Double pram or toddler seat?

Mason will be 26 months when this bub is born.

What will be my best option? Any recommendations?

Depends on the toddler seat and the double pram you are thinking about. Many prams that take toddler seats are more prone to tipping, but many twin prams are difficult to fit in the car or flimsy. We are going to buy a toddler seat that clips onto the side of the pram and has it's own wheel for support, but I will also have the sling for when Em wants to go to sleep I can put the baby in the sling and put Em in the pram and put the capsule on her seat while it is empty.

Many toddler seats dont recline so it might be worth borrowing a friend's twin for a while and a pram with a toddler seat and see what suits your needs better.

we bought the double phil and teds with our first baby. our son will be 23 months when this bubs arrives. so i hope i like it!! ali- had a great suggestion can you try other peoples before buying??

I really needed a double pram when E was born - Iz was still too small to go into a toddler seat. But if I was in your position with the age Mason will be, I would definitely be going the single with the toddler seat. These days Iz would much rather walk than be in the pram and never sleeps if we're just cruising around the shops. The only proviso to this is if you go for long walks - I still love my big double for taking the girls for walks (I'm talking 1.5 hour walk) because even if Iz doesn't sleep, she's gets into that trance state and the extra support is brilliant.

You had a HAB with Mason didn't you? That will probably buy you an extra couple of months anyway with your new bub being in that and Mason in the pram.

We got a lovencare double pran (I call it the road train :) ). I don't really like it much. It's kinda hard to push and just big. Naturally being a double pram, LOL! We brought this pram cause both seats recline and DD still falls asleep when out sometimes. I mostly only use this pram when we are going on long trips, like walking around the shops for hours or going to the zoo or something. I used my peanut shell sling for DS for the first 6wks or so, though he got too big to lay in it pretty quickly, now I use the babybjorn, though he's getting too heavy for me to carry him in it and is hurting my back. DD goes in the single pram. I can carry DS in the peanut shell again when he can hold his body steadier, just for short trips though. I want an ergo, but have to save for it. DD walks alot of the time now, so that helps. If you're going to wear the new bub a bit and depending on where you go, I don't know if I'd bother with a double pram tbh. Maybe a toddler seat would be easier, but they can be dangerous as a pp said, that's why I never brought one.
HTH :)

Hi
I have used both and they both had advantages and disadvantages.
The double pram was great for the kids when they fell asleep but a nightmare to get around a shopping centre. Lots of shops where we live don't have ramps and the extra width made it difficult to get through all but the disabled checkout at our local supermarket. I did have a side by side pram though, maybe a tandem would have been better.
The toddler seat was great but I had a bertini Bidwell pram, very sturdy and not easy to tip over. Not so good when my daughter fell asleep though.
L.B.

I love my P & T. I know M will be a bit older than Izzy but it is still far more comfy for her than a toddler seat especially for longer walks and shopping trips as Lulu mentioned and we do lots of walking.

Thanks for all the replies girls, but I think I didn't actually specify that I was looking at a double pram meaning one in front of the other rather than a side-by-side.

Are they hard to manoeuvre? And does the front seat recline?

That's the kind we have. It's not as easy to manouvre as a single pram, though we have a big three wheeler that is really easy to manouvre. But in saying that it's not as hard to manouvre as I thought it would be. The seat reclines on ours thats why we got it. It is ok, I'm just lazy!!

I had a Phil & Ted with the toddler seat. Absolutely loved it with just DS.. once DD came along.. i absolutely hated it. Not practical at all for 2 kids. DS was 23 months when DD was born and he was too big for the toddler seat on the front. He still has naps if we're out and was so uncomfortable hanging on while trying to sleep. DD was underneath and the amount of times i nearly dropped her getting her in and out.. not to mension she hated it cos she couldnt see anything and would sweat her butt off as theres no air flow under there. She could also only lay flat which was terrible for her reflux.
Well.. i just SOLD it! Stupid waste of money it was! I think its just a load of hype tbh.

I have since bought a side by side stroller (Babylove Odyssey) and it the best stroller for 2 kids! Its a little wider than a single pram but honestly ive never had any problems with it out at the shops. Theres always a wide check out open so theres no problems there. DD can now see and i can recline her up a little.. she LOVES it! DS can now also recline back and sleep comfortably. A gf has the same for her kids.. one is almost 3 and the other is DD's age. Shes loves it too.

So yes.. DONT recommend the Phil & Ted for 2 kids, but definately recommend a side by side stroller such as the Babylove Odyssey.

Best of luck with your choice.

Aiden will be 22 and abit months when Henry will be born, so, i am going a double, (carriage style - thanks to LuluHB) and, when Aiden is about 28months, will get one with a toddler seat. He rarely falls asleep now in the pram, but, still goes into a zombie state, so, needs the back support of a pram style seat.

I've got a 2 year age gap and got a side by side stroller... i love it too. Its not much wider than many of the big bulky 3 wheelers, and its super quick to set up. The boys love sitting next to each other and both seats recline. Have used it since baby was a newborn. It was only $200 as well, so no biggy if i only use it for a year.

for those looking at both seats being able to recline, maybe have a look at the ABC pram, it is a 3 wheeler that conversts to 4 when you put the toddler/newborne seat on the top, it goes on the top of the hood, you can get one that both reclines so the newborne is on top larger child has the big seat, and heaps of room,i have not used one but have sceen it at talked to a few parents with them and they love them, then when the older one doesnt want to sit in pram you can take the seat of the top and have a single pram again. If I was going to have more I would of brought one myself but my little one is the last so no need for it.

Just a thought.

D - yes, the front seat reclines, but not as much as the back seat. You put your newborn in the back - they can go flat or close to it - and your toddler in the front at first. Then when your newborn is around the 6 month mark you move them to the front seat and your bigger, heavier child to the back - easier to manouever that way.