britax b dual tandem 2011

[Littlerayofsunshine]

CAn the top seat face the parent when the other seat is in?

the 2nd seat - really ok for newborn?

Questionable re top seat, depends on size of child but for siblings I'd tend towards no unless they're really small/young. My average size 2.2yr old can't with the baby underneath. Which answers the other question, yes it really is okay for a newborn. The seat is nice and flat but not very long (54cm or so from memory) so the soft carrycot being longer serves to support their legs as they get a bit bigger.
HTH

We used our b dual from when the girls were about 11 months. For a couple of months we used the top seat parent facing with the footrest up and it was fine. But as they got taller it didn't work so well. If you have a newborn at the bottom and a short legged child (like mine) it'd be fine. It's all dependent on the age gap I suppose.

and on the days where i will be only pushing newborn, can the top seat be used for he/she?

Yes defo, top seat is parent facing newborn friendly in single mode, lies flat and has fabric at the sides (rather than the seat tipping IYSWIM) so quite a protective environment.

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Seen this photo, where the bigger child is in the bottom, and baby in top. Are the seats equal for weights then?
I think im going to order one of these (DC2 is due in 4 weeks) so need to really. I really REALLY wanted a parent facing side by side, but cant decide and also they're more pricey. I have found a package for Bdual+2nd seat+raincover for 370.00.

Will I dfinitely need a soft carrycot or anything else for the newborn?

Yes you need a soft cot if the baby is underneath to keep their egs horizontal as they grow. Some people have used other soft cots though. The lower seat is really the best place for a baby to give the toddler most room but I know some people prefer their baby parent facing. There's lots of options with the B-Dual.

And the top seat is fine for baby in single mode? My maxicosi carseat isnt compatible so i wont be using that option.

GRR I hate pushchair shopping!

I would love a double parent facing but i cant afford it, and need to just get something that I can use if DD1 is sleepy too, otherwise she'll be playing (playgroup) park, etc. i'll be using my car mostly as we live out of the way of everything. so this buy is for when I need them both where I can see them whilst doing something else!

I have my baby carrier too.

The top seat is great for a newborn as a single as there's loads of room and they're up high so you have a good view of them. Then the hood's enormous which is great for nap time.

You can use Babystyle Oyster Maxi Cosi adapters on top to fit your car seat on. If you get them though make sure they're the maxi cosi ones and not the ones for the oyster car seat. These are the right ones.

I didn't bother with the carry cot for the newborn, she was quite happy in the bottom or the top, although she was never in it for hours.
apart from the fact it's massive (as most doubles are). I've found it great.

findant Didn't you find it a problem having her in the bottom seat? Because the seat's so short a newborn's legs hang over the edge and they're not properly supported. Or did you just put stuff under her legs to support her?

I dont think they will be in it for long periods at a time, its just a matter of me having the option to push both of them at once/and if they both want to nap. otherwise DD will be playing, DC can be pushed on its own, or in my sling. i might purchase those adapters, thanks itsmylastone

I still have my M&P sola, so thats always a back up if i only need to push one.

i've found a great deal for the pushchair, 2nd seat & raincover for 360.00 +free delivery. Mothercare are still selling just the pushchair for 404.99.

So I think i'll purchase this, along with the adapters as i have my maxicosi. (I would love a both parent facing but too pricey and lots more hunting around to find the right one. so this will do :)

If you get mothercare to price match you can then take advantage of their 2 year warranty (rather than 6 months in most places).

We got it after trying and failing to find a parent facing double. We had a kolcraft contours before the b dual and it was lovely having them parent facing but it's seriously long and heavy! I like that even though the bottom seat is forward facing you have a really good view of the child and they can see you. So it can feel like having a parent facing double anyway.

A Stroll-Air My Duo would be perfect if you could afford one. Last time I looked, they were £580 including shipping and charges, but I guess another £200 is just too much. The B-Dual is a very nice pushchair though. :)

There was always the change bag and blankets in the bottom, so she was fine.

Theres one on amazon, would be 495.00. but i just think this britax is just more in the budget.

Ooo, £495? That's so cheap! I'm sure you'll be happy with the B-Dual. :) It's well thought out apart from the unnecessary extra 5cm or so of width. If you remove the mudguards you'll lose some width. We still don't need ours to prevent the lower child touching the wheels and they're 19 months.

My B-Dual 2012 arrived last week and I've had a lot of fun playing with it with DD (2.6) in it but no baby as yet.

• top seat rear facing - yes, this is technically possible but it depends on the size of the child in the second seat. Annoyingly, it doesn't seem possible to have the top seat rear facing with the adaptors in. I turned the top seat rear facing with DD in the bottom seat & almost be-headed her so take care when trying the position!

