Tandem for twins

[quesadillas]

Hi,

Just doing some early research into tandem pushchairs for twins. I don't want a side by side as I use public transport a lot and I think one would be too wide. DH would like one that car seats can fix onto - we already have a Maxi-Cosi cabriofix and were hoping to be able to use that again instead of buying two brand new seats. A lot of the tandem buggies I've seen have one seat that's only suitable from 6 months. Ideally I'd like one where both seats could be used from birth, but this isn't a deal breaker as could probably use some combination of car seat and sling for the first few months if necessary. Another thing that would be useful is being able to convert to a single as I'm determined that each twin, plus older sibling, will get some time out and about on their own.

Am I asking too much? So far the Phil and Ted Vibe and Verve look to fulfill most of those requirements. Budget irrelevant at the moment - I don't think this is the item to make economies on!

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

baby jogger city select tandem ? expensive but worth it can be 2 maxi cosi seats 2 carrycots 2 seat units from birth i think and can face in either direction and be used as a single stroller

Thanks, I'll have a look at that one.

The iCandy peach does what you need, as does the apple2pear, so does the 2015 vista, the oyster max and the Jane twone (the maxi cosi won't go on this). The select does too and can be great for twins but it's larger and more difficult to manoeuvre than the ones mentioned, the pay off for that is more space between the seats etc.

The Oyster looks good, thanks! I think that's one to definitely look at. Not sure I like the look of the icandys for some reason, but might hunt out a stockist anyway.

I had an icandy and didnt like it, got rid of it after 14 months. I now have a Nipper 360 which I love and can get on public transport easily with. At our local twins group the Nipper is the most common.

The problem with icandy is the seating is quite close together and squashed where as with a BJCS or a Uppababy Vista 2015 the seating is more generous also the oyster and phil and teds you have a baby stacked one on top of the other like crates some children hate that and will argue over who sits up at the top to see around

There is also the mb duet, only a few cm wider than a lot of tandems.. Actually narrower than the '15 vista by a few cm. Irl the couple of people I know with twins have nippers.

The stacked thing is probably more of an issue for twins, tandems often work well for siblings where the elder one can offset time spent in the restricted view seat with time spent walking.

Yes, I do worry a bit about the stacked thing in the longer term. Space between seats is definitely one thing to look at.

I'll try and find a Nipper stockist too, see how it actually looks in real life. The width thing of a side by side does concern me as I worry my going out options will be limited. Not that I'll be going very far at first with newborn twins!

Nipper and BJCM are fine on the bus here - but the busses wit a middle door you can get on if you know what I mean, not on at the front door. Also fine on train and tube. My old donkey went on the bus too with no problems.

They are much more practical than the tandems ime.

It would be hard taking jyst one child out in a 2 seat stroller though as the balance would be offset i really think the baby jogger city tandem is the one for you

Nipper, bjcm, duet etc are all fine with one child in. I haven't used a double nipper but I have used the bjcmd and duet with one and two children in at different times. The Nipper is much lighter to push than the select. Depends I guess how often you will want to use your pushchair as a single, not so much for how it is to push but for the width generally.

Lots of people say they could get everywhere with their side by side, I couldn't, there were loads of places that were an issue (medieval City = lots of narrow gaps apparently). But I don't have twins, I only used doubles for siblings, I'm pretty sure if I had my perspective would be different.

With twins, I wouldn't be looking at the Phil & Teds pushchairs. I would be looking for something with two more equal seats or carrycots, at least whilst they are small. It would be far far better for your babies to be in a laid flat carrycot or seat when they are little instead of in a car seat. Oxygen desaturation can begin in a car seat within just 20 minutes, and preemie / low birth weight babies are at more risk than a typical baby.

I would look at the iCandy pushchairs - even if you don't like the look of them, they are very practical. The Babystyle Oyster Max - but wait for the new reclining lower seat. The new Egg stroller in tandem mode. The Uppababy Vista with Rumble Seat. Or look as others have said for a side by side like the Nipper or a Baby Jogger City Mini / GT.

I think your safest bet would be to buy a double and a cheap single because you'll fins pretty quickly that taking one child out isn't actually that practical but handy for those times you can manage.

I find tandems are so much more awkward to push because of the length and weight and much prefer side by side so they can both have a decent view and plenty of space to stretch out.

We loved the Nipper 360 too and this was before they narrowed it, the Baby Jogger City Mini is also a good buy too and very easy to fold on public transport.

I love my ICandy, only using it as a single but a friend has twins and always points out that it's as easy to push her double as it is my single!

I'd second looking at the new uppababy vista 2015

Thanks for all your replies. I've got a shortlist of ones I'd like to look at: Baby Jogger City Select, Vista, Oyster, Mountain Buggy Duet and Nipper Out & About. Fingers crossed one of them suits!

I've got the city select for my twins and love it. The girls are 10 1/2 months and loving being able to look at/ shout at each other while watching everything going on around them. The Deciding factor for me was that the seats are the same size and there isn't one underneath at the back. It's great as a single too, very strange pushing it as a single as you are so used to the weight of 2

Just noticed joolz have brought out a twin pram too its a steep price tag of £1,200 though might be worth looking at ? ive been drooling over the uppababy 2015 today damn my pram obsession

Well, had a bit of a look around today, and I think the Vista is the current favourite. I didn't like the BJ City Select at all - it felt really unwieldy, which is a shame as it was probably my favourite on paper. The Nipper side by side seemed good too. And the Joolz one mentioned above was the other I quite liked. Still looking though, not parting with my cash just yet!

The oyster is a good option. However my cabrio doesn't fix on the bottom rack - I have heard a britax car seat does.
It is an OK single too, although we use the McLaren for that.

Oyster was very cute and pretty looking, but it seemed like one child would be a bit squished. It fulfilled all the requirements of going on public transport though.

I wish pram shops had dummies of different sizes and weights of child so you could test them out properly!

We've got risers that go on the top seat to lift it a bit. We've only just turned that seat around now dd1 is 3 as her legs hang in her sisters face. Dd2 is 18mo and her legs are still crossed normally.
I prefer the top seat rear facing

Also - either child goes in the bottom, I think of it as the snug seat - so the one who is tireder goes there, even though it doesn't recline the do drop off in it.