Tandem vs Side-by-Side Doubles: Which Layout Suits You

Two layout words: tandem and side by side

This article helps you choose between the two layout words you will see on double stroller listings. The catalogue lists every stroller by the stated details on the listing: the style in the title, the number of seats, the fold, the fabric. The best double stroller for you is the one whose stated details match the way you will use it, and the layout of the two seats is one of the first details to compare.

Tandem, sometimes written as 'in line' or 'inline', places one seat ahead of the other on a longer frame. Side by side, also written 'side-by-side', places the two seats next to each other on a wider frame. Both words are layout terms, and both appear near the front of a double stroller title, usually right after the style word.

Not every double listing uses a layout word. When the word is missing, read the bullet list and the image set to see which arrangement the frame uses, or ask the maker directly. A listing that names a style before the seat count, such as 'jogging double' or 'travel system double', still carries one of the two layouts underneath.

Width: the first thing the layout changes

The two layouts shape the footprint of the stroller. A side-by-side double carries the two seats parallel, which makes the frame wider across the back. A tandem double carries the seats one behind the other, which makes the frame narrower but longer front to back.

Width is the first thing to compare against the spaces you use daily: a front door, a hallway, an elevator, a closet. The catalogue does not state width or folded size, so read those numbers on the maker's page and measure the door and the trunk yourself, with a tape measure.

If your entryway is tight, a tandem is the layout that keeps the frame narrow. If the stroller mostly stays outdoors or in a garage, the extra width of a side-by-side is easier to live with. The folded size article has more on where to read those numbers, and the small trunk fit article covers the car side of the same question.

What the layout means for the two seats

In a side-by-side, the children sit next to each other, close to the same axle line. In a tandem, one sits behind the other. That changes what the listing says about each seat position: which seat has the larger canopy, which seat reclines, and whether a seat can face the parent are all details to read on the listing or the maker's page.

A tandem may allow the second seat to be added as a separate unit, which is why the word 'convertible' or 'modular' often appears with it. A side-by-side keeps both seats over the same axle line, so the frame is built for two from the start. The facing direction article explains how to compare those seat words.

Both layouts can appear with a bassinet, a lie-flat seat or a carrycot name on one or both positions. Read which units are included in the box and which are sold separately, then decide whether both children ride in seats or one rides in a bassinet.

Folding, doorways and trunks

The layout influences the fold. A tandem frame folds more like a single long frame, while a side-by-side folds into a wider, shorter shape. Both can carry a one-hand fold or a compact fold if the listing says so. The fold word tells you the mechanism; the folded shape is a number you read on the maker's page.

Doorways and car trunks are where a broader frame shows up. Measure the opening you need to pass and the trunk space you have, then compare those numbers with the width and folded dimensions the maker states. This is a question you answer at home, not a number the catalogue provides.

For the latches and moving parts of a folding frame, follow the maker's manual and check the official recall pages listed in the sources before you buy, and again before you use a stroller secondhand.

Apartment dwellers can use the apartment storage article for hallway and closet questions, and the one-hand fold guide for the mechanism itself.

Where each layout appears in the catalogue

Jogging-style doubles in the catalogue tend to be side by side, because both wheels stay under one wide frame. The Baby Jogger page names a side-by-side double in this style, and the Bugaboo page names the side-by-side Donkey 6. These are examples of how the layout word appears on a maker page, not picks.

Tandem doubles appear more often on modular frames, where the second seat is added behind the first. The Baby Jogger city select 2 page describes a frame that becomes a double or a travel system. When a listing says 'system' or 'modular', read whether the second seat is included or sold separately.

The same layout question applies to double jogging, double all-terrain and double travel system guides. Each guide compares the stated details of the doubles in that style, including the layout word in the title.

What the catalogue cannot say about a layout

The catalogue compares stated details: the style word, the seat count, the fold word, the fabric. It does not state how a layout rides, how wide a door a stroller fits, how it handles in a store aisle, or how it feels on grass. Those are questions for the maker's page and for your own measurements.

Neither layout is better for every household. The right pick is the one whose stated details match the door, the trunk and the walking you plan to do. A tandem suits a narrower footprint; a side-by-side suits two children who sit close together on a wider frame. The general double stroller guide compares the whole category, and the twins beyond layout article covers the other double questions: weight, fold and the second seat.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

What is a tandem double stroller?

A tandem double places one seat ahead of the other on a frame that is narrower but longer. The listing may write it as 'tandem' or 'in line'.

What is a side-by-side double stroller?

A side-by-side double places the two seats next to each other on a frame that is wider across the back. The listing may write it as 'side by side' or 'side-by-side'.

Which layout is narrower?

In listing terms, a tandem is the narrower layout, while a side-by-side is the wider one. The exact width is on the maker's page, not in the catalogue.

Will a double fit through a standard door?

That depends on the width of the frame and the width of the door. Read the width on the maker's page and measure the door yourself. The catalogue does not state width.

Do tandem and side-by-side frames fold the same?

The fold is a separate listing word. Both layouts can appear with a one-hand fold or a compact fold; the folded shape is stated by the maker, and the catalogue compares the fold word only.

Is one layout better for two children close in age?

Both layouts serve two children; the difference is where the children sit. Read the seat words on the listing and choose the layout that fits the spaces you use.