tell me the best and worst things about a mountain buggy duet...

[VacheEspanol]

I think I've almost completely decided that I'm going to get a mountain buggy duet...maybe ?

dc2 due in few weeks. ds1 will be 18 months.

But am i missing something. is it going to be as good as I'm hoping?

do you have one? does it work for you? do you wish you had a different double? What else do I need to consider?

thanks.

I had the older style mountain buggy when my two girls were born a year apart. I loved it - fantastic to push (easier than any single pushchair I have owned), good storage and very comfortable for babies/todders of any age. It was great to push and easy to lift up kerbs even when they were 2 and 3. And sometimes my son who was a few years older used to sit on the bar at the front of the pushchair for a ride and it was still ok to push.

The downside though is definitely the sheer size and weight of it. While it feels weightless pushing it along, if you want to fold it down to say put it in the car then that is very hard work. It also takes up the whole boot. I got round this by buying a second buggy for the car. I was lucky in that my hall is big enough to cope with having a buggy of that size up all the time and my girls often took their daytime naps in it.

So for my lifestyle the buggy was perfect and I would really recommend. But a neighbour of mine went and bought one when she had twins and she sold it within a month. She couldn't fit the buggy into her house so every time she used it she would have to fold it down and store it. If I had had to do that I would have sold mine too.

LOL maybe I shouldn't reply. In theory its great. It sounds perfect. However in reality the fold is huge which in a car boot can be hard work if you need to lift and carry. The seats are too close together so that the children accidentially touch and therefore annoy / kick / hit etc. or even more purposely as others have found out will pinch, pull hair or even bite. Mine pulled badly on the side my eldest was on - so badly that it hurt my back and I could barely walk for a week. The handlebar looks high but its actually fairly low even when set high. I used to catch shop displays in the middle (the widest point) or the children used to help themselves to displays! I dont like how the fabric bunches up around the child's head after being reclined. I believe the new harnesses are hard work. I think there are easier and better options if you dont need the narrow width.

I have one up and ready for action with dc3 (due any day soon) have the carrycot on and a seat and the freerider attached, also the Joey bag ready to try if dc2 doesn't need seat that much but do have trek of a sch/nursery run once back on feet after birth dc3.
But, I thought it through for ages! It's fab fab quality kit for a good price and sturdy enough for dc2 in seat or on board, have tried it in house and on drive etc and is easy to push with dc on freerider, as it's slightly wider than a p&t for example you don't have to walk funny, it pushed fine with carrycot empty and dc 2 in seat, love the options it will give me over next year or so when I envisage a swap to a p&t or single nipper.
Amazing amount storage space, personally a big factor for me, but also I don't need to lift it in and out car as can walk sch/nursery run and if I drive am a sling fan and will pop dc3 in sling while I nip into yard for other dc, space in house to leave it up so that's good and will fit on my local buses and I have huge car boot flat loader type so easy throw in. Also the narrow ness is a big sell point to me as I like going in and out our home city on bus with dc for museums, library, shops etc and leaving car at home so it is handy to have seats and storage in a buggy that fits on bus and in cafés (baaaad latte and cake habit). I say go for it but can see how for eg a double babyjogger or nipper may push better but are too wide for me and I don't need perm two seats, but glad I waited ages to choose as realised dc2 although 3 will benefit from seat for at least next 9-12 months due to distances we walk.

I love my duet! My dd was 21 months when ds was born. Loved the fact that it's width was the same as my single travel system so I knew exactly where I would fit with it, and dd really enjoyed sitting next to her sibling, when he was a baby she used to rest her hand on his tummy and when he went from the carrycot into the seat they used to hold hands, not had issues with the seats being 'too close together' Currently only using very occasionally as dd is now 3.5 and ds 2 so walking much more, but still comes out for really long country walks. Am pregnant & due in the Spring & look forward to ds & the new baby riding together as dd & ds did! Handy tip- I didn't buy the MB carry cot but managed to get a petite zia carrycot cocoon thing off eBay, and slotted it into the seat unit with clips to attach it to the frame, it took up less space in the boot that way & significantly cheaper. Also meant if ds was sleeping & I had to leave buggy parked up I could carry him in the carrycot (hold all style) & rest him on the floor close to me rather than leaving him 'parked up'. Rain-cover also fits like this whereas I think u need a separate cover for the MB carrycot?
Downside- quite heavy to lift in & out boot, but manageable, I tried this out at the store before buying.
Have never struggled with handle height, am 5ft 11 myself.

I'm sorry, I'd not realised that you'd all replied. Thank you for taking the time to answer.

I came back on to say I've now bought the mb duet secondhand and so far I love it. I think its going to really suit us. just need dc2 to arrive now!

thanks for the tip on the carrycot. will look into that more. does anyone know if the duo cot fits on to the duet?

thanks everyone.