The Best Stroller for a Toddler and a Baby? Grandma Has Her Pick (Spoiler, It's the Austlen Entourage)

One of my favorite things to do is take a walk around the neighborhood every day.

And now that my toddler grandson has a new baby brother, those walks look a little different.

Two little boys.

Two completely different stages.

And one Grandma who needs to be able to manage the whole operation.

That's why I love our Austlen Entourage.

This is the perfect stroller for my toddler grandson and his new baby brother.

It gives me what I need for both of them, but here's the part I really appreciate:

It doesn't feel like I'm pushing around all that stroller.

Two Kids, One Very Smooth Ride

When I'm pushing two children, maneuverability matters to me.

A lot.

I don't want to wrestle a stroller around a corner or feel like I'm steering a bus every time I turn around.

The Entourage maneuvers like a dream.

Its four-wheel independent suspension, large wheels and sealed ball bearings help give it an incredibly smooth push, even when it's configured for two children.

That makes our everyday neighborhood walks enjoyable for me, too.

Because the stroller can have all the seating configurations and storage in the world, but if I don't enjoy pushing it?

I'm probably not going to be excited to take it out every day.

A Toddler and a Baby Don't Need the Same Thing

That's one of the things I like most about the Entourage.

My grandsons aren't simply "two kids."

One is a toddler.

One is a baby.

Their needs are different now, and they're going to keep changing.

For the baby, the front Primary Seat can be used from birth to 65 pounds. It reclines into a built-in bassinet mode, so there's no separate bassinet required for those newborn walks. We can also use an infant car seat with the appropriate adapter.

For my toddler grandson, the Sit + Stand is perfect for the stage he's in right now.

Most of the time, he doesn't necessarily want to be strapped into a traditional stroller seat. He wants a little more freedom.

With the Sit + Stand, he can ride standing on the integrated Platform Rider, then sit down on the Jump Seat when he needs a break.

And because it's designed so bigger kids can step on and off independently, I don't have to lift him in and out every time he changes his mind.

Meanwhile, his baby brother gets the traditional stroller experience up front.

Two kids. Two completely different ways to ride. One stroller.

But We Still Have a Traditional Double Option

That's another reason I love the Entourage.

The Sit + Stand makes the most sense for my older grandson most of the time, but we're not limited to that configuration.

If we have an outing where we'd rather have two traditional stroller seats, we can remove the Sit + Stand and put the optional Second Seat in its place.

The Second Seat is designed for children from 6 months up to 40 pounds, so there's another option available while he's still within its limits.

Then, as he gets bigger and wants even more independence, the Sit + Stand becomes increasingly useful. It's rated up to 75 pounds, giving him both the Jump Seat for sitting and Platform Rider for standing.

That's why I think of the Entourage as our best single to double to Sit and Stand stroller.

We're not choosing one configuration and hoping it works for every outing.

We can choose what works for the boys that day.

A Stroller That Changes as They Grow

Toddlers have a funny habit of turning into bigger kids.

Right now, my older grandson still needs a ride sometimes.

But those moments are going to become less frequent.

That's what makes the Sit + Stand such a nice in-between stage.

He doesn't have to choose between being strapped into a traditional stroller seat for the entire walk or walking the entire way.

He can walk beside me.

Hop onto the Platform Rider.

Sit on the Jump Seat when his legs get tired.

Then hop off again when he's ready to explore.

His baby brother, meanwhile, can keep riding comfortably up front.

And eventually, when my older grandson doesn't need to ride at all, we can remove the Sit + Stand and retract the stroller.

Instead of being left with a permanently long or wide double stroller, we're back to a single stroller for his younger brother.

That's what makes it such a good stroller for a toddler and a baby.

It works for what they need now without assuming they'll need exactly the same thing a year from now.

The Minivan Test

There's one other part of using this stroller that I appreciate every single time I load it into the car.

It easily slides into my minivan without any heavy lifting.

That's a big deal to me.

The Entourage isn't designed around the idea that the only way to load a full-size stroller is to pick the entire thing up and hoist it into the vehicle.

Once folded, I can stand it at the back of the minivan and roll or slide it into the cargo area, with only a light initial lift as needed to get it started.

And here's an especially nice part of the configuration we're using:

The Sit + Stand stays attached when the stroller folds.

I'm not taking off the Jump Seat and Platform Rider, loading those separately, then loading the stroller.

If we switch to the Second Seat for an outing, that can remain attached when folding, too.

For a grandmother taking two grandchildren out by herself, that's the kind of thoughtful detail I notice.

Why It's Our Best Stroller for a Toddler and a Baby

Here's what makes the Entourage our best stroller for a toddler and a baby and best single to double to Sit and Stand stroller:

• A true Sit AND Stand, giving my toddler grandson an integrated Platform Rider for standing and Jump Seat for sitting
• Independent access, so he can step on and off as he pleases instead of needing Grandma to lift him
• 75-lb Sit + Stand capacity, giving us plenty of room for the older child to grow
• Optional Second Seat, so we can switch to two traditional stroller seats for outings when that configuration makes more sense
• Primary Seat rated from birth to 65 lbs, giving his baby brother years of use
• Built-in bassinet mode, so baby can lie flat without requiring a separate bassinet to purchase and store
• Infant car seat compatibility, providing another option during the infant stage
• Smooth, easy maneuvering, which makes my everyday neighborhood walks with both boys enjoyable
• Patented expandable and retractable frame, creating room for two when we need it and retracting as our needs change
• Sit + Stand stays attached when folding, so our everyday bigger-kid setup doesn't have to be removed and loaded separately
• Easy minivan loading, because the folded stroller can roll or slide into the cargo area instead of requiring me to hoist the whole thing
• A path back to a single, so we're not left with a permanent double once my older grandson completely outgrows riding

Our Everyday Walks Just Got a Little Bigger

Before the baby arrived, taking my toddler grandson for a walk was simple.

Now there's another little passenger joining us.

That could have made our everyday walks feel like a much bigger production.

Instead, I have a stroller that handles both boys and still maneuvers like a dream.

I can push it comfortably around the neighborhood.

I can load it into my minivan without feeling like I need to lift a giant double stroller.

My toddler grandson can stand when he wants some independence, sit when he needs a break, and even use a traditional Second Seat when that makes more sense for the day.

Meanwhile, his baby brother has a stroller that can take him from his very first walks through years of adventures with Grandma.

For me, that's what makes the Entourage the perfect stroller for these two.

Our family got a little bigger.

Thankfully, our stroller was ready for it.

Image provided by customer is for illustrative purposes. To read their review and other customer reviews, click here.