I'm clueless, help! Need a double buggy for baby and toddler.

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

I really don't want to spend a fortune and am very happy to buy second hand, but would love some knowledgable advice :)

Dh and I are tall (he's 6' 4") so long handles would be nice. We also live in the countryside, so big wheels are a must.

We need a buggy that will take a baby and a toddler, preferably one behind the other to get around narrow shops.

Any suggestions? TIA :)

[middlings]

My pair are 16mos apart and I wanted a side by side which worked great until the 10 month old starting pulling the 2 year old's hair and giggling.

I got the Out and About Nipper. just over £300 new so not a fortune when compared to the Phil and Ted's/Bugaboo Donkey/Icandy.

Nice big wheels that are easy to maintain, very light to push, good adjustable handle, very easy to collapse and put up again.

It's also narrow enough to push through a single door so certainly easy to get in and out of houses and honestly, not much more hassle than my single buggy in shops.


Only downside is that because it's so light on its feet, it gets overbalanced quite easily so you really can't hang all your shopping on the back and then let go!

I didn't bother with a new born nest but just wrapped DD2 up in a cosy generic cosy-toes thingy and she was fine.

Would highly recommend - I think it's good value for what it is.

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

Thanks middlings, I'll check that out :) sounds like a good price too.

[middlings]

When's your baby due? I'll be using mine for a few months yet but I don't think we've too much life left for it. DD1 now usually walks or is on a buggy board on the single. If you're interested, PM me and we can see if our interests might align!

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

Possibly :o

I would prefer an inline type, but do like the look of that one. Shops are very narrow here, and I know I'd struggle in places with a single.

It would be needed in January :)

[middlings]

Well, I'm SE London so have a look and decide what you like and we'll take it from there. January will probably be ok! I'll have to talk to DH who is definitely more prone to using it than I am.

And good luck! Hope you're feeling well and enjoying running around after your older one in the summer heat - DD2 was born in September so I was very big and fat this time last year - you have my sympathies!!

[starlight1234]

I have an Orchard and am a childminder. They are now cheap however but worth looking at second hand. The best pushchair I have ever owned

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

Thanks middlings :)

Starlight, how are they for tall people?

[starlight1234]

Orchard is brilliant although I am only 5ft 42 it has an adjustable handle which goes too tall for me and very easy to remove bottom seat if you go out with just one of them .

[Ihateparties]

Hmmm tandems that will go actually off road are difficult. There really aren't many. Do you need it to go on rougher paths or actually over fields?

It's not normally my first recommendation but some sort of Phil and teds would probably make sense for you. There are loads second hand and it wouldn't be hard to find one in good condition, explorer, sport, navigator, dot etc. Other air tyre options are the mountain buggy +one and the tfk joggster twist.

The mb duet is 63cm wide, not a tandem but as narrow was a tandem. Practical when open but large closed so you need a decent size boot and be willing to lift a big heavy buggy in and out. Good if you don't want to faff about taking bits off the fold something though.

If you want paths rather than actual off road there are more options, the generic list of most useful tandems usually comes out as the Icandy peach 2 or 3, babystyle oyster max, jane twone, Icandy apple2pear etc. The baby jogger city select is great for child seating positions and has the kind of adjustable handle that would probably work for you but you have to be willing to live with more difficult handling, ie it's harder to turn corners and difficult to tip if you need to navigate a kerb with no drop.

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

Thanks starlight.

Ihateparties, that's a comprehensive list :)

It would be over fields, so something quite robust would be best. I'll have a look at those suggestions.

I knew this was the place to come!

[Neverendingnappies]

i recommend you look at that the Phil and Teds Navigator. It is brilliant off road. over fields, accros sand and snow. It is an inline so nice and narrow and very hardy.

you should be able to pick up a good second hand one for between £250-300 with all the bells and whistles.

It handles the newborn/toddler phase reasonably well but really comes into its own when your baby is around 6 months and can go in the rear seat with toddler up front.

there are quite a few facebook phil and teds sales groups if you want to look at some examples of what you can get.

by the way, Kiddicare are having a massive closing down sale at the moment and they have new navigators for £350 which is an absolute steal.

[JollyGolightly]

My Phil and Ted's sport kept me sane, stomping round the woods with my toddler and newborn! The pavements are very narrow in my town and it was fine. I got mine 2nd hand on eBay.

[JenSmith1508]

icandy apple2pear is a good double with big wheels, my friend and her DH live on a farm and swear by it - even if you can get mud spray on the fabrics!

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

I love my Mountain Buggy Duet. No one will ever part me from it!

I kept getting rear tire punctures though, so got solid tires at the back which has been fine but adds a bit of money.

[beccajoh]

As much as I hate it, my Phil and teds is pretty useful and we were given it for free so can't complain too much. However when we had the baby in the cocoon thing in the main seat and toddler in the seat on top of the main seat (does that make sense?) the whole thing was monstrously heavy to push. DS was only 6lbs born so he was in the cocoon thing for about four months as he was just too small for the underneath seat before then. Most babies outgrow the cocoon much sooner.

Had we needed to buy a double we would have got the Out n About nipper. That was by far the best double we test-drove.

What age gap will you have?

[FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse]

About 18 months age gap.

This is brilliant. I do know a friend who has the phil and teds and loves it. Sounds like that might be the right one for us.

[beccajoh]

That's the same gap I've got too. Now that we've got DH in the underneath seat it's much easier to push. DD is 25 months now and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel - I reckon we can start using a buggy board for local trips and keep the double for days out.

[Xmasbaby11]

Phil and teds. Brilliant. I have a 2 year age gap. 6 months on and both dd are still very happy in it. We used the cocoon for about 3 months and dd napped in it so well, in buggy and at home. I expect to use it for at least another 6 months, so it was a good buy.

[FriendofDorothy]

I have a Mountain Buggy Duet too and really like it. I have a 20 month old and a 10 day old who is currently in a carrycot.

[Fresh01]

I had a Jane Powertwin. It was in-line with a height adjustable handle. I found it great and very easy to move about. Preferred it to my Phil and teds side by side twin I had had before. I sold mine on Gumtree. Keep on eye on there as twin prams generally are used for a relatively short time so you can pick up second hand ones in very good condition.