twin or tandem - round in circles

[ErinH]

has anyone done research on twin or tandem pushchairs? I'm running round in circles at the moment.
I am pregnant with my second and there will be 14 months between the first and second.
I want to buy a pushchair for them both and can't find anything that suits.
P&Ts puts baby too close to the ground I feel - anyone got opinions on that?
Jane's Powertwin seems to have a dodgy front half for the toddler (footplate and front wheel tipping buggy over).
I don't mind if it's a 3 or 4 wheeler and not worried about space in car as I have an old estate car.

Can anyone advise me if you've done more research and are further down the review search than me.

Thanks

hi there Erin, i feel for you as I was totally in the same position as you last year when ds3 was born and ds2 was exactly 18m. In the last year i have had 5 double/twin/tandem pushchairs and gave in last week and splashed out on a p&t. I just wish i'd done it a year ago. This is the most maneovreable (sp), light to push and comfy one i've had. it was worth the money. I wish i'd had it from birth. i've had side by sides which were easier to push but now my ds are 2.8yr and 14m my maclaren was getting impossible to push with their weight. The p&t is a breeze!!

there isn't anything dodgy about the front half of a powertwin, and it won't tip. I had one for my dts and loved it.
I'd also consider a nipper, comfty enough for a newborn and so light and easy to maneuvere you won't need to worry about the uneven weight. I've got one lazybones and one very active dt and have pushed it lots with only one in it.
I detest phil and teds. Feel sorry for babies stuck in the bottom of them staring at the back of a seat. Neither of mine would ever have left the wheels alone as soon as they were big enough.

I bought an easywalker duo and LOVE it

its easy to push, can do it one handed, has carrycot & car seat option next to seat for dd2 so dd3 can lie flat for now

I don't like P&Ts as I think baby is too low to the ground and can't see much so might get fussy from about 4 months when its starting to take an interest in the world.
Other MNers love P&Ts...

Not sure about tandems either, I know lots of mums from playgroups etc, who have them and hate them as LO gets fussy and cries all the time in the back with nothing to look at.

We are getting double but I'm still concerned that DS (2) will constantly prod and poke baby when we move from the carrycot option to a normal seat.

I walk up to 6 miles a day when not pregnant so we looked for a strong buggy that could take the pace and have opted for the mountain buggy even though it meant changing my beloved car.

We did look at the first wheels twin but it was very expensive for what it was and IMHO very flimsy. The baby jogger city mini is very narrow for a double and will go though doorways but being narrow I was worried that DS would outgrow it fast. Plus not suitable from birth

For shopping trips, short journeys we are going to use a lightweight single and a soft wraparound sling

mudguards on p&t protect the wheels. my boys argue about going in the bottom they love it and just look out the side and see everything. I felt the same which is why I didn't buy one for the first year tbh. But now im a convert!!
Do any of your friends have any doubles as road testing is the only way. If you consider a side by side def check it will fit through your front door, i know it sounds silly, but i've had friends who can't get their double through the door!!

here

there are loads of threads about this on here recently; I'm going through something similar but will have a 20 month gap. From everything I've read the mountain buggy double looks to be the one to get if you aren't worried about weight or size. Looks like I'm going to suffer the powertwin as I'm up two flights of stairs and have to store the bugger in a tiny car boot!

thank you to everyone!
I'm narrowing my search down to 4 thanks to your advice.
I'm going to have another look at the P&Ts but if the second is anything like the first he'll want a front seat view of the world.
I'll check out the mountain buggy as I would like to do off-road as I live in the middle of the countryside.
I think I'll test drive the Jane Powertwin too as I can see it is generally well reviewed and the easywalker looks very easy!
Thanks again and will post findings to save others this endless search.

if you DO decide on the easywalker I had mine sent from abroad as much cheaper

You might also like to look at Baby Jogger City Double (not the mini) which has air tyres and folds up really easily. I think it's lighter than the MB (as is the easywalker). The nipper is the lightest of all the side by side doubles, but a bit wider than the MB. I thought it was fab and gets rave reviews on MN. I have an MB double in my living room and I hate the thought of trying to lift it, I would have got the nipper but it won't fit through the doorway (it weighs only 9kg compared to 18 for the MB I think).

With the phil n teds the second one won't worry about a view of the world because they don't know what they are missing! Seriously though, don't dismiss it because of this, even though the instructions say not to, with a small age gap like you have you can put the little one in the nice comfy big seat at the front and the toddler in the back, they are likely to be in and out to walk anyway.

I was glad I had my phil n teds today at the drs when a lady with a nipper couldn't get through the door of the nurses room, and nippers are quite narrow for a double buggy.

my 2.8yr old goes in the back seat and my 14m old in the front as you say the older ones like to get in and out!