REASONS TO BUY
Accepts two car seats
Nap worthy
Easy to use
REASONS TO AVOID
Only works with Peg seats
Can't fold with car seat adapter in place
Peg Perego Book for Two Review
Quality option, but limited functionality when used with car seats and adapter
Peg Perego Book for Two is a good example of a classic side-by-side style double stroller.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: The Best Double Strollers
The Skinny
The Peg Perego Book for Two is a side-by-side stroller that looks stylish, and all dressed up with somewhere to go. This stroller performed well in most of our tests and had impressive features for parents and passengers. With a higher score for the ease of use metric and impressive scores for quality and safety, the Peg is hard to overlook. Unfortunately, while it accepts two infant car seats, there is only one car seat you can choose. And while we gave that car seat an award, we think it is a mistake not to offer adapters for other brands. The real downside is the maneuverability of this stroller that came in below average and should arguably be more impressive for a stroller in this price range. With a change to rubber tires and the ability to fold it with the adapters attached, this stroller could be a contender. As is, it is not an award winner but may be a good choice for fans of Peg Perego or parents already interested in the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 infant car seat.
Our Analysis and Test Results
In 1949, the Italian Perego family starts the Peg Perego company. The company designs and creates baby products and toddler toys including car seats, strollers, and electric ride on gear. Peg Perego's history is full of popular, well-made gear and the founders continue to aid in product design and development.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Use
The Peg is one of the easiest options to use in this review. The Peg has lots of easy to use features not found on most of the competition.
Fold and Unfold
The Book has a one-handed fold with two steps that self-stands and auto-locks. Folding the Book is easy compared to the competition, but you need to bend down to finish it. The fold includes pressing the lock release button then pulling the Pull Handle on the seat bottom. The frame folds in half, and the lock automatically engages. Unfolding the Book requires two hands and two steps. You still need to bend to start the process, but it is easy compared to the competition. It is the easiest to stroller in the review to fold. Unfortunately, the Book cannot close with the adapter attached, and removing the adapter hurts its score.
The single action brakes on the Book ranked about average compared to the competition. They weren't terrible, but they weren't a tester favorite either.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Brakes
The brakes are single action and sandal foot-friendly. The brakes are average compared to the competition for ease of engaging and releasing.
The storage bin on the Book is large, easy to access, and has a spring loaded back that dips down to make the access opening wider.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Storage
The Book has a large storage bin with a maximum weight allowance of 11 lbs. It only has access from the back, but access is easy, and the bin fits our extra-large diaper bag. This bin is the biggest in the group, and with a little skillful planning, it can easily fit two extra-large diaper bags. The back of the bin is spring-loaded and can press down to widen the opening. The bin itself has three pockets ideal for quick access items like cell phones, keys, and wallets.
The mesh pockets on the back of the Book seats are a nice storage addition that easily hold water bottles, baby bottles, or sippy cups.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
This stroller also has large mesh pockets on the back of each seat with no listed weight capacity. The mesh feels durable and doesn't snag in our tests.
The Book canopies have identical vinyl peek-a-boo windows with flaps that have magnetic closures. Magnetic closures allow you to silently check on baby with one hand, and we prefer them to two handed toggles and loud Velcro closures.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Sunshade
Each seat has a large independent canopy, and both have large, vinyl peek-a-boo windows. The canopies offer ventilation for comfort, and the peek-a-boo window cover has a magnetic closure. We prefer the magnetic closure over Velcro closures because they are silent and you can peek without waking baby. While attractive, the canopies only get the job done and are not as functional as those on the competition.
The photos above show the Book with the canopies closed and seatbacks raised, and the canopies fully open and seatbacks reclined.
The buckle on the Book almost requires 3 hands to operate; 2 hands to depress the button and a third to remove the straps form the buckle.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Harness
The Book has a 5-point harness for each passenger. The harness is better than average for ease of putting on and below average for taking off. The release button on the buckle requires two hands of pressure to engage, and the straps must be manually removed from the buckle leaving only one hand free to keep the button depressed. This can be a little bit tricky because you almost need three hands to use it. Thankfully, adjusting this harness is easier than most of the competition. The straps tighten easily and quickly. Shoulder height strap adjustment is a rethread operation and has three shoulder height positions with a range of 4.5 inches. The crotch strap only has one position, but it is adjustable. Non-rethread shoulder height adjustment is quicker and easier for the most part.
