How To Find The Perfect Double Buggy
When you’re looking for the right double buggy for your expanding family there are lots of things you need to bear in mind. Picking the perfect twin pushchair is harder than finding a good single pushchair but the selection is more limited – making your decision even harder.
These are the top five things to think about when picking a twin buggy :
1. Weight and Strength – pushing the additional weight of two growing infants and a heavier stroller about is no easy matter, so looking for lightweight strollers is good way to reduce the weight and make life easier when you’re moving the pram around. A lightweight model that’s easy to carry will be a real help when you’re trying to manage two children and move your stroller from car to house or on and off the bus or train. However, because of the extra strain placed on a twin stroller you also need to make sure you opt for a durable and well designed model that will cope with heavy use, otherwise you could find yourself looking for a replacement very quickly.
2. Dimensions – a double pushchair is necessarily cumbersome and some models can take up a lot of space, even when collapsed. If storage space is limited, or you have a small car then it’s vital to look at the folded dimensions of the twin prams on offer. A small fold with a folding clip to stop the pushchair unfolding itself can be really handy. If you plan to use the pushchair from birth look at the dimensions of any carrycot units and how much extra room they will need. There’s nothing more frustrating than buyingchoosing your perfect stroller just to discover that it doesn’t fit in your car!
Again, because of the bigger size of double buggies you should consider the full width of the stroller. Crucially, any twin buggy you buy needs to fit through a normal door frame, otherwise you could find you can’t fit into some shops and struggling to manoeuvre around tight shop aisles and streets. Even worse, you put it together outside while trying to manage two children as well. A good tip is to measure your doorways to ensure any buggy you buy fits in your house!
3. Baby Travel System – most single pushchairs are now travel system compatible as standard, but sadly the same can’t be said about twin strollers; very few can actually be used as a baby travel system. If you’ll be using a car frequently and need to get your children from car to buggy with as little disturbance as possible it could be worth spending a little more on a model that can be used as a baby travel system to save disturbing your little ones when you move from car to pushchair and vice versa. Not much is worse than trying to get out and about with two grumpy babies who’ve had their nap interrupted!
4. User features – as the selection of twin pushchairs is much more limited there are less models that allow for user adjustments, like an extendable handlebar, but if you and your partner are very different heights then you should look for a model that allows you to both push the stroller comfortably. Equally, look for a buggy with soft, comfortable hand grips, that will be comfy to hold when pushing. And a large shopping basket and plenty of pockets can be really handy as well to give you plenty of storage space for bits and pieces when you’re out and about.
5. Type of Use – good double buggies need to have strong suspension to deal with the weight of two children and the various paraphernalia you’ll inevitably need to take with you – not to mention any shopping you need to carry. Three wheel, off road pushchairs are well designed to cope with these added stresses and strains due to their strong suspension and large, inflatable tyres and have the additional benefit of being suitable for use on rough terrain, as well as about town meaning your buggy will be more versatile. Although do bear in mind that pneumatic tyres can puncture and require ongoing maintenance.
Of course the comfort of your babies is the most important thing to consider when you’re looking for the perfect double buggy, but finding a pushchair that meets all of your criteria as well will make life a great deal happier!
