advice needed - buggy solution for 2.5 year old and newborm

[ryedalema]

Am having trouble working out the best 'double buggy' solution for a 2.5 year old and a newborn. My husband insists a P&T Vibe is the only make and model that'll give him a good walk (not kicking the newby in the head as he strides out) and be the most comfy solution for the two terror tots. I'm not convinced - the view from the bottom of a P&T can't be great, but don't really want a side by side solution (do they even do these for newborns?) as the width of shop doors etc can be prohibitive. Plus all the snarling I see other Mums and Dads contend with when manoeuvring 'the beast' along lordship lane etc.

Has anyone successfully taken a 2.5 on a longish commute (I take the bus from ED to a Waterloo nursery 5 days a week at present)with a buggy board? Or can anyone recommend an alternative buggy purchase that'll fit the criteria:

- comfy, dry and with a bit of storage

- ok for tall dads who don't want to brain their kids with large feet

- a fair buggy experience for both kids (bottom view not too claustrophobic)

- ok for off road and the high street experience?

We're not really in the bugaboo price bracket before I get lots of replies recommending these. But equally - am willing to spend enough so that the microtots don't grow up with back issues.

We'd also be very happy to buy said item second hand off you if you've found the perfect solution - please let me know.

Cx

[abip]

I have to say I swear by our P&T. No2 was born when No1 was 13mths old and it has been amazing. I can get on a bus as it's the same size as a 'normal' single buggy (and with the London bus '2 buggies only' rule, a double buggy counts as 2, so you're stuffed if another one's already on there).

My youngest (now 18mths) loves being it, even though she's underneath, she gets quite a good view and you soon learn to position it sideways so they both look at whatever you're pointing out. I have a friend who wished she'd had one when her 2nd was born as she'd banked on her 1st (nearly 3yrs) being happy on the buggy board, but she said that they got tired standing for long walks. There is now a buggy board that has a double step so it can be a sort of seat, so that might make it better.

Hope this helps.

[sillywoman]

I thought I'd be able to use a buggy board when number 1 was about 2 1/2 (number two being 18 months younger) as she really liked walking, but she was much too young. At that age she still needed to be able to rest and doze in the pushchair occasionally. It was more like 3 or 3 1/2 before I could use it in way similar to you describe.

Sorry not to be more positive, and have nothing else really to add to the debate other than; the little ones I've seen sitting in the bottom of the P&T's, whilst admittedly seeming close to the ground, also look very content & happy.

[The Nappy Lady]

Someone posted on her a while ago about a buggy, plus seat you can get now for the older child which attaches up at the handle level, with the child facing you. I saw someone with one the other day at the park and it looked great, and OK for a child who is a little older.

Will try to find the post if I can, or a link to a site so you can see one. Not sure if it would be better for you than the P&T option, but worth looking at I guess.

Molly

[The Nappy Lady]

Can't find the post about this, but I KNOW it is here somewhere - there have been a few threads in the past about double buggy options etc. Maybe the lady who posted before will see this - I recall she said the inventors of P&T's had sold up and moved on to invent this new buggy with the optional, add on seat on the handle - should have saved the link!

Molly

[melbourne groover]

That was me.

We have one of these:

http://www.gobubbago.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=73

however I looked at the site and it directs you to the above so not sure if they have sold on. The site below has the nz contact details on so it may well be worth giving them a call...

http://www.nzs.com/site-profile/abcbuggy.co.nz/

This all sounds v complicated but they did have a UK supplier.

Has been a brilliant pram. Used for my daughter as a single then added the top seat with no.2. Is really comfy to push with both and slightly narrower than the p + t so fits through all doors/shops etc. It has a high brake at the back so really easy to walk with if you are tall.

Is a bit of a pain to fold though, we end up taking a wheel off most times to get it in the car. But not too much drama.

Our walk to nursery is around 20/25 mins child speed which is just slightly to far for a 3yr old so has saved many dramas just being able to pop her on top which she loves.

Added benefit now is that I put my 8mth old up there when we are in the park and he feels part of the action and much more inclined to be happy in the pram for longer...

[Pickle]

Phil 'n' Teds doubles, for all their downsides, really do the job they're intended to do very well. We have a Vibe, chose it over the others due to it being lighter and the ability to fold with the doubles kit on (although we never fold it anyway!). When my daughter was tiny she slept brilliantly in the cocoon and when she was awake she could look up and see me which seemed to keep her content enough.

