double buggies

Synyster Shadow

So anyone got any good tips on double buggies and where to get them? I'm in the Midlands and there's not a huge amount around here which sucks. But I will travel if I have to

I'll have a 1 year old and a newborn so I'm not lookin for strollers yet.

lmullen

I didn't get it myself but I've heard great things about the Out'nabout nipper!
I have an Uppababy vista so just got engaged second seat for that! We had thought about getting a city select but it was so heavy to push without babies in it we said no!
Try and get out to test push a few!

Suucee

My pram got broken about 6 weeks ago so was in a hurry to get something. Was going to pick up second hand to get us by as have a 16 month old but decided since were going to have to be getting a double by next march we would get it now. We were planning on getting the graco trekko duo. (cheaper graco version of phil and teds). It will take graco car seat (which we already have) and converts from single to double. So we decided to get it when single broke.
Got it in ganleys in athlone and they seemed to have a good range there. Got to try our toddler in it, top and bottom, check to make sure our car seat fits and got to test it in the boot of our car and push it around the shop a bit.
Ive been using it as a single for the past 5 or 6 weeks and im very happy with it.
I didn't want a side by side as thought it may be too wide for the tiny shops around here. And my LO will be 23 months by the time it will be needed as a double, so im glad can use as a single when she no longer wants to go in it. The second seat can be removed easily and popped in large basket underneath so she can decide to get in and out as she pleases.
The only downside is it is fairly bit when folded but the wheels can easily be removed when more space is needed . (not a major issue for me as I drive a saloon).
We paid 199 for it as bought the display model so this was brilliant.
Will be using it as a double next week as going to tayto park with SIL who has a 4 month old and rather than trying to put 2 prams in boot we are going to just bring mine. So my LO will get to try out being on the bottom.
Anyway. Have a look in ganleys if your near there. I found them very good.

Moonbeam

I love the out n about nipper and had 4 kids use it,it is so easy to manoeuvre and so portable,though I have heard amazing things about the city jogger too and they are very reasonable on Amazon at the moment.

Synyster Shadow

Will defo look in ganleys it's somewhere I never thought of at all and it's only 20 mins from where I live. Defo want somethin that car seat will click into leave life easy for us

Suucee

Synyster Shadow wrote: »

Will defo look in ganleys it's somewhere I never thought of at all and it's only 20 mins from where I live. Defo want somethin that car seat will click into leave life easy for us

Yea i was looking everywhere for the trekko duo and as it is fairly new no where had it. Could order it but i wanted to have a look first.
I never thought of ganleys until the FB page came up when i google searched the trekko. Maybe have a look at there FB page. You cant see much stock on there website. I really wanted to stick with graco as i have the car seat and base which i found handy when just popping in to shops. And i loved my single graco until got broken.

Synyster Shadow

Yeah it's handy with car seat makes life easier when there's two kiddies to tend to. I at first wasn't sure about putting J down so low to the ground but it looks comfortable. I'd imagine it's sturdy. The Midlands are brutal plus they just don't have many in the double buggy range at all.

Sligo1

Hi SS, this thread may be of some help. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057016622

dublinlady

I've loved my baby jogger city select as a single & now a double. Side by sides weren't for me - mostly cos narrow front door and out n about nipper wouldn't fit thru! I don't like the thoughts of either being low to the ground so the baby jogger solved both these issues. Great basket too!! It's huge & v handy for shopping! Car seat hops in & out! Chair converts back to pram when u need it, fab! It is heavy but lighter than its competitors and it wheels really well - very easy to out in & out of car etc.
the major drawback ( my only one) is price - but for me it's been worth it with the 2 so close in age - esp since we used it as a single first! I'd imagine second hand would be a good idea - if I was doing it again if certainly have a look! We travel alot on planes - have just bought a kato double stroller for nothing in mamas and papas sale and so will use that when buggy will get abuse - but it's side by side so it's just for travelling as wont fit in the door! Gave it a soon tho and both babies (18momths &3 months) slept in it - simultaneously - so I'm happy!!!

beertons

Make sure it fits in your car. We bought an out and about nipper online. Doesn't fit in either of our boots, so we use it for walking round the park. Gutted as it's a dream to push around. We got a double mcclaren from family for when we need to use the car.

Moonbeam

out of interest how does it not fit in your boot? It goes completely flat.
Too wide?

beertons

Yep, 2 wide. We both drive golf's.

dublinlady

beertons wrote: »

Yep, 2 wide. We both drive golf's.

