Tandem / Double Pram for 2 year old and new born

[BlackRose]

Hi All,

I will have a 2 year old when #2 arrives. I am thinking of getting a double pram but I'm just not sure. The ones I am looking at have a weight limit of 17kg. My DS is already 13.3kg so I'm not sure when he'll hit the 17kg mark.

I don't like the idea of having the seats on top of each other, as from what I've seen, it looks as though the kid on the bottom only gets to look out the sides and doesn't get the best view. But then I wonder if the side by side pram is too wide??

For DS I had the steelcraft traveller system which included the car seat which was awesome for transferring in and out of the car to the stroller. I'd like to be able to use that for #2 but then DS will have to walk next to me and that just isn't happening unless I have a lead/harness of some sort and I really don't want to have to use something like that.

So I'm a bit stuck about what to do. Any advice from those who have been there before would be most welcome!

Thanks!

xoxox

[Eenee]

I have a strider plus at the moment but will be getting a baby jogger city select for when this Bub arrives, have you seen them?

[BlackRose]

No, will google it now

[~ Mylitta ~]

We got a standard tandem pram (both kids facing forward, one in front of the other) when I had DD. I hated it. It got used only a handful of times because it was so un-usable for us. DD hated not being able to see me, so she would scream and I would have to pick her up. Then with her out of the pram I would have to try and push it with my heavier DS sitting in the front seat because most of those prams require the heavier child in the front. Int he end I would just take the single pram for DS and carry DD in the Ergo carrier.

That had to change once I fell pregnant again and my belly bump started to make it uncomfortable to carry DD in the Ergo anymore. I did lots and lots of research into a new pram because with 3 under 3 I knew I would need a really good pram. I spoke to a bunch of friends with tandem prams and I have 4 friends that all swear by the exact same pram. It's the City Select Baby Jogger pram. I looked into it and liked the look of it, so a few months back we bought one and it has been probably the BEST baby-related purchase I've ever made. The seats can go on in any direction so you can have both facing you, both facing forward, one forward and one backward etc... And you can use it with capsule attachments or bassinets if you want. I think the normal seat says the child should be a few months old before using it, but I used it with DD from birth and it was perfectly fine. The seats can recline just as much as our single pram which said it was ok to use from birth. I actually like the Baby Jogger more than our single pram (and it is actually thinner!), and so I use the Baby Jogger as a single from time to time as well as you can use it with just one seat on it as well.

Gosh, I could probably keep going on and on about how much I love it but I should stop typing, lol. I get comments about it every time I take it out. It's a bit more pricey than some prams out there (about $1000 with both seats) but I've found it was well and truly worth the cost ♥

[Onelittleprincess]

I would love to know also. I'm going to be in the same boat soon

[BlackRose]

I just showed my DH the Baby Jogger City Select website and he really likes the idea too.. we might just have to go shopping soon

[*LittleMissSummer*]

I will have a 2 year old and a newborn as well and have been thinking about what we will do. I already have the strider plus and there is a toddler seat available for behind but im not too sure if i like that, it would mean Miss K won't be able to see and she loves to see where she is going. Plus we use the pram for when we go to the shops and having the seat there would restrict how much shopping we could have underneath.

I really like the idea of the baby jogger double but i dont think ill be able to convince DP as hes tall and likes our pram because he doesnt kick the wheels.

Hmm lots to think about!

[*Belle*]

We have the BabyJogger City Mini double, and I do love it, and DH does too, he doesnt kick the wheels and hes 6ft LMS! it is such a good pram and easy to steer with one hand. I also have a P&T but hate that, but if you are looking at public transport I dont think the baby jogger city mini double will work, it wont on NSW buses, but is good on trains. We use our P&T if catching a bus.

[helle]

I have a newborn and a 23 month old. I use a sling and our usual pram, or sling and ds goes in a trolley while we grocery shop, or I make DS walk and hold hands (I tought him to hold hands before bubs came along) if we are just ducking in somewhere or doing something with/for DS. So far I haven't gone "oh I wish these two were both in a pram!". Maybe you could try this out before getting a pram? That way you may decide you don't even need one, or you can get one that is exactly suited to your needs before jumping in

The beauty I've found with having bub in the sling (I have a hugabub) is that she sleeps in it as soon as she's popped in (she must feel all snug n'stuff) so I'm really only dealing with the terrible toddler and not toddler and screaming newborn.

