I'm in a bit of a panic and I need some advice! Buggy for baby and toddler?

[MrsMcgee]

My bugaboo chameleon has just packed up. I thought oh well I'll buy a bugaboo bee. Then I found out I'm pregnant!

So now im in a complete muddle as I don't know whether to get a double or not. Dd will be 2.10 when the baby arrives. She's a very slow walker and we walk a lot. Pretty much everywhere. But i have no idea how much that will have improved in 9m. I'm not keen on the idea of getting a single now and then ending up needing a double.

Also, thinking way into the future, we would like to, all going to plan have dc3 with a much smaller age gap, so we'll need one then right might aswell get the use out of it now? Or am I way off? Coz I'd quite like to not have to think about it!

Anyway; looking at the p&t, ICandy pear and peach blossom and the britax dual. But in a sense how much do you guys think it will be useful to have a double? I don't want tonne on it and then never use it! I suppose i could ebay for it and then sell it on. If there is anything similar to the chameleon you could recommend please do! Light to push and easy to turn etc.

Any recommendations of a shop we could go to to try them out a bit? We have a mothercare but their range always seems really limited. Oh we're in Oxford!

Everyday we don't have a pram is a day when we really struggle to get out so I'm panicing a bit, I also don't make decisions quickly so need help!!

I would highly reccommend the out and about nipper 360 , it's so easy to push and steer with one hand and is narrow enough to fit through doors. I havent come accross a door i cant get through.
On trying one out, cant help im afraid im in nw, but there is probably a pram centre near you, i went to the one in wigan :)

Oh god sorry about my awful grammar!

We found the P&T great as the back seat is low enough that the older child can just get in and out at their leisure. However, lots of people don't like the newborn bit though I'm about to have my 4th and DC2 &3 used it and seemed to love it.

I'm not really up on pushchairs but my friend has either the Nipper or BJ one which has 3 wheels and two seats. One seat up for her toddler and the other flat for her newborn. She absolutely loves it and says it's so easy to manouever.

If you want a carrycot plus seat arrangement there are now a few inc the uppababy vista which gets great reviews (Which said it was the best in catergory) They do a clip on toddler seat for the back.
here
and <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=uppababy+toddler+seat&hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ACPW_enGB402GB403&tbm=isch&tbnid=EJtcVwjpLzBqFM:&imgrefurl=thesfile.com/our-new-double-stroller-uppababy/&docid=ImMfFhC2kui-KM&w=800&h=743&ei=EQZWTvmvHZOIhQep1pS-DA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=700&vpy=310&dur=1086&hovh=216&hovw=233&tx=93&ty=127&page=4&tbnh=152&tbnw=174&start=59&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:59&biw=1385&bih=664" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here

In just newborn mode it looks like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=uppababy+carrycot&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ACPW_enGB402GB403&tbm=isch&tbnid=3WYOkNtr6MThWM:&imgrefurl=www.groovystyle.co.uk/productpages-new/uppababy/upababy-accessories-carrycot-raincover.php&docid=A8CWyhA3zVNJbM&w=250&h=309&ei=5wZWTqSdNsW4hAeOyPWLDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=292&vpy=82&dur=3373&hovh=247&hovw=200&tx=127&ty=162&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=124&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&biw=1385&bih=664" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this

mountain buggy duo here

the mima kobiis the best double ive ever pushed,and i know tiggy rates the new (due out soon) icandy peach blossom very highly,they are both also excellent single buggys.[smnile]

You see, Frigg, I tested that out in single mode in john lewis and didn't like it as much. Though I didn't try it out in double mode as this is my 4th and last.

It was a bit too styled for me as if it was trying to be a fashion accessory or a design statement which I guess I think is weird in a pushchair. However, as I say, I haven't tried it as a double so it may well be the best double out there.

How about a buggy and buggy board? Worked out really well with my 3 yr old. I wouldn't be thinking about planning a buggy for DC3 yet- they never seem to last that long with regular use imo.

Bugaboo donkey (hugely expensive though) but it can be a mono and a double. Light to push. Folds massive.

Maclaren twin techno. Practical and affordable but no carrycot and forward facing.

Or a buggyboard, some have seats

Donkey? Or buy the bee use for dd now and then with a sling/buggy board when baby arrives? What's wrong with the cameleon might it be repairable?

Bugaboo Donkey is great but i've only used it in mono mode...So light and easy to push...It fits fine in my Meriva book, head on rather than sideways.

It just glides along,i have two chunky toddlers now,and its like pushing air when fully loaded....
pushing empty doesnt feel much different to when its full weight wise IYSWIM
and the space between the seats is huge, which means both DC get a really good view.

