Can I have opinions on double buggies please?

[WhoahThereCrazyHorse]

Firstly, will I definitely need one with 21 months between DD and dc2 due in Oct? I used a sling a lot with DD, then a baby bjorn which I still stick her in now - could I sling the baby and just use a stroller for DD do you reckon? She'll be going to nursery a couple of days a week so its not like we'll be out and about all together every day....

If I do need one, which one would you recommend?

Thanks all

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Hello!

We've noticed that this thread is quite old now, and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing the top-performing pushchairs on the market, including both twin and tandem, to find the best double buggy for 2019.

Hope this helps!
MNHQ

I have had three double buggies A maclaren techno, a mothercare tandem and a phil & teds and i found the p&t the best of the lot. No trouble getting in and out doors, on the bus or shop aisles and you have the option of taking one seat of when you dont need it. And its lovely to push :)

I've got a Cosatto twin buggy, got it at a great price too online and it fits through my front door so win win for me. That being said sometimes I think the boys look a little uncomfortable in it. I'm not sure it will be big enough for them aged 2+.... But I'll soon find out

I have 22 mo between DD ad DS2 and did what you did with sling and maclaren umbrella fold, then buggy board. It was totally fine. Mind you I hate doubles, cumbersome, awkward and big to store.

Also some people who post on MN (I don't know anyone like this in RL) walk 5+ miles every day. I'm guessing then a double would be in order. We used to walk anywhere local (1 mile or less) and drive distances of 2 miles plus. HTH.

I have a p&t, there's 19 months between my two ds's and 22 months between ds2 and dd1. I wouldn't be without my double, but saying that I could have managed with a single and sling/buggy board but my life would have been more difficult. I still use my p&t now and my middle one is 3, he only hops in and out for short amounts of time but it still comes in handy when he's really tired (after running around at the park or something) it's also useful if he has a tantrum!!!

I have a p&t, with gaps of 17 months for my 1st then 19 months. I would still definitely want a double for 22 month gap if it was me, but depends how willing you are to use the sling a lot? with p&t atleast its not that much bigger than just a quite big single pushchair, so if you sometimes have only one of them in it its still not too bad.
Its ok to get on the bus however you will prob have to get on the back door, depending on position of the "pole" in your local buses - which can be a pain, as a normal single you could just fit through and go in the front, but much better than a side by side or the long tandem ones, in terms of buses. It's good to bump up and down stairs if you have to, cos of the strong tyres, again some of the long tandem one with plasticky wheels i can imagine that would be a nightmare or impossible!!!!
p&t is a pain to fold though, you have to take the double seat off and fold it, although i think some of the newer models may be better in regards to that (mine is sport)

Wholeheartedly recommend the Out N About Nipper. We love ours, and the seats will last until age 4 (plus?!). I never liked the idea of one child being 'underneath' and so low to the ground and found the Phil and Teds really hard to lift. This is a side by side but will fit through normal doors, is incredibly sturdy but light and easily pushed with one hand. Turns on a dime and packs down pretty flat without the need to take anything off it to do so - with the Phil and Teds you have to take the double seat off so not so great for a quick fold when you have two children to keep an eye on too.

I agree with nicecupoftea, it was a great buy and has lasted years, but probably not needed if you don't walk far.

P&T Sport with a gap of 19 months. Switched from a Baby Jogger City Select which was a thing of beauty but hell to push as both DC got older and heavier. I use it the non-regulation way - DC2 sits in the front and sleeps etc, DC1 hops in and out of the back seat. Folding is fine - not the best, but fine. Can steer it with one hand. The way I saw it any double is a compromise but I couldn't have managed with a sling and a single, especially not in hot summer or driving rain.

23m between DS1 & 2. Would not have been without P&T. Eldest hardly ever goes out in it, but always climbs into it rather than walk up hills.

We have the sport older version, which is supposedly better than newer version, the values hold well and friends have bought good 2nd hand ones from net mums which seem to be much cheaper than ebay

as with all buggy questions it depends on your usage. We had 21m between DCs and got an small cossatto umbrella fold. Its not ideal for a newborn and toddler is a bit squashed in it but its invaluable on the occasions I am on my own with them. DD is getting a bit big for the sling and DS won't reliably walk continuously or in the right direction. He is getting better at buggy board but won't stay on it long so when I am going any distance, say to the park or round a town centre I use it but if DP is with me then he walks / gets carried with DD in the single. They are good for the car and short things like that but if you do walk a lot then the out n about seems great.

A Joovy. It's half the price of any of the others, has the footprint of a single buggy so much easier for shops, buses etc, collapses, has space for your older one to either stand facing forwards or sit facing you and can be used for the baby from birth as it comes with a carset attachment as standard. Unlike some others that are under-and-over you can use it until both are much bigger because they're sitting back to back. You have to get it direct from America but even with shipping mine was £180 and the people there are INCREDIBLY helpful.

