After a month of letting my toddler and baby absolutely destroy the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Graphite Stand-On Tandem Stroller, here's my honest take: it's one of the most versatile double strollers out there, but it does come with a few quirks worth knowing before you buy.
What Is the Joovy Caboose Ultralight?
Double strollers tend to be bulky, hard to push, and a logistical nightmare the second your toddler decides they'd rather stand than sit (which is always). The Joovy Caboose Ultralight tackles that problem head-on with a tandem design that adapts to your kids rather than forcing them into a fixed setup.
At 21.8 lbs (net weight), it's genuinely light by double stroller standards, narrow enough to fit through standard doorways, and can actually be steered one-handed, which, if you've ever tried to navigate a grocery store with a double stroller and a coffee, you know is basically a superpower.
4 Ways to Configure This Stroller
This is the feature that sets the Caboose apart. You've got four real options depending on the day, the kids' moods, and your patience level:
- Two seats - Maximum space, the second child even gets a tray (note: second seat is sold separately)
- One seated, one standing - With an optional small bench seat for when standing gets old
- Car seat + one seat - Still plenty of room for the seated child
- Car seat + standing - Roomy enough for standing, but if you're using the small bench seat too, it gets tight fast - fine for short trips
That flexibility is genuinely useful. My toddler went through a solid two-week phase of refusing to sit like a normal human, and having the standing option kept us both sane.
What I Actually Liked
- Lightweight for a double - 21.8 lb net weight (24 lb gross) is impressive for this category
- Easy to steer - Handles well and can be pushed one-handed
- Simple fold - Quick once you get the motion down; doesn't require an engineering degree
- Comfortable seats - Both recline, have room to spare, and the buckles are easy to operate (a small thing that matters a lot when you're buckling a squirmy toddler in a parking lot)
- Fits through doors - The narrow frame means you're not doing a 12-point turn every time you enter a coffee shop
Dimensions to know: Open size is 41.5 x 21.5 x 37 inches; folded is 10.5 x 21.5 x 41.5 inches. It's still a double stroller, so make sure you've actually measured your trunk and storage space before you order.
What Could Be Better
The wheels are loud. Not mildly squeaky – I'm talking wheels-that-sound-like-ten-thousand-angry-finches loud. It's a known enough issue that you'll find it on message boards, and the fix is silicone lubricant spray on the wheels. Buy it the same day you buy the stroller. Just handle it upfront so you're not that person in Target.
The storage basket is small and awkward. I get it – a more compact stroller means less room underneath – but in every configuration I tried, getting into the basket was a bit of a reach. If you're a pack-heavy family, know this going in.
The brake pedal is tricky in sandals. The underside of the foot pedal is molded plastic, and I could not disengage it without hurting my toes when I was wearing sandals. Not an issue in sneakers or closed-toe shoes, but worth flagging if you're a sandals-in-summer person.
Stick to smooth terrain. This stroller is built for city life — sidewalks, smooth paths, well-groomed gravel trails at best. I wouldn't take it on anything rougher than that.
Bottom Line
The Caboose Ultralight earns its stripes in the versatility and handling department. Four kid configurations mean you're covered no matter what mood your toddler wakes up in, and at 21.8 lbs net weight, it's legitimately easy to manage compared to most double strollers. One-handed steering, a straightforward fold, and a frame narrow enough to fit through a standard doorway make the day-to-day a lot less stressful.
That said, there are a few things to go in with eyes open about. The squeaky wheels are the biggest one — it's a well-documented issue and an easy fix with silicone lubricant spray, but you'll want to handle that before your first outing rather than after. The storage basket is on the smaller side and awkward to reach in every configuration, which matters if you tend to haul a lot. If you wear sandals, the brake pedal is going to be a problem — the molded plastic underside is not toe-friendly when you're trying to disengage it. And while it handles beautifully on smooth surfaces, don't expect it to perform on anything rougher than a well-groomed gravel path.
The second seat is also sold separately, which feels like something that should be upfront when you're budgeting for this purchase.
If you're navigating city life with a baby and a toddler who can't agree on anything – especially whether they want to sit, stand, or make your life difficult – the Joovy Caboose Ultralight is genuinely one of the better solutions out there. Buy the extra seat, grab the silicone lubricant before your first outing, and you'll be in great shape.
For full specs and current pricing, visit the Joovy website.
Double strollers are often double the trouble. They are big, bulky and difficult to push when you factor in the body weight of two kids. But they are also a necessity for families who have two kids of a certain age, who are either unable to walk on their own or just refuse to out of principle.
The lovely people over at Joovy have addressed a few common issues the typical double stroller faces and created the Caboose Ultralight Graphite Stand-On Tandem stroller. With the help of my kiddos, I put this puppy through the ringer with a month of straight-up abuse that only a toddler and a baby are capable of.
The strong point of this stroller is that it’s essentially the Swiss-Army knife of the stroller world. There are four different ways you can arrange your kids according to need, which is incredibly handy when dealing with a toddler who wants to stand one day and sit the next. You can set it up in any of the following configurations:
- Two seats – tons of room, someone even gets a tray (second seat is extra)
- One seated, one standing with small bench seat if needed
- Car seat and one seat – still plenty of room for seated child
- Car seat and standing – plenty of room to stand, pretty tight for utilizing the small bench seat if needed, but fine if the trip is short
It’s light by double stroller standards at 21.8 pounds (net weight, gross weight is 24), and is narrow enough to easily fit through doors. It is compact, handles well, and can be pushed with one hand. Both seats have the option to recline, are roomy, and seem comfortable, and the buckles are easy to operate. Folding and unfolding it is quick and easy once you get the hang of it.
There are, however, a few things I’d love to see addressed.
The biggest issue for me is how noisy the stroller is. The wheels squeak, squeal and chirp like ten thousand angry finches in a raucous bird fight, and is enough to drive even the most Zen of ornithologists to their breaking point. This problem is common enough to be found on message boards, and can apparently be fixed by spraying the wheels with silicone lubricant, which I have yet to procure.
I also found the storage basket to be smaller than I’d like, and difficult to access in every configuration, though I understand that in order to make the stroller smaller, compromises must be made for non-essential items. It is also worth noting that the break is controlled with a foot pedal, which I found I was unable to disengage while wearing sandals (the underside of the pedal is molded plastic, which hurt my toes – this would not be an issue with other kinds of shoes).
All in all, this is a great, lightweight option for a stroller that will grow with kids from infancy through toddlerhood. I would spring for the extra seat, and definitely get your hands on that lube… unless, of course, you find the sound of a ten thousand-finch bird fight enjoyable in any way.
🟢 Joovy Caboose Pros
- Versatile with many different arrangements for maximum child happiness
- Light by double stroller standards with a net weight of 21.8 pounds
- Handles very easily
- Folds/unfolds easily
- Relatively small, though it is a double stroller, so really think about if you have space to store something of this size when not in use. (Open size: 41.5 x 21.5 x 37 inches, folded size: 10.5 x 21.5 x 41.5 inches)
🔴 Joovy Caboose Cons
- Squeaky wheels
- Small basket
- Break disengagement is difficult with some footwear
- Best for city usage – wouldn’t take it on anything other than cement or very well groomed gravel trails.
Leave a Comment