am i really mad to get a twin maclaren?

[poocatcherchampion]

it turns out no double meets my needs but I definitely need one as dd will be 18 months when the new one is born and is not near walking at age 1.

people keep telling me they are awful to push but they are lightweight to lift, compact in the car and house and generally seem straightforward.

I had a good look at a mountain buggy yesterday and it takes up the whole of the boot of our large estate car. I can't see myself lifting it in and out most days.

so is the McLaren the easy option here?

[Ihateparties]

The Dimples Mobi purple creation is only stocked by smyths toys, I bought online but it's easy to find out which stores have one on display.

[MERLYPUSS]

The nipper is fab. Lightest double on the market about 4 yrs ago (that may've changed). Folds easily and doesn't veer to one side if uneven weighted babies in each seat. I lent mine to a friend who had children 11 mths apart.
Double maclaren was dreadful pushing over anything other than polished marble. Every lump and bump sent it wheeling towards the kerb. I had twins of different weights and it would veer madly one way or another. Impossible to push when loaded with toddlers and shopping.

[forevergreek]

The Phil and teds is terrible IMO. Works with newborn and small toddler . Then newborn gets too big for cocoon part around 4 months and has to move. However then neither the front of back seats really recline ( I mean the front does but not with one in the back etc as no space.
It then becomes half usable around a year, but not for sleeping. From 2 years I couldn't fit eldest in the back as legs were too long
Also even in single mode it vv heavy

I would go for the nipper v2 double. It doesn't fold tiny but you say that's not a problem. Otherwise it pushes with one finger so super easy, both lay flat, narrow enough for shops etc, good wheels if over rougher terrain. Not too expensive either

[Chopsypie]

I got a maclaren twin techno for newborn and 17 month old DS.
Bought a newborn cosytoes/liner from mothercare so she was nice and snuggly, but it didnt get used a lot in the early days as I usually carried her.

Now both are old its still going strong, both fit in it well, it fits into my car boot (corsa)

It a bit more stroller like than most but does lie flat for a newborn.

It might not fit your purpose best, but I'm really pleased with mine. Its still bloody heavy though!

[poocatcherchampion]

morning experts!
thanks for all the advice so far! I will def have a look at the purple creation anyone know who stocks it? also maybe I need to research p&t a bit more too? or else the my child remains an option...
we are def making progress!

[Ihateparties]

poocatcher at least have a look at the smyths one, it's such a bargain and has unexpected features. Tiggy has taught me to love expensive pushchairs too (which didn't come naturally) so I'm v happy to have found a cheap one that works properly :-}

[Wearegoingtobedlehem]

My dds are 14 months apart.

Initially I got an I candy pear so I could use carrycot for newborn, or use car seat for a quick nip. It was ok, but filled entire estate boot, was a faff to fold. And more importantly became incredibly heavy to drive and steer with both on board a bit bigger. Was narrow enough to do shop doorways and town but total crap off road.
So
I got a second hand nipper double. Loved the fact it was light and so very easy to fold. However it did take up a lot of boot space and was naturally a bit wide being side by side.
Then
Ultimately about six months ago dd1 2.5 and dd2 being 1.5 I decided a part time double was the order of the day again as dd1 walking a lot and dd2 a little. So I got the phil n teds explorer. Love it. Can be single or double. Both comfortable in it on the rare occasion that they both now go in. Beautiful to handle and simple to fold. Is a little heavy to pick up. Fits in half of estate boot.

I think it is virtually impossible to find the perfect double. Definitely a case of making priorities.

Good luck :)

[poocatcherchampion]

this is getting interesting.. but I must sleep...hasta manana!

[Tiggywunkle]

Aha...there she is :)
ihateparties showed me the purple creation the other week and I have to say its actually rather good and well thought out. For the money and what you get its an absolute bargain. Amazingly it felt fairly sturdy too. I would definitely consider one!

[Ihateparties]

My post is ^ up there tiggy,.. this thread is moving fast!

[Tiggywunkle]

The Powertwin is one of the most awful doubles there is. It has a real identity crisis. The youngest is forced into the back. The front child has barely any recline so the eldest has to go in there. However the leg length is teeny and the child usually ends up resting their feet on the front wheel and stopping it turning. At the point at which you can move the eldest to the back, there's not enough recline for the youngest on the front seat. The harnesses used to be huge and the fold was chunky. Theres MUCH better out there!

I have to say I was pondering something like a MyChild Sienta Duo for you, which would be easier to push than a side by side. That has similar issues to the Powertwin but without the danger of stopping the wheel! However ihateparties purple creation or the Dimples Duo are worth a look......now where is she?!

[AugustaLoveday]

We had one, and took it back sharpish as it didn't fit down our pavement. We got a P&Ts instead, which was brilliant.

[Ihateparties]

Not whole, you'd need to take the second seat off. Hmmm. Hmmmm.

Right, work with me a minute on a little speculation... I have a twone, which is light and lovely and I have loved it (most particularly with two main seats instead of the proper set up but also loved in proper set up too) light, v easy to push, fold, robust enough etc.) BUT for research purposes recently got one of these very very cheap in order to review it really. BUT turns out now my youngest dcs are that bit older I actually LOVE it. It's light, as it this morning my friend's very narrow hallway was blocked with tools, I just picked up the empty buggy and trotted over with it. I got on the scales with it and I believe it to be under 12kg. Which the twone claims to be but isn't, it's more like 14.5 in reality.

