If you have a baby and a two year old

[cucumbercookie]

Did you go with a double pram or a buggy board?
DS will be 2 and a half when the new baby comes and I can't make up my mind about which option is best. On the one hand it seems like a waste to splash out on a double for the sake of 6 months max and I imagine it will be bulky on public transport and take up a lot of boot space but on the other I can't imagine a tired, cranky toddler co-operating when it comes to standing nicely on a buggy board.
I'm considering getting the Cybex Balios s so as I could easily swap baby into the sling and put DS in the pram if he gets tired since it's suitable until 4 years but I'm wondering what others experiences are? Apologies for the unnecessarily long post

Could you get a cheap second hand one?

I had a double but my age gap was 18 months. It was well used but I didn't get public transport with it.

Same ages as yours and I got a double buggy. There's no way my tired cranky toddler was going to cooperate. Also, he's a bit of a bolter so when I'm out walking I need him strapped onto something that he can't escape from In busy areas.

I got the out n about nipper with the carry cot conversion and it's been great. It's bulky but they all are, can't imagine public transport being easy with any double buggy but if you need to use it I would maybe go for a double that's one on top of the other.

I have a very 14 month old and a 2.8 year old. I got a double buggy (we have an 18 month gap so definitely needed it). I do still use it but less and less. Most days now I take the pram and buggy board and ds1 usually chooses to walk and not even use the board.

I did both. Buggy board for short journeys and a second hand double buggy for longer ones. Now they are 1.5 and 3.5 we use the buggy only for a long hilly walk to pre school.

Thank you all for replying. Looking like the double buggy is unavoidable then I'm tempted to keep the stroller for bus journeys in that case and put little one in a sling. I don't like the idea of a tandem where I'd have to choose who goes in the seat in the basket.
In that case does anyone have any experiences with the mountain buggy duet? It looks lovely and there's some for less than £500 on local selling pages. Or any other suggestions? Ds is quite tall for his age but not shockingly so

Hi! I debated the same and went for a buggy board but I thought so many times “I wish I had a double buggy”
Two year olds get tired easily and it would have been handy for naps on long days out. You can get great value second hand ones and sell it on when it’s not needed anymore. I would go for it !

My eldest was 2.5 when baby came along. I got a Baby Jogger City Mini GT double (I have the single version and loved it). I wasn't going to bother but a bargain one popped up on eBay when I was 40+14! Really glad I did. It was very well used for about 8 months. It'll sell for at least what I paid for it.

You may not need the GT version if you don't venture into muddy woodlands - so more available and cheaper.

Out n about nipper is great! If you want small maybe consider the mountain buggy nano duo.

Oooh the nano looks fab @sunshinegirl82 but I'm weary to buy one brand new in case I don't get much use out of it. Dp would kill me as he's insisting that a buggy board will be fine despite me being the one who does the nursery run and most of the walking!
Thanks @mummymummymummummum the mini is looking like the best (cheapest) option for me

My second DC is due any day now and my DD is 2.5. I've just bought the Bugaboo board with the little seat for my toddler. She has been resisting naps in her pram for a while now - although saying that she actually fell asleep in it last week for the first time in ages!!
I figure she will definitely need a seat for when she's tired, but she should be able to stay awake for long enough until we get home if she does need a proper nap. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes!

My DD will be just over two and a half and I’ve got a buggy board which includes a little seat and also a sling so that I can walk with DD more easily. I think it probably depends how much you currently use your buggy as we’re at the stage with DD where we rarely use it as she likes to walk and only really use it for long days out when DH would be there anyway

Before my second was born my toddler was at the stage where she walked and we weren't using the buggy much... don't underestimate the power of jealousy! 😂

If you can I'd see if you can go somewhere to try a few out, some can be really heavy and tricky to push.

I have the out n about nipper and can push it one handed with both DC in with no problem (they are 3 and 9mo). They do a version called the little nipper which might be worth a look.

The out n about also fits through a normal sized door which is a big plus!

There was 2.2 years between mine and I never used a double. I did try a buggy board for a while but it was an absolute nightmare.

The baby mainly went in the sling and then when she was around 6 months he just had to walk.

My DS will be 21 months old when the baby is born and I’m not planning on buying a double. I hate double prams and I have an ergo baby carrier for the baby. I’m planning on getting a sit on buggy board when the baby gets too heavy to carry around.

Buggy board would be for the toddler obviously .

I had a 22 month gap and used a Mountain Buggy Duet for over a year. Mainly because DC1 still napped at least 90 minutes for months after DC2 was born, we were out and about all day every day and I wanted to be able to put them both down to sleep.

Never had an issue fitting on any buses, including the little minibus ones and through doors.

We’ve got the duet, our gap will be a lot smaller than yours but it does fit most places.. I’ve only struggled in super tiny rural shops. And the other bonus is that one side (carry cot bit) can turn into a bloody good shopping basket bit. So you could use it as a single with the joey tote bit once your eldest doesn’t want to go in the buggy.

They also sell a scooter that doubles as a buggy board, so he could scoot along till he’s tired and then it could be clipped on and he could get a ride. And it folds up if he still wanted the seat part you wouldnt be waddling with the scooter board thing.

Definitely see if you can test drive one in a shop though, I tried a couple of different ones out first, second choice would’ve been a baby jogger only went against it with looks n price.

I've twenty months between my first two and used the double buggy to death.

I've got 2.5 years between DC2 and DC3. DC3 is 12 weeks old and I can't see me using the double at all. I already have it so it's no loss to me, but with this gap I just don't think it would be worth buying one.

Baby in a sling and two year old in a buggy if you need to, I think that would be enough.

I had one and used it once. DS was into Roary the racing car and tried to help me corner by leaning into it, nearly tipping the pram and sending his new sister into the middle of the road. We laugh now, 12 years later.

The more I think about it rationally the more sense it makes. DS still naps over 2 hours a day and although he's a good walker he is still in the pram a lot as we walk fairly long distances regularly. I just so wanted to avoid a bulky double😬
I love the mountain buggy but it seems to be quite pricey compared to the city mini and the out n about. Would a stroller type double with a newborn insert be a terrible idea? For some reason dp has requested a sports style car as his company car for the next quarter so I'm not sure if the fold would be smaller on one of the umbrella style ones?

@woodymiller oh my gosh that sounds absolutely terrifying! I'm not surprised it's taken 12 years to laugh about it😂

It massively depends on your older child I would say. I have a 2.10 gap and there is no way at all I could have managed without a double. DS1 is not a reliable walker and the sling is fine until the toddler throws a tantrum or you want to sit down in a cafe or something.

What you could do is try them all out and then wait until no2 arrives? A friend with a 20 month gap did this (they had a double within a week!) but avoided buying something they didn't use.

I'd say the out n about a a v popular so hold their value well. You would probably be able to sell on. Personally I'd be nervous about a newborn in a stroller but that might just be me!

22 months between dc 1&2 and never had a double. Ds1 was a pretty good walker and I had a strap on the buggy handle that he used to hold. On big days out etc we just used 2 singles. Dc2 however had to be evicted from her buggy when dc3 came along, she was just over 3, and she used a buggy board, although I put dc3 in a sling a lot which I found a life saver. Personally I would use a sling for baby and buggy for dc1, and build him up to more walking.