Baby Jogger City Mini Double OR Jane Powertwin?

[saoirse86]

It's a pushchair for my DD and my niece (both 7 1/2 months).

I know these seem completely different but it's because they just about fit in our mum's car. Just on folded size/shape the Powertwin is one up as it fits with the parcel shelf on. The BJCM needs to stand up with the parcel shelf off but then leaves more room for stuff in the boot.

The general plan is that I'll also find it useful in about 18 months when I plan to be having another DC so we did want at least one seat to be suitable from birth. From my sister playing with them in the shop, she reckons the back seat of the powertwin would be ok, or you can put a car seat on it. The BJCM is obviously fine from birth anyway.

We'll be using it for everything with the girls together, so shopping, walking in the park, a bit of walking in the woods (doesn't need to be serious hill walking) etc. So we want it to fit through doorways ok, be easy to manoeuvre, light and generally feel nice.

The reason we're getting it is because the girls seem uncomfortable in their current double as the backs are a funny shape, so we want it to be nice and comfy. My DD is very big so it needs to be nice and comfy for a big toddler if she stays this sort of size.

Any ideas/comments/suggestions/advice/thoughts/experience/general rambling gratefully received! [cgrin]

I had a Jane Powertwin for my newborn and 3 year old.

The 3 year old's head didn't fit under the hood and her legs hung down by the front wheel, catching it :( As only the rear chair reclined fully flat, she was in front and the baby in back. Consequently, with the heavier child at the front, the whole wheelchair's centre of gravity is out of kilter and the buggy tipped over when ascending kerbs, inclines, steps, buses, anything. For a more petite woman or someone post- c section, the buggy WILL tip over completely. How this Spanish brand passes CE safety regs I will never know.

Lock the front wheel to possibly prevent this, I don't know. I doubt it. It may react differently with the smaller child in front, but I wasnt willing to wait!

The newborn recline seat at the rear is very good, the hood covers the whole space well.

The raincover is fab, with access windows, and covers entire buggy.

Shopping basket is fab too.

If you are buying secondhand, take some tools and open up the housing around the fork on the front wheel, it will likely be rusty or about to snap, they shear off quickly and again ... over goes the buggy! Online reviews will also back this up.

The air wheels are a nightmare to pump up, you need some kind of adaptor attachment for the pump that comes with it.

Nightmare to fold down and is huge, you'll need an estate or peoplemover whatever they're called type car.

As you can see, I dont recommend it!
The Jane TwinTwo has four wheels and is much more stable.

It's looks funky however and has great colourways. Ever wondered why you rarely see them on the streets and there's so many for sale on ebay? Because mum use them once, rollover occurs and they cant get rid of them quick enough I expect! They're downright dangerous. No doubt someone else will come along and say what a lot of nonsense they never had these problems, but if their factors were identical to mine then I logically can't see how that is. Just read other internet reviews.

Ultimately, if it fits your lifestyle, a side by side double is much better. I had the Out n about Nipper 360. It was perfect in every way.

i like my jane powertwin

I'm Saoirse's sister. I'm really surprised by your comments, plinkduet. I pushed a Powertwin around the shop and it was really lovely to push and felt very stable. It was an oldish version and had been there a long time. Apparently there have been quite a few advances to help prevent the tipping though so if you had one a good few years ago, that might explain the difference. I don't know though. It wasn't particularly difficult to put down and it didn't take much space up in the boot at all. In fact it took up much less space than our double Maclaren and about the same as my Halo.

Can you tell I like the Powertwin and Saoirse likes the BJCM?

I guess I won't get anyone to agree that the BJCM is cheap looking and not especially comfortable for a baby. [chmm][cgrin]

Hmm I had a powertwin and with heavier toddlers in it was unstable going up and down kerbs I'm afraid.

Babyjogger wasn't around 5 years ago when I needed a double!

To be honest, my 9 month old loves the BJCM. He sleeps in it every day (we have the single and double). You can always get a cosy toes or liner for it if you dont think its comfy enough. My 2 year old can't wait to climb in next to him either!

There you go love, a liner, perfect solution!

Guildfordnanny did you use the BJCM when your LO was a newborn? DO you just use the seat reclined fully or a soft carrycot? Or can you do either?

Saoirse do your revision!

I have a feeling we're going to end up with a BJCM but I will complain about it and if I ever find it not fitting through a doorway you'll be sorry. I think I should be allowed to win seen as I'll be using it a lot more than you.

And you can buy the liners and I'll give you my carrycot when you produce another niece or nephew for me. Ok?

I've got a BJCM (for sale, actually as we no longer need it for dts). I've had a jane power something but the single one, thought it was one of the worst buggies I've ever owned. Jane get slated regularly on here because they're not built well. Side by side much better for two babies the same age. Minuses for the BJCM are the raincover which is impossible and the straps which are a PITA to adjust. Other than that I've really really liked it, it's our 2nd buggy but I do rate it as much as the mountain buggy which is our first. Having said that, a 3 wheeler like a nipper would be my first choice in your situation because easier to push when dc are bigger. I find that the bucket seats of the MB are very comfortable, my dc was very uncomfortable in the jane because it's basically flat. The dts have been pretty comfy in the BJCM but I do add sheepskins most of the time for them. I love the sunshades, the fold and the back storage pockets and the recline is super easy too.

Yes I'll buy the liners!

accessorize I know there are lots of pros with the nipper and MB's but they won't even come close to fitting in our mum's boot so they're out just because of that.

have replied to you, saoirse.
aswellasyou, afraid I don't agree with you about cheap looking, I find it on a par with a maclaren. My dts were in ours from newborns (with sheepskins) and perfectly comfy although I had a carrycot for the mountain buggy. Can't you get a carrycot for the BJCM now, it certainly has fixings for it?
One thing I would warn about is that they appear to be wider than advertised. I bought ours on the basis that a nipper wouldn't fit through our doorway but the BJCM would - but it didn't fit despite precise measuring! TBH if there's somewhere you'll get stuck any double will make it hard, I take out the MB which is considerably narrower but haven't got stuck with BJCM in the same doorways, it's just less room to move.

We put a Bugaboo cocoon inside the BJCM. My son is large and he's still just about in it at almost ten months old. You can apparently use a Graco or Petit Zia soft cot in the BJCM. The ones I have seen like this have the belly bar on to wedge the soft cots in place. The cocoon worked great for us though. As accessorizequeen says above, if you buy the new 2011 BJCM then you can buy a carrycot for it, and you can also put a glider board on the back so your elder two can take turns when you have a new baby! I will be selling my 2011 (complete pramaholic here) simply because our local shops have daft split doors rather than proper doors and I can't fit it through those doors. I have a Verve coming tomorrow...