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Pushchairs

Join our Pram forum for pram advice. Plus read our round up of the best pushchairs currently available.

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Original poster

am i really mad to get a twin maclaren?

35 replies

poocatcherchampion · 04/03/2013 08:14

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?

OP posts:

ISeeSmallPeople · 04/03/2013 08:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

givemeaclue · 04/03/2013 08:24

I loved mine, but don't think are suitable for new borns as they can't lie flat? But good for toddlers and easy to push. Or maybe you are talking about a different model that is suitable for new borns?

ISeeSmallPeople · 04/03/2013 08:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

givemeaclue · 04/03/2013 08:25

Oh yes, didn't fit through my front door, had to take dcs out and into house then fold buggy and bring it in

Original poster

poocatcherchampion · 04/03/2013 09:05

I hoped there would be a lie flat one.

we have a fairly narrow doorway and nowhere to store a pushchair in the house currently. we are hoping to move.

would mainly used or out and about streets and local shops. rarely large shopping centres

so I might encounter the problems you suggest. what should I get?

it can't be heavy to fold.

OP posts:

MortifiedAdams · 04/03/2013 09:13

Would you consider having the newborn in a sling for the first six minths then you dont need to worry about a double that lies flat.

Original poster

poocatcherchampion · 04/03/2013 09:59

I carry the one year old in a sling so I'm hoping to do that with one as much as possible but its not always going to be practical so I think I really will need a double too. but I want it to be as light and simple as possible.

the only other option I've thought of it one like the my child sienta and putting dd in the back if she needs to sleep and carrying the little one.. but thats not a perfect solution either.

OP posts:

MiaowTheCat · 04/03/2013 12:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ihateparties · 04/03/2013 13:39

Maybe it comes down to what are you most concerned about folding, lifting and boot/storage, pushability, fitting in shops/doors etc. or something else? I'm not sure why no double meets your needs because I can't remember the previous threads except to say there were some. I can't help feeling like there are at lot of things between a mountain buggy and a maclaren twin techno or triumph.

If you mostly walk places bearing in mind you will have two under two who will likely both sleep in the pushchair at least sometimes then personally I would prioritise being able to drive them into the house as oppose to having to load and unload outside.I go in and out a lot of times a day though so my own experience is inevitably affecting my opinions. Equally I would choose something easy to push, easier than an umbrella side by side but if you don't walk much i guess that matters less.

Doubles and tandems are tricky though, especially when weight and folded size are important to you. It's hard to get everything you need, sometimes impossible depending on your requirements.

Tiggywunkle · 04/03/2013 15:00

I agree with ihateparties there HAS to be something between the MB and an umbrella fold to suit. I assume you have looked at the Baby Joggers, Bumbleride, Air Buggy Mimi, Nipper, Easywalker etc etc.
The umbrella folds in general are harder to push, not as manoeuverable and not as comfy for the child. But double pushchairs are hard to find one to suit TBH.

Original poster

poocatcherchampion · 04/03/2013 21:33

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!

OP posts:

ISeeSmallPeople · 04/03/2013 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

poocatcherchampion · 04/03/2013 21:56

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?

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 04/03/2013 22:01

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.

LemonBreeland · 04/03/2013 22:06

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

barleysugar · 04/03/2013 22:13

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.

Tiggywunkle · 04/03/2013 22:17

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.....

giraffesCantDateDucks · 04/03/2013 22:20

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!

giraffesCantDateDucks · 04/03/2013 22:20

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

ImNotaPheasantPlucker · 04/03/2013 22:23

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

Original poster

poocatcherchampion · 04/03/2013 22:25

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.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 04/03/2013 22:27

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.

Ihateparties · 04/03/2013 22:30

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?

AugustaLoveday · 04/03/2013 22:31

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.

Tiggywunkle · 04/03/2013 22:32

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?!

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