Thankfully the range of double buggies has grown over the past decade and there's now a great choice of twin pushchairs. Now the first choice you have to make when you're picking the pram to suit your growing family is whether you want a double buggy (where your children sit side by side) or a tandem pushchair (where your children sit one in front of the other). Each design has its advantages and crucially, its disadvantages and which you ultimately opt for depends on your lifestyle and your children.
Firstly, a tandem buggy may not be suitable if you have twins. Most tandem designs do not have two lie-flat seats, suitable for newborns, so you can only carry one newborn baby and one toddler. Although there are some models that let you attach two car seats, so you could transport two newborns at the same time - but this isn't an ideal way for your babies to travel for long periods of time.
A double buggy lets your little ones sit next to each other and this can be great for your children. They can interact with each other and share each others' company when you're out and about. As they grow they can talk to each other and occupy themselves when they're getting fed up of shopping! And from a parent's perspective there's generally more storage space with a twin pushchair, with a shopping tray under each seat unit, which can be handy when you've got all the extra baggage you need for two children.
However, tandem pushchairs have some very practical advantages. The nature of the tandem, or "inline" design means that the pushchair is no wider than a single buggy - with one child sitting in the back there's no need for the pushchair to be any bigger than a standard model. This makes it a doddle to manoeuvre your way around shops and tight spaces and means you don't have to worry about whether you can fit through small doorways.
Another great feature of some tandem pushchairs is that you can remove the back seat unit and use the buggy as a single pushchair. This means you'll only ever need one buggy whether you need to transport two children or one.
Ultimately both designs have their advantages and their problems and which will suit you best depends on a couple of factors. If your children are close in age and you will be using a double buggy for a long time then a twin design may be more appropriate, as your children both get an equal view. However, if you'll only be needing a double pushchair for a short while, until your older baby is happy to walk or use a buggy board then a tandem buggy, with a removable second seat offers better value for money.
Firstly, a tandem buggy may not be suitable if you have twins. Most tandem designs do not have two lie-flat seats, suitable for newborns, so you can only carry one newborn baby and one toddler. Although there are some models that let you attach two car seats, so you could transport two newborns at the same time - but this isn't an ideal way for your babies to travel for long periods of time.
A double buggy lets your little ones sit next to each other and this can be great for your children. They can interact with each other and share each others' company when you're out and about. As they grow they can talk to each other and occupy themselves when they're getting fed up of shopping! And from a parent's perspective there's generally more storage space with a twin pushchair, with a shopping tray under each seat unit, which can be handy when you've got all the extra baggage you need for two children.
However, tandem pushchairs have some very practical advantages. The nature of the tandem, or "inline" design means that the pushchair is no wider than a single buggy - with one child sitting in the back there's no need for the pushchair to be any bigger than a standard model. This makes it a doddle to manoeuvre your way around shops and tight spaces and means you don't have to worry about whether you can fit through small doorways.
Another great feature of some tandem pushchairs is that you can remove the back seat unit and use the buggy as a single pushchair. This means you'll only ever need one buggy whether you need to transport two children or one.
Ultimately both designs have their advantages and their problems and which will suit you best depends on a couple of factors. If your children are close in age and you will be using a double buggy for a long time then a twin design may be more appropriate, as your children both get an equal view. However, if you'll only be needing a double pushchair for a short while, until your older baby is happy to walk or use a buggy board then a tandem buggy, with a removable second seat offers better value for money.
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