Newborn & Toddler: Tandem buggy versus Pushchair & buggyboard?

[arwen110578]

2nd DC due in April and my DD will be 2.2yo when baby arrives. Every day she is getting more and more independent and we are using stroller less and less.
Hubby and I had initially assumed that a tandem buggy would be the way to go with a toddler and newborn (side by side buggy not possible as town we live in has loads of really small shops and we have watched other people having a nightmare trying to negotiate them around the shops!).

We were going to sell our perfectly good Maxi Cosi Mura 3 and buy a tandem (prob Phil & Teds). But I am now thinking that we won't actually get much use out of the tandem and we may be better off keeping our existing pushchair and using a combination of buggy board and good baby carrier to cover various out & about scenarios.

I will be on mat leave for approx 9 months so also confused about what would be best/easiest for times I am on my own.

Does anyone have any experiences or advice about which option they used or suited them? Thanks for your help! (not sure if this was right area to post in??..)

[DeathMetalMum]

If you go on the pushchair board they say to treat a double as a rental rather than a purchase I should be able to sell mine on for a similar price once I have finished with it.

[DeathMetalMum]

I woukd go for double every time. We have a second hand jane powertwin which we got for £60 it is a lifesaver and being so cheap meant we kept our other pushchair. Having dc strapped in is invaluable you know they are both safe, so no need to worry. If you drive it may be slightly different but I don't.

[Nevercan]

I got a maclaren double buggy for 40 at a nearly new sale. It was great for the first two years as baby and toddler could go in it and both snooze if tired. I tried buggy board but found it a bit fiddely and dd2 ended up trying to sit on it rather than stand. My hubby can't walk very easily with a buggy board on the pram as his feet are too big and he can't get them under the board

[WoTmania]

notnow2 - DS1 stopped napping at around 11 months, which was hellish.
If we were going miles and miles I would take a fold up buggy and he'd either walk next to it or get in (and occaionally fall asleep) DS2 just snoozed in the sling

[Sandra2013]

My older son is 3.5 years old and he still sometimes sleeps in the pram after a long outing

Never had any problems. Even there is a second passenger in the back.

[Limelight]

Buggy + sling here. Your toddler will be out of the pushchair before you know it and then you can use it for your newborn.

[notnow2]

I am wondering how those without double buggies managed naps for the the 2 year olds or did they just not have them anymore.

[WoTmania]

I used a sling and pushchair/walking with my lot (17 month gap between eldest two) as I found a single puschair a lot easier than a tandem/double. But DS1 was walking miles and miles by then (had no idea how 'good' uncomplaining a walker until DS2 was the same age).

[Sandra2013]

My son was 2.5 years old when his little brother arrived.

Now 1.5 years later I can say that I couldn't have managed without my Phil & Teds tandem.
I found a really nice one from Ebay. It's been worth every penny.

I couldn't afford to spend £400-500 for brand new but £150 was ok price for the one we got

We go to long walks alot, but this pram is also very good in towns.

I never use public transport so I cannot comment that one.

[madamginger]

I did the buggy board McLaren combo with a two year gap. I had a sling for baby when DD was tired as well.
When DC3 was born two years later I had dd on the board ds1 in the pram and ds2 in the sling.
I borrowed a tandem off a friend, used and it once and hated it. They are wide and heavy.

[NellyTheElephant]

I wouldn't go out and buy a double buggy just yet, you really might find that you don't need it (or if you do you can get one then). I have exactly 2 yrs between DD1 and DD2 and thought I'd see how it went and I never needed a double. DD1 loved walking but if she needed to go in the buggy DD2 went in the sling (I always had the sling with me just in case, although i only remember a handful of times when I needed to swap them over as usually I could tell from what sort of trip we were doing whether DD1 could walk or would need to be in the buggy e.g. pick up from nursery she needed to be in the buggy as tired but on the way there she liked to walk). I lived in London and was on buses a lot so often couldn't cope with buggy at all (close to impossible to get on busy busses with a buggy), so I suppose DD1 got very used to walking everywhere very quickly and soon progressed to a scooter anyway. 2.2yrs between DD2 and DS and it never even crossed my mind to consider a double. I HATED my buggy board. Only used it once or twice as it was so heavy and difficult pushing the buggy with DD1 on the board.

[LastDaughterofKrypton]

I went the buggy board route. As it turns out only Mr Tickle would be able to push my pram with buggy board attached.

