Help needed! Double buggy or buggy board?

[Shirkingfromhome]

I have one DS (2) and another due in March (DS1 will be 2.5). Is it worth buying a double buggy (like a Phil & Teds), or should I just buy a buggy board for my existing one. DS is a good walker but he is slow and still has a tendency to bolt. We live 20 minute walk to the town centre, which is too far for him to walk there and back.

What are your experiences of buggy boards? I'm worried DS will run-off or that he will want to go in a buggy (once ds2 comes along), rather than use the buggy board. Can anyone offer advice? Thanks.

I have a 19 month age gap and I have a double. I alternate between a double; we have a 20 minute walk to town and a buggy board on the single [I alternate the kids between baby in sling and pram and dc1 in pram or buggy board or walking]

It depends on how much walking you would be doing, and whether a double buggy is affordable to you at this time. Phil&Ted is the only worthwhile option for siblings that are not twins, and Phil&Ted don't come cheap.

Just like you, I had a 2.5 year gap between my two kids, and chose a buggy board for pragmatic reasons. I thought that I won't get a lot of use out of Phil&Ted beyond the first six months or so, plus I would have to get rid of our existing buggies (Silver Cross pram, Out-N-About sports buggy and a compact Maclaren pushchair, all of which I loved) to create space for Phil&Ted.

We bought a second-hand buggy board for a £10, and used it to walk to the nursery (15-20mins distance), and it kind of worked, but was quite hard some days. As a parent pushing the pram, you don't really walk 'normally' with a buggy board, you take up this funny kyphosis posture, and just as you've developed the right kind of grip, the toddler is no longer interested, so off he goes and you keep pushing the pram and banging your feet against it. At this point you stop, and put the buggy board up (some models allow this), but your toddler - so obviously disinterested in the buggy board just a minute ago - was actually spying on you, waiting for you to put the buggy board away, so that he can now request it back down again....

Walking with a toddler is by definition a test of your patience, so I'm not sure whether blaming the buggy board is fair though

On weekends and special occasions, when we were going out as a family, we took two buggies (a pram for the baby and pushchair for the older child), for quite a while, and it was bliss.

If I had my time again, I would have made the same choice (buggy board), because £300 was just completely astronomical expense for us at the time (we bought our other two buggies and the buggy board second hand, and sports buggy was given to us for free by a friend, so it was less than a £100 for the whole lot).

However if I could afford it, I would definitely, absolutely go for Phil&Teds. Mother's sanity when the kids are very young is worth an awful lot, and it does make your first year with the new baby a lot easier!!!

I had a 20 month gap and couldn't have coped without a double. Dc1 was a bolter though and often slept in the pram, so it really was necessary.

Do you mind/like using a decent baby sling? Sling the baby and buggy is available for toddler.

The right buggy board on the right pushchair is great IME...

Look for a 2nd hand P&T the older models are fairly cheap 2nd hand now.

I would say at 2.5 you can survive without a double especially as he'll be nearly 3 come the end of summer etc.

23 month gap and needed the double, definitely (we had a Phil and Teds, sold it on again for a very good price a couple of years later, having had masses of use out of it as a single as well). I tried to cope with a buggy board on a Maclaren first, the buggy board was cripplingly uncomfortable to walk with because of the effect on posture / walking position, also banging your ankles on it. Also when you stopped anywhere it was a tripping hazard and if you hooked it up on the back of the buggy then forgot and lifted baby out the whole thing toppled over backwards. Never, ever again.

Oh and a sling was even worse than a buggy board, I couldn't do anything with baby in a sling and it made me too hot too, that's another "never again".

Side by side double. They're brilliant. Great for naps too.

Definitely get a double! I would ask on local selling sites for a second hand p and t. I struggled to sell mine (it was very scruffy and old!). It cost £150 when I got it at an nct sale (another good place to look).

Thanks for your replies, some great advice. We can afford a P&T as we've been pretty good budgeting with ds1, and a friend is going to lend me the baby insert.

From what you've all said I don't think I'll last two minutes with a buggy board. If I did buy one I can only use a universal board as there isn't a specific one for our pram. I'm not sure the fit will be any good and I don't have a great deal of patience at the best of times!

I've just joined the Facebook P&T group so I'll see if I can find a decent second- hand one first.
Thanks again!

I have got a sling random so I'm happy to use that too.

We have both and alternate like a previous poster. Single plus board is great for when older one is in a coopeerative mood, or you have two adults (one to chase toddler) - our older dc loves the board and with a rear facing buggy the siblings can face each other which is lovely.

But, the double is necessary for when older one is uncooperative or tired or it's raining. If you have the space and funds it is worth it. Navigator is the best bet as the second seat reclines. (V1 available for c £200 second hand). Many second hand P and Ts are hardly used, and all the fabrics zip off to wash.

I had same age gap between mine, and dc1 had been used to walking lots before dc2 came along, but all of a sudden he didn't want to

I couldn't have managed with a buggy board as he was always - how shall we put it? - "spirited" and you can't strap a stropping child on to a buggy board.

