it more convenient for the modern family. Many families report having to keep the single and the double stroller in the car, and either option would eliminate the need to travel around town with two strollers.
Both options have their ups and downs- literally! First off, the Pear and the Select have very different seating set ups. On the Pear, the seats are stacked down, meaning that if both children are facing out, the chair in front hovers above the chair behind, similar to the Phil and Teds model. The Baby Jogger City Select has what we term, “stadium seating,” meaning, if both children are facing outward, the child in the back is above the child in the front, allowing for optimal viewing. Also, the seating can be arranged on the Select where both children can face each other; the Pear cannot do this. Comparatively, the iCandy Pear has two differently sized seats, and the seats on the Select are the same size, with a two height position canopy and two height position footrest. However, the seats on the Pear are wider and both have ample enough room for your average two year old.
The most important difference between the two strollers however is the function of the seats. The iCandy Pear was designed so that both seats can FULLY recline in either parent or away facing position. That means, if both your children want to see the world and happen to fall asleep while you stroll, they can both recline comfortably. And when the seats are reclined in both forward and away facing direction, you add little to no length to your stride. The Baby Jogger City Select was designed differently. When the children are parent facing, each chair can recline but you do add about eleven inches of length to your stride when the back chair is fully reclined. Consequently, when the children are facing the world, neither chair can fully recline.
The folding process on each stroller is simple, but does require removing pieces. The chairs on the Select instantly remove with
iCandy Pear with front seat and lower bassinet
the press of two buttons on each side of the seat. The frame then folds in that Baby Jogger way, which of course is a jiffy, with the pull of two side levers. The iCandy is a three step fold, where both chairs need to be removed, as well as the seat adapter, and then the collapse of the frame. With good practice, and a good teacher, either stroller can be folded in less than 20 seconds time and each take up about the same amount of space in a trunk. Of course, The Baby Jogger City Select does have the option of folding it with the chairs on when they are facing out, or with the car seat adapters on. The Pear must always be taken apart to fold. However, the Pear is lighter, weighing it at nearly four pounds less than the Select.
Each stroller comes standard with no accessories. However, both have accesssory options such as rain covers, car seat adapters, bassinets, travel bags and front bumper bars. Keep in mind that both strollers are “urban” terrain strollers, which will do well on long walks on pavement, city streets and sidewalks, and shopping centers. The Pear has an air filled back tire, and a more developed rear wheel suspension, whereas the Baby Jogger has a front wheel suspension.
Need a demo? Need more information or clarification? Come on into our showroom, or give us a call!
Tags: Baby Jogger City Select, Double Strollers, iCandy Pear, Tandem Strollers, Twin Strollers