2 under 2 - Double Buggy?

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Hi!

I’m due my second Jan 2024 and my oldest will be 20 months old. Is it worth getting a double buggy? Eldest has been walking since he was 12 months but doesn’t reliably walk when we’re out and about. Sometimes he’ll just lay down and ends up in the pram anyway!

If you don’t recommend a double buggy have you tried the buggy boards? How did your LO get on?

Definitely recommend a double buggy! 22 months between mine. We have a bugaboo donkey 5 and a buggy board. The oldest tends to alternate between walking, buggy board and sitting in the buggy when his legs get tired.

Yes!!! Life saver. Mine are just over 2 years apart. It also allows you to have a life as both would happily sleep it eg on holiday, days out

I used a double buggy for a while. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would as it was too wide for some of the pavements near us.

I bought a second hand one and sold it on again after I'd finished with it.

What I found was that, once the baby was big enough, I took him out in the normal pram and if the older one got tired, he'd sit behind the youngest and the youngest would lie propped up on him. Our normal pram back could be laid down to make the pram flat, making enough room for them both if the oldest stayed sat upright.

I'd get a double (secondhand because you won't need it for too long) unless you do very little walking.

I have an icandy orange and love it. It's a double buggy with a buggy board built in. I still use it on an almost daily basis now with my 2 and 4yr old.

Absolutely! I have a 2 year old and a 8 month old and it is so worth it

We had a side by side (360 nipper), a Phil & Teds, and a small single buggy with buggy board.

The buggy board was great but a bit later on - once older DC was old enough to stand on it reliably and not want to nap or run off at road crossings etc, and younger DC was old enough to be entertained by older sister making faces at her.

Nipper was a godsend for the first 6 months when DC1 was still needing naps and not reliable on a buggyboard. Really easy to push, get up kerbs etc and narrow enough for doors.

phil and teds was a pile of poo.

Out and any nipper 360! Amazing to push (easier than my single buggy) and fits through doors. Baby can go in a cocoon type basket but buggy has newborn insert and lays flat.

I had twins with dd1 toddler perched on the footplate in front or one baby in a sling so dd1 could sit in it properly.

DD1 had a buggy board or when cold sat in the hood and snuggled into my coat.

Do what works best.

We got a Bugaboo Donkey (not too bad price-wise if you buy second hand) and we absolutely love it, wouldn't be without it. There's 16 months between our two.

We bought one, our DD was 17 months when DS was born.
She never went in it, so we gave it away. Now DS is 9 months and DD is just over 2 and she goes in it a lot more.
Kind of wish we'd kept it but I don't fancy buying another one so we are making it work.

I didn't actually like the double buggy we bought as much as our single buggy so I don't mind not having it

I have a double buggy and I love it. Mine have a 11 month age gap and first I had baby in the sling and 12 month old DD in the pram. That didn’t last long as my back couldn’t manage DS in the sling for long.

They’re 18 months and 2 years old now and we still use the double buggy everyday. I have a Zummi Halo Tandem. Absolute Godsend. I prefer it to the side by side double buggies too

We have the Joie Aire Twin Buggy. It's the cheapest one on the market (or was in Ireland when we bought it), it folds down to fit in the back of a medium hatchback and it handles really well. And it's suitable for babies under 6 months as it lies flat.

I only found one door it didn't fit through in the 2 years I've been using it, and as DS is now 4 I'm going to let it go soon. I agonized over whether to buy another pushchair but I'm really glad I did, not so much just for ferrying them around but it's also an absolute godsend if you're out and they want to nap, because 2 (and many 3) year olds still do that. It was also nice for the babies to sit side by side and get to know each other.

Just measure your boot really carefully against the pushchair measurements to check which doubles fit. I thought the Outnabout Nipper would surely fit as it's quite narrow but it didn't go in the car due to the dimensions when it's folded down.

Smyths Toys lets you try out the pushchairs and car seats in the shop.

Get a three-wheel one if you can, if you're an urban walker type . I had backache from pushing a very heavy four wheeler, the Baby Jogger City Select. It was a good quality pram and folded well in car boots. But rushing around town, turning corners, it wasn't great.

We had a Phil and Ted's which was perfect for us. It has the same footprint as a single and I need to use public transport/get in small lifts and shops often, and walk fairly long distances, so that was the most important thing. We didn't use it all the time but life would be far more limited if we didn't (e.g. dc2 getting wet in the rain on a buggyboard, wanting a nap after a long day.). We still kept our single for shorter journeys, and sometimes used a sling or buggy board.

Definitely get a double . We had 22 months between ours, we used the double (graco approx £120 ) for 6 months and sold it for £100 to a local childminder, our double was a lifesaver

Yes, second hand side by side, and a second hand Phil and Ted's. Same age gap. Oh the joy of them both sleeping in it at the same time!

Mine are 16 months apart and I went round in circles about getting a double my whole pregnancy. DD walked from 12 months so I thought I could get away with not.

In short, get the double. It’s worth its weight in gold. Quick shopping trips, tantrums, tired toddler legs, when DD went through a stage of running away and wouldn’t hold my hand, holidays etc. I didn’t realise how much I would put them in the pram and go for a walk for a moments peace. I now have a 2yo/6mo and use it every single day, even if DD is walking I use the spare seat to put stuff.

I got a second hand out n about on marketplace and its been worth every single penny. I used it from birth to avoid a bulky travel system.

I have a 22 month gap but my toddler is a very good walker. We just went with the cosy rider buggy board (which has a chair) as I'm fairly sure he will be perfectly fine on a normal buggy board/walking within 6 months so I didn't want to spend a huge sum of money. We also have a small fold out pram and a sling we use sometimes.

18 months between mine. I debated a double and bought a bugaboo donkey second hand for £200. definitely worth it. can use as a single buffer.. had a proper pram attachment and both seats can front or parent face where as other side by sides are only front face. They do fit through standard door widths (and are some of the smallest side.by side buggys)... but beware a lot of older buildings have smaller than standard doors.

I wanted a side by side buggy as my DS was already at the weight for the inline combos.

I would second advice to buy second hand as you won't use it as much (I do often go for single buggy and carrier option if out with someone) but on my own for a good trip out being able to strap my tantruming toddler on whilst I deal either baby was essential.

Mine at 22 months apart and we never had a double or a buggy board. I used the single pram/buggy and a carrier - once the baby was 6 months they were in the same seat so I would switch over (ie toddler in the buggy on the way to the park, gets out to go on playground, baby goes into buggy for a nap, then stays asleep so toddler in the carrier for the way home).

It was perfectly doable although we weren’t doing long distances/nursery runs or anything like that (where you might want the convenience of sticking both in a buggy). The main reason to not get a double was a side by side wouldn’t fit in our house/car, and my toddler was an absolute giant so he was too big for any of the ‘slimline’ one up one down type buggies.

Yes get a double buggy, it really helps with keeping your independence. I feel like my DS was too young for the buggy board at 22 months. They were both so happy in the double. Would also go second hand with a joie or out n about nipper. Congratulations!

My son just turned 2 and is a great walker (we've never had a car so he had to learn properly) but I still need a buggy for him fairly often. I wouldn't trust him to compliantly use a buggy board often enough to not have a pram available to him.

Definitely. Your older child will still be napping at the age and get tired on days out. I had a Phil and Ted's. Really recommend it as the wheels were really big and sturdy and easy to push around one handed.