iCandy Pear? Good Donkey substitute?

[pommedechocolat]

Help! Am looking for double pushchair that can be 'proper' newborn option and can then face towards me or forwards in pushchair mode.

Scrapped pram when dd was 5 months because only faced forward in pushchair mode and got Bugaboo Bee instead which I LOVE. Based on being so in love with my Bee would really prefer a Donkey but can't afford it new and no ebay options yet.

Is the icandy Pear a good substitute for the Doneky? Good ebay options here too.

[aswellasyou]

Do you want both seats to face you? I didn't think you can really see the child at the front in the Pear. But then most tandems can't have both seats facing you so it's better than most. I don't know whether the iCandy Peach Blossom can have both seats facing you but it's worth a look because it's supposed to be a really decent pushchair.

[Tiggywunkle]

The Pear is pretty good - easy to push, lots of options, small and neat, good sized seat units. But there is no basket space in tandem mode, the reality is that the baby is usually hidden behind the toddler - there is no way you can see them when pushing, or they have to face backwards. The seats can only go in the same direction. Have a look here to see the configurations. Just bear in mind the baby will be in the smaller seat and lower position at least until they move into the seat unit, by which time your toddler may well be too large to swap into the smaller seat unit.
I don't know your age gap but if it's small then the Baby Jogger City Select will do better what you want. But it's heavy and I wouldn't recommend it if your toddler is already two. The Britax B-Dual in theory can offer you parent facing too but it's not simple and you may wish to look down here at the B-Dual threads to save my fingers typing it all.
The Kolcraft Contours is also worth a look, as is the O'Baby Zoom.

[Tiggywunkle]

The new Peach Blossom is fabulous but I wouldn't recommend the current version unless you have a bigger age gap so that the eldest will be walking by the time baby is 9-10 months. I don't know when exactly the new Peach Blossom kit is due out.

[pommedechocolat]

Dd will be 23 months when baby arrives. I need the seats to do one facing me (baby) and one facing forward (dd) when we move out of newborn mode.
Will go off to google Peach blossom and Baby Jogger City Select now!

[Tiggywunkle]

The Peach won't do that. The others will though.

[pommedechocolat]

Will it be the second seat that faces me though (i.e. the one furtherest away?). Ideally I'd like front one facing me and furtherest away one facing out. otherwise baby is facing dd not me?

Neither of them show that combination on websites.

[Tiggywunkle]

The only pushchair I know that will do that and recline (the City Select will but the seat is bolt upright) is the Contours but there is no carrycot option and IMHO the seats are too deep for a newborn. The Zoom may also do it but you need to look. But to be honest the BJCS works fine with baby furthest away. You have a perfect view and the B-Dual would actually have the baby closer still. The options are very limited in tandem-land and there are usually compromises to be made.

[pommedechocolat]

Thanks Tiggy. I struggled finding a pushchair that was forward and rear facing when I wanted one too. The Bee is great but a lot more money than I wanted to spend.

I obviously always want the impossible!

[Tiggywunkle]

Buy a Donkey :) see it as a pushchair rental and you should get at least half your money back later.

[5inthebed]

What about First Wheels doubleor Britax B-Dual?

[Tiggywunkle]

First wheels is really wide. But two other options are the Baby Elegance Beep Beep Twin (I think that's wide too without looking it up) and the Stroll-air twin which would be an import job. I really fancy the latter TBH.