Bugaboo Donkey - Worth buying new?

[holidaysareoverated]

After trying to persuade myself that I can do without a double I have finally caved and decided on the Bugaboo Donkey.

Oldest child will be 2 years 2 months when baby arrives.

At the moment I have a Bugaboo Cameleon and a Maclaren XT.

My options are:

a) Sell the Cameleon and buy a new Donkey. Then use this as a single once the toddler no longer needs a buggy. Or use the Maclaren.

b)Keep the Cameleon, buy a second hand Donkey for use until the toddler can walk reliably. Then sell the Donkey and revert back to the Cameleon.

Does anybody have any tips to help me decide? I have severe baby brain and this feels like a huge decision when it's really not!

I don't really want a second hand Donkey but it's so eye wateringly expensive new that it feel's like the sensible thing to do.

-----------

Hello, this thread is quite old so we thought it might be helpful to point to a recent review of the Bugaboo Donkey written by MNHQ. We tested the UK's top ten double pushchairs in a quest to find the best double buggies for families, you can read our findings here.

MNHQ

Hi, I was the same as you but with a smaller age gap.

The decision was made easy - the donkey is too wide for our front door! We have a baby jogger city select, bought second hand, and once we no longer need a double we'll sell it and go back to the camaeleon. It's handy having two "sturdy" pushers - the baby jogger works fine as a single (just a bit longer) so we can take one each (I hate the Maclaren and it barely gets used).

I really want a double that can parent face and take a car seat, hence deciding on the Donkey.

How much do you like the Cameleon vs the Maclaren? Are you going to regret selling it and be cursing every time you think "oh, the Cameleon would have been good today"?

If it's any help, I was a big fan of being able to put the car seat on the wheels with dc1. We've been given two doubles - a P&T and a babyjogger side by side - neither of which take my car seat, and actually, getting dc2 out of the car seat isn't a big deal. I've not found it a problem at all.

I'd get a buggy board and a sling. I hardly used a double pushchair with same age gap as it was too blinking heavy, so juggled them.

Just to explain-so either baby in pram plus toddler in buggy board or baby in sling plus toddler in pushchair

Just to explain-so either baby in pram plus toddler in buggy board or baby in sling plus toddler in pushchair

I was the same except eldest a bit younger.

Can you possibly have all three?

I kept the chameleon & got a donkey. It was so so worth it. The only one I could find with parent facing carry cot & so useful to be able to strap toddler in !

If it fits through your door you're fine. I haven't found it gets stuck out and about.

I have used the Cameleon back in pram setting to have the baby out on its own/with buggy board & toddler. now in seat setting.

Mclaren was useful for whizzing toddler around in on his own.

I didn't want to rely on sling for baby as I liked the eldest sleeping flat in his pram - and I'm glad I didn't as birth injuries meant I couldn't use sling for number 2!

I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old and am 37 weeks pregnant. I adore our donkey. I'm the only one out of our group of friends who hasn't had to buy a new pram as existing one not fit for nerds anymore.

I do have a BJCM as well (single) but that's just because we dudntveantbto take the donkey on the plane in case it was damaged.

My toddler wouldn't stay on a buggy board - not yet anyway. Plus I like being able to put baby down when I'm shopping etc.

I'm keeping the Maclaren... I prefer it for nipping around but it's no good if I need to buy things. The shopping basket is too small.

Does anybody use the Donkey in single mode? What's it like?

I use it in single mode when DS is in nursery for DD and use it in single mode for DS before DD was born.

I find it excellent - its basically the same wheel base width as a chameleon. I like the basket at the side and the basket underneath holds tons.

It is also the best steerer out of any pram I have tried - much better than my BJCM GT which I just use as a buggy basically

So, for those of you who have a Donkey would you go for new or secondhand?

OP I could have written this plea for help myself! I've the chameleon too, and am 39 weeks with #2, and mydaughter is 21 months.

What did you decide on? Im now looking at the Mountain Duet as it's slightly narrower, but I've never pushed one about.

I'm also finding his a monumental decision!!

I have a smaller age gap (12 months) and had a bugaboo donkey, I found it a god send! I brought my first one second hand and used from birth.
I sold that one when my youngest was 9 months old as it is a faff getting it in and out the car and started to turn me a little loopy and within a month id bought another brand new one because I missed it! Turns out it still drove me loopy so sold that one fairly soon after and bought an out and about nipper 360 which pushes like a dream.

The seating options on the donkey are amazing for when little one is still tiny, I loved it like it was my third child! however past that stage it quickly becomes frustrating, so my own personal opinion would be to buy second hand and keep your Cameleon.
I did use the donkey in mono sometimes and it really is lovely, takes a little getting used to in the beginning as feels huge but its just an illusion and the side basked is amazing BUT the fold is annoying (MASSIVE!) and I did still miss having a 'normal' single pushchair. Hope this helps

I was in the same situation as you. I bought a new Donkey and then sold it on when I no longer needed it.

Got £650 for it and there were others for sale for a higher price. One of the many reasons I love bugaboo is that they have the best resale value.

It's so easy to take out one of the seats and shorten the frame width, that even a narrow door didn't put me off.