You have two small children and find out you are pregnant, you have to get a Big Caboose! NOOOO! This was my thought until I discovered the Joovy Big Caboose. This is their triple version of their Caboose models.

This is a tandem style stroller that has two seats, a rear padded bench, and a ride-on board. The stroller weighs 37 pounds, so it’s pretty hefty. In the box you will get the stroller, two car seat adapters, the child trays, and canopies. I will break it down in categories: parts, features, ease of use and overall thoughts.

Parts:

The Big Caboose has one frame and two full fabric seats. The two seats have a 5 point harness, a 2 position recline, and slot for adjustable shoulder straps. The foot rest has also 2 positions, one down and one flat, the latter being great for little kids. It is suitable for children 2 and older.

In the rear you will also get a ride-on board for the older child. The stroller child trays are removable, have a middle space, and two cup holders on each side. The canopies are double panel and have a lock on each side to keep it open. You can move them to cover most of the stroller, but they are on the smaller side so the front child might be a bit exposed.

The car seat adapters that are universal and work with multiple car seats. The storage basket in this stroller is insanely huge. It runs the length of the stroller and it’s pretty much accesible from any angle except from the front. The Big Caboose has double wheels in the front that can be locked in position for rougher terrain and single wheels in the back with a double break, one on each side.

 

Features:

It has two full size seats. The triple comes in the form of a slide out seat, or utilizing the ride-on board. The recline on the seat is easy to adjust. The same with the foot rest. I like that it comes with everything you need, the car seat adapters, the child trays and the canopies.

The storage basket as well as the fabric in the seats are removable and washable. The second seat is slightly higher than the front seat, giving the middle child a view. There is a lot of legroom in the middle seat.

Although long, it’s fairly narrow, with no issues fitting through the smallest doors. It also has two wheel breaks to ensure it won’t roll away unexpectedly. A great addition is the parent organizer. It doesn’t come with the stroller, but it is worth it. It’s made of a neoprene material so you can keep your cold beverages, and it has a zippered compartment that fits keys and such. It uses hook and loop to stay put to the rubber handle of the stroller.

 

 

Ease of Use:

When installing the third seat, I did find the instructions a bit vague, but luckily it is not hard to figure out. As expected, the Big Caboose is NOT light when you add the weight of your kids. Of course it depends on how heavy your kids are. Pushing forward is great, but if you need to turn corners you have to take wide angles and a little extra effort in order to make it.

Make sure your heaviest kid is in the back or the middle, as it will balance the weight properly over the stroller.  I put my almost 4 year old in the middle seat and he had plenty of space with a lot of legroom, and was able to move the stroller fairly easily.

They also have to lean forward a bit, even with the middle seat in its upright position as their back is up against the seat. This might be a bit uncomfortable for them if you’re going for a long stroll, but it seems the intention of the bench is only to give them a short rest. I do like that the optional third seat adds a comfortable chair that reclines while maintaining the option of riding on the board. You can’t fit a fourth kid, but you can push the seat back forward if you child wants to stand. And although the back seat is lower and closer to the middle seat than the other two seats are to each other, again Joovy did not compromise space for the child.

 

 

Overall Thoughts:

I like this stroller a lot for a several of reasons. The space is really awesome. The versatility of being a triple stroller while offering an older kid various ways to travel is great. They can ride-on, sit on the bench looking at mom, or they can have a full seat like the siblings. It is easy to use, and is a really good height for any parent. I definitely think if you are looking for triple strollers this is probably the best. The functional look of the bars and beams in the frame lack the beauty in design of some other strollers out there, but the price is right at $379.99 (if you have looked at strollers you know this is pretty cheap, especially for a stroller for multiples).

My husband pushed the stroller a lot. He does think it can get heavy and difficult to control if weight is not balanced properly, and I agree, you will definitely get a work out, but of course, like I mentioned before, this really does depend on how heavy your kids are. Don’t get scared by the overall size, I took it in the New York City subway with no problem.

But a word to the wise, if you have a sedan, this stroller will probably NOT fit in your trunk. Make sure you measure and compare the dimensions of your trunk to those of the stroller. I drive a Toyota Sienna and the stroller fits by removing the canopy and the child tray in the front seat, and flipping it sideways.

I wish the ride-on board was a little longer or extended out a bit more, maybe a couple of inches, giving the child in the back a little extra room. My son’s face was up against the back of the middle seat, making for cute pictures when he’s hugging his brother, but did not seem the most comfortable over time. Also, when folded the front footrest can’t be locked against the stroller, so it flaps around and a couple times didn’t allow my trunk door close because it was sticking out.

Overall though, this stroller provided the perfect solution for our family, as we travel to congested areas a lot and sometimes it’s just easier to have all three kids strapped in for quick movement. It can be a fun stroller if you’re not slaloming through sidewalk traffic or other obstacles with all three aboard, and the most importantly the kids really love it. If you wish to purchase the stroller of view more information on it visit http://www.joovy.com/p-190-big-caboose-stand-on-triple-stroller.aspx

 

 

Disclaimer: I was sent this stroller for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own and all the pictures are property of The Mommy Elf.