Double buggies -Zooper shopper with toddler seat?

[Rosie29]

Having decided on an E3 I am now having second thoughts and am looking at all double buggies again!
Need sth thin! Saw the Zooper at Kiddicare.com and like that the toddler seat is removable. Also saw the Cosatoo duet lite.
Any recommendations? Need sth suitable from birth and a 22 month old (still not walking!). Also sth with solid wheels as have bad roads!
Currently have a Maclaren XT which I love!

I have a marco sky and have used it from birth with dd and ds is 2.2yrs. I love it the only down side is that i would only recommend it for taller people over 5ft6 as it is quite high. I know mothercare are now doing a pram similair but it is suitable from birth so if you have a store near by you could try it out.

have the phil and teds e3 - love love love love it - my 21 month old loves his seat (which is removable), and my 8 week old loves the cocoon and flat seat underneath

its manoeverable, light, sturdy, fabo

why the second thoughts?

second thoughts about the expense!
And am not sure about the baby being in the newborn bit for 6 months.
Plus pregnancy has made me too indecisive!
Convince me it is worth it! I have also seen loads for sale on ebay which makes me thinks the E3 is OK for the first 6 months but then people dislike them??

rosie - only just seen your response - DH currently working in the US, and am trying to work out how to look after at 20 month old and and 2 month old at the same time (oh, and a very active dog)

yes, we looked on ebay, but the second hand phil and teds we saw ended up selling for only about £20 less than new ones through kiddicare.com - so we went for a new one

as my DD is only 2 months, i am not sure about how it will work out when she gets older - but when we did our research we looked at it when converted (stopping people in the streets, at fairs, at farm parks, etc) and all people were positive about it - my guess is that they sell because the older one gets to a stage where he/she wants to walk ???

in any case, for now, i love it, and it has made my life MUCH easier

good luck on your search

Thanks for your reply! I don't know why I am dithering about it anyway as it is going to be a pressie from a doting Granny! Very lucky on that score.
I am also convinced it will make life easier for the first few months!
Any advice on accessories? I live abroad and it will be hot once we get to June (baby due April) so don't think we need the cocoon. But thinking of getting a single raincover and panniers. I do most shopping on foot so I guess I'll need somewhere to store it! I also think I am undecided as I have never seen one in the 'flesh' as they don't sell them here! So I have to buy it unseen!
Any advice greatly received!

i had a zooper for a hwile and would recommend it in a flash! i had newborn and 23 month old in it. lots of room in the basket, easy to fold and, once u get used to the non swivel wheels its great!

I found it difficult to manoevure on buses and it was hard going up hill but then i have weak often painful wrists.

easy to take off toddler seat too and the place where the seat goes is where u clip ur bumper bar when u have it as a single. lots of handle heights too, erm what else.... oh yeah, if ur eldest one sleeps in buggy then it wouldn't b any good as the toddler seat can't be reclined and has no head support.

we have double raincover, but we don't have the panniers

we have the cocoon as it makes taking the baby in and out of the buggy a breeze (and they can keep sleeping also - it's like a little soft carry cot)

buggy VERY easy to errect and fold up (by far the easiest I've come across). Gosh, I don't have any critisisms of it - I should get commission

I would say the zooper looks very heavy to push let alone manoeuver. Think it would be awful with 2 on board.

I have one of the original old Phil & Ted's. It doesn't look as flash s the new ones & I can think of plenty, well a few disadvantagers. I ended up getting a normal tandem as well, and used both for different ocassions. Neither was ideal.
Now only need single again & funnily enough nearly always use the P&T with toddler seat as it doesn't really take any extra space, but goves loads of storage for shopping, coats etc.

That's probably not helped. There is no such thing as an ideal pushchair tho.

if you do want some e3 negs I am prepared to break the vow of silence! lol

Go on tell me!!

Ok, I did have a really big problem with tipping. The weight difference between my 2 wasn't that huge, even with 18 months between them, so there wasn't enough counter-balance & it did tip. I found I got used to it, but couldn't just park up, eg getting veg in supermarket - always had to keep hold. Also had to really push forward & up at the same time iyswim. Going down hill is pretty hairy with 2 in as no hand brake - the biggest draw back - dunno if the new model has one? Really needed it. I got used to these But couldn't trust eg mil with it, so also had to buy an ordinary tandem (like Graco stadium dou or whatever it's called) for other people to use.