I have an icandy peach blossom. Quite expensive to buy (around £1k for everything) but they sell 2nd hand on ebay for £500-650ish so I plan on getting a large chunk of my money back.
I love mine and its as wide as a single pram. I would not be able to get around my town centre, in the local shops or on a bus if I had a side by side double ( I live in East London).
I can also take off the 2nd seat if the eldest isnt with me or wants to walk. It also takes a car seat on the frame so can just attach that if the baby is asleep.

The baby seat is also quite high up and can be reclined fully or be a carrycot. I think it looks nice and get lots of compliments when using it. Its not heavy at all compared to some other models.

I alsom keep my pram up all the time (in the hallway behind the door). I wouldnt have room for a side by side double to be up and wouldnt like to put it up outside and the but the kids in if its raining etc.

Negatives are that although the frame folds down very small, the 2 seats come off seperatly. They can be stacked ontop of each other or you can use 1 seat and the car seat on the frame. You would need a fairly large boot if you wanted the whole pram and shopping in.

If I could fit in a side by side I would go for the baby city jogger mini double. Its so easy to fold and store and very light.

I had 17 months between the boys and very rarely used the double buggy.

It's good to have one just in case so either something like a maclaren or something you can add an extra seat too like the phil and teds.

We have a phil and Teds but I got it because I liked it as a single and we do lots of walks in the country parks etc so the 3 wheels where perfect for us. It's just an added bonus that when ds1 was ill a few weeks ago and had to take him to the docs on foot I could put the 2nd seat on and bundle him in.

Another Cosatto You2 here (although with a 2.5 year gap). I really liked it, it was the only double that would fit through my front door, light enough to easily put in the car, and one of the cheapest doubles. I used a sling a lot around the house but preferred to have DD2 in the buggy for walking outside.

I had a Jane tandem (powertwin pro) for my 2 with a 22 month gap and loved it! It was great for the first 6 months over winter as DS1 was wrapped up as warm as the newborn as they both had cosytoes. However, as soon as spring arrived he wanted to get out all the time so we went back to our single with a buggy board attached so he could stand up and ride, and hop on and off (aged 2.6 months). So I wouldn't spend too much on your double if you think you might be doing that 6/8 months down the line!

I've got a City Jogger double (have twins). Love it, I do a lot of walking (semi rural spot so everything from pavements to muddy, pot-holed lanes, and lots of steep hills). Folds up easily and tidily, really easy to push and turn. It's also one of the narrowest side-by-side doubles you can get (the same or slightly narrowere than the Out and About Nipper).

Octavia - sorry to hijack a little bit but do you really like the Joovy? I'm due DC2 in Nov and really like the idea of a Joovy as DS will be 2.9 then and hopefully walking around more. Really didn't want to invest in a double in case DS hardly gets in it but need somewhere for him to rest if need be when out and about as he has hypermobility so tires really easily. Not many people seem to have them over here so the only thing thats putting me off is not being able to see it in the flesh before ordering.

Thanks in advance

You can Joovy's in Mothercare can't you? Might be totally wrong... but sure I have seen them online from Mothercare, so they must be in the bigger stores. The only thing is they are nearer £300 than £200...

PS, I would do the sling/single as long as you can and see how you go...
we have a P&T double and DD 2 (age 2.5) doesn't really like going in it with DC3.
The only reason I am keeping it is because we do long walks and eventually she will give in when she gets knackered. Also because she is the slowest walker in the world and sometimes when we are late and I need to move quickly I force her into it so I can run!

Thirtysomething - yep you can but only online, they don't even have them in the huge stores. Really annoying cos I would prob go and see one in a larger store if they had them and then just order it direct from America like Octavia cos its cheaper.

Another out n about nipper here. DD was huge I wouldn't have been able to carry her for long in a sling and push a buggy. DS also big at 24 months and I needed large seats. It did fit through my front door - which is wide, and was very easy to push. it was a fab buy for us.

We had the P&T sport (16 month age gap). We def needed a double buggy as it lets you strap them both in and actually take your eyes off them for a minute...

I have 21 months between my 2. I used a sling and buggy for at least six months, walking 3-4 miles a day. It has to be the right sling for you though. I have used three double buggies. In line are more cumbersome and harder to get up kerbs, but they get through gaps better. Side by side seemed easier to manouever but didn't always go through single doors. Neither went on the bus.

I will have 14 months between these two I have just bought the brand new city gt double it doesn't come into this country until Monday I'm getting one on Tuesday onlinebaby.com are selling it £100 cheaper than every where else. No shop has one to view yet but the reviews from the states are fab as you can put a newborn straight in it and has the easy fold. I'll let you know how I get on with it.

Baby jogger city mini gt double I meant