My 2;4 year old is too tall for many double buggies...

[working9while5]

and he's not actually massively tall. He's 92cms, which according to the WHO charts is under the 75th centile for his height and predicts an adult height of about 5'11 so he's not some giant of a child, just a wee bit taller than average.

Yet he doesn't really fit in the Out and About Nipper Double, BJCM City Select, BJCMD, any of the ICandy models, the Obaby Zoom. The lady in the shop actually pointed it out initially - I was so busy oohing and aahing over the City Select I didn't spot that the hood wouldn't stretch over his head! Ooops!

His buggy at home is a BJCM and he does seem comfy enough in this but I think the seat has kind of sagged to give him more room. The BJCMD was probably the best of a bad bunch, but before spending a few hundred, I was looking at the growth charts and if he follows his line (which is much what he was at birth!) he'll put on another 10cms by the time he's 3 so not sure it will be worth it?

We didn't really want a Phil and Teds because I don't like the baby being so low down or in those flimsy looking back bits. Had thought about a Promenade but not sure it will work at this rate.

What's the best buggy for a taller child? Weightwise he is 15kg too... I never thought that a 2 and a half year old would be too big for a buggy, they all seem to say they go until 3 or 4! He is not a bad walker at the moment but I wouldn't want to be stuck in town with him having a tantrum without one with a small baby and dh will have the car for work. Am slightly panicking that getting out and about will be a lot trickier than anticipated!

Well DD2 (2.2) is 1 m and almost 15 kg. She still fits in her Macclaren but just. On my old booklet for the stroller it says up to 22.5 Kg (it is the 1 m the problem her head is nearly of the back support) but the new models are all up to 15 Kg it doesn't seem possible to find a pram which goes t above that limit anymore.

What about a buggy board and a single for the new born? Your DS is not going to really need the pram too much now (unless he is napping in it and you don't have a car at all)

My dc have the same age gap.

When my second was born I had a choice - double buggy wasnt an option.
Either the first went in pushchair and baby in a sling.
Or
The baby went in pushchair and the elder child walked.

It depended on what we were doing, for how long etc.

My nephew is 2.4 now and has walked everywhere since his 2nd birthday (including so I am told, an all day trip around the science museum!)

Oh yes I forgot we also had a buggy board!

I honestly dont think a 2.4 yo NEEDS a pushchair, not all of their own. Id get him to share with the baby (when baby is in sling for example)

It's mainly because I won't have a car at all 7-6 5 days a week. He will probably go to nursery 2 ams a week to keep our place and then do the 15 hours once he is entitled to them but I can't really imagine us being confined to our immediate locality every day, I might just lose the plot! It's about 30 mins into town on the bus, which is a whole other consideration with/without a double buggy as I gather they're not the easiest on public transport.

I do the walk to nursery with him (about 10 minutes for an adult, takes about 20 mins with him) and it's along a very busy road. It's been okay so far but not brilliant - he will do it fantastically one day but not the next, when he will just sit down half way and/or demand to be carried. I don't let him.. but it is intensely frustrating with just him and can't really see it happening with a sling iykwim, and am being realistic about how calm I will be able to be about it once sleep deprivation with a nb sets in! As I have got more pregnant I have had to put him back in the pushchair because I am struggling with pelvic pain and he is too fast for me at times so it's too dangerous..

When we go into town with dh or places at the weekend. We try not to bring the pushchair so he will walk but there are times he does end up being carried because he is tantrumming or we need to get back to the car. He also does still nap for about an hour and a half, and if it's a whole day thing the buggy is useful for this.

I don't know. It is a lot of money, maybe I just need to accept that it's a waste to get one and that ds is just at that age where I will have to accept that walking has to be the way forward. I just thought that would be nearer 3 I suppose!

Only 30 minutes into town by bus? It takes an hour from here!
When mine were little we had no car...........

Seriously I would get a sling - then you should manage fine.
And a buggy board for when the baby is in the pushchair.

Double buggies look hard to move about (round corners? up hills?) and very tricky on buses.

