Are double prams worth it?! PRAM ADVICE NEEDED

[yellowrose11]

I have an 19 month old and I have another on the way.

The age gap will be exactly 2 years so I'll have a newborn and a 2 year old.

I'm going round in circles with what type of pram to get?

Eldest currently goes in pram lots for walks and naps etc. I've looked at some double prams but wondering if they are a bit cumbersome when I've just gone 1 DC with me .... also most come with a baby bsssinet side and a seated toddler side... what about when new baby outgrows the bassinet part....

I am looking for advice from parents who have had a similar age gap- what did you find was the best solution re prams....?

Four of my friends have combinations of 2 to 2.5-year-olds and newborns. Three of them decided they'd be fine without a double pram, but have got one later. One got one from the start. Most of them have gone for ones where the double pram is two seats, and when the baby is tiny, use a carrier instead.

They tried buggy boards first, as they are always suggested, but none of the two year olds would stay on for longer than 5 minutes or so... then they want to walk or sit down. They're not great for long distances at this age. The last one to get a pram let her toddler sit in the basket if she wanted to sit down for a bit, but she did fall through the basket in the end 🥴

The Bugaboo Donkey is a really popular choice and you can adapt it as you wish to make it modular. It often comes up second hand on marketplace, if that's any use! That's probably what I'd go for.

If you walk a lot I think it is worth it. You don't always want to be carrying a baby in a sling or dragging a reluctant toddler along.

We had a baby jogger side by side that I loved and used loads. The seats went pretty much flat. We also had a Phil and Ted's with the little second seat.

The P&T was ok but the little seat was never the right size, dd1 was too big for it on top, and then dd2 was too small for it underneath. It did mean I used to get one kid in free for days out though, hidden underneath.

You want an Out n About Nipper double. Bloody brilliant, so smooth to push. Goes easily over all terrain. Nicer to push than any single I’ve used. I had a carry cot attachment I used until DC2 was about 12 weeks, then she just went in the seat laid flat

2year 2 month gap here. We have an UPPAbaby Vista which was our original pram. You have to buy extra adaptors but for the starting set up you use your original carrycot and seat. You later then buy another seat for the baby called a rumble seat. The set up had to be baby on the bottom ‘deck’ as it’s too hard to steer with the weight of a 2 year old at the bottom!

We use it as we do a mile walk on a country road to nursery drop off where I wouldn’t be comfortable with my now 3 year old walking. The benefit of this set up is I could then change it to the regular pram or buggy set up when just with baby. We now tend to be out with it set up as a single buggy with buggy board and have the carrier with us and switch the two of them in and out if toddler wants a rest from walking etc.

The extra seat has only really been worth it because of that longer walk. We could have coped without it if not probably. When we’re our with my husband too then my toddler walks or does balance bike but I’m not as confident at managing all this on my own and tend to have them in the double to make sure they’re contained if it’s just me!!

We’ve been really pleased with it.

We have a 20 month age gap and do find the double useful. I use it most often for dog walks where if we were going at toddler pace the dog wouldn't get any exercise!

Ours is the Baby Jogger City Mini, which I like, though it's heavy. I went for it over the Out n About Nipper as the folding mechanism is SO easy, whereas the Nipper looks a bit more complicated (happy to be corrected as I've not used one in person).

22 month age gap - yes we use a double. We found an old icandy peach twin incl all accessories on marketplace and then bought a new carrycot and mattress from the icandy outlet because I didn’t want to use the old one for my newborn. About £175 all in.

We also have a side by side double running buggy but it’s not good for everyday because it’s too wide to sensibly take into shops etc.

We had a smaller gap and used a Phil and Teds
Double which was perfect from birth.

Also had a Maclaren single buggy and carriers. Mainly carried toddler on the back and little on in buggy once we were passed the tiny baby stage - but also had little one in sling a lot or toddler walking/ in buggy.

