Double Buggy Decision

[Claraa2018]

Hello everyone, we are expecting our second child this October! DD will be 25 months old if the new baby arrives on time. We are thinking of getting a double pushchair (currently considering either the Uppa Vista or Bugaboo Donkey).

I was not completely sure about whether a double pushchair is the right thing as our DD has started to resist her pushchair on occasion though she is also very hard to walk with (stops to pick everything up or runs away). We'll also use a sling and a buggyboard but I do think a double would be useful especially one that is easy to use as a single as well. Our current pushchair is more of a travel pushchair and has some limitations so I was always keen to get a new one anyway (especially if we can get it second hand).

Does anyone have experience of either of these? Can you tell me your experiences.

Our considerations:

• should have a reasonable storage basket
• don't need it for public transportation (mainly for walking locally in a residential part of London and in parks)
• should not be too bulky or difficult to get around with
• comfortable for sleeping (for the new baby especially)
• prefer to have them both to have the option to be parent facing

Thanks very much!

The vista is great and works just as well as a single than as a double. A friend of mine has a similar age gap to you and was insistent she didn’t need the second seat for the vista so she has the buggy board and when the older one really isn’t feeling it they travel in the basket. I’ll admit this is really odd but it does illustrate how massive the basket is! And it folds as one without having to remove the seats (not the bassinet though). The Donkey I don’t have any experience of, you don’t see them much in my part of London which is probably for a reason!

Hi LakeShoreD, sleeping in the basket is something I had never considered!:) It must be huge. The donkey appeals to me as they can both be next to each other parent facing but it has a smaller basket and if you use it as a single it is still a bit wide as you replace the second seat with a basket. Thank you for your recommendation! I'm also considering getting the Uppa Cruz with a buggy board (and forgetting about a double) as I am a bit worried about getting around with a much bigger pushchair but I'd probably get used to it fast and the difference between the Cruz and Vista doesn't seem that big? Thanks for the recommendation.

I had a similar age gap and found a double buggy essential. While my eldest did like walking, there were times when I just needed her safely strapped in. She hit quite a tantrum phase when the new baby arrived!

It was short lived, probably 6 months or so that we used it daily, after that it still came on longer days out for a while.

Thank you LunchWithAGruffalo! That's very useful to hear. I think a double would really help us too. May I ask which model/brand you had?

I have a similar gap and also found a double essential.

Our main buggy is a Vista, we've only used it as a double a few times but I hate it, it's sooooo heavy and difficult to steer. We're using it for shorter trips now with the buggy board. The basket is great as it can fit a balance bike or scooter so DD1 can walk/scoot/cycle and then hop on the buggy board when tired.

For longer walks we use an out n about double, it's much much much better.

i have a mountain buggy duet - there is 17months between my two. It's the narrowest on the market (65cm i think?) so fits through doors easily and has a lot of space underneath for shopping etc. Wouldn't be without it - it's suitable from birth too, although i bought the cot attachment thing.

Thanks for the recommendations. It sounds like people found a double buggy really invaluable and didn't like the vista as a double.:) I will look into the out n about and the mountain buggy duet.

I had the same age gap and a double was essential for us.

I had the out n about nipper.

Same age gap. I tried loads but the best by far was the icandy - can’t remember if it was the peach or the orange double. Lots of different ways of putting the seats and pretty compact. Would recommend buying second hand as they are pricey!

There is a similar age gap between my two.
I got a Baby Jogger City Mini off Ebay.

I'm very glad I got one and that didn't get one brand new. It's been very useful to have on occasion (worth the £80 I spent plus £30 on petrol), but I don't think I would want to spend a lot of money on one.

I also got a 2nd hand baby jogger city mini. I did get a carry cot for the baby but now at 12 and 24 months they love sitting together and ask to go out in the buggy. Its not parent facing but its easy to push, i can fit it through a single doorway and the basket fits loads in.

I paid £200 for a double icandy and it was so brilliant (z2 London) I had a MB duet which I hated as it was too bulky for shops (I always got stuck on the centre displays in wilko ) and it was too big to weave in and out of people. The icandy peach is so easy to steer and the basket is deceptively big.

@Claraa2018

I had a maclaren, I found it handled OK on pavements, folded down and left space in the boot of the car and laid flat and with one of those support cushions it was OK for short trips with a newborn.

I'd anticipated it just being used occasionally, and that we'd use the buggy board on the pram we already had so I wanted something light.