DS was tall and in the front of the P+T (ie; toddler seat) from 22 months until 2.4. It was a bit of a squash when the rain cover went over but we managed. When the P+T was set up for 2 toddlers DS had loads of room, he was in and out of it until 4.6.

I would rather stick pins in my eyes than walk at child speed . Especially if I have to go to work!

ThreadWatcher, it's not really massively relevant to me that you had no car when yours were little or that you live an hour from town! I have no idea of how often you would have gone on that bus trip or what your children were like when you had a very small baby, I am thinking about my own situation here.

I have two days a week off with ds at the moment, and a lot of where we go is across a busy A road with no accessible crossing, so we would tend to get 4-5 buses on an average day, often just to get across the road or to make a connection across town so I am very, very adept at getting myself and ds around without a car and believe me, walking around all day in a Science museum would be nothing to him but he does need to nap and we do need to get to the doctors and to appointments and things like that in some sort of reasonable time.

The fact that it is doable without a double buggy doesn't necessarily mean that's going to be the best way of doing it, which is what I'm considering right now with two months to go. It's great that your solution worked for you but there's no real need to be competitive/judgy about it on the basis of a few facts!

To be honest you need a better sales assistant that understands that the BJCS has a higher hood setting, as does the iCandy Peach, the Britax B-Dual and Bugaboo Donkey, Mountain Buggy +One etc.; plus that the BJCM and BJCMGT have really tall hoods once up although the front is a bit low. But it's no problem for a child to duck under. I am surprised at the Nipper too. I have a 102cm, 15+Kgs 3 and a half year old child on the 91st centile and the only double she can't fit under the hood of is the First Wheels City Twin. My suggestion is to go and look around here where you will see real life photos of children in double pushchairs and then find go and find a better shop assistant. We have an iCandy Peach Blossom and I have had a 9 and 11 year old under the hood as it just keeps growing, and we have a Bugboo Donkey and a Mountain Buggy +One. All should last us a long time. Theres so many options that I couldnt list them all. Worst case the hoods remove on most but TBH you should be able to find something easily. Bear in mind as well that a child's back and head growth slow down and leg length / room is more of an issue now for me DD than head room. Her brother is almost 2 years younger and their shoulder height is the same but leg wise are vastly different.

Thanks for that Tiggywunkle. I was surprised to be honest, because as I said he isn't so tall. We didn't actually try the Out and About double, just the single though she said it was similar. I want a BJCMD to be honest as we have a single and I have been spoiled by the fold.. and I know that it keeps its resale value quite well but was wondering if it wouldn't last. I need a few months out of it anyway!

My ds is 2.4 and def still needs a pushchair he walks occasionally but don't think he'd stay on a buggy board, he goes in my friends out n about nipper 360 but hers is sat tilted quite far back and he is looking at the sky! I think the newer ones are a bit more upright, maybe worth a try (sorry if i misread and you've tried it) they're lovely to push and go on the beach and everywhere.

I'd go back as try again or try another shop with better assistants?

I have a 2.6 year old and 4 month old and have a P&T but we've not used it as a double. I use a sling and single buggy but it is harder as baby dd gets older when ds is walking (or running) and I can't run without shaking dd too much! We don't use the double as dd doesn't like lying flat.

Try out the BJCMGTD if you can find one (they have literally just arrived in the country) because I think with a 2.5 year old you will feel the benefits of the forever air wheels and bigger seats. Again, I have found the hood rim to be low with my 3 and a half year old, but once she is under the hood its huge.

Just to add this might help with photos at the end so you can see what I mean about the hood and the rim.

DD1 went in the BJCMD (I assume you mean Baby Jogger City Mini Double) when she was 117cm & 20kg at 5y with room to spare (had cellulitis in her knee so was too painful to walk) and was next to DD2 who was about 105cm & 3y (she had arthritis hence the pushchair).

So I fail to see how it can be too small for a 92cm child unless they still fit into 3-6m trousers but needs 6-7y tops ! (He doesn't does he??). I only got rid of it due to the leg room as DD2 needed so much support for her knees/ankles due to the arthritis otherwise it would still do - I loved it.

As DD2's arthritis is in remission and she only has Hypermobility Syndrome now she rides in a B-Dual if she needs to sit down and rest - she fits best in the top seat as she is 110cm at 4y but can fit in the second seat with the hood up but only just!