The fold is soooo easy, it folds with the top seat on, the lower seat is simple to take off. The top seat also parent faces in single mode and will do so fulle reclined in double mode if your lower child isn't too particular. I have done this for short periods and more so now my lower child is in there a lot less often but does still need the seat. The lower seat also doesn't recline so any sleeping has to be done sitting up. The seats do go in either position but the frame prevents the main seat from lying flat in the lower position.

I have spent the week trying to work out what you'd do with a newborn. It comes with Maxi cosi adaptors so that is the easy option. I am also waiting to get a go with a silver cross surf nest wedge thing (and a newborn to try in it) as there are adaptors that push the upper seat forwards so it can fully recline and not be in the way of the lower seat. In theory they could be wedged flat with a nest or smartmuff for a baby, the only downside would be they would be facing forwards and you'd only see them through the viewing window.

It's soooooooo many million miles better than it looks, than the price suggests, I could go on and on. To put this in context before the twone I have used a hauck duett, a peach blossom 1, a b dual, the twone, a graco tandem, a MB Duet and probably others I have forgotten... ie I have experienced other things in a range of price brackets and on impressions of the first fortnight this one is an amazing bargain if you can live with having one seat that doesn't recline. It's a true no frills sibling pushchair and genuinely works as a reversible seat single without looking daft at all.

I love it.

Can you tell?

[LynetteScavo]

I've heard the power twin is heavy. I once saw someone at the bottom of the stairs in the underground with one.

I suspect she might still be there.

[poocatcherchampion]

the power twin looks a possibility - thanks!! anyone know how heavy it is?

any what is the recline like on the front? is it too much to ask for a cabriofix to attach? just to give 2 sleeping options.

[ImNotaPheasantPlucker]

I borrowed one for a quick trip to Tesco once. The wheels wouldn't go round in the shop so it fell like I was pushing it with the brakes on all the time. Awful, never again

[giraffesCantDateDucks]

Sorry I meant for 6months not for a 6 month old

[giraffesCantDateDucks]

I used one for 6mo nannying and I Hated it to push.

Also as they get older it is very very hard to get up on the kerb. When I used it I had it with 2yr old and 4yr old in it (was before I drove so very long distances had both in) and was a nightmare to get up, you had to stop, brace yourself, yank it back on to 2 wheels, then an almighty shove!

[Tiggywunkle]

I think if the single Oyster is a faff, then the double will be worse......much as it is lovely. Its wider for a start and the lower seat needs removing to fold, plus its bigger to fold.

The Nipper is lovely but thats pretty big folded too and has lots of steps to folding it. If you want a no faff pushchair, then the City Mini is the way to go, but then you have to unload the children to get them into the house.

Where is ihateparties?? She needs to tell you about her new purple creation thats light and simple and whether it would work for a newborn and toddler.......hmm..let me go a hunting for her.....

[barleysugar]

I don't know ifs they still make them but we had a Jane Powertwin for our two, also 18 mos apart. It was only fractionally longer than the single Jane Powertrack and not too heavy. It folded up so small I even fit it into my mums Polo boot!

What I really liked about it was using the car seat facing me for the newborn and the toddler at the front feels like they are the driver at the front! The car seat adapters fit on either front or back and if I needed dc1 to have a nap, I'd put the car seat on the front, recline the back seat and put the hoods together and she got a really good nap position.

[LemonBreeland]

What about a bjcm double? Lovely to push folds quite flat and lies flat.

[LynetteScavo]

I had a double maclaren for two toddlers. It was brilliant (I bought it as it was easy to put in the car, and narrow enough for shops - I had a big all terain double that was great for walking, but rubbing for the car or shopping)

But when I had a toddler and a newborn, I bought a Phil and Teds (We also had two single pushchairs, DH was a bit )

I think a P&T full fills your criteria.

[poocatcherchampion]

nowhere else in the house to put it. house too small but going on the market tomorrow.
love the idea of putting the pushchair whole into the boot
does the p&t meet my needs?

[poocatcherchampion]

OK sorry, I'll start at the beginning!

we walk places and we go in the car. probably in the car most days and walks 2-3 days a week. at the moment I mostly carry dd or put her in the sling or latterly the umbrella fold. we also have an oyster which I love.

I'm not currently using the oyster as its a FAFF to lift in and out of the car whole and boring to put together and it has to be collapsed as soon as we come into the house as the hallway is too narrow to get by it. it would take up most of the sitting room too. we just just about squeeze past an umbrella fold in the hall.

our doorway is just 70cm as it doesn't open directly against the wall and it would be hard to fold any longer pushchair in the hall. I don't think a longer one would make the turn into the sitting room to be folded.

so basically I think I have to unload and load in the street.

but as I said we are looking to move house, one of my criteria is a larger hall funnily enough!

we have a big estate so that's not a problem, but I'm not a fan of lifting heavy things (and I know the oyster is light!) so I know I'd get bored of lifting a heavy pushchair and seek a lighter one.

I hope to use a sling and single as much as possible.

I prefer parent facing for both babies but know that is asking a bit much. ideally they both need to nap, one will need lie flat. we won't be spending hours and hours out with them in the buggys so it doesn't need to be the Ritz.

out of what I've looked at so far I think the mountain buggy is ideal but to heavy, bjcm too wide for house, out and about nipper 2 a possibility not sure on weight, Phil and TEDs bulky and maybe heavy, bduel etc too much of a FAFF, oyster Max could be lush but wont be any bargains to be had...
stroller cheap cheerful might just do the job.

so I'm stuck! please magic me the one, oh brilliant pushchair people!