double/tandem buggy advice

[Stokey]

I have a 2.6yr old and 8 week old. My toddler is great at walking and on scooter so thought I'd be able to get away without double but am finding it pretty difficult.

I have a stokke xplory carrycot and a cosatto stroller. The stokke is great for baby but dd1 loves her big buggy and gets bit jealous, and cosatto can recline but then can't access basket under and isnt as flat as I'd like for baby. Have found myself out with cosatto having to put dd1 in and transfer dd2 to sling and out with stokke with dd1 balanced on end of pram crushing on dd2s feet.

So any recommendations? My stokke is too old to use a buggy board, i could get one for the cosatto but don't know if that would work while it's reclined. Otherwise will buy a double or tandem, but don't want to spend too much as dd1 is in childcare 3 days a week so will not need it every day. Also dd1 is so good at walking, scooting so only need it when she's tired, like on way back from park. Happy to buy secondhand but ebay doesnt seem like the bargain basement of old.

I think it depends on your bargain basement budget TBH. If its high then I would get an iCandy Peach Blossom or possibly a Pear. If its lower I would look at a B-Dual although this is probably less problematic than the Pear. Or look at a Kidz Kargo Duellette. All these options would leave you with a single and most could have the second seat popped in the basket after the nursery drop off. You could consider a P&Ts but I would worry that your eldest may be too old to comfortably ride on the doubles kit on top in newborn mode and then about the mismatch in weight if the eldest ges underneath / or needing to swap the baby to the top after nursery drop off may get tiring.

thanks Tiggy - think the iCandy seems bit pricey for maybe year's use at tops - tho a friend does have one since her first and must confess to having always had buggy envy - so light compared to weighty stokke. But feel to justify cost, I should have had that thru two kids rather than just now.
Britax looks good but is it very heavy? Or what about a BCJM? I guess tandem is more practical, don't think I'll venture on public transport with the two of them but am def more urban than rural. My 2.5 yr old is quite petite, fits easily into the Stokke still. If I were to go for a P&T, which would yoou recommend? Thanks

To be honest, the best way to see a double pushchair is a rental. If you have the money, you are likely to get your money back if you buy a quality second hand pushchair. Ihateparties has just pieced together a 75% brand new Peach Blossom for I believe under £400 (no carrycot) plus she has a good amount of accessories to sell as well. She reckons she will end up making a profit when she eventually sells it on. There's a fab Peach Blossom for sale at present with so many accessories that if you had the time an inclination you could end up with the main pushchair for a couple of hundred pounds! Double pushchairs often get used for no more than 6-18 months, so it is worth watching EBay.

I would always recommend the B-Dual above a P&T. There's more space for the lower child, better storage, four wheels for stability plus more options for where the children go, carrycots, car seats etc. It's actually shorter than a P&Ts. All tandems are heavy to carry but not all are heavy to push. If I had to, the Sport is the least problematic.

Ha ha, I don't know if I'll make a profit if I keep it for ages, which I'm going to. Only maybe if I sold it now but I don't want to cos I luff it! I was a reluctant, it's not worth the money for the short time person, tried some other stuff, ended up here. They're very nice. The B Dual is also nice for a fraction of the cost if you can work with the width
PS the shiny does not do it for me, I wish it looked more utilitarian!

There's always vinyl joke!!!

I'm pregnant with DC2 at the moment, and DS will be 2.4 when DC2 is born. We've been looking at Baby Jogger City Select and I think it looks pretty good, but will be watching this thread as my options are still open

I'll soon get scratched and look less shiny, eh?!

Re the BJCS - great range of seating positions and a lot of people love them. Harder to manoeuvre with heavier children apparently. I can't tip it with no children in (and I'm far from small and lightweight) so with a toddler on the front over the front wheels - dunno how people manage this - there must be a way.

My toddler was under 2 when DS was born and the BJCS only lasted us 10 months before it was unbearably heavy to push - I had pains in my arms. However a year later, we are still using the Peach Blossom. To be honest I prefer a lot about the BJCS, but if you can't push it, then there is no point in all the fab features :(

Am off to john lewis to check out the options, icandy seems about £500-550 used so am tempted,thanks for help

Woman at john lewis tried to convince me i shouldn't buy a double just get buggy board for 2 year old, but i think she's wrong. Couldn't find a britax to try, but they dont seem that cheap used £ 300 New and £ 220-250 secondhand. The icandy beckons.

I tried a buggy board today - I was testing it out. Its the second in a few months and I really do not like buggy boards (I knew that years ago anyway!). But today the drag on the pushchair was unreal. My 3 year old just can't keep still. I had to ask her every time we got to even a tiny kerb to jump off to get up it, or when we needed to reverse. She couldn't grasp keeping her feet on the footplate bits. She then was leaning back to keep her balance and it was making the pushchair feel tippy. Not to mention I had to walk at the side and push from the side. At least its better than the last buggy board where she slipped off and banged her face. Believe me, its bliss to use a double pushchair in comparison. I was only out for half an hour or so, but that was more than enough for me!! It compounded exactly the same thoughts as I had a few months ago!