If you need a super-sized double then the EasyLife Sport Twin is probably the only pushchair left - 45kg capacity each side and the lady I got mine off had used it for one of her 9y twins when they were too ill for school but his siblings needed to go - lived in village so walked to school. It is truly massive and has zips under the seats to lower them tp give extra head room - check ebay and guntree etc for 2nd hand ones - they last for years - ours is 10y old at least and 3rd hand and still going strong (not too pretty now though but it works!) so well worth buying.

That is heartening TruthSweet, though I am sorry your dds needed it for so long for the reasons they did! I guess they must have set the hood really low on the shop model or something like that but he honestly looked squashed and I couldn't work out how when we were there because he seems fine in the single.

Will check out the GT one but I am vain and like the new funky colours - especially the purple one. If I can find anywhere that stocks it before June I will be thrilled!

GT has a longer leg rest so would have done us fine and we wouldn't have had to shell out on a SN pushchair for a few months use until DD2 went into remission (mind you she could have been unable to walk far for years so we were very lucky!).

DD2 mostly walks now but does have the occasional ride (2-3 times a week normally) when she is tired and DD3 can walk to school and back at 2.6y (but it's only 15mins at toddler pace each way so not far). Thank goodness I am having having DC4 or I would have a load of empty pushchairs

Working9while5 please don't take any notice of people who state you shouldn't buy a double and should use a sling. Only you know your own child and your lifestyle. If a double is the best option for you and it will make your life easier or if you just want to get one just do it! My DD will be 2.7 when my 2nd is born and I'm def getting one.

Although the BJCM/GT would be lovely simple pushchairs, I wouldn't get one when you'll be travelling by bus a lot. A tandem would be much easier to maneouvre on a bus. I'd get a Peach Blossom if you can afford one.

Hi, I came across a similar problem with my little girl. She is 2 and 1/2 now and theres 18 months between them. Best to look around and test run what works for you. There aren't that many double buggies that can take a larger (taller or weightier) child around that I could find anyway. Some of the hoods were touching her head at 18 months old. I tried side-by-sides, umbrella tandems etc and she was so uncomfortable and squashed up looking.

I ended up going for the Chicco Together Twin pushchair and my older daughter loves it sitting at the front. The hoods do move up on it considerably and she still has plenty of space. If you have one of the Toys R Us superstores near you you can give it a test drive but they are only at the superstore showrooms. As a tandem it is long but take it off the stand and give it a test drive. I wheeled it round the shop for about 20 minutes lol. this one is so easy to manoeuvre and folds down really slim and loads of basket space which is a must with 2 kids. I aslo had to try to get the lightest double buggy as it has to be carried down 3 flights of stairs. Not the lightest of buggies but certainly not the heaviest around

Its disappointing that its not available in a lot of shops to try and it never appears in any of the 'top 10 double buggies; reviews and always get overlooked. Hope this helps.

Hope you find something that suits you. :)

FWIW, my youngest c is 3 next week and still in a buggy...and days when we have the nanny share...she's in the double...not all day but she likes to sit in it when tired or I need to rush or just because!

Has absolutely naff all to do with anyone at all how your child is transported!

The double is a Britax B-dual and she fits under the hood but the rim of it is behind her head when folded back iygwim!!

i am HUGELY suprised that the nipper is not big enough! my ds4 who is a VERY tall just 4 can still fit in the single nipper happily, its the older model (have had it two years?) but his height is not an issue, he IS too tall for the phil and teds, cant put the hood up and couldnt even when he was not 3yr olds, only used it for a short while but it was great for the first 6mths after dd was born.

i think you had a crap shop assistant tbh who didnt know how to adjust the hoods etc as many are now adjustable.

go elsewhere and try again! if you do decide against a double you could go for a buggyboard? you can get some where they can sit down, or get him a micro scooter, we did that and then when tired i would hang it over the handlebar of the nipper and he would sit on the footrest of the single nipper, not manufacturer recomended i am sure! but it worked just fine, still a breeze to push with dd in it and my large ds4 sat on the footrest :)