If older child wants to get out to walk you again have the potential tipping problem. Can put eg shopping in older one's place, but you may not always have heavy bags with you & it is a faff.

The lack of storage space IS a pain & looks even worse in the newer models. The normal tanden is fantastic for this & miles cheaper!

Ok I guess they are the main things. obvious plusses are it's wonderfully light to push & easy to push 1 handed even with 2 toddlers in.
It's flexible.
it's got a longer life span - I only need a single now, but I still use my E3 all the time, either with or without 2nd seat. My other tandem is long gone.
I did & still do like mine & use it after over 5 years, so feel I've got my money worth, but it does have (big) flaws as well as plus points.

hth

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My DD has started clinging on to the handle bar for dear life when I try to put in the back seat of my p and t. She looks like a swinging monkey!! I am finding it v frustrating and awkward to put her in the back seat now. She is 13m and her brother is 28m and absolutely refuses to go in the back. I haven't noticed any tipping though. I did love it up until now. I don't think there is any perfect double pushchair and that as the babies grow we and they will want different things. So therefore we must buy more pushchairs(sigh)....this shopping thing is sooo hard. My p and t is up for sale on ebay if anyone's interested..?

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Do you find you use them a lot though. I am expecting another baby and dd is 22 months. We don't really use her buggy much anymore as she walks. If we take it she usually pushes it. Only used it for trips abroad ie for her to kip in at airport.

Do I need a phil and teds or double buggy do you think?

I have a zooper and have used it with 2 18 month olds and it was great! You do have to steer from the back rather than the front wheels as they are not swivel but even with 2 heavy toddlers it was easier than pushing a side by side double buggy!
Im currently using it minus the toddler seat for my 5 week old DD but when i start back at work i like the fact that i have the optional toddler seat available if and when i need it! HIGLY RECCOMMEND IT TO YOU!!!!

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Ahh well i'm at work all day so rarely use it thats why I guess. Will probably be out and about more during maternity leave. We live rural though so drive everywhere.

Flum, you could also try the buggypod at www.glasgowpramcentre.co.uk. Its like a little buggy that will attach to new baby's pushchair. Folds up flat against the pushchair when not in use. Sounds like you won't really make much use of a double, so I'd go for that or a buggy board. You could keep a light pushchair for her and take two if you know she'll sleep?
Oops, have you got your powertwin yet?

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Is that the blue one? I've just seen it on there and couldn't quite believe that someone would honestly think they would get £300 + £35p+p for a second hand one when there is a brand new one for £350 and free p+p above it! Weird. Please could you tell me what its like when you go tomorrow? I haven't tested one out yet, but think that's what i'm going to go for. Boot space isn't an issue for me - mine's huge!! Currently have p and t, zapp, and back carrier in mine!!

hi, i was thinking of getting the zooper when i found out i was having no 3. but didn't fancy non-swivel wheels (i'm a bit of a weakling) and didnt think i'd be able to tip it with 2 babies in it. Also design of front doors mean side by side not an option, so i looked on internet and found a bertini shuttle. its quite like the zooper but its got 4 wheel drive on it.

bad points:
steering takes some getting used to, still havent mastered reverse!

the handles that the toddler seat fits on can be tricky to get on and off

quite large when folded

nowhere to hang bags on the handle

needs raincover with a frame in it to cover them both so the whole thing can be quite high so don't think you'd be able to see over the top of it if you were short

good points:

ds2 thinks he's the daddy in his big boy seat. we can talk to each other more and he can see whats going on all around him cos he's higher up. and he can reach to push the button when we're waiting at the zebra crossing!

the toddler seat is really easy to take on and off.

the main part of the pram where dd lies is suitable from birth, very padded and she looks really comfortable in it

the basket underneath is big and also got a zip up compartment which is great for keeping spare clothes and nappies etc in

the whole thing feels lightweight even with both of them in.

toddler board available aswell that slides underneath when not in use.

i'd definately say its worth looking for on the internet