To ask you knowledgeable lot whether I need a double pushchair?

[NomDeClavier]

DS is 2.3, will be 2.9 when DC2 arrives in December. We live in a second floor flat, no lift, so the pram lives downstairs. Everything is within walking distance. When baby is 3ish weeks old DS will be back at nursery - dark drop off, dark pickup and still needs a conveyance of some kind as he's knackered afterwards.

I'm looking at a Babyjogger Cityselect which can be a single or a double. I have a city mini and a collection of slings and am getting a buggy board.

Pros:

I can have them both confined in case of tantrums/escapeeism.
If it's foul weather they're both under cover
Will go offroad and the city mini won't

Cons:
The carrycot collapses if it's not attached to the pram.
Expense
Space

So do I need one? Is it worth the expense? Should I look at the mini double instead?

Also meant to add DS1 is rather active and a bit of a bolter but he knows j

He's a good walker but a bolter. He may have grown out if that, he may not....

The city select felt the lightest I've tried, and I liked that it could covert to a single because a double will stay a double. But the city mini double was everything I lived about the single in a double, just without the flexible seating arrangement.

Mardy I know, I know, but when I posted the same thread in there a couple of months bank now everyone told me I needed one, and I've been looking and I'm still not sure. I find that section is frequented by people who love pushchairs of all descriptions and what I really need is a balanced view! My inner shopping don doesn't need encouragement.

....umping off a moving buggy board will hurt!

I agree it would be handy sometimes to have him strapped down but tbh I avoid doing stuff like shopping with him anyway as he just whinge the whole time. It's definately fine for getting from A to B.

I will try to manage without one with a 24 months age gap next year. I plan to have DC2 in the sling for 6 months (did the same anyway with DD1) and then move DC2 in buggy with DD walking and buggy board. I reckon if I don't manage I can get a double buggy via Express delivery.

I have a 3.1 year gap and had a second hand p& t double when DD was born. It was invaluable. DD was an October baby, so it was great for cold, wet nursery runs. We used it for a few lo.g days out in the summer too. Sold it a year later for about what I paid for it.

Sometimes when the baby is crying and the toddler is tantruming and you just need to.get out....

I got a double for 24 month gap. DS1 hasn't been in a pushchair since 34 months.
Friend with 29 month gap didn't get a double, envious of mine, but didn't bother in the end (both second babies born in the same month).
Think it will depend on your oldest nearer the time. I'd wait a few months and see if the bolting reduces.

Not really sure you'll need a double at that age. Something else to bear in mind though - I have a baby jogger city mini and love it but the handlebar and the angle of the frame at the back means it's a total pain to get a buggy board to fit on it which allows your son to stand up straight. I've done it with mine but it was far from ideal and I don't have to walk far.
I had a phil and teds tandem (19 month gap) which was very easy to use as a single when ds1 wanted to walk (back seat handy for shopping). I probably wasn't using it much by the time ds1 was that age apart from if he wanted to sleep in the day. Best friend had a city select and said she found it long and hard to push once weight in it like a pp.
Sorry if that's confused you more!

28 months between dc 1 and 2. I used the double buggy loads. We walked everywhere and clocked up hundreds of miles in it. Dc 2 was autumn birthday and it was so useful for keeping them both dry and getting to places quickly. 26 months between dc 2 and 3. Used sling for baby and buggy for dc 2. He wouldn't have walked far enough so needed something for all the school runs etc we had to do. It was also a terrible winter and the double wouldn't go through the snow. (We were under snow and ice for about two months). Depends how well you get on with the sling, if dc 1 likes walking in the dark (mine still don't, so still have to use buggy and board and sling all at the same time).
Nearer the time if you want one, could you get a second hand one, then it won't matter if you don't use it much. There are loads out there, lots of them hardly used.

there's 21 months between mine and i could not have done with out a double. My eldest wouldn't walk - ever - and was a bugger for tantrums (still is at 7!). I remember a couple of times having dd in a sling and trying to manhandle him around a shop or through the park etc. You could see how you get on for a few weeks and then get one if you need to. I admire anyone who manages without one!

DD was 2 and 8 months when DS was born. Never needed a double at all and in fact she refused to go in the pushchair the minute she saw DS in it.

Buggy boards were no use at all either. She hates it.

I guess it depends on the child though.

I still use a double regularly for my nearly four year old and her two year old brother. We have a donkey, and I do love being able to use it as a single when DD is in nursery. I seriously regretted not having it in double mode yesterday, when DD threw a massive strop, refused to walk, I put her on my back in a carrier (feeling smug I'll admit) and then she pissed all over me. After that, I shoved her in the basket of the donkey and squelched my way home in shame. I loved the look of the city select, but have heard bad things about getting it up curbs when fully loaded. I think the suggestion seems to be to put the heavy one at the back. I also had a second hand p and t for a bit, which I loved, but just couldn't get on with three wheels. If we have another and need a double, I might try the verve.

