Buggy for 3? 3yo, 2yo & newborn...

[GF01]

Hoping for some help and guidance.

Short Version:-

Which Pushchair should we get to cart around our 3yo, our 2 yo and an imminent arrival?

Long Version:-

We have a poor history of buggy selection. First we got a Babyjogger Versa GT. IMO Babyjoggers are excellent but we bought one of the models that couldn't convert into a double and so off it went to cart around a new cousin.

Next we got the Babyjogger City Select, which seats 2, one in front of the other.

This was largely great, but a bit like a train, and a nightmare to steer one-handed.

Now we've got a third on the way, and we're trying to decide what to go for.

We really like the Babyjogger City Mini Double, and had thought our 3yo could ride a glider board but I can't see how this would work with a bassinet.

Can anyone who's been in a similar situation lend some advice?

Many thanks.

Hi GF01,

that's quite the clan you've got there!

I'm the Reviews Editor here at Mumsnet - hopefully I might be able to help. Do you have a specific budget you're working within? And are you in an urban or rural environment because this will alter your requirements a bit.

The new iCandy Orange Blossom could be a really good solution for you. It's about £790, but this includes everything you will need for all three children and even car seat adapters.

The Orange Blossom comes with a two seat frames and a carrycot seat fabric (you use the same frame for a seat or a carrycot). It also includes car seat adapters, which are compatible with all the major car seat brands - Maxi Cosi, Kiddy, Cybex, BeSafe, etc. But do double check the specific car seat models it's compatible with before you buy.

The really snazzy feature is that they've reinforced the cross bar at the back of the storage basket to double up as a built in buggy board. This means you don't need to purchase one separately, and there's no chance you'll kick it as you're walking along.

The storage basket is also vast and would definitely be big enough to house everything you'd need for a day out for three under 5s.

If the Orange Blossom isn't what you're looking for, or is perhaps more than you wanted to spend, the Mountain Buggy Duet is a great side-by-side option, and slightly cheaper (£599), which comes with the flexibility to become a single seater with extra storage if you want/need as the kids grow as well.

Mountain Buggy also have some great buggy board style products that latch onto the back of their buggies, which would suit your three year old. Their ]]mountainbuggy.com/uk/Products/freerider-stroller-board#.WQCVMIjyuUk Freerider]] (£99) is a scooter for example that doubles up as a buggy board. So you're always prepared!

Best of luck with your buggy buying and of course with baby number 3!

We had a newborn, 1 year old and a (not keen on walking) 3 year old so similar ages. We're 5 months in and the Mountain Buggy Duet has been by far the best for us. We got it secondhand on eBay so it might be an old version. The youngest go side by side and the eldest goes on the buggy board; she fits imbetween the pram handle and the pram for extra stability for her. It's also just as narrow as our wide single pram and fits through our front door.

We also have a side by side double Baby Jogger but don't use it as much, it's wider and a bit harder to push, though the hoods are better and cover more of the pram if the seat's flat. We have an old Uppababy Vista and do have a rumble seat for it but like you said it's really long with it on and a bit unweildy, and not much use before 6 months with our version because the rumble seat doesn't work with the bassinet.

We do have a scooter but our 3 year old's a bit hit and miss with it so we don't tend to use it, as it always means I end up having to carry it as well!

We don't have a car though so haven't had any car seat needs. Sorry, that was a bit long! Good luck!

Thanks for the replies - they're very helpful. The iCandy Orange looks very sleek but I can't find it as cheap as you mention, Amie. It looks like a fairly similar setup to the Babyjogger City Select we already have, and so I suspect it might be similarly train-like and hard to steer one-handed. The reinforced crossbar sounds like an excellent feature, so it's still a definite contender.

The Mountain Buggy Duet looks very good, and might actually be the front runner now.

I've seen good reviews of something called the T3 Triple Stroller, which actually has a third seat raised and in front of an otherwise fairly standard side-by-side double pushchair. That's appealing because I can envisage a time when all three want a seat. The glider board options with a seat look like they'd get in the way of trying to push whatever behemoth we end up with.

What about baby in a sling and the other two in the buggy?

In your shoes, I would put baby in a sling and older two in a double buggy. The three year old may not need a buggy for long and then you could have a buggy board for the eldest and the youngest in the seat bit.

T3 triple is a good one. I wouldn't use a sling for baby and others in double buggy as you'll need to be able to bend down to see to older two and a baby on your back (or front) will restrict you. Also, there'll be many times when you're out and about when they're all tired and it's best for everyone if they can all sit in their buggy seats.

I had a britax b dual which was large but not bad to push. I could do it one handed. Also the lower seat was large enough that my older two could climb in together if they all got tired and didn't want to walk. Made it a bit harder to push but still nowhere near as bad as my previous cheap double

I have the same gap. Now 4, 3 and 1

I have had the bugaboo donkey since DS (my first) was born. It's amazing and I use it in double with the board seat or can put in it mono with board seat

For my "buggy". I have a BJGT double with a buggy board

We just used a double chariot and had the newborn in a front then back carrier. Tbh it really isn't worth the money to do anything else - but the time the baby is too heavy to carry, the eldest is pretty much at school. Anything else felt like I was driving a bus.
I accept that I'm not really a pram Hun though, and that some people really love the new buggy experience. We actually didn't use a double for just two kids until the youngest was nearly a year for the same reason - it was just easier to use our single chariot and carry the baby. I assume we started that way because dd1 as a single hated the pram, so we just carried her. Habit after that.