There are several things to think about here. First of all your DD will be heading for 3. Realistically she wont be in a pushchair for long, however my daughter is the same age now and I dont see us not needing a double for at least another six months. My DD is still too unpredictable, too prone to tantrums or protests, and dawdles and on my own I need her in a pushchair. She walks great...but not good enough yet for what we do ie walking by busy main roads and shopping would be a nightmare.

Meanwhile your current pushchair has broken, and you need a new one. Plus you are pregnant.

The really obvious thing to do is to buy a single that converts into a tandem. You are then looking at realistically the iCandy Peach Blossom, iCandy Pear, the Baby Jogger City Select, the Britax B-Dual, the Uppababy Vista with Rumble Seat, the ABC Adventure Buggy Twin, Bugaboo Donkey, Mima Kobi or a Phil&Teds. For information on all these have a look at www.bestbuggy.co.uk.

On all of these child weight limits are important. But dont be put off by them all being 15kgs because that is what pushchairs are tested to here in the UK. But I suspect the Uppababy Vista's Rumble seat does mean up to 15kgs (I have one coming to try out) and so for that reason I would rule that one out. Some of the Phil&Teds are not suitable for an older child. The Explorer, Verve and Vibe are probably the most suited. But you need to try your eldest in the doubles kit on front of the pushchair (not underneath) and see how much head room (plus a years growth) they have so that you know you can get to the point where baby is 6 months old and they can then go underneath.

There are pros and cons of all the rest but in your shoes, I would honestly get a pushchair you can add a seat onto. Worst case your DD is walking completely and you can save the second seat for DC3, or you have a good single pushchair. I think the Peach, Pear, City Select, Vista, Kobi, Donkey and P&Ts all make fab singles on their own. I had a Chameleon and I have had all the above and as a single none of them are bad at all. But think about what you need in a double as for example storage on the P&T's and Pear is very limited in 2 child mode.

Good luck!

BTW Oxford Pram Centre seem to have a good range online.

I've got the Baby Jogger City Select for my twins and it's fab. It's lovely to push in single or double mode and converts very easily between the two. It willbe heavy with 2 toddlers in, but they all are tbh. Lots of flexibility to add carseats, carrycots etc.

And it seemed much more spacious than the iCandy Peach / Pear.

Tiggy, re the P&T toddler in front thing. I know that's what you are suppose to do but I have known lots of other mums with P&Ts and every one, when they converted it to the two toddler mode, put the older child in the back partly because the younger one wants to see everything and party because the older child can just climb in and out at leisure almost. I did this with DCs 1&2 and then again with 2&3 without any problems. I know it's about weight distribution but Ive never known anyone have a problem with it.

No, I don't mean that...I mean in newborn mode where you put the doubles kit on the top and the baby in the cocoon on the main seat under the toddler (not with the doubles kit attached in the basket area). On some models a tall toddler can't get their head under the main canopy when they are so high up...it's higher than the main seat in that mode and the toddler needs to be there for the first six months or so.

Jojay, the Blue Pear seat is actually bigger than the City Select seat on every measurement. The Peach seat is only marginally smaller a cm or so on a couple of measurements. Plus you can remove the Peach liner which then probably makes it the largest seat.

It wasn't so much the actual seat, more the legroom for a bigger child. I didn't measure them, it was just a general impression

There is some really great advice here thank you.

I think you're right Tiggywunkle, going to go for a single that converts to a double. Make sure its a single that I like and then worst case I don't use the second seat! I don't think DD will be walking reliably enough to go without a buggy, especially not for long trips and we do walk a lot.

Really like the iCandy peach blossom at the moment - think that could be the way to go, though I like the britax dual also. I've heard some really negative things about the P&T though initially I thought that was the way to go.

Going to trek out to the Oxford Pram Centre tomorrow and have a bit of a look - thanks for that tip by the way it looks fab :)

How does the peach compare to the cameleon Tiggywunkle?

Thank you everyone x

Honestly, I prefer the Peach. Its been my favourite single to date. I bought one straight after my Chameleon and the chunky frame was a breath of fresh air after the almost spindly Chameleon. I loved the huge but open basket - no more rumaging around blindly in the dark wondering what you can fish out. I did miss not being able to leave things in the basket at first, but I soon worked out you could get more in the Peach basket ie more practical for shopping. I prefer the adjustable footrest and hood height and the fact DD was no longer lying on the hood fabric. It was easier to fold too and actually took up less room in the boot. I sold mine later because I realised the current Peach Blossom kit wasn't going to work for long with my children because of the reclining back seat. But you have loads of time on your hands and by the time your baby arrives then hopefully the new improved and a zillion times better blossom kit will finally be in the UK. I am currently testing it and it works so very very very very well. Highly recommended here and I have had a fair few doubles through my hands.

BTW look out for FriggFRIGG tomorrow - she will be at the Oxford Pram Centre too. She's very good on doubles too...drop her a line and see when she is planning on going!

im going in the morning!and im taking the Kobi with me