[Dansta]

I have the mountan buggy double and loooooooooooove it. Weight each side is 25kg. Im out on dirt roads so kinda need it.
It fits through a standard door and has a brilliant turning cercal. The basket.under it holds alot of shopping...or a.male jackrussell.
Best thing is to try them out and see. But.i love my 'tank' just make sure that.it fits in the.car boot!

[~ Mylitta ~]

I just showed my DH the Baby Jogger City Select website and he really likes the idea too.. we might just have to go shopping soon

With the seat configurations, there's one that I don't recommend. The first time I put the kids in it I put the seat closest to the handle bars (the top seat) facing forward, and the lower front seat facing me. I put my toddler in the top seat so he could see out at the world, and my bub in the bottom seat so she could see me, and also both the kids could see each other. It was great except my bub would put her fingers where my toddler feet would go, so if he kicked his feet around at all there was a good chance he was going to get her fingers. Eeep.

So now whenever I use it I have the top seat facing me with bub and she loves it, and my son is in the front lower seat facing out to see the world and he loves it too. Oh, and it's low enough that he climbs into the seat by himself (because at this age EVERYTHING is "I do it!", haha).

[BlackRose]

Good tip thanks mylitta!!

Thanks everyone for All your advice. Will be doing a bit more research I think!

[*TripleJ*]

i have the strider plus and i love it and it will fit the capsule that u have now DS is on the tall side so hes started outgrowing the seat but hes started walking so no need for it now

[BlackRose]

JJJ - yeah DS has been walking since 12 months but he's being a defiant bugger and running off every chance he gets so I would prefer to have him in a pram while I have a new baby as well.

I might reasses after the baby arrives as I can always carry #2 in the bjorn and have DS in his usual pram. I just loved the car seat that clipped onto the stroller so I didn't wake DS on transfer to the car and I wanted to have that option again.

[sunshine 11]

I was researching the same thing this time last year - we bought the baby jogger city mini for $480 (delivered) from a site in NZ. They also sell the city select, but it can be quite heavy and bulky, especially if you have the kids lengthways a long way apart, it's hard to get leverage when you are out walking to get up over gutters. I only know this as one of the Mum's bought one and ended up selling it for this reason. You also have to take it apart to put in the car which you don't with the city mini. You can get a bassinette for the city mini, but my little guy slept with it all the way down and we bought him a Baby Jogger grow-anywhere which we still use for him - about $75 from the same website. It's a stroller liner/foot muff for the Baby Jogger. You can get capsule attachment for your car seat, but we never used that option. If I just had DS, then I would use the peg pereggio with the Bugaboo we have.

Good luck on your stroller journey. For the record, my DD wasn't interested in strollers, but was happy to go in it when the baby was also in it - she didn't want to miss out!

[starangelk]

We have the BJ city mini too and its great. Dh really didn't want a pram that was long and while I had my heart set on the BJ City Select, once I saw you couldn't put the newborn on the top facing me and my dd in the front facing out, I got over it. The city mini looks wide but fits through any standard door and it's not that much wider than my bugaboo. Dd is now 19 months and ds 3 months. We have a much easier time with the double pram as dd is happy to sit in the pram with ds lying next to her. I don't regret buying a side by side at all.

[skybie]

we have the strider plus, but DD2 never goes in the pram anymore! dont think the toddler seat will get much use, which is a poo because its brand new

[Tilda]

We have the BJ city mini double too and have found it fantastic. I'm yet to find somewhere it doesn't fit. I take it on the bus and ferry all the time. It folds unbelievably easily. It only weighs a couple of kilos more than my single stroller. Very easy to steer and feels very stable. It has really good sun shades so you don't have to pin up extra stuff etc. I got a little cocoon thing for the NB stage which made it a bit more snug. I could go in...The only drawback is the storage underneath which is hard to get to but I can live with that.