I'd take a golf over an out n about
It's true tho - I drive a hatchback too and the stroller doesn't fit as too long but the baby jogger does cos of the way it folds and comes apart. I wish the out n about was umbrella fold - and a smidgen narrower!

galah

Have the babyjogger city select as well(bought it cause I knew we wanted at least 2 kids) - E might be a bit old when babba 2 comes around, but at least we do have the option of fitting both in. I love the babyjogger, it folds nicely, has a massive shopping basket and the handle is high enough for tall people!

Also, don't be duped into buying a second seat kit if you have kids that are apart in age - you can just buy the conversion struts separately on amazon - so babba 1 can use the converted seat while babba2 is in the car seat, for example...(saves a bit of money if the second seat isnt included in the package!)

It is a little heavy though, that's the one thing. And the price.

Samsgirl

I bought the out n about nipper v recently & I can't recommend it enough. It is by far the best double I have tried. We had a tandem & it was a nightmare to use. Very heavy to push and maneuver. The nipper fits in my boot & I have a small car Suzuki Ignis. I just take the boot cover off. It folds in one piece so there is no fiddling about taking seats off the frame etc.. We ordered online from baby accessories.ie. They are based in Sligo and have a shop there also but just can't remember the name at the moment. My girls are 2yrs old& 8 mths old.

munchkin_utd

Samsgirl wrote: »

I bought the out n about nipper v recently & I can't recommend it enough. It is by far the best double I have tried. We had a tandem & it was a nightmare to use. Very heavy to push and maneuver. The nipper fits in my boot & I have a small car Suzuki Ignis. I just take the boot cover off. It folds in one piece so there is no fiddling about taking seats off the frame etc.. We ordered online from baby accessories.ie. They are based in Sligo and have a shop there also but just can't remember the name at the moment. My girls are 2yrs old& 8 mths old.

heres a wee video showing that buggy and how it folds down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb-8bZcxrt4
That must be one of the most compact "traditional" side by side buggies.

I still swear by the phil and teds classic which does the job as a buggy for 2 kids and takes up practically no room at all in our focus estate boot as it just uses up the 3 inches above a large suitcase lying flat with the wheels taken off - which still leaves you with 2/3 of a boot completely empty for the rest of your stuff when going on holidays!

newbie2

We have a Joovy. It's the nutz. http://www.joovy.com/

One child can sit (or stand) and the other can either sit in the supplied front seat or in the attachable car seat thingy.


I know these kids are a bit bigger than your two, but you still need to future proof IMO.

Morph the Cat

Firstly, forget the double width buggies - they're so awkward, especially in narrow doorways and when shopping and trying to navigate aisles.

Secondly, as you said, I hate those ones where the kid is sitting down below and staring at the back of another seat, completely unstimulated.

So we had our 2nd kid last Sep, and already had a 2 year old. We got a City Select Baby Jogger, and couldn't be happier with it. It's single width, and also doesn't shove a kid down the bottom like luggage! Been using it for 11 months now & love it - no complaints. Very sturdy, and lots of configuration options.
Cool video here: http://youtu.be/-fgDcf3-ybM

Morph the Cat

newbie2 wrote: »

We have a Joovy. It's the nutz. http://www.joovy.com/

One child can sit (or stand) and the other can either sit in the supplied front seat or in the attachable car seat thingy.


I know these kids are a bit bigger than your two, but you still need to future proof IMO.

What about present-proof? The OP will have a 1 year old and a newborn. You can't put a 1 year old on the back of that, nor a newborn in the front part.

Synyster Shadow

I really like the city select baby jogger hubby agrees too. They made it so simple to use and store and so on. Think I could be happy to put my two in that. My little man may not have turned 1 when number 2 comes so I want somethin suitable and he can still sleep soundly when he falls asleep out and about as he loves to do

lazygal

I was all set for the city select until I tried it in a shop. I found it so heavy, even with no children in it, and when I put my then 11 month old in it I ruled it out completely. I was disappointed because I really thought it was a great design but the weight of it really put me off. People do love it and rave about it but it wasn't for us.

We have a double width double buggy (currently using it in single mode) and haven't had any issues getting it through any doors we've tried. Its about the same width as a standard wheelchair so it should fit through most doors and its far easier to push than the city select.

anncoates

We've had a Phil and Teds double buggy for a few years and it's great. Very easy to push and when you only have the one child in it, the back part doubles up for loading a lot of stuff in.

