Age for buggyboard?

[Perkyduck131]

Have DD (17 months) and DS (3 months). We have the double mountain buggy but have found it awful, we've had to replace all the wheels as they keep going flat, it's really tough to manoeuvre and the seats are tiny!

We also have an icandy that we used with DD and am now considering whether to fork out for the converter seat or to get a buggy board (probably the one with the seat).

Has anybody had any experience with these? Would you recommend them? Is 17 months too young? (DD has been walking since 13 months.)

We live in London so tend to walk most places rather than drive as can never park.

Would be very grateful for any feedback

Does she currently sleep in the buggy at all? Just wondering how you will cope if she's very tired and you are trying to make her stand in the buggyboard and it's freezing and raining? Not having a go at all, just wondering the logistics.

Yes I did think of that, she used to but now the mountain buggy is so small she never seems to nap in there so has got out of the habit. She's down to one midday nap now so try to always get her home in time for that.

I would recommend getting the converter kit. I have only just started using the buggy board with my ICandy peach and my daughter is 3. She is now happier to walk longer distances and use the board, but I think at a younger age she would have got tired and also stepped off the board all the time. I think with a younger child, the pushchair was useful to keep control of both children and it's tough pushing it with a buggy board too, so probably best to leave that until as late as possible. I enjoyed having the ICandy peach as a double, it was easy to use.

I'd get the extra seat for your i candy. We debated it for 3 months with our Uppababy Vista (21 month gap), eventually got the second seat and it has been brilliant! Only had it a month but so worth it. There's no way DD would do the same trips on a buggy board at the moment but I'll think about it again in 6 months or so.

Ahh that's really helpful thank you!

Good point about keeping control of them.

Thanks so much.

We used our sit down buggy board from 24 months (bugaboo one) and it was fine, a bit touch and go as she didn't always want to be on it but it quickly got easier.

Youngest dd is nearly 17 months and although she is a good walker and is very big for her age there's no chance I'd put her on it just yet.

Ah that's really helpful to see both sides, thank you. I'm just so annoyed we bought the mountain buggy in the first place, it's been such a waste of money! Will definitely invest in the converter seat.

Ds is a good walker (from 12 months). We bought the buggy board when he was about 18 months in anticipation of DD's arrival. Although he physically could use the buggy board, we couldn't get him to stay on it - he kept getting off. We gave up and put him in the pushchair and DD in the sling, given DD screamed in the pushchair anyway. We've just tried him again at 27 months and he loves and is fine on it. He has however now matured that we can walk with him and he is mostly directional about it. If your DD isn't mostly directional yet, my guess is you won't get her to stay on the buggy board and you might want a seat?

Could you look on eBay for the second seat. You should be able to sell it on again after you've finished with it.
Make sure you get the elevators aswel as they make a big difference to getting baby/toddler in/out of the lower seat.

17 months is really young still and if you have a second seat, it'll make it easier for days out, especially through the summer where she can sleep in the pram.

Buggy boards can make pushing the pram really awkward too, especially up and down curbs.

I had the same age gap. The buggy board was invaluable, but not until my eldest was older, before then I used a double pushchair.
There were some kerbs or steps where I had to ask my toddler to get off the buggy board for but it managed most without difficulty.