If you can afford to then do it. I nanny for two little boys and swear by their double buggy (eldest is 2.11, youngest 18m) their parents hardly use it as they often go out together with the children, use a car and also get on well with a buggy board (which I find to be the work of the devil...!) it means if you're in a rush then both can be popped in the buggy, if the elder one needs a sleep or a rest or just to switch off for a bit then he can go in too and really I could go on... It's not necessary but it will make your life A LOT easier to have that option! If you don't end up using it as much as you'd like then sell it on :-)

I've just got hold of a Micralite Twofold for my DS's 2.10 and 6m. Its nifty, light, takes a carrycot and very practical and DS1 is absolutely in love with the board.

I'm selling my Select.

I have a City Select and I love it. There are 22 months between my DC and I have a one hour round trip walking to nursery- it is perfect because I use it as a double to get to nursery, then change it to a single for the journey home, and vice versa in the afternoon. We swapped from bassinet to second seat a few weeks ago and it is working well.

By the way, the bassinet doesn't collapse when you take it off the frame. You can use it as a carry cot around the house.

Ooh I would. Just got back from a weekend away with a 23 month old without a pushchair. It was hellish. After walking 30 mins he would descend into a crumpled heap begging to be carried. I can't even imagine having to deal with that along with a newborn aswell. Normal day to day activity may be fine but the minute you want to step away from that and have a day out, it will be impossible. I watched today and this little boy had to take 4/5 steps to our every step. He was exhausted. I would get a second hand one for days out like this.

Sorry, he wasn't 23 months, he was one month shy of his third birthday. I'v gone mad from from the stessfull weekend.

I wouldn't bother but then I hate cumbersome double pushchairs. In fact I was never keen on less cumbersome singles!

I have 2yrs (exactly) and 22mo gaps and never had a double, used sling for baby until toddler was about 2 and a half and then swapped and used buggy board as needed.

Before everyone posts "bet you drove everywhere", we didn't, when DS2 was a baby and so DD was 2 and a couple of months we used to walk up to school with DS1 (15 mins) then on to playgroup with DD (a further 15-20 min) with no problems.

Sometimes always we had to go at toddler pace, but I think that's fair enough when you have a toddler!

nope. ds was 2.1 when dd arrived. I was too tight on money and space for double pushchair so got a sling. was an inst a nt convert and wondered why I ever had a pram! got v fit pushing a pushchair up a hill with a large baby strapped to my chest.

dd lived in that sling, although is v possessive over her pushchair at 20 months. ds is a champion walker now.

we were given a double - it was a very ungainly side by side one one that didn't fit through some doorways, but couldn't have done without it as only 15 months age gap and DS was in a hip spica when DD born. Only used it occasionally after the age of 2, but still had it on standby for trips when I didn't want DS to run off anywhere, esp if I was on my own, but mostly he walked, we would sometimes carry DD if he wanted to rest his legs

I think yes, but that's only because I want to sell my phil and teds

Actually probably not, but it's completely up to you. Decide what amount your happy with. Even though DS was in the sling mostly as he hated laying flat, it was handy having the buggy to dump everything in. Doesn't sound you want to do too much walking, then again it is nice to have on long days out if you think older one will need to nap.

Eldest was 2 years 3 months when youngest was born. Youngest is nearly 9 months,now. I took buggy and reigns and sling everywhere at first, switching to buggy for eldest and baby in sling when eldest's little legs got tired. I used my double buggy once. Just once! Waste of money for me.

I have 2.5 years between my two and could not have coped with out a double buggy. But I don't drive and would not expect a 2 yr old to walk the distance I did daily.

I found buggy boards gave me terrible back ache.

I used the double for nearly a year (for long journeys) although a lot of the time he would be walking but it was easier to have the double for when he got knackered, when he was 3.5 he got DS a scooter.

Ours will have a 2.5 year age gap when the new one arrives, and I'm starting to realise that a double will be a necessity. We live in NYC, I walk up to four miles on an average day, the streets are too busy to hand-hold a toddler plus deal with a baby in a sling or push a stroller, and DC2 will be born in January, when subzero temperatures are likely.

Sigh. I really don't want a double, but I can't see any other alternative.

I have a 27 mth age gap. I didn't think a double buggy was worth it. DS1 had to become a good walker when I was pg as my PGP stopped me from carrying him or pushing buggies, and he had to walk free range next to my crutches.

I have a SC linear freeway pram and have bough a seat to go on top for DS1. I love that combination as I get to use my original pram. DS2 lies flat and parent facing, DS1 can have a nice rest with a good view point. The seat is generally compatible with a solid bodied pram.

I also use my single buggy and use a sling/ wrap to allow me to swap DSs when DS1 gets too tired.

TBH I think I would struggle to push the additional weight of a double as my fitness is far from normal (PGP continuing). Very occasionally DS1 needs to nap which is the only glitch in my methods- generally he's too nosey to give in to naps, and I don't think a double would have been worth it for the few occasions when that happens.

I also had a 27 month gap and didn't have a double buggy.

Tbh though, I found the first 6 months hard with a toddler and baby so didn't really venture far. My idea of a nightmare was going anywhere alone with them both, so I didn't.

Plus I drive,, which covered any essential journeys.