anyone else going crazy over finding a double buggy? please vote and chose for me!

[mamaesi]

ok. I have been researching this for months and I just can't make up my mind.
I love my light and easy bugaboo bee.. but my 21 month old is too young for the buggy board.

what would you choose in my situation:
small doorway 70cm max width, very large and heavy 98% toddler (under two years old) who still likes to recline a little, never in car much but all around london and need to get on bus.

I really like the looks of phil and ted promenade...but really not sure I can justify the cost.
Britax B dual seems good but wide and bulky and not sure how long toddler will fit in seats.
Kids Kargo Duellette, seems good but not sure of quality and again, how long toddler will fit and not sure can wait till newborn is 6 months.
MB Duet, but expensive for not such great features.
Graco Stadium Duo, cheap but will it be a nightmare to push with heavy toddler in it?

Any others? please tell me what to get as I cannot decide!

As we have said before the Hauck Duett really is not suitable for a newborn and toddler. Ihateparties has really cleverly made it so that the lower seat has her newborn-to-be in it Here but otherwise I wouldn't use the Duett until both children could be sat semi upright. Once you get to that point after 6 months then it becomes better.

To be honest, I would probably choose the Duellette simply for the seating positions. The seats are smallish (the new version should have one taller hood on one seat - the one I had had equal sized seats) but you are something like a year off where I am currently with my two, and my eldest was too big for the upper seat realistically, but yet she was still happy in it and it was still able to be used and could be pushed. I would have loved to have had both children facing me.
I have just also realised that I have a whole set of better photos with the children in to set live....I will work on those today and try and get them up for you to see tomorrow.

after looking again at your photos...I thought the KK looked way too small for my toddler. By the time I get the buggy she will be 2 and she is already huge!

i will check for your new photos thank you so much!

Yes but my DD is 3 and huge and to be honest by the time your DD is a year older, she is likely to be walking like mine anyway. Remember they had winter gear on too. I left the hoods on for the other photos - and they and the liner should have been removed for my DD. They are online but I need to finish them off once the children are in bed and release them.

Here are the new Kidz Kargo Duellette photos. Hope they help. I have to say if mine were a year younger, I would have one.

Thank you! Those photos really help.
So for a 6 month old and 2 year old you would take KIds K over the hauck?

I do like that they have the face each other option with little one on top. But other than that it seems the only other viable position is both facing out...

While both facing out is the only real position in the hauck ...

Still the KK seems shallow in the seats...am I wrong? The Hauck seems to have bigger seats...
I know this may sound awful, but I am more concerned with the comfort of my toddler as she is a right pain in the * and is so big! with my younger one...she is extra tiny and I can always use my head snuggle supports and sheepskins and cocoon and make the seats more comfortable...

what about general quality and ease of push? KK versus the Hauck...

is one more plastic/bumpy/heavy than the other?

Honestly I don't know if I can answer your questions because I had the two six months aart. I preferred the Duellette to push and the children were also older. The Duett always felt hard. I think the quality was similar - probably a better chassis on the Duett but both are not top quality brands and both have had issues with other products. I would not vouch for either because I had neither for more than a few weeks/months, any more than I could vouch for any of my pushchairs as I rarely keep any very long term. If it falls apart next week you cant blame me!! The Kidz Kargo seats are shallower and your 2 year old would probably be happier in the Duet seat. I just don't like the slope on the lower seat but head supports should sort this out. You could in theory put the baby parent facing with the toddler in the lower seat in the Duett. I think you have made a decision.

Ok I promise I will stop harassing/questioning you :)

Well after this one last question...I know you love the peach blossom. Is a second hand one, i.e. one of the older models ok in the size of the seats for a large toddler?

Honestly thank you sooooo much for all your help! And your website is fantastic!

Yes,the peach blossom will have the same size seats as tiggys,just the bottom seat doesn't sit up as upright.
HTH

ok thank you!

I had thought that with the new peach blossom kit the top seat is the broadly speaking same as the old version but the lower seat as well as having the upright position is also larger so more equal size to the top one? Not sure on this though, could be remembering wrong.

I reckon the Duett is passable quality wise but like tiggy I would not be particularly confident it will still be in nice condition after say 18 months of use. Mine is about 4 months old and still looks pretty new but hasn't really had the full daily use yet. It doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart or anything but it's absolutely nothing on the peach, smaller reclined lower seat or whatever, there really is no comparison of the two on quality IMO.

well the second hand peach I was looking at went for 600!

the duet/duellette are 250/299 so a huge difference.

first baby was all designer clothes and bugaboo... second baby and I am totally broke and trying to do everything cheap :(

hmmm... I will use the buggy every single day.
expensive buggy or cheap one....hmmm lets see if I can get a contribution from grandparents....

The old Peach has a smaller lower seat - my two are nearly the same size, but critically the current lower seat has a metal frame around the footrest and only reclines. Whereas mine sits upright and has a fabric footrest so it flexes out of the way do that my toddler can put her feet in the basket or on the basket rim.
Peaches hold their value well. I love mine and wish I had never bought the BJCS now and enjoyed the Peach from the start...but then it may ever have been altered. I am just happy I got to use it because I dont know what else we would have used!!!