double buggy or tandem

[susanita]

Hi
I'm expecting nr2 in May when my son will be just over 2 years old. I doubt he'll be able to walk for long periods of time so I'm considering buying a cheapish double buggy or tandem.
I've heard that tandems can be a problem because the heavy child sits in the front and this can make it difficult to go up & down kerbs etc. I'm concerned about a double buggy 'cos of the width and being able to get through doors (and whether my 2 year old will fit nicely in the seat).
Does anyone have experience of one/either/both or could anyone recommend either double buggy or tandem. I know that there are reviews on the site but it's just confused me more.
Thanks

bear, thanks for that link. I have yet another question - what did you order in terms of rain covers? I'm not sure whether I need a single and a double, and its not clear what comes with the package.
Planning to order tonight though - how exciting
What colour did you go for?? Don't suppose its arrived yet?

Went for the double storm cover and UV mesh, the cocoon and the fleece liner. Realise should probably have gone for footmuff thingies as well, but can always order them later. Re the "package" - I don't think the E3 has a package, you need to go for everything separately, whereas the original Double Deluxe had a lot included in the base price, including the storm cover. Went for the navy/black colourway (sound like Laurence L-B). Black/charcoal was just too black - using our grey & black backpack this summer, I have found that sun cream and black nylon form a lasting relationship in no time at all. Sorry, it's not arrived yet, but jump to the window every time I hear a delivery van's rattling diesel engine outside. If you want to wait before ordering, I'll post or email as soon as it arrives to answer any questions, I'll understand if you can't wait though.

mmm, yes, I could happily order every accessory going but I'm trying to be 'sensible' (but then I keep thinking, easier to get it now and avoid paying shipping twice!)
I'm doubting my colour choice now - we had decided on charcoal/black - but I think this will be mostly grey as rather than black.
I may get single and double raincovers as I think I might end up using it a lot as a single (but otoh I can't remember the last time I used ds's raincover for his buggy - months and months!)
Will probably go ahead and order - then we can share frustrations when we can't work out how to assemble it

Elliott, frustrations are not acceptable - at this price, someone, possibly Allan, should be delivering and assembling the flipping thing personally. And if yours arrives before ours, someone in the Antipodes is in line for some serious ass-whupping.

So far as accessories go, once we've got the buggies and we know what we're missing, one of us could do a bulk order to save double international freight charges and then forward on.

well, the deed is done....just ordered the double plus cocoon and double rain cover. Good idea about ordering further accessories together.
Give me a shout (e-mail or post) when yours arrives!! Hey, do you think we might possibly have the first two E3s in the UK? (possibly outside London anyway!!)

Hope so - am getting T shirts (just the two for now) printed up for the UKE3 Owners Club with the pithy slogan: "I sent a lot of money to the other side of the world and sat with my nose pressed to the living room window for days wondering if anything would ever be delivered." Yours for a fiver.

MBB, I was also thinking about getting the M&P Aria (obviously not as trendy as 3 wheelers, but at least I could shift it). I thought that it was very light, very manoueverable and DD loved it. The only drawback I can see is that the seats are rather narrow and I it might be a bit of a squeeze getting dd1 into it in a winter coat. I've looked at the Maclarens etc and the M&P seemed like it would be the warmest too for no2 due in November. None of the double buggies seem to lie completely flat - I thought that it was a sin not to lie your newborn flat

How many days have you been waiting now?

D'oh! D'oh! D'oh!

It arrived today when I had gone out for 30 minutes that turned into 3 hours fighting with Carphone Warehouse who sold me a phone that didn't work.

They'll deliver again tomorrow, but there appears to be a small matter of reimbursing Parcelforce for a £69 customs charge. I remember reading about this further up the thread, but kinda hoped it would get overlooked. It's turning into an expensive machine, haven't dared tell the breadwinner the total cost but I'm sure it will be worth every penny and then some.