• second seat OK for a newborn - havent tried it with a newborn in but it does "drop down" to make it lie flat. I've got the soft carrycot for it as the seat isn't that long. I presume any soft carrycot would work;

• single mode - it looks as though it will work well in single mode (although is annoyingly wide for a single. My plan is to walk to nursery with DD in the top seat forward facing & the baby underneath & then, for the walk home, turn the top seat rear facing & put the baby in there with the second seat empty. I presume that I'll remove the second seat when I'm out without DD;

• I have the maxi cosi car seat too and ordered the Oyster maxi cosi adaptors & they fit perfectly both onto the B Dual chassis and onto the car seat itself. To be honest, I was quite surprised. They cost about £19. With the car seat on top, DD seemed quite happy in the second seat. Britax provide a bit of fabric which you are supposed to wrap around the chassis when you've got the car seat on which is, I think, designed to stop the bottom child trapping their fingers.

My down sides with the pushchair are (remember this is without putting a newborn in it):

• the hood doesn't seem to fit onto the second seat that well. This could be due to me rather than design;

• the unnecessary width of the wheels & guard. I can't remove the guard as DD's fingers went straight to fiddling with the wheels when I put her in the second seat. This is the one thing which makes me keep looking at the pushchair & thinking "do I really want this? Or do I go & get a P&T? Or a donkey?"

These are pretty fair comments. But TBH DD will go on the top with the baby underneath, so the baby isn't going to put their fingers on the wheels, and when DD is at nursery, then the lower seat won't be used anyway. I suspect it will be a while before DD goes back in the lower seat?

My hood fitted fine. I would have another fiddle with it and check you have done everything up correctly?

Definitely recheck your hood Murtette. There's no reason why you shouldn't have the older child facing you on the top with the baby underneath. The baby doesn't need the headroom and this is perfectly practical for 10-12 months. I may be wrong, but it sounds like you think the lower seat only lies flat when you unbuckle it, but the third seating position makes the seat flat without undoing the buckles. My main gripe with the B-Dual is the unnecessary width too.

I had thought about taking the guards off on the basis that DD would always be on top but I'm worried I'll forget to put them back on again in a few months time - or lose them. I think I'll see how I go with them on and, if the width is a real issue, take them off. Since getting the B Dual, I keep looking at every other pushchair I pass trying to work out how their wheels are so much neater.
When using the soft carrycot, I thought I was supposed to undo the buckles rather than use the third position... can I do either? I do find that I kick the back seat less frequently with it in the first position and buckles undone than in the third position.
I still haven't quite figured out the fold with both seats attached... It still doesn't look as compact as it does in your photos, Tiggy.
One thing you wonderful ladies may be able to help me with - at the bottom edge of each side of the top hood there are two poppers but I can only find one popper for these to connect to on the chassis/seat. Am I missing something?

Yes you can have the lower seat either way for a newborn, but I.suppose the undone buckles gives more height for the soft carrycot.
When you're folding, are you sliding the lower seat all the way up by pushing the slidey thing to allow it to lie flush with the chassis? Not using the adapters on the top that push the seat forward will make it smaller folded. Other than that, it could just be perception.
The two sets of poppers on the hood are supposed to be used one set at a time. One pair will fit without the hood height increasers on and one pair without.

The other thing I'm wondering about the fold is are you folding with the top seat parent facing? The neatest fold is with the top seat forward facing without the adapters on the too seat. But that's not necessarily how you'll be using it. We always have the top seat forward facing with the adapters on and the fold like that isn't quite so compact but works ok in my boot and in my mum's.

I have a Britax B dual, and we used the soft carrycot on the bottom, and dd1 preferred 2 sit 4wards, but think they give you adators with it so you can have the top seat parent facing. Dd2 loved her carrycot, and we used it on the top seat 2 when dd1 was in nursery/not with me. The carrycot was invaluable 2 us when we moved 2 Oz, as she slept in this 4 the 1st few nites, as we needed 2 sort out a cot 4 her.
I would say though, it is cumbersome, and when you take it apart, you have 2 take it all apart ie; the top seat off the frame, but the bottm seat can stay. Dd1 now uses the bottom seat as a buggy board oops as she stands and chats 2 her lil sis :)
I hope you've got a massive boot ;)

Long, you don't have to remove the top seat to fold it, it all folds in one piece. The adapters that come with it are to push the top seat away from you giving the lower child more space. Unfortunately, you can't physically use the top seat parent facing with those adapters, only without them on.
I can easily fit it in my Mum's Peugeot 207 lying flat (as opposed to on its side) with one wheel off but it's easier with both wheels off. This is despite the fact that my Mum feels the need to carry a lifetime's supply of random crap in her car at all times.

What hypatia said!