Double buggy or buggy board for a three-year-old and newborn?

[Bluebellsfortwo]

Our daughter will be just turned 3 when the new baby arrives. We live in London and don't have a car so we use a pushchair every single day at the moment (she is 2y9m). Is a double buggy necessary or would we be able to get away with only a buggy board?

She's not really a runner and holds our hands well, but she often says she's tired of walking and wants to sit. She's a slow walker and gets distracted easily. We also get public transport a lot and walk frequently.

Buggy board definitely. My boy was 2.5 when my daughter was born and he really enjoyed the board but only used it for a short while before he just started walking alongside us.

Buggy board

I tried a buggy board but got a double. It was so much easier and we used it for 2 years as we walk miles. I had the city mini it went through all but one doorway

My oldest was 3 when I had my second and we didn't bother with either, she walked. On the very rare occasion she needed to go in the buggy, I took the baby in the carrier.

Double buggies and buggy boards make the buggy unwieldy and that's a deterrent for going out

I got both to use at different times. I lived city centre and walked everywhere. DD was 2 years 9 months when her brother arrived and I’ve great memories of the double buggy.

We had both. Started with a buggy board but it got annoying very quicky. It makes pushing the buggy awkward imo. The board is right where you want to step so end up taking smaller steps to accommodate it or sort of stretch/leaning over it. Neither one was comfortable for me personally. We had tried one standing board and one with a seat, neither one were great. Also in the very early days using the bassinet there wasn't really enough room for my oldest to stand on the board without being squished up against the bassinet so we were just both uncomfortable. We had an uppababy, and then tried the rumble seat with that to convert it into a double but that also wasn't great. Wasn't a lot of leg room, took up the basket, made it very unyielding to push.

Went for an out and about in the end, narrow enough for pavements and every door way I ever tried, minimal trip hazard, nap options for both kids. Way better for us.

I had the same age gap, went with the buggy board but my 3 y/o found it uncomfortable as his head needed to be right were the pram handles were, so wasn’t great for long walks…. if you get a buggy board do a few practice runs with her actually using the board.

I did end buying a second hand double buggy as we had a few holidays booked and thought 3 y/o may need a few danger naps in the afternoon of the busier days.

Another vote for buggy board. It’s definitely awkward but it’s a good solution for walks under 20mins. Before you know it your eldest will be able to walk further and further or perhaps scoot/cycle alongside you and soon you’ll be able to do away with the buggy board altogether. It’s a tricky transition but they get used to it.

It’ll be way easier in London to have a single with a board- thinking of manoeuvring on public transport or fitting into narrow terraced house hallways! Or at least that’s what convinced me to forgo a double with my 3 year age gap. The only exceptions I can think of is if your 3YO still naps?

Get the double, makes life so much easier. No one wants to battle a tired child who just wants to sit, especially if you’re walking/on public transport a lot.

My daughter always hated the pram so when I had my second when DD was 2.4 I just got a buggy board. I wish I got a double- she got so jealous she would just sit in the bottom of the pram. It was a nightmare. Double!

Buggy board, one with a seat.

Double all the way, buggy boards are fine for late 3's early 4's to have a quick ride if their legs get tired or you need to move fast, but definitely not for daily use with a younger child. They can also make pushing the buggy very difficult and depending on the 3yo's behaviour, very dangerous if they try to hop off mid stride.
I found being able to strap the 3yo in with a snack whilst I dealt with a newborn very handy. If you would still use a buggy for a 3yo on a long day out then you need a double.

You could look at the bugaboo donkey as an option and alternate depending on journey type. You can get a specific buggy board for it with a seat.

i had a double and a buggy board for my three, but someone on a group I’m on recommended the Hoppie as an alternative to a double buggy and it does look good

Hoppie

My DD turned 3 the same week my twins arrived. With 3 there wasn’t the option for her to stay in the buggy so it was straight to the buggy board. It worked well for us, but she was already a good walker and is incredibly so now at just 5. She did a 28k step day over half term!

That said, we live in London and have a double for the DTs (obviously) and it’s not really a bother - I can’t think of a door I haven’t got it through. Though it is annoying waiting for a free space on the bus sometimes!

Could you look at a board, plus one of those slings that creates a second seat underneath for the odd time your dc needs a rest?

We’ve gone for a buggy board and it’s working well for ours who was 3 and 4 months when the baby was born.

Our pram is an Oyster 3 which is suitable from birth up to around 4, so if we are having a really long day out where the toddler may fall asleep on the way home, we take the sling as well. That way he can ride in the pram and we can carry the baby.

Double definitely. I still regret getting rid of my double and mine are now 4 and 2...I think i would still be using it now.

It will depend on your dd. We bought a double buggy and my dd refused to use it so we got a buggy board and she used it very occasionally. Mostly she was very independent and just wanted to walk. Luckily I had picked up both the double buggy and buggy board second hand and sold them on again.

Mine are 2 years 4 months apart. We did neither, kept the eldest in the buggy and had the newborn in a sling/carrier.

Buggyboard.
Mine have a slightly smaller age gap. For the first few months I would carry baby in a sling, eldest in pushchair. Then they’d swap for a bit. After six months the pushchair became exclusively the babies spot. Eldest hitched a ride on the board or walked.
One of the best, most useful baby purchases I made.

Double (I loved mountain buggy duet so easy and the smallest double width wise could push that with one hand . I did have a buggy board wide one too) but even if the seat wasn’t used it was handy to put bags / picnic basket / coats in the side which wasn’t used. It was also handy to strap them both in and walk fast / at the dr office etc.

Definitely not a double buggy! I couldn’t think of anything worse to cart around London. There are 24m between my first and second, and 22m between second and third. Third is now one and we’ve been fine with various combinations of sling, buggy and buggy board.

23 month gap. No no to a double buggy. Used a buggy board for a few weeks and then he was walking. Did wear baby in a carrier for a bit too. I still occasionally use the carrier now he’s almost 3 and 17kg (yep, he’s heavy).

I'd get a scooter instead of a buggy board, but definitely not a double buggy. Use the next few months to wean her off the buggy, build up stamina etc. Don't let her feel that the baby has pushed her out of the buggy. Instead talk up the fact that she scoots now she's a big girl.

Buggy board.