The Best Stroller for a Child with a Disability

Please Share

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1509370369735{background-color: #75cdde !important;}”]This post on the best stroller for a child with Down syndrome is NOT sponsored but there are affiliate links in it. I’m not writing this post as an ad; I’m writing it because I really do want newer parents to know this is the best rugged, long-term, high-weight-capacity stroller out there.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

The Best Stroller for a Child with a Disability

The best stroller for a child with a disability is obviously going to need to be a fit for the child’s disability. For the purpose of this post, by “disability” I simply mean, “a disability that necessitates using a stroller for a longer period of time than is customary for comparative ages.” That may cover Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and so forth.

My Story:

When I was pregnant with my daughter with Down syndrome, I  went to a park to meet a mom of a child with Down syndrome, and the child herself. They were lovely people.

The child bolted – it was the first time I saw bolting in action – and I admit I thought the mom was over-reacting at the time (little did I know how bolting would later shape my own life…). After the mom had raced and caught up with the child, the child was plunked in a stroller and strapped in. The child was 7 years old.

At the time, I understood plunking the child in the stroller, but I did not understand bolting. I also clearly remember thinking that stroller – a McLaren umbrella type – was too small for the little girl – she looked squished in it.[/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”Fast Forward 7 Years” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-angle-double-right” i_color=”turquoise” title_align=”separator_align_left” align=”align_left” color=”turquoise” style=”shadow” border_width=”6″ el_width=”60″ add_icon=”true”][vc_column_text]My own daughter is 7 years old now, and she bolts. She also ‘flops and drops’ occasionally.

I  travel a lot with my kids, and get out, go. There is not a weekend that goes by in which we don’t go someplace, be it the beach, forest, river or just long walks down fun trails.

The Best Stroller for a Child with Down Syndrome

Given that my daughter with Down syndrome bolts, flops n’ drops and is not ready to ride a bike, I knew I needed a stroller with a lot of room to grow into, a high weight capacity, and rugged durability to satisfy both the exigencies of Ds and my own personal ‘get out and go’ needs. The BOB Revolution is the only stroller that I have found to satisfy both needs.

BOB Revolution Pro Duallie Stroller and Disability

We had the BOB Revolution initially with my (typically developing) firstborn. My (then) husband was a bicycle mechanic and the BOB was something that his bike shop sold. We got it at cost.

Now, the fact that bike shops sell the BOB says a lot about the BOB. It’s built like a rugged mountain bike, with the suspension, shock absorbers, etc. You can use bike tires with it, no problem. We used that stroller for SEVEN YEARS – in the end, it died after we were hauling it around Angkor Wat in Cambodia with all 3 kids on it.

I turned to the BOB double, which is called the “duallie”.

The BOB Revolution Pro Duallie Stroller is like a steroid on wheels. My two youngest plopped right in – Moxie, who has Down syndrome, age 8 and Mack, who is typically developing, age 5. The stroller doesn’t blink; their weight is nothing, and I can easily use it for some time.

Other Strollers for a Child with a Disability

Other strollers will work of course. I’m not trying to say that the BOB is the only one out there!

I had a Baby Jogger City Select Double Stroller - 2016 | Baby Stroller with 16 Ways to Ride, Included Second Seat | Quick Fold Stroller, Onyx for a while and really loved it while traveling in urban areas, New York City in particular.

For 2 kids, that thing was awesome (moveable seats! a single streamlined carriage! huge underbelly for storing stuff! folds flat!). But the kids outgrew it pretty quickly – the seats are much smaller and can’t handle as much weight.

Why I Will Only Recommend the BOB Revolution for another Parent of a Child with a Disability:

Strollers are hella expensive these days. A good one is Pricey (yes, with a capital “P”). When you get a stroller, you want to make sure it will last a long time, especially if you have a child with a disability and know you will likely need it longer than you might if your child didn’t have the disability. It’s an investment.

Since the stroller is really an investment, put it on your shower list or office/church/friend registry so others can help chip in, and make sure the stroller you get will be something that can actually carry your child comfortably past 8 years of age. I have not actually seen any stroller except the BOB Revolution capable of doing that, and I myself only own a duallie now.

 

Some things to note:

• The single BOB is more sturdy than the double. But that does not mean that the double isn’t sturdy; basically, it means that the single is a tank and the double is a jeep.
• It costs a lot. You have to buy the snack trays and your own drink holder separately. If you get this when you are about to have your second/third child, you can put the baby in it AND the toddler and they will continue to use the stroller until they are both well past 5 years old. I fooled around with lower-cost options and ended up regretting it. I should have just bought this one (more expensive but far superior) stroller to begin with.
• It’s wide, but NO WIDER THAN A WHEELCHAIR. So if it’s a hassle getting it in somewhere, you don’t need to apologize; all pathways in the US should be able to accommodate it by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and if they are not, then they should. No excuses; this is almost 2020, for crying out loud.
• It folds close down and locks; the hand brake is good; the foot brake is the one I usually use myself.
• Make sure you get the Flex or Pro because the Jogger’s wheel does not turn.

The Duallie is a tool that you will totally think is worth it’s weight in gold when you encounter bolting issues – or flop and drops – with your child with Down syndrome (great post from Confessions of the Chromosally Enhanced linked here). It will last you for years, and years of hard wear and abuse.

It’s a worthy stroller.

(and believe it or not, this was NOT a sponsored post!!)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_message color=”info”]

Buy the BOB Revolution PRO Jogging Stroller, Meadow or BOB Gear Revolution Pro Duallie Jogging Stroller - Up to 100 pounds - UPF 50Plus Canopy - Easy Fold - Adjustable Handlebar with Hand Brake, Black (Pro is better because the sunshades are longer and the wheel is not locked so it can really go ANYWHERE)

Bob Revolution Duallie onBOB Gear Revolution Pro Duallie Jogging Stroller - Up to 100 pounds - UPF 50Plus Canopy - Easy Fold - Adjustable Handlebar with Hand Brake, Black

REI sells the BOB too (if you are a member, this is a great option because of the co-op membership cash back)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

SaveSave[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

SaveSave[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Please Share