I ordered on the 10th, Winkalotts charged my creditcard on the 11th and it arrived here on 29th - so 18 days or so. Better service than when I ordered a Maclaren Volo from somewhere in Reading!

oooh, how exciting!!
I think you just have to completely forget about the cost now that its done....I haven't even worked it out properly in pounds so it just feels like monopoly money at the moment

ELLIOTT!!!!
IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!

the e3 has landed
I've built it
and it's the mutt's nuts

I set it up for just one toddler; then I put the cocoon in back and toddler seat in front; but I haven't tried to do two toddlers yet - have to leave something for DP to do on return from the office. Navy & grey is dead smart and the whitewall tyres aren't too bad. Lots of velcro attaching going on - not sure what sticks to what yet, but I'm sure we'll get the hand of it. I think I'll definitely want at least one cosy buggy bag in due course.

DD in nursery today, but if you want pics of teddy and dolly trying out the various configurations I can do them and put them on a photoshare website for you this afternoon.

oooh, great!! Would love to see piccies (and you've got to have someone to share the excitement with after all!!)

btw bear, are you expecting a second?

oh, just found the answer further down the thread. Looks like your dd is v similar age to my ds (2 at the end of Nov) but my second is due less than a week after his birthday....

Will get on to it right away. DD will be a couple of weeks shy of her 2nd birthday when little Elvis arrives in mid October.

OK here goes. Pics of Mr Cow being the big growed up toddler - the reflective strips clearly work, they nearly blinded me when I used the flash - then Dolly going in the cocoon and the cocoon going in the buggy, Mr Cow showing off and the buggy in silhouette. I've only shot it in the toddler and newborn mode. If you want to see it in two toddler mode, you'll have to ask nicely and I'll see what I can do.

Click on the Photobox link and then on "View a slideshow of this album". I think you can also zoom into individual pics if you need to get closer. Let me know if it doesn't work or if you want to see anything in particular and I can email you the pics.

Mr Cow is looking for modelling fees.

At last ! I've heard all the non stop fuss about this flaming buggy but was yet to see it on any good pics. It always just looked bizarre. These pics are great but one thing that struck me was that your newborn/baby is very exposed at the back (the pushing end). It lookes like the poor kid will be looking at your knees/up your jumper ! Am I wrong ?

brilliant, thanks
The colour looks good too - bit worried that the black/grey will be a bit austere, but too late now!
So with the e3, is the bottom of the newborn bit the single toddler seat reclined, and then you add the second toddler seat in front?
Still have slight anxieties about the lack of harness in the cocoon, and hope that it isn't so low slung that I will whack the babe's head as I bump down the steps outside our house....but it does look vv cool (and so does Mr Cow, you can tell him )

WSM - don't really know how much of a problem the baby's view is, better to get a response from Kaz33 or Willum - so far as I could tell though, dolly could see my face OK, even past my beer gut.

Elliott - yes, the 2nd toddler seat comes off its bar and you zip it onto the buggy with the first seat fully unzipped beneath it. The cocoon itself buckles onto the seat harness, or if you don't use the cocoon, you can strap the baby directly into the harness.

I'm saying nothing to Mr Cow - he's already got ideas...

Could n't resist a peek at the photos, rofl. Think you should seek commission.

btw Mr Cow is very photogenic

I love Mr Cow - he looks really comfortable! Hope you enjoy using it lots!

Great photos, I'm getting tempted... I could just have the one buggy (mine will be 18/19 months apart) rather than the double mountain buggy and a single 3 wheeler and a carrier just in case...

One (maybe more later) question though - won't your knees catch the end of the baby's section as you stride along?

Oh yes (here comes number 2 already!), isn't it a bit of a fiddle to slot the baby (presumably in the cocoon) into the buggy? Especially when he/she is no longer a newborn but a strapping 3 month old.

Gem - detailed scientific research (me pushing Mr Cow and Dolly around the living room) shows knees aren't the problem you might think they are. And when you get to strapping stage, I guess no. 2 can go in the second seat, rather than the flat newborn bit. The handles on the cocoon make it relatively easy to slot it into the newborn bit - when you see the buggy you realise that there's a lot more space than you'd think.

Thanks for the roadtest!

DH is going to be cursing Mumsnet when I get home. But it seems such a sensible choice when you have 2 small ones especially as I have the feeling that DS will want to walk everywhere once he learns how to!