Need advice feeling very bogged down with tandem/double choices!

[Yogamummy23]

Okay Mumsnet , I need your advice, what would you get? Tandem and or double considered.

These are my requirements:

Pram for a newborn baby and a toddler (carrycot + seat)
All terrain and durable
Big basket (current baby style hybrid has awful basket!)
I want the configuration with the carrycot at the TOP of pram and parent facing and toddler seat facing out at front. I.e you see baby first.
Easy to convert to single with carrycot only.
Fits a buggy board.
Can access basket when in tandem/ double mode… this seems hard to come by as the seats take up the space?!

For context my toddler is 2 1/2 so can walk/ use buggy board but she’s dinky and gets tired and still likes her pushchair at the moment.

Will be getting it second hand as budget tight.

Thank you!!!

Bump

First reaction was immediately the Bugaboo donkey, though even 2nd hand they can be pricey, but then again does meet a lot of your criteria
The cosatto wow XL could also be suitable

Link here might help :) www.madeformums.com/reviews/11-of-the-best-double-buggies-for-a-toddler-and-baby/

I have the icandy peach. The only downside is I don't know if you put the csrrycot on the top or the bottom as I used the top seat tipped back with the wedge in (which you're not supposed to do)
Basket imo easy to access and you can get all terrain wheels, easy to get second hand.

Uppababy vista for us though I’m not sure if you can put carrycot on top. I put it on the bottom and could see in fine.

I would say the baby jogger gt double - only issue is I don’t think it takes buggy boards.

I would definitely second the bugaboo donkey, can also be used as a single. Really bloody pricey, but can usually sell on quite easily for a fair amount

Buggy boards seem like a good idea - in reality I found them tidally unpractical as they were in the way when walking/ pushing the buggy. So I needed to kind of walk well behind the buggy and lean forward which was really uncomfortable.
In your situation, and given that you are planning to look second hand, I would either look for an Emmaljunga pram with toddler seat (they are Swedish and fantastic to push) or an old Phil and Ted given that really the toddler is unlikely to spend huge amounts of time in the seat once the novelty wears off.
Both come with compromises but there is no such thing as the perfect double buggy. With the Phil and Ted you will not have a carry cot option. The Emmaljunga is a big pram but folds surprisingly compact. I was able to get mine in the boot of a small Renault Modus. That said is is very comfortable and the carrycot is much bigger than any other pram and can be comfortably used until the baby is big enough to sit unaided.
Babyjogger used to make a tandem one for a good while, it looks good.
Also remember that your intended configuration with toddler at the front will make negotiation of kerbs etc quite difficult as due to the heavier child being at the front of a fairly long pushchair. They are a nightmare to maneuver.
Also the icandy prams have notoriously tiny carrycot s and seats. So do the (older) buggaboo. So even a small two and a half year old will not fit in the seat for long.
The easiest to push and cheapest (second hand) solution is an old out n'about Nipper or mountain buggy. They are easy to come by second hand.

Silvercross wave. I’ve got it and it’s great. It’s tandem, carrycot can go at the top or bottom. Lots of different configurations, big accessible basket and bonus is that the handle comes out so far it doesn’t mean you have to walk at a funny angle when the buggy board is attached which I know a lot of people struggle with on normal prams.

Donkey

Bugaboo Donkey! I love mine - I bought a refurbished one from www.pramsy.com and it’s amazing.

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Bugaboo donkey sounds tempting and I’ve also heard great things about the icandy orange. Thanks!