Twin or tandem?

[PlatinumDollFace]

I have a new baby due soon and my DD will be 16 months. I have no idea whether to go for a twin or tandem pram! I initially thought I would go for a tandem but I read online that the weight distribution can make it difficult to push.

My DH and I are tall, he's over 6 ft so don't want to kick the back seat when walking.
We both drive but the boot in my car isn't big at all.
We rarely use public transport, we would mostly use it for out and about at the shops or on a walk.
My DD is already getting fussy if she can't see what's going on round about her and shes quite tall for her age too.

Any suggestions?

I have the same quandary (same age gap as well!).

I’ve decided to rule out tandems - they’re massive units and I can rarely see over the top of them which freaks me out when thinking about pushing around shops or in crowds. I also realise I hate having to put together the pram when taking it out of my boot, so adding another component (seat + bassinet + chassis) to that and then having to put two children into said pram sounds like such hassle.

I’m pretty set on the City Mini Double- it’s as compact as a solid double is ever going to be, but half the price of a tandem. Easy to manoeuvre and good for uneven terrain with a very easy fold mechanism. It’s constantly getting rave reviews here as well.

i think i'm ruling out tandems as well. I'm thinking more long term and if this baby is anything like my DD then they will hate not being able to see and i can already see them arguing who gets what seat!

I've been looking into the twins more and i've found a few that says suitable from birth but it needs a soft carrycot? that was something else i hadn't considered! i will now need to find a soft carrycot to attach to whatever one i decide to go for. It's so difficult!

Depends on the pram- I was also looking at the Nipper double (because of excellent mumsnet reviews) and although you need to buy a newborn insert for the seat, you don’t need a carrycot. The only reason I’m not getting it is that it won’t fit in the boot of my car!

When I was looking at the City Mini in the shop I asked him about the need for a carrycot and he said he’d only sold four for that particular pram over 5 years despite it being a great seller because it just isn’t needed.

We had the same dilemma and were debating between the Icandy Orange and the Mountain Buggy Duet. The Icandy orange was the only tandem I would have gone for as it has 'cinema seating' allowing both children to see however I didn't like that with tandems if you recline one seat you pretty much have to recline the other... not great for DS1 while DS2 is little and having more regular naps.
We went for the Mountain Buggy - haven't used it yet but it looks lovely, plus narrow enough to get into shop doorways!

I had the iCandy pear years ago when I was in the same predicament, it worked really well. I liked the fact DD could be in a carrycot whilst DS had the seat and also the fact it could be converted to a single when DS was old enough to walk. It was a great Pram. Downside was it was bulky so couldn’t fit around smaller shops but just about any twin Pram is!

I’d have the Bugaboo donkey for similar reasons if I needed a double now.

thank you all so much for the advice. There's so much out there and so many reviews. That's good to know about the carrycot,i probably would've just gone and bought one. I'm so clueless about all things double prams.

My DD is walking now and my worry is i spend a fortune on a new double pram and she refuses to go in it!

We have the city mini double and love it. The seat recline flat so perfect for a newborn. The canopy folds down really far so blocks out light for sleeping or if it's sunny.

It folds really easily too although you do need both hands to do it. Light to push. I had a c section and had no problems pushing it or lifting it into the boot.

The storage underneath is quite small but fine for a rain cover, coats etc or a few groceries.

Wheels are sturdy and easy to lock.

It's small and fits through most doors although not all supermarket checkouts.

Definitely recommend.