Double buggy - loads of requirements please advise

[yellowflowers]

So new baby will get here just as dd turns 2 so we need to get a double. I don;t like the ones where one child is on top of the other like the phil and teds - as a second child myself I have a thing about how the second child always gets the crap deal including being on the bottom and not getting to view the world. Also not into the idea of my buggy getting a puncture.

We have a small car - our maclaren xlr techno just fits into boot, so need a buggy that will do this.

Also I get bus a lot so need one I can fit on bus - side by sides look like they don't really fit on London buses.

I don't, alas, have loads of money. Love the look of one of the icandy ones but it's £500. I was thinking £300 max.

Any advice welcome

To be honest, I think something in your criteria is going to have to give. The world of double pushchairs is a load of compromises and even with flexibility there aren't many doubles that really work well with a newborn and toddler, let alone one with an already 2 year old.

To start at the top, first of all a lot of tandems actually offer the child underneath a good view out of the sides and top. Not all tandems with a lower seat have the upper seat right in the child's face - but admittedly some do. Part of finding the right the right pushchair is working out which ones give a lower child good space. Secondly a newborn baby won't be bothered about a view for the first six months as they should be on their back and enjoying the clouds and hopefully blue sky. Finally, my eldest can't wait to get into the lower seat - she bags it as soon as she possibly can. I think she sees it as some kind of den and if you ask her, she will always choose the lower seat. So your own child may well surprise you too!

A pushchair will only get a puncture if it has air tyres. But this can be prevented by Sliming the tyres, so don't let this put you off a pushchair. With two children on board - and especially with one child over two, pushability will be more important than anything else - and air tyres may well be useful!

What car have you got? Needing a small double pushchair will automatically rule out a lot of double pushchairs. Plus needing to get a double onto a bus may limit you further, but most people seem to manage to get a side by side onto buses, so don't rule this option out.

Finally your budget is going to limit you. You are better off buying a good quality double pushchair second hand, than buying a cheap double pushchair new if it came to it.

There really aren't any tandems where one child isn't under the other that I could recommend within your budget. The only possible would be the Kidz Kargo Duellette but only the latest version which is due out soon which has a lie flat carrycot / car seat conversion. The Britax B-Dual is very good and has a lot of space for the lower child. Its also quite a neat pushchair for going onto a bus. The fold isn't too bad either and it folds with both seats on. Its definitely worth a look.
Have a look also for an iCandy Pear. It is one of the shortest tandems so would be fine for the bus. The chassis is relatively large but may well fit in your car. My only worry really would be that it may get heavy fairly quickly and be difficult to manoeuvre within a short space of time because your eldest is over 2. But its a good pushchair and again worth a look on Ebay.
There is much more choice in side by side pushchairs. The Baby Jogger City Mini is really top of the list, but you may be able to find a cheap Easywalker Duo or Air Buggy Mimi or TFK Twinner Twist Duo on Ebay. I dont know if they will fit in your car though. Go and have a wander through Best Buggy as there are loads of double pushchairs on there with real life photos of children in the seats. They should give you a realistic idea of how much space a child has.

I'm a bit confused about you not wanting a tandem or a side by side. Or is a more spacious tandem ok? You could get a second hand B-Dual or Pear under £300. The Pear has a smaller footprint but the B-Dual is much better in use and is nice to push.

Wow loads of great advice thank you.

Sorry I was unclear. I meant I like side by sides but worried re bus.

I wouldn't worry too much about a side by side on your bus - assuming its one of the accessible ones and not a Hopper type! A old standard doorway is 76.2cms wide, so ideally I try and choose a side by side under that width so I know I shouldn't ever get stuck. (go here to check widths - use the "Compare Pushchairs" tool at the top). I think the Baby Jogger City Mini is one of the simplest to use but have a look at the rest.