Double pushchair advice needed - tandem or side-to-side?

[mistressploppy]

Argh, I'm reading every thread I can find on this and am still confused

DS will be 2.2yrs when DC2 arrives and I can't figure out what would be best - veteran advice needed....here are my criteria:

I'm 6ft so need high handle/'kick room'
DS1 pretty leggy too
We live in the country on a gravel road so need decent tyres
Would prefer newborn to lie flat and have removable papoose-thingy if poss
Not bothered about fitting a car seat to it.
Have an Audi estate so decent amount of boot space
Don't use buses/trains much

Any ideas? People here seem to favour the ubiquitous red P&T but I think I'd kick the baby in the bottom bit . Would I? Are side-by-sides really cumbersome, is that why they seem to be avoided? Are tandems are better choice generally?

I already have a Quinny Buzz which is....ok, and used for walks up to the park etc, and a Maclaren XT for the car boot which I use in town or on days out.

Thanks for your help

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Hello!

We've noticed that this thread is quite old now, and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing the top-performing buggies on the market to find the best double pushchairs for 2019.

Hope this helps!
MNHQ

Maybe a bit obvious mistress but have you measured your front doorway? You might want to double check that if you get a side by side, you can get in without having to tip everyone out and put the pram down!

That's a good point! I spent ages measuring door frames when starting on my double buggy research last yr and realised it's also worth measuring from the open door you will be pushing past and the door frame and wall opposite just to be sure....my nipper glides in with a couple cm to spare, I live in a new house though, Our imminent house move is to a Georgian type older house though and I was surprised as it didn't look huge but it's wide enough as well, every time I take it out actually, this time and the one I had last yr when dd2 was weeny, people often look as if to say she's never gonna get thru there?!? But it does! It's really easy to navigate through because of the triangle footplate I think and because of the height and compactness of it you don't feel pushed right upright by huge seat backs and handle bars away frm kids and potential obstacles as you stride through marsksies, or wherever you happen to be, I don't feel I have to walk around the pram ifyswim to get at dd's , I just lean over, I'm sure the handle height not fab for a really taller person but the new model solves that. I'm now on the hunt for a single, got my double in tesco sale but seen a single in local nursery shop! Am most tempted indeed. But back to original start of thread, for the age gap and no need for buses and countryside loc I'd say a side by side whatever the make would be ideal, way easier to aces and store stuff on than Phil teds etc and unless you go to lots busy little cafes and boutique shops then a side by side fits pretty much anywhere else, also I think side by sides eg the babyjoggers, nippers, even Mac techno twins often are easy to fold and are just one piece fold which is less faff than taking two seat frames off a chassis or a double kit off an inline, worth considering when you also have to get two children in and out their car seats and get your bags etc etc, .....

Re - the soft carrycot thing...
Lots of doubles might have a hard carrycot that just clips off (i know my single MB did) and then you could carry it in, whilst toddler walks in.) Or you could buy a soft cocoon and put it inside the hard carrycot? They are v cheap on eBay??

Oh, good point about the doorway......but we're sort of hoping to move house - we might be finding a house to fit the pushchair, depending on what comes first