Hi, i've just joined here after looking for reviews on tandems/doubles. I am currently taking a break from trying to box up my brand new BJCS to send back :( Lovely pram, but with a 14 month old and a 28month old i just cant push the damn thing without my arms killing and it veering off to the side on any slope! Would be fine if i could drive, but as i walk everywhere it's a no-no, so the search continues! Stokey where are you from? I have a britax b dual i am going to sell when i get around to it lol, it's a 2010 model so you can't put it in as many combinations, but it is a nice pram. Easy to push, biggest toddler gets a great seat and good as a single, and the smaller seat is lovely for smaller babies. My 2 fight now though for the main seat so a side by side is my only option i think!

Hi pwhit, i'm in London. Only thing was a bit unsure about britax was that i read somewhere it was to big to fit in boot of golf. At the moment, i keep my stokke in the car, am about to move to house with my own front door ( hurrah) but may still need to take buggy in car some times.

Yeah it is big folded, but they all seem to be lol.....except the bjcs which was fab folded booo! You really can't win with doubles can you, there always has to be a compromise somewhere and it just depends on your lifestyle as to what it is for you!

I'm planning on getting the Baby Jogger City Mini Double for DD who will be 21 months when I have DC2.

I've looked at the iCandy and have a Cherry at the moment but can't figure out how the lower child sees or gets out once I need two normal seats. Do they really work once both kids need a proper chair? It looks like you can't reach in to the carrycot either. The BJCS just looks very top heavy with the two main seats.

Although if i can find a local stockist, i want to look at the mountain buggy duet.....love this, it's only supposed to be 63cm wide but is a side by side. So no fighting over seats, independent full recline and individual canopies, and now they have developed a tote bag to come out soon so you can use it as a single and clip the bag in the other seat space...so loads of storage! Might look a bit weird, but will be fab for me when dd starts nursery, as i can take ds shopping, &buy as much as i need without worrying about carrying it back with no car etc! Now to convince dh.....wish me luck :)

Pwhit, I had exactly the same issues too with the City Select, but also with the Duet - probably worse for the veering off TBH. I ended up with back ache from pulling the Duet back into line from the side my eldest was sat on. May I suggest the Mountain Buggy +One unless your eldest naps. It's brilliant for two older toddlers. Plus it's fabulous (and holds more weight than the Joey) for shopping. I can get a full small trolley worth in the back of my +One, in the basket and in hamster bags.

What about just swapping the cosatto for a small tandem umbrella

Such as :
My child Sienta duo

Fold great and small, so perfect for car and flying etc, plus fits on buses etc if using in London

Would then keep stokke. A couple more months and baby will be out of carrycot and into seat so both can use. Maybe look into getting an ergo sling so if needed can put one in sling and one in stokke ( as you say it's not all the time and eldest getting good at walking an scooting)

Then can use small tandem on days when need to get somewhere quick or nursery pick up if tired etc

As someone based in central London the thought of a large double scares me! ( 14 month gap here and only use cameleon and have buggy board for rare occasions)

Actually just seen cosatto do a small tandem which you might like as you like single

The Sienta Duo is great as an umbrella fold tandem but with a well over 2 year old child its going to be hopeless. My 2 and a bit year old could walk the Sienta Duo across the floor and she didn't like using the footrest so could easily stop us dead in the street. The baby has to be in the back. The front seat is simply too low for an older toddler. The fold is really long too - it wont fit in my car and I regularly have a large Mountain Buggy tandem in there"

Am still changing my mind about what I need/ want but after having sling/scooter nightmare today just going to the park at end of my road, have to get something asap. Was put off britax as prob won't fit in the boot of my golf, but starting to think that doesn't matter, as live in London and normally just walk. Do i need a carrycot for the b dual or are normal seats suitable from birth? Have a small 9- week old.

The seats are suitable from birth, and you would probably be fine now, but my the time your baby is around 3-4 months, they will need some leg support. I would suggest a Britax soft cot, cosy toes or another soft cot in the bottom seat just to keep her legs up otherwise they will just dangle. Something with a bit of rigity ie not just a buggysnuggle. If you can manage with your toddler underneath, then the upper seat is better for leg support. You can put a carrycot on, but I would recommend the soft cot really because those I know who got the hard carrycot, did end up swapping them later.

Thanks again Tiggy, pushchair guru extraordinaire!

You can use the hard carrycot on the top of the b dual with the adaptors to push it forward but it doesn't work terribly well if your toddler might think it's amusing to constantly kick the underside of it or something similar.

Also you can defo get a used icandy for less than 500 without a carrycot, possibly even with one. It may be cheaper to buy the bits separately. I too am questioning how it will go with the lower seat when the youngest gets older and wants to sit up, there is a lot of air space around the seat so they can see things definitely, even in full recline just obviously not the things directly blocked by the seat infront. The PB2 kit will fix the 2the seat doesn't go upright and is small" issue, apparently John Lewis now have some. But presumably they are all spoken for with pre orders etc.?!

Well l saw a cheap 2011 britax on ebay last night so have brought it. Comes with two seats and a cosytoes. Hope to get it couriered over next couple of days and road test at the weekend. Figure i can sell on if i don't like it.