[CJ75]

2 year age gap, definitely loved our phil and ted. Had to get rid of it when oldest was 4 as wouod never walk otherwise!

[mathanxiety]

the DCs' steering was really terrible, and I spent a lot of time tugging the buggy out of bushes and pulling twigs out of the dolls' hair.

They all wanted to push the real buggy if the baby ever used it, and of course had a hard time understanding why this wasn't possible..

[arwen110578]

Ah interesting you say that Mathanxiety, DD1 received a pushchair and dolly from 'father christmas' this year. We are shamelessly pushing baby roleplay ready for April! She loves it and insisted on pushing it to the park this weekend, but she isn't great at steering yet :o

[mathanxiety]

I like the buggyboard and sling option. Those big tandem things are awkward and you end up trying to keep the older one from poking and bothering the baby a lot of the time. Toddlers need to wear themselves out running, walking or balancing anyway.

Although... pushing a buggy while at the same time carrying one in a sling can really wear you out. It's far more effort than just pushing.

I had three years between most of mine and found the older ones loved having a doll buggy of their own to push while I just carried the baby.

[arwen110578]

Thanks everyone this is really helpful. Now I am just getting impatient to meet the LO!

[howlongwilltheynap]

I have a 20m age gap and have not used the double buggy since it got dark early when the clocks changed, which is when DS1 was 2.0y. Before that I used it to go to and from nursery (DS1 often walking next to it), but when it got dark our short cut through the woods was no longer possible so we have driven. I also used it for going to the shops as DS1 had wandering hands,but he is better behaved now.

As I am on maternity leave we really don't need to get anywhere particularly fast so it doesn't matter if we have dawdling (sp?). DS1 is a pretty good walker and reasonably well behaved. He has a little backpack which is reins too, which he likes, and we used that a lot in the early days, not so much now.

I got buggy board a couple of months ago, which is the other reason I haven't used the double. With hindsight I could have had it much earlier but I was convinced DS1 was too clumsy for it (he fell off 3 times the first trip we used it and not fallen off it since)

I walked for miles and miles when on maternity leave with DS1 (mostly to get him to sleep), but I don't much this time, too difficult between feeds and sleeps and meals and toddler groups etc etc.

[AmberNectarine]

Meant to add, I managed with a sling for as long as possible but DD was born big, never lost an ounce and is now a 9kg whopper at 6mo so that fell by the wayside long ago!

[AmberNectarine]

We have an 18 month gap here and have a Baby Jogger City Select, as well as a Bugaboo.

For me a tandem was an essential as although DS is a good walker now (2.1) I don't drive, so we walk a lot and use public transport. Also he is prone to big tantrums on leaving the park etc. so it saves me having to throw a wailing child over my shoulder.

The good thing about the Select is that the rear seat is higher than the front one, so DD can see out. That said, it weighs a bloody ton, and I much prefer to use the Cameleon, but it does rely on DS behaving and therefore mainly gets used when DH is around to carry him. We have a buggy board but DS regards it with the same suspicion he reserves for the Hoover.

[Iggly]

Same gap and 6 weeks in with DD.

We got a Phil and teds because DS is a bolted and the shops are just a bit too far. Plus I can use the car seat too when I don't want to haul DD in and out of the sling.

I also have a manduca sling which I use for short trips with DS in the maclaren (it's like an ergo). But DS is very heavy to push now!!!

[Latsia]

Just like to add that I think it depends very much on temperaments. I needed a double buggy as somewhere to strap DC1 when we were faced with tantrums or bolting. There was no way I could have coped with carrying a kicking, screaming child as well as a sleeping baby in a sling.

If, unlike me, you have a nice, even tempered child then buggy plus sling should work just fine .

[ViolaCrayola]

My friend managed without a double buggy (just normal buggy with buggy board) with an 18 month gap - so it can be done with small gaps.

We will have a bigger gap (2.10) and are not planning on getting a double buggy - although if DH and I are both around we may use our spare buggy sometimes too I guess and push one each! Otherwise will be buggy board/slinging it.

[waitingforskinnyjeanstofit]

My initial plan was to carry DD in a sling and still use the old buggy, but she is massive and DS is still a little unpredictalbe on the roads for a board so bought a second hand tandem which is great as he can sit in it when he's tired (or stroppy).