I bought a second hand city mini when
y youngest was about 2 months old. Didn’t get a bassinet just used a sheepskin liner

We couldn't have done without our double but we don't have a car. People love to brag about out how early they got rid of theirs but I hung on and still miss mine 😂

My friend ditched hers at 3 and was forever carrying round a massive sleeping child, which is jut about manageable if you've only got one to carry

I can’t give advice in the age gap as I have twins, who are just a little older than your eldest. But I thought I’d put a word for the mountain buggy duet as I’m a big fan. It’s side by side but narrow enough to fit through most doors. You can have one side set up for the toddler and one with a bassinet originally.

25 month age gap and mountain buggy duet has been great. Has bassinet/parent facing seat or lie flat stroller seat. Eldest was barely in pram before newborn but somewhere to contain toddler has been really helpful. I do still have single buggy and do use depending on situation. With either baby in carrier or toddler walking

I second this! I just put my newborn in the main bit of the pram from birth, with a newborn insert. I couldn’t have done without it. We still use it nearly a year on.

I had a nearly three year age gap and I still got a double and it was so worth it . It saved my sanity during that first six months as I love to walk so any time I went to the shops or on an errand everyone could go in the buggy and no cajoling the other child. So they can walk if they want to and then jump in if needs be.

Meant to add I got an out n about and I loved it.

@biscuitcat folding a Nipper is incredibly easy, literally a clip each side, pull a leaver and it just folds

I have a second hand Donkey. Used the bassinet until baby was seven months old and now they sit side by side facing me in the seat attachments and hold hands. Toddler was too young for a buggy board attached to the single pram. So useful as two year olds still get very tired walking. Also good to pop toddler in or attach toddler reins to when doing baby's nappy change.

My double (out n about) has been an absolute life saver. 18 month gap but the youngest is 15 months now and we still use it daily.
It fits through normal doors so if only the baby is in it I use the otherside for all our other crap. It's so smooth and easy to steer with one hand I prefer it to my single.
I got mine for £120 on marketplace and bought a bassinet for the newborn phase on vinted.

I had a 2.5yr gap but admittedly we don't walk alot (plus newborn in autumn so not out as much generally).

At first DC2 just wanted to push baby in the pram, which worked well to keep us together and they loved doing it.
After that, I have found a carrier/sling for baby plus buggy/trike/scooter for big one has been ok.
Youngest will be in the pram soon, so they can share.

I did look at buggy boards but didn't commit. There are quite a few second hand online.

@Ellovera2 sounds great! What's the brand and model please? Xx

Thankyou so much guys.

Definitely going to look into getting a second hand one.

Donkey, mountain and out & about seems to be the popular choices.

Are there any models that can be solos and doubles ??

Another vote here for the Out and About Nipper Double. 2 year age gap with mine and was invaluable. Slightly narrower than other doubles so fits through single doors, takes then until they are reasonably heavy (20kg plus per seat) and is so easy to manoeuvre.

We finally got rid of the double when DC1 was 3.5yrs and DC2 was 9mths. We hadn't used it much for the last couple of months but it was invaluable on long days out. Even if DC1 wasn't in it, on a full day out, you have a lot of clobber with a toddler and a weaning baby. We had an annual pass to the local farm park and zoo which had splash areas and that sort of thing and could easily be there with friends from opening time to closing time. Once we got rid of it, we just relied on the single & sling and I still remember some of the occasions when I had to sling 12mth+ DC2 as DC1 needed the pushchair. One day on holiday in Spain where we'd got lost and walked miles; when DC1 grazed her knee really badly and we needed to get back to the car in a rush and similar.
For the months before that, it had been essential. Even if DC1 didn't use it or even if velcro baby DC2 was in the sling and neither of them used it it was just the reassurance of having it and meant we did much more. And the blissful day when, after a miserable morning at home, we went for a walk in the rain, they both fell asleep and I parked them under the awning at a coffee shop and got a coffee and sat in peace made it worth the fact that it took up a huge amount of space for months

@yellowrose11 the out n about nipper double. I'm also certain I'll be able to sell it for the same amount so such a worth while spend!