Agree with other suggestions though about not buying a new one. It will depend a bit on the dc and a bit on your lifestyle. My sisters oldest are only 16months apart and she never had a double nor a buggy board.

I loved my joovy with a similar age gap-benefits of a single width and light easy to push but ds loved having the option of standing or sitting..think most basic model was £150ish

I will have a 2yr age gap when DC2 arrives in May. I plan to use a single with a buggy board and a selection of slings suitable for newborn and my toddler and just rotate them about between buggy/sling/buggy board as it suits. If it doesn't work out I'll buy a double once baby is here. Do you use a buggy much now? We very rarely use ours as DS will walk or go in a sling quite happily so I can't see how a double would be worth the money.

Thanks minipie I've looked at a few models and was wondering which one. I'll take a look at the joovy too - hadn't heard of that one defineme

Spirited is fairly accurate and I do think he'll want to go in the buggy if he sees the baby going in. Plus, if ds2 is as bad a napper as ds1 then I'm envisaging quite a few long walks.

I can't sling ds1, he's refused since he started walking so I'd have to sling ds2 all the time which I suspect would mean ds1 would want to be carried, at least in the early days.

Thanks again for the replies, really helpful.

21 months between mine. My reasons for not getting a double were:

• space
• cost
• thought I'd only get a few months use
• buying so much stuff all the time annoys me
• not sure I'd enjoy pushing 2 of them up hills/ struggling through doorways

So older one is in buggy atm and younger in sling.
Looking forward to older walking more and using buggy for little one, as my back always hurts using slings though...

23 month gap, we got an oyster max. Not cheap but we didn't have to buy an extra seat as we could put our Britain car seat on the bottom (toddler even happy to travel in it!). It was absolutely invaluable for the first 6 months. We use it a lot less as a double now DC2 is 2.5 but it still comes in handy. Use it all the time as a single.

Hmm if you think they are going to nap in the buggy quite regularly then You may want to consider a lightweight side by side that reclines eg the mountain buggy or out n about nipper.

P & T is not great for naps:

• if you have newborn lying down at the back and toddler upfront then newborn can nap but toddler can't (and newborn layback bit only lsts for 3 months, 4 max if you have a small baby.)

• if you have the second seat at the back, then both seats have to be fairly upright, both can recline a bit but only a bit - some kids will nap fairly upright, others won't. Certainly the second seat would only be ok for a short nap (even with the recline on the Navigator second seat).

My 3yo will nap in the front seat with baby behind, but baby won't nap in second seat. if I want the baby to have a buggy nap then I have to use our single buggy plus buggyboard for the toddler (and persuade her not to prod or make faces at her baby sister...)

Ds1 is dropping his nap so it would only be for first few months I think, and by that point I expect ds1 will be more likely to use a buggy board and be more cooperative as he'll be coming up for three.

I just think I'd be happier knowing I have opinions, sling / buggy board / double buggy rather than battling through the first six months.

Yes to double buggy! They are amazing. I had 2 year age gap and used it every day for a year. When dd1 was 3, we switched to single plus buggy board. She wouldn't have been ready before then.

26 month gap here and we had a buggy board as didn't really use the pushchair/pram enough to justify buying a double and DC1 a decent walker. Agree with pp about your posture when pushing a buggy board attachment. It almost feels like your steering an articulated lorry! It worked ok for the limited time we used it but we live rurally so generally drive most places. I got over the risk of bolting by putting reins on DC1 and holding the ends in my hands on the buggy handles!

Ds1 is dropping his nap so it would only be for first few months I think, and by that point I expect ds1 will be more likely to use a buggy board and be more cooperative as he'll be coming up for three

HaHaHaHa

Ask on freecycle if anyone has a double buggy you could have - that's how we passed ours forwards. Or look on gumtree or try NCT sales etc. It doesn't have to cost a fortune but saves a lot of backache, and allows them to sleep whilst you walk, or stay safe when they are tired / crotchety / non-co-operative

That's wishful thinking isn't backforgood

Thanks for tip about gumtree too!

This post is really helpful. I am in the same situation, will have a 2.5 year gap when baby comes in June and am trying to decide what do to.

We have an icandy from DC1 and use a silver cross buggy at the moment. My plan is to try using the icandy buggy with buggy board and sling as others have done, we are only 10 mins from town and have to drive to nursery so it should be doable.

I thought I could try that to start with and if its just not working then go for a double, rather than having to invest at the outset.

I have a 19month age gap, DD1 currently 22months, DD2 3 months.
I struggled with this decision loads, and in the end we picked up a bargain Phil and Ted double pushchair on eBay (£27) and have a buggy board too. Have actually only used the double a handful of times, so glad I didn't spend a lot on it, but really grateful for it when I have used it. Times it's been super useful are eg. taking little one to doctor, need DD1 strapped in, and not wandering/exploring/causing chaos! We mostly use the pram and buggy board combination. DD1 loves being on the buggy board and can go a fair distance. Only problem is when she insists on wanting to walk (dilly-dally aimlessly) and we need to get somewhere fast. If they refuse to cooperate, you have no way of getting them to stand on a buggy board and are stuck. In those situations, we've just walked on a bit further and then I retry to gain cooperation!