Cosatto You 2 Twin Pushchairs
Last year my sister, thinking it would take as long to conceive as it did the first time, “accidentally” became pregnant with her second child just a few months after her first was born. Naturally delighted, she nevertheless instantly realized that having two small children just 13 months apart was going to be a challenge – especially when it came to getting out and about, and especially since they lived two floors up! It wasn’t long after baby number two arrived that she decided she just had to have a double pushchair. She had thought that the obvious choice when the baby arrived was to put the baby in a sling whilst still using the single pushchair for the toddler. Unfortunately, unlike his sibling, the baby hated the sling! Short trips to the shops became audio assault courses as the baby screamed in the sling and the toddler competed for attention.
As a result I was drafted in to help with babysitting one weekend whilst my sister and brother-in-law went out shopping for a double pushchair. After the first day of shopping, there was still no pushchair that quite fit their requirements. This might seem crazy to a non-parent, as there appear to be about 2 million pushchairs currently on the market, however it is in fact the case that there are plenty of things that need to be taken into consideration to find the right double pushchair for you. Luckily, having been through it with my sister, we’ve put together some useful information in this website to help you whether you are looking for a double pushchair for twins or whether its for a baby and toddler combo!
Twin Pushchair vs. Tandem Pushchair
First and foremost you will need to decide whether to go for a twin pushchair or a tandem pushchair. The difference is that a twin pushchair is where the babies sit side by side; whilst on a tandem pushchair the chairs are arranged one in front of the other. There are pros and cons to both versions: the main things to consider being weight – any double pushchair is going to be heavier than a single one, but you’d be surprised at how incredibly heavy some of them are compared to others; next, is manoeuvrability – twin pushchairs can sometimes be very wide whilst tandem pushchairs can be unwieldy; then you need to look at chair reclining positions – if you have twins and you want to use your double pushchair from birth it’ll be important that both seats can fully recline flat; safety issues are imperative – I can’t think of any pushchairs that don’t now come with 5-point seat harnesses as standard but,p articularly with a double pushchair, you will need to check that the chair is evenly balanced so that there is no risk of it toppling over and that the brake function is easy to use; last, but by no means least, how easily will your double pushchair fold up and will it fit in you car?
Special Features
Well, there aren’t really any serious special features in any pushchairs – none of them come with in built DVD players, which I think is a trick that’s been missed! Having said that, there are some not-so-exciting features worth considering. There is a growing trend in the pushchair market for so called “urban” and “off-road” type pushchairs. These exist in the double pushchair format too and include either possibly useful things like a cup holder for your triple skinny latte (?), or definitely useful things such as extra tough wheels for going on unsealed surfaces – very practical if you live near country lanes or the beach or plan to take the babies hiking. Both twin and tandem double pushchairs can come with either six or four sets of wheels (twin) or four or three set of wheels (tandem): thus resulting in either a more traditional style or a more sporty style, and claims that the three-wheeler versions are more easy to get around. Certain models of double pushchairs have compatible carrycots and/ or car seats that clip onto the pushchair chassis and are (usually) sold separately. I have also seen a very snazzy tandem chair unit that clips onto a single pushchair chassis but this would presuppose that you had bought that particular brand of single pushchair chassis with the thought in the back of your head that one day you may well have either babies in short succession or twins!
Other Considerations
Like most things you’ll be buying for your babies, you’ll want to know that you‘ve picked a good quality brand – most of the established pushchair brands have double pushchair models – but it also pays to search for reviews online written by actual parents who’ve used them. If your toddler is a little older, say around three, and soon to be outgrowing a pushchair, there are also a number of alternatives to buying a double pushchair which might work for you, such as the buggy board platform which attaches to the back of a single pushchair for a toddler to stand on. There’s a lot to consider, so read on for more help with your double pushchair purchase.