Is a double buggy a waste of money? Advice please.

[Frilylily]

Just found out that im pregnant with my second, my first child will be 2 years and 9 months when the next one is due.
We walk to nursery as a choice as we live in a very congested area where it takes 10/15 minutes to walk but can take 30 to drive the same distance.
Would you get a double buggy for the nursery runs or not waste money and just get a buggy board?
Anyone with previous experience?

2 year age gap here and a double buggy was a lifesaver. We used it until eldest was 4. I tried a buggy board and hated it, they trip you up when you’re pushing, they are no good if both kids want to nap, you can’t pop a rain cover on etc.

It’s difficult to say, but at that age my child would not go in the buggy at all. By 3 we were walking 15 minutes to school every day. So I would say a buggy board is likely to be sufficient.

If your eldest likes sitting in the pram still or it’s a long walk in a busy area I’d look for a secondhand out n about double. You’ll be able to sell it on afterwards too. That way if it’s only used for a short period of time it will have cost you hardly anything.

I'd avoid three things here:

1. switching to driving to nursery
2. going straight from DC1 being in the pram to DC2 being in the pram without at least a few months break, or a LOT of hyping up the buggy board
3. buying a new double pram when DC1 soon won't need a pram.

Buggy boards can be great or extremely awkward depending on the designs of the board and the pram and on how you walk. I didn't love them, but they have their place.

Can you ease DC1 into walking now, starting with just mornings? Mine will walk a long way if there's enough time to pick up sticks or count blue cars or do a silly twirl at each lamppost.

A wrap or sling for DC2 would mean you could still use the pram for DC1 when he really needs it. Look into safe baby wearing- so many people have the baby too low down or with dangling legs - but done properly it's much more comfortable.

It also soothes them more than a pram and means the baby gets what they want (snuggles) while your hands and attention are free for older sibling.

My children were 2 years and 3 months apart. I bought a double buggy second hand from a friend and wished I hadn’t. I hardly ever used it.

Either I put the baby in the pram and the older one walked or used the buggy board, or I had the younger one in a sling or backpack and the older one went in the buggy.

My first was 2 years and 5 months old when my second was born. There was no way she would have gone into the pram! We got a buggy board from Facebook Marketplace for £10 which we attached to the pram, and she absolutely loves it.

I think a double buggy is a waste of money and takes up a lot of storage space (unless you have twins). It’s also a hassle getting it in and out of the car. For a child who’s nearly 3, standing on a buggy board shouldn’t be a problem.

Had a 22 month age gap and single pushchair plus buggy board was great. So much easier for buses/ shops as well. Also, the baby was mostly in the sling for the first 6 months or so as that was what she preferred.