Would you buy a double pushchair?

[Beaubeagle]

I’m expecting a baby in November (more likely October due to my history). I have a toddler who will be 2yrs 9m when baby is due. I wasn’t planning on getting a double buggy and was hoping to maybe use a buggy board or a sling but now I’m not sure. My toddler is a nightmare for running away and won’t walk holiding hands. Plus he still loves a two hour plus nap every day. Would you buy a double at his age or not bother?

We brought one with a 2yr 3 mo age gap. It's been worth its weight in gold because we like to do long walks at nature reserves/woods/countryside. There's no way that my eldest can do 8 or 9 miles at a time so he will jump in to have a rest. It was also really handy for days out as they could both nap at the same time.
Eldest is now 4yrs and 3 mo, we just used it every day on holiday so that he could nap in the afternoon and have a nice evening with us.

We did buy new, but I've never once regretted it. Maybe wait and see if it would be handy then see if you can pick one up second hand?

I had a much smaller age gap and was going to do buggy board / sling however I found it a nightmare! We bought a cheap second hand Phil and Ted and it was fabulous. We still did sling / buggy board when appropriate but had the option of the double as well.

I wouldn't bother. Get a buggy board with a little seat if you do long distances.

I'm due in august when DS will be just short of 3 and I'm getting one. He's a nightmare for running off and I just don't see how I'll manage on my own with two kids when one literally bolts at every opportunity. Plus if we go for days out it's easier then having to pick him up when he's tired. I'm just getting a second have city jogger if I can. Even if I only use it for 6 months and sell it again.

Yes, I even bought a second double from a charity shop when eldest was 3 (it was easier to fold on the bus.)

My Phil and teds had a bassinet in the back which meant I didn't need a new pram and the converted into two sitting up seats.

For going on trains intended to have the small one in carrier at first and the big one in the push chair. Then when the small one was old enough for the push chair I'd have the big one on my back in a carrier and the small one in the push chair. (The older one could talk to me and tell me if they were stuck or uncomfortable or slipping and the younger was getting quite heavy for front carrying whilst pushing a buggy.

We don't have a car though, and my eldest was still napping and more quiet and pottery than full of beans. The gap between mine was smaller. I took the kids all over the country with my double buggy, I'd use one seat for most of the luggage and either carry one child or later the eldest would walk. I looked a bit mental but it gave us so much more freedom.

I've seen a lot of people be very smug about how early they ditched buggies but it most cases it transpires they have a car, or a couple times they coparent and use their 1/2 a week child free to do errands. It's not a competition though.

I feel I should add don’t get a ‘cheap’ one. Get a good deal on a used or new good one. Cheap double buggies, like the umbrella fold type are just awful and unusable really.
You want a nipper, baby jogger or a Phil and teds something like that.

I loved my joie double. It was ridiculously cheap second hand though. Small enough to fit in surprising spaces and the one click fold for getting on full buses was a revelation.

My Phil and red was great but a bit unwieldy. I didn't find it the easiest to manoeuvre but it was great.

No dont bother
Invest in a good sling and/or a buggy board

A lot will change in your toddler between now and Oct/Nov. I'd wait a bit longer and see where you are. They will be a lot stronger by then, and may well have stopped napping and bolting.

I have a 2 year gap (almost on the nose), and found I needed a double for the first 6 months. Before that, DD1 just wasn't steady enough to stay on the buggy board reliably. For most of our daytrips after that point we found a sling for the toddler and single buggy for the baby worked best.
I bought a double Mountain Buggy second hand and resold it for pretty much what I'd paid.

My son was 22 months when I had my second. I didn't buy a double buggy. I had option of baby in pram and toddler walking or baby in carrier and toddler in pushchair. Now baby is 7 months and toddler 29 months I tend to start off with baby in pushchair and toddler walking but if it gets too much for him I switch and put baby in carrier. The only time I've wished for a double buggy is in shops when I don't want toddler to touch everything.

I was tempted to buy a double but our older son was to big for a standard size buggy couldn't find one suitable.

Now I'm looking at doubles again has I have a 7 month old and due again in December but I still can't find anything I like I don't like the doubles where the toddler is basically sitting in the basket they look so uncomfortable for the older child. If I get a double it will have to be side by side one.

If I was you I would wait til my due date was closer your older child may have improved and want to hold your hand by then.

I would

Sometimes a pram is just easier. Some days toddler isn’t 100% or you need to get somewhere quickly in cold, or you can contain them whilst sorting something with baby 5 minutes.

I think it depends - do you use a buggy at the moment? Do you drive and/or have access to a car? Will you be attending playgroups/ baby classes by foot or car? Do you go for lots of family days out in the countryside/ woodlands / beach? Do or will you take your dc shopping/ to the doctors / errands?

If you do use your current pram a fair bit then chances are it's a good investment. I'd really recommend going for one thats easy to push, lightweight and not going for something that looks pretty (my mistake!!) My eldest has sensory issues so when my dc2 was born I needed the double to whip him inside If we were at the doctors, shopping etc i found it difficult to calm a child whilst I had a baby in a sling and bags of shopping. I needed somewhere to securely strap my child into (and quickly to stop the glares although I'm now older and no longer care!)

We only have the one car which my DH uses for work so I walk everywhere. I had a 2.7 year gap between dc1 and 2 and a 21 month gap between dc2 and 3. The youngest two are now 2 and 4 - I still use the double for the school run (30 minute walk to the school and 30 back). I've had a bugaboo, mother care genie and a out n about - I personally adore the out and about nipper i wish i bought it in the first instance - its fantastic- lightweight, goes through doors no issues, goes through snow and sand and the eldest can sit on the front If his legs get tired so it carries all 3 of my kids! I find it incredibe for days out - esp long ones - picnic bags can be plonked in the front seat, if anyone gets tired they have somewhere to rest...I'm going to miss it when they're older and I'm not looking forward to going back to lugging a picnic backpack!

Good luck xx

I had the same and did the same.