Seat
The leg rests are padded and adjustable to straight out for napping. The leg rests are a leather-ish material that feels easy to clean and durable, but it also feels like it is less breathable and may cause sweaty legs. The leg rests move down to a small footpad and are easy to operate.
The recline toggle on the Book is easy to operate compared to some of the competition that required two hands and extra patience.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Both seats on the Peg recline equally. The recline feature is easy to operate, and there are an infinite number of positions for comfort. The seats can lay completely flat for napping, and coupled with the leg rest extension babies will be able to stretch out for sleeping.
The Peg Perego Book only accepts the Primo Viaggio infant car seats, but it will accept two at the same time if you have twins. This stroller earned the highest score for ease of car seat attachment.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Car Seat Compatibility
The Book has very limited seat compatibility with the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 being the sole option available. The Book accepts two car seats with adapters, they click easily in place, and you can't install it wrong. It doesn't feel that secure once installed. The real problem is the stroller will not fold with the adapter in place which feels like an oversight, and we wish it just folded with adapters in place. As it is, you will be holding two infant seats, adapters, and the stroller if you fold this while out and about.
Ease of Setup
The Book is one of the more difficult options to set up taking over 13 minutes to get it out of the package and ready to roll. The documentation is poor with the written instructions and illustrations in different sections. It would be much easier if the pictures appeared on the same pages as the corresponding directions.
The tires on the Book are made of foam filled polyurethane, which feels like a dense plastic that doesn't have the tendency to become misshapen like the cheaper options in the group.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Maneuverability
For maneuverability the Book brought home a disappointing below average performance.
The swivel front wheels on the Book for two can be locked in place for easier pushing over uneven terrain.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Book is average for pushing and turning on hard surfaces. With a wide footprint, it has difficulty in the tight spots and narrow doorways. It is also a subpar mover on grass and gravel with plastic tires that struggle to maneuver well.
The Book is neither small nor light, but there are definitely products that are heavier and larger than it in the competition.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Weight and Folded Size
The Peg score for weight and folded size is less than average for the group. The Book weighs 32.1 lbs, and while this isn't the heaviest stroller, it is significantly heavier than some of the competition. When folded the Peg is 17,443 cubic inches, which is lower than the average that is closer to 18,900 cubic inches.
The Book scored above average for quality with a 7 out of 10 in our tests compared to the competition.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Quality
One area where the Peg performs well is the quality metric. The Peg has the best fabric that is nice looking and feeling. Even the leather-like cover on the bottom of the footrest feels friendly and easy to clean. The seats are nice, but they don't seem to fit the frame as well as they could. The frame is clean and solid, but it has more flex than we expected when pushing passengers. Overall, the finish of the Peg is nicer than much of the competition.
The Peg has foam-filled plastic tires. While not our favorite, these plastic wheels are the best in the bunch. They feel dense and even, and we think they are unlikely to dent or become misshapen easily.
The handlebar on the Book is adjustable on a pivot point, which puts taller users closer to the stroller when pushing. This results in a greater chance of kicking the rear axle while strolling.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The handlebar adjusts on a pivot point, offering a wide range, and is easy to operate with a push-button. The handlebar for the Book is nice and wide with rubber bumpers in the center to help protect the dense foam when folding the stroller to stand and it feels good in the hand with an ergonomic curve in the handle.
The Book only has a rear suspension. For a smoother ride for the baby, and all-around suspension would be better. The sling-style seat and its adequate padding will provide a smoother ride for a baby despite its two shock design. We think the Book would be a better ride for passengers and easier to push if the tires were rubber and this change would be a game changer for the Peg.
Twins
Because the Peg accepts two infant car seats at the same time, it can be a good option for infant twins. The downside is the Peg is limited to only one kind of car seat (albeit an award-winner) leaving you no choices. The infant car seats are a little more expensive than most of the competition, which can quickly jack up the price of a travel system for two.
Once babies are out of car seats, the Book continues to be a good option for twins. With identical seating arrangements, independent canopies, and equal features, the Book creates nothing to argue over. Some of the inline competition offer vastly different rider experiences. Because the Peg will work for children up to 45 pounds, we think this stroller will give you the lifetime performance you expect from a Peg Perego product.
Manufacturer Video
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD & BabyGearLab Team
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