double pushchair suitable for two toddlers that won't cost the earth?

[headfairy]

I don't mind going to ebay or similar, but I would like some recommendations for double buggies for two 2 year olds. Our Phil and Ted's keeps getting punctures and it's driving me crazy so we'd need one with solid wheels. Doesn't have to be that fancy, it's just for the school run.

I have a Britax B-Dual which is great.

It seems that P&Ts and newer Mountain Buggies are worst for getting punctures as they now use lower grade tyres than they used to. You could always try new thicker tyres or slime the ones you have.

OH I didn't know that... our P&T is probably three and a bit years old. We rarely got punctures, but in the past year we've had 5. It always happens when I'm at work and our nanny has to some how get two 2 year olds to pick up ds from school (she can't drive). It's a nightmare, and though it its obviously more expensive to get a new pushchair than to replace the tyres of the P&T, it's such a pain when it happens.

I just had a push around of this one in the Mamas and Papas store near me. Seems ok and a pretty good deal. Not sure whether to go new or second hand considering it'll probably only be used for a year.

Don't do it!! That would probably break your nanny's back. As a general rule, side by side umbrella strollers are really heavy to push and the hoods look tiny on that. For that price, you may find a Baby Jogger City Mini, Elite or Classic double which will be infinitely nicer to push, easier to fold, bigger seats, bigger hoods, better storage space and just all round much better. Older Moutain Buggies are supposed to be great and go cheaply on eBay too.

Oh really? I didn't know that. I guess it would be worse because she'd be pushing 2 toddlers as opposed to a baby and a toddler or two babies. So would an inline pushchair be better than side by side, or is it just side by side umbrella fold pushchairs that are no good?

BTW, the mamas and papas one does come with a rain cover too, so the hoods are pretty irrelevant as weather protection.

do you mean one like this?

The hoods need to be big for sun protection more than rain. The one you've linked to would be a very good buy. On the whole, it's actually easier to push a side by side as long as it has decent wheels. The Baby Jogger City Mini is probabaly the only side by side that's still easy to push with fairly small whels. Baby Joggers also have a lifetime guarantee on the chassis (not wheels or fabrics) so if the chassis broke, you could have it fixed/replaced for free even buying second hand.

The Baby Jogger City Classic is a few years out of date, so sells cheaply, but it is lovely to push. The air tyres and footplate on the Classic and Elite make them a bigger fold than the Mini, but they'll feel a bit better to push than the Mini. Any of those would be a good buy.

I like tandems becasue they're easier to get around shops and other small spaces with, but there aren't many that are fairly light to push and you need something decent for two 2 year olds, whether you go for side by side or tandem.

You don't need another buggy, just fill the wheels with Slime as suggested above. I did this with our P&T after experiencing the same problems as you've described. The wheels never go flat and we haven't had a puncture since.

Bought the slime from Halfords for £9.99 and they filled the tyres for me for free. Just dropped off the buggy at the beginning of the day and collected it at the end. It couldn't have been easier.

oooh that's interesting Mammal, I was a bit sceptical about that slime actually working. I think we've had so many punctures because as our nanny can't drive she uses the pushchair tons, and as she has two children always in it, the weight is greater too so I imagine that makes a puncture more likely to happen. Did Halfords charge you to fill the tyres with slime? I seem to remember buying some spare inner tubes in Halfords and them telling me it was £10 to fit them I did it myself in about 3 minutes flat!

I'm not sure if they normally charge but they didn't charge me. I'm still learning to drive at the moment so like your nanny I use the buggy a lot; most days of the week. I have a 2.5 year old and a 3.5 year old both fairly heavy and my eldest often gets in for the walk home from pre-school (it is a long one and uphill). The rest of the time, it is weighed down with my youngest, shopping, bags and often a scooter balanced across the top and still no flats or punctures. I really do recommend it. I hated the P&T before then because the tyres were forever going flat making it really heavy to push. Now it is so easy and reliable.

I would try the Slime - or even someone here recommended Tyreweld or similar. I use Slime and haven't had a puncture yet. But I think your nanny wouldn't thank you for an umbrella fold side by side! The BJCM or better still the Classic or Elite would be fab though.

Or a Nipper or Air Buggy Mimi - both are incredibly light to push.