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Joovy Ergo Caboose
The Joovy Ergo Caboose is a new and improved (but more expensive) version of their fabulous original Caboose Tandem stroller. Let's start with the improved features of the Ergo Caboose compared to the original which is still available.
Our favorite change is that you can now attach an infant car seat to the rear of the stroller while allowing your older child to sit in the front seat. This is a first for ANY stroller and a half! We love that this allows parents to use the Ergo Caboose with children that are closer in age. We recommend that with other stroller and a 1/2s that your older child be at least 2 ½ because they will be sitting in the rear from the start. But by having the infant car seat attach in the rear, you can keep your older toddler (even under 2) in the front seat secured with a 5-point harness in the Ergo while the new baby is secured in the infant car seat. When the older toddler is mature enough to sit on the rear bench or stand on the rear platform, your new baby will be old enough (6 months+) to sit in the front seat.
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 Like many lightweight strollers, the Si does not have a bumper bar, snack tray or cup holder for baby. There is a small cup holder on the side for mom that will hold a water bottle but nothing bigger.
Another change on the Ergo is that it has a cool, ergonomically engineered front seat made of soft mesh that distributes the child's weight evenly and reduces pressure points. We think the front seat is really pretty cool like one of those fancy, expensive office chairs. It's complete with two recline positions, a 5-point harness for safety and a swing away snack tray that can easily be swapped out for the two included cup holders. The front seat is not padded but Joovy offers a deluxe seat package accessory including a very padded, fitted cover for both the front seat and rear seat.
Back riders can stand on a platform, face forward and see over their little sister or brother, or relax on a small seat of their own. We honestly would have taken any kind of seat, having carried a weary toddler before while pushing a single stroller with our nose -- but were pleasantly surprised by the Joovy's back seat. Unlike other stroller and a 1/2s that have a flat, rear bench as the seat, the Ergo Caboose back seat is contoured to comfortably fit little bums. Our 4 ½ year old (40 lb) tester reported to us that the rear seat is very comfy. It includes a 3-point harness for safety and flips up for easier access to the basket. The back rider also has special curved handles to hang onto. Most children we tried it with loved riding along, although younger toddlers can jump off fairly easily, so choose your back riders wisely.
Our favorite and the most impressive feature on the Ergo Caboose (besides the rear infant car seat attachment) is the new and improved gigantic canopy. This more comprehensive canopy shades not only the front rider completely but shades your rear seated passenger! The canopy is absolutely huge, has mesh windows on the sides for your rear rider to look out and can unzip to allow your rear rider to stand. We got positive comments and feedback from other mothers on the street regarding the canopy the very first time we took the Ergo Caboose out.
The Ergo Caboose also has a smoother ride than the original Caboose thanks to the large pneumatic air tires in the rear and the rubber wheels in the front. It even comes with a tire pump that tucks away neatly in the basket.
For all the improved features that the Ergo Caboose offers, you are going to get a bigger and heavier stroller. It weighs in at a heavy 30 lbs, which is 4 lbs heavier than the original, and, yes, we did notice the extra weight. Plus, the Ergo is quite a bit longer making it feel like you are truly pushing a full size double stroller instead of a stroller and a half. For the weight and extra long length of the Ergo, the stroller isn't too bad to push though. It will fit easily through doorways but you may have to get used to maneuvering this stroller since it's quite long making it definitely a two handed stroller because of the length. The extra long canopy also gives it an illusion that it's even longer that it really is. Even so, with the air filled tires it's still easier to push fully loaded than many other standard tandem doubles we've tested.
The front swivel wheels have the ability to lock straight. We did find the button to keep them in swivel mode may be a bit tricky. It took us a couple times and a bit of force to get the button to stay and stop the wheels from locking on us mid-stride. There are also convenient linked brakes in the back.
The Ergo Caboose folds easily in half but still is quite long when folded. Even though we got the stroller to easily fit in most sedan trunks, you may want to check your extra small trunk dimensions since the stroller is 49 inches long when folded
The stroller has a very large basket that may be hard to access with a seat rear rider but we found you can still access the basket from the sides for small items. There is not attached parent tray or cup holder, but Joovy does sell a separate parent organizer that includes two cup holder, a compartment for small items such as cell phone and keys and even a zipped section, all in a cool, coordinating black canvas.
The Ergo Caboose also has some other great accessories sold separately including a sun filter, a large rain cover, the seat covers and even a travel bag.
We're not going to lie: looks matter to us. And the first thing we fell in love with was the sporty design of the original Joovy Caboose. But now we think Joovy didn't know sporty design until they introduced the Ergo Caboose. The Ergo is super sporty!
The Joovy Ergo Caboose works with almost every infant car seat carrier on the market, and can be used with children with a combined weight of 90 lbs. The Ergo Caboose has some great features including a fantastic sun canopy that cover both riders, the ability to attach an infant seat to the rear, rear air-filled tires, and an ergonomically engineered front seat, but you will be paying more than double the price of the original Joovy Caboose for this with a retail price of $499.
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