Both of us have small hatchback cars and it fits into the boot when collapsed.

Looks very similar to this:



Double width buggies are nice in theory but they must be murder to manoeuvre in shops and the like.

Morph the Cat

lazygal wrote: »

I was all set for the city select until I tried it in a shop. I found it so heavy, even with no children in it

I'd have to disagree. I found it very smooth and easy to wheel.

OP should try it out. Best buggy out there IMO....

We made a mistake with our first buggy (Mamas & Papas Pilko Switch) as we made the assumption that expensive automatically = good. It was horrible; creaky, heavy, awkward.

So for #2, we did lots of research, read reviews, and went into places and tested them out. We certainly weren't going to get caught out a 2nd time; plus we had a much better idea of what we wanted and needed.

We've had a Phil and Teds double buggy for a few years and it's great.

I'm sure it feels nice to push, etc, but I personally don't like those buggies that shove a kid down below, staring at the back of another seat.

lazygal

I think that's ^^ why you have to try before you buy, with a child in it preferably. I know people who wouldn't be without their Phil and Teds or city select, but they just weren't for us, whereas the one we bought wouldn't be for everyone but ticked most of the boxes for us. What one family swears by won't suit another, like any baby equipment.

galah

+ 1 on the 'try before you buy'.

We were set on the Phil and Teds, but I didnt like the way it wheeled, and the fact that one child stares at the back of the upper seat. Also not sure if you can plug in a maxicosi or other car seat into the P&Ts?

I said further up, I love the versatilty of the city select, so many options. But weight is defo an issue...

Samsgirl

I think a buggy is a very personal choice & we tend to be very protective of our own ones. I totally agree that you need to try before you buy. We didnt the first time with the tandem & it was a costly mistake. We did with the Nipper & loved it from the start. What sold it for me is that it can just be folded in one move & put into the car. I got caught out in the rain one day with the tandem trying to take the two seats off the frame & put all three in the car!! But that's my experience & choice. Definetley try it first & fold & unfold also!!!

wmpdd3

Totally agree, I borrowed a phil and teds and knew straight away it wasnt for me.

I ended up with a Jane Powertwin for walks and an umbrella fold side by side for shopping and town. There was 15 months between my two. the only thing I can say is that for the first 3 months, its so hard to leave the house that I waited for himself to be home to come with me and we took 2 single buggys!

munchkin_utd

anncoates wrote: »

We've had a Phil and Teds double buggy for a few years and it's great. Very easy to push and when you only have the one child in it, the back part doubles up for loading a lot of stuff in.

Both of us have small hatchback cars and it fits into the boot when collapsed.

Looks very similar to this:
<snip>
Double width buggies are nice in theory but they must be murder to manoeuvre in shops and the like.

and here in comparison is how a bugaboo donkey (doesnt remotely comfortably) fit in a standard normal ford focus hatchback boot - not even after 7minutes of tricking with it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUEBT8hHaaM
EDIT: I cannot imagine how mortified you would be after having spent 1000Euro+ on your "prefect" buggy and then finding out that it barely fits in your boot. Talk about a dream turning sour very quickly.

its your standard engineering problem, theres no one perfect buggy and every solution has its drawbacks - you just have to find the least worst buggy and figure what you want to compromise on, whether its weight - compactness or the positon of the children (side by side or front and back etc).

Moonbeam

I had spread sheets for my single and double buggies and all the pros and cons of both lol
In fairness both worked out and suited our needs perfectly in the end too:)

lazygal

munchkin_utd wrote: »

and here in comparison is how a bugaboo donkey (doesnt remotely comfortably) fit in a standard normal ford focus hatchback boot - not even after 7minutes of tricking with it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUEBT8hHaaM
EDIT: I cannot imagine how mortified you would be after having spent 1000Euro+ on your "prefect" buggy and then finding out that it barely fits in your boot. Talk about a dream turning sour very quickly.

its your standard engineering problem, theres no one perfect buggy and every solution has its drawbacks - you just have to find the least worst buggy and figure what you want to compromise on, whether its weight - compactness or the positon of the children (side by side or front and back etc).

A good shop will let you try it in the boot. Our donkey buggy fits in our boot with room to spare, its in and out and set up in no time.

munchkin_utd

munchkin_utd wrote: »

and here in comparison is how a bugaboo donkey (doesnt remotely comfortably) fit in a standard normal ford focus hatchback boot - not even after 7minutes of tricking with it.

That is one seriously ugly piece of baby equipment!