Once you start using the 2 seats it's actually better than you think. Both of my kids are happy to sit in either seat now (15 months and 2.75), and the low one is useful for the older child if he/she wants to get out and walk as it's easy for them to climb in and out of.

When my daughter was small I did use a single buggy a lot, and carried her in a sling (Huggabub). This worked for us for about 6 months and was useful for bus travel etc. I still do this occasionally using a Patapum back carrier and our single Maclaren for my son.

We also have a buggyboard attached to our single pram (yes, we have just about every travel combination you can name!!), but my son is pretty terrible at staying on it for any length of time without whinging, moaning, wanting to go in the buggy, wanting to be carried... And in the wet weather it's not really a viable option without feeling a bit guilty about the soaking child standing dripping in front of you!

[Belle]

There was a feature on this in Mother and Baby magazine not long ago and the option that came out top according to the reader panel (of buggy board type attachments, not double buggies) was this kind of clip on side car thing for the toddler - you can fold it up when not in use from memory, and when it's set up it's perfectly comfy for the toddler. Sounds a bit bizarre I know and was about ?70 i think but the reader/judges seemed to rate it.

[snowboarder]

Belle - this one?

http://www.buggypod.com/index.php

v strange!

[The Nappy Lady]

Belle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There was a feature on this in Mother and Baby

> magazine not long ago and the option that came out

> top according to the reader panel (of buggy board

> type attachments, not double buggies) was this

> kind of clip on side car thing for the toddler -

> you can fold it up when not in use from memory,

> and when it's set up it's perfectly comfy for the

> toddler. Sounds a bit bizarre I know and was about

> ?70 i think but the reader/judges seemed to rate

> it.

I bought one of these a few years back for my childminder to use when she had to do the school run with my 2.5 year old, plus 2 younger children and it was a nightmare. It seems like a good idea, but it was really hard to fit - despite the help line people being fab and doing their best to assist me...and then once it was on it eventually seemed to put a lot of strain on the 'host' buggy, so was in danger of doing permanent damage. She did use it for about 6 months, and it did work, but it wasn't ideal, and I wouldn't recommend them to be honest.

Molly

[The Nappy Lady]

melbourne groover Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> That was me.

> We have one of these:

>

> http://www.gobubbago.com.au/index.php?main_page=pr

> oduct_info&cPath=34&products_id

Thanks Melbourne Groover, so glad to know I didn't imagine it, and now I can save the links as I think this is a really clever design, and would make the buggy very light to push too.

My older daughter went through a phase where she hated sitting in the buggy, but would happily 'perch' on the handle facing me while I pushed it and semi held her on...if only I'd had one of these back then, and I'd just have piled the main seat up with the shopping!!!

Molly

Molly

[clux]

my daughter was 2 years and 7 months when my second daughter was born and a buggy board on our bugaboo was perfect. she was a good walker and really good on her scooter so she wasn't permanently on the board, but when she needed it it was there. i was determined to not have a double buggy as a spend a lot of time on buses and trains and thought it would just be too difficult.

[Gubodge]

My two were 23 months apart and I loved my P&T. Brilliant for loading all the shopping into if you make the elder walk.

But I have to say, for a regular bus comute I'd have popped the baby in a sling and the toddler in a mclaren or similarly small and easily foldable buggy. It was my preferred method for trips up into town, and would certainly be the easiest way in rush hour. I'd often end up with the small one in the sling and the older one perched on the end of my knee, and the buggy in the luggage rack, but find I engendered a lot more good will from fellow travellers when my children were seen to be crammed into the smallest available space. Get a really good sling though, not a baby bjorn. Something like a kari-mi for the start and an ergo from 6 months.

[Fuschia]

I have a nipper side by side (not good for the bus, but v. confy for newborns, very light too) and a jane powertwin (small, fits anywhere, also reclines for newborns, fairly light) and I am told by other twin mums is much easier to push than the P&T which does seem very heavy to me. The Jane can take a carseat clipped in to it, as well.

I'd say the Jane fits your requirements more closely than a P&T. But a mclaren and sling would be a better option for the bus at least at first!!

[ryedalema]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Again - if anyone has finished with their double buggy solution and wants a bit more space in their home we'd be very willing to buy your kiddie cruiser (for a reasonable price) just let me know.

Otherwise I'll get researching these other options.