Tandem Pushchairs - Which have you tried?

cazscoob

I have tried a few and although i did like the Phil and Teds i bought a Jane powertwin for getting my older son into as i was struggling to get him in the P&T. The powertwin is very easy to push and also has a brake on the handle which is great for going downhill! I have the pram with the 3 air filled tyres rather than the 4 plasric and i can get over mud/grass/stones with ease.

The only downside is it is bulky when folded and i have to remove the wheels to get it into the car, this only takes seconds and i do wish i had bought this pram first! I would also advise buying second hand as i managed to get a jane as new for £100!
any more questions just ask

daphne_descends

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galvanizersbaby

daphne_descends wrote: »

It's not a tandem but the Maclaren Twin Techno is pretty narrow for a side-by-side - it's as wide as some singles in fact.

Get second hand and ditch when your DS is a bit older/can walk further/reliably stay on a board/better weather etc...?

I had this one (DS and DD 18 months between them)
I found it easier to get it through doorways and was fairly lightweight as double buggies go.
Could also be used as soon as DD was born as had lie flat position and body hugger thingy.

Jo_R_2

We've been deliberating for ages over which double pushchair to get. We visited Mothercare numerous times to get a feel for the ones they had in stock, as well as asking loads of mummy friends their opinions. DS will be 19 months and has been walking for maybe 3 months but I wouldn't be confident at having him walk much out just yet so like you OP a buggy was a must.

I started off open-minded as to options but soon ruled out a tandem. We popped DS in the Hoxton and had a tootle round the shop but felt it was just too heavy for up and down kerbs. Phil and Teds we liked the look of initially but like pigpen, we weren't happy that baby could touch the wheels, although thought it manoeuvred well.

We ended up with a Mothercare Zoolo (I think it's called?) Chucked DS in and had a tazz round the shop again and found it really super easy to manoeuvre. We felt it was suitable for what we'd be using a pushchair for, compared it to similar models but the next price up IYSWIM, which were the Silver Cross twin and a Maclaren. We didn't feel anything was to be particularly gained from paying more for such models as we wouldn't be gaining much. We'd be using ours for walks to the shops, school run, and going out as a family so needed to be fairly compact to put in the boot as well.

We were also sold as it comes with the cosytoes, head huggers and rain cover, has a small-but-decent sized shopping mesh underneath, and both seats are suitable for newborns. And it was on sale LOL:D

Rainey_LB

cazscoob wrote: »

I have tried a few and although i did like the Phil and Teds i bought a Jane powertwin for getting my older son into as i was struggling to get him in the P&T. The powertwin is very easy to push and also has a brake on the handle which is great for going downhill! I have the pram with the 3 air filled tyres rather than the 4 plasric and i can get over mud/grass/stones with ease.

The only downside is it is bulky when folded and i have to remove the wheels to get it into the car, this only takes seconds and i do wish i had bought this pram first! I would also advise buying second hand as i managed to get a jane as new for £100!
any more questions just ask

We had the Jane Powertwin too, and agree its a great pushchair, I agree it is quite bulky when folded down but you can pop the wheels off extra takes seconds.

I agree also its so easy to push one handed over grass/rough ground, something I struggled with, with my previous single pushchair I had the first time round. The back seat is also in a slightly higher position both children can see where they are going and you can get a car seat to turn it into a travel system. Would highly recommend it.

raffe

I have a britax b-dual and love it, same principle as the baby jogger city select i really wanted one of these until saw the weight distribution the weight of one child is right over the front axle making it very hard to get up kerbs, have a wee look at some of the british reviews as apparently in america kerbs are rare. I have the same age gap and my lo sometimes wants to walk sometimes doesn't so can climb in and out the rear seat as they please and i don't feel as if i am pushing an empty double, i have a carrycot on top for the baby, and i can use it as a single if i want.

bubs

I had a Jane twin two, lovely looking pram and roomy seats, but my tiny 18mth old was too tall for the hood on the front seat! baby was lovely and cosy in the back, but with both on board it was heavy to get up and down kerbs and tricky to steer until I got the hang of it! swapped to a Nipper 360 double, and love it so much am looking for a reasonably priced single to replace another pushchair.

Fiolondon

Hi

Thanks for all the replies

I have filtered out a shortlist of 4 mainly on the basis of which ones will fit in the car boot or which my son will actually agree to sit in:
- Baby jogger City Select (£600)
- Safety First Duodeal Tandem (£150)
- Graco Stadium Duo (£170)
- Jane Powertwin (£450)

I think the Graco's features may be making that the favourite so far, but we have not seen it in the flesh yet.

I have just been given a buggy board so I will be trying that out too!

Does anyone have any comments or experience of these ones?

Thanks

spendaholiceejit

The Jan! Powertwin is really long and very difficult to get up kerbs with it's weight. If I were having twins then I would buy one because I like the Strata Car seat, but I wouldn't buy one otherwise. I value my boot space too much. With two kids I need to keep space free in there.

I used a Phil and Teds and got on great with it (also my toddler was 80% on centile charts and his height was never an issue at all) but I do understand why they aren't everyone's cup of tea.

Graco Stadium Duo folds like an elephant, but it is one of the top sellers on the market. Its the double pram that all of the benefit fleecers here push. I'm so snobby, I wouldn't want one because of that!

Baby Jogger would be my choice of the 4. Handy to fold, looks good and they have a pretty good reputation. I don't know the Safety First model, but Safety First are a division of Dorel who make the Quinny so I'd imagine it would be ok.

Fiolondon

Hi

Thanks for the tips. The Jane Powertwin and the Graco are the ones I have not yet managed to see in the flesh, so it is handy to know a bit before I track them down.

The Baby Jogger has loads of great features and steers well - but there is something about the high angle of the handle that makes it more difficult than a longer tandem up kerbs.... and I am 6ft. A shorter mum would be in trouble. Also as I suspect we might only use it for a year or so, I am not sure whether it would be worth the expense - although the resale value would be good.

The safety first is long and the back seat is a bit saggy, so not great for an older kid. But it has steered the best out of all the models we have tried so far (also one handed) so that is why is remains in contention!

Living in a fairly deprived part of London, the Graco does seem to be the pram of choice for the asian lady about here. However the reverse snob in me would be delighted if it was that model that worked out best as I would love to stick 2 fingers up at some of my more snobby acquaintances who have gone for price over substance! But that is just me being awkward!

Thanks again and hopefully I will report back on all 4 once I have road tested them.