Introduction
Most people rightly say that having a child is life-changing. Your house, your lifestyle, your daily schedule, all changes. In a good way. And if you have a child, you’ve probably got those changes nailed by now.
But let’s say you now go from one to two children: life isn’t going to be quite the same as it was with one, as you’ll now be wrangling two independently thinking and uncorrelated sleeping little beings. Or not sleeping, as the case may be. My best friend once gave me the unsolicited advice that the challenge isn’t double what it was with one, but possibly squared. Or 100x. Or something like that.
I didn’t mean to scare you, if you are now expecting a second. But hopefully after reading this, buying a pram for two will now be one of the easier tasks to prepare for.
Oh and if you actually have twins, congratulations, but it is going to be straight from zero to two.
Bless ‘em, and god speed. I’m right behind you.
Summary: The Best Double Pram
Bugaboo Donkey2 Twin
The one pram for everything, including your two children
+ Flexibility for your growing family
+ Maneuverable for its size
– Expensive
BetterBuying.co Best Side-by-Side Pram
Steelcraft Agile Twin
Functional twin pram on a budget
+ Good size and weight for a twin pram
+ Folds easily and compactly
– Not a huge amount of storage
Valco baby Snap Duo
An all-rounder double pram for an all-round friendly price
+ Very light
+ Compact
– Not that sturdy
BetterBuying.co Side-by-Side Value Pick
UPPAbaby Vista
Solid and highly configurable for all combinations
+ Quality build
+ Highly configurable
– Expensive and accessories extra
BetterBuying.co Best Tandem Pram
Redsbaby Jive2
Fully-featured pram for half the price of comparables
+ Good value for money
+ Well-designed
– Second seat close to ground, takes up basket space
Silver Cross Wave
The best of British luxury prams…at a price
+ Luxury feel
+ So many configurations
– Eye-wateringly expensive
Do I need a side-by-side pram or a tandem?
Not all prams are able to carry two children.
Those that do fall into one of two layouts: side-by-side, where the seats are well, side-by-side, or tandem, where they are one in front of the other.
Side-by-side
A side-by-side can be useful if you have twins or your children are of similar ages. Given they are built for two children they are good if you know you are going to have more than one.
However they can be difficult pushing around narrow aisles as they are wider than normal prams.
They can also be quite heavy, and will take up a lot of space in your boot.
They also tend to be more pricey as prams, but then children were never meant to be cheap.
Tandem
An tandem pram is good if you have one child and you are expecting another one on the way, or if you think you need to upgrade at some point.
In single mode, they are generally more maneuverable and lighter than side-by-side prams. When your second comes along, these prams can expand to hold a bassinet or second seat above or below the other seat, offering the perfect option to grow with your family.
The trade off is that the layout may be compromised as the second seat may only have a view of the back of the first seat, or you may lose your storage space just as you need to carry twice the number and type of nappies.
In some configurations, you won’t be able to see one of your children easily in their seat or bassinet.
When in tandem mode, the prams sometimes have reduced weight capacity meaning the weight and age that you can carry up to is limited, and so is the usefulness.
You may also have to remove one or both seats before you can fold the pram up.
While the single pram may be cheaper to start, additional bassinets, seats or adapters may be an extra investment you will need to make, and will all add up.
So which one?
So unless you love prams and get one of each (raising my hand here), then choose the type of pram that is best for your expected family situation.
Summary:
Why you’d want a side-by-side
+ You have twins
+ You know you are having more than one soon
+ Your children are of similar age
+ You want a pram that is future proof
Why you wouldn’t want a side-by-side
– Can be pricey
– Wide
– Heavy
– It may not fit your boot
Why you’d want an tandem
+ Upgrade flexibility for future family planning
+ Your children are of different ages, e.g. a newborn and a toddler
+ Good for starting out with one and expanding later
+ More maneuverable
Why you wouldn’t want a tandem
– You only need a pram for one child and don’t need the flexibility
– You need the storage basket
– Some prams have limited weight capacity in tandem model
– The accessories to make it a tandem are an additional expensive extra
What should you look for in a double pram?
Width
Especially important for side-by-side prams, a wide pram will have you knocking over supermarket shelves and bumping into doorways. A standard door width in Australia is 82cm wide, but some older doors are narrower too.
Anything over 65cm is starting to get wide.
Folded size
Double prams have a reputation for being large when folded so take note how large the folded size is. A large folded pram may not be able to fit in your boot or leave room for much else. If you have to upgrade your car to fit your pram, it’s going to be an expensive pram.
Weight
Double prams are some of the heaviest prams around and sometimes exceed 15kg in weight. Lifting the pram in and out of the boot or up stairs can be legitimately challenging, especially if you are slight of stature.
Seating flexibility
Even the most identical of twins may very well have different personalities. Or nap times. Being able to recline the seats independently will let you please both of them. Attaching a bassinet alongside a seat may be super useful to allowing you to use the pram for all occasions.
Some prams also have a ‘ride-along board’ extension letting your toddler ride along when walking gets a bit tiring, giving another option for ambling along.
The best side-by-side prams
RRP $2599
Width: 74cm
Folded size: L 52 x W 74 x H 93 cm
Weight: 15.3kg
Seating flexibility (in twin mode): Seat + Seat, Bassinet + Bassinet, Capsule + Capsule
This is the be-all and end-all of prams for your family. One, two, twins, newborn, toddler, it grows and shrinks easily with your family. And reasonably gracefully too: it steers well, has ample storage, and is easy to push. Not to mention is stylish.
But being the everything pram comes at a price, both figuratively and literally. In twin mode, it is a wide pram at 74cm wide. It needs a boot just as large to fit it. It’s complex to fold and unfold. And it has an eye-watering price tag.
Pros
+ Flexibility with your growing family
+ Maneuverable for its size
+ It’s a Bugaboo
Cons
– Very expensive
– Heavy
– Large and wide, folded or unfolded
Who this is for:
If you want one pram for everything, including your two children, and you don’t mind paying for it.
2. Steelcraft Agile Twin
RRP: $679
Width: 75cm
Folded size: L 74 x W 75 x H 30 cm
Weight: 12 kg
Seating flexibility: Seat + Seat, Seat + Capsule
The Steelcraft Agile Twin shows that buying a pram for twins needn’t cost twice the price. While it’s probably more suited for smoother terrain, it offers good size seats in a package that is not too wide. It is very easy to fold and unfold and light for a double at 12kg. Once it is folded, it is very compact.
What you miss out on is that the seats can’t be reversed, and there isn’t that much storage on the pram. Also, some mothers have reported the harness clips break easily, and that the wheels fall off. Literally.
Pros
+ Good size and weight for a twin pram
+ Folds easily and compactly
+ Good value
Cons
– Not all-terrain
– Not huge amount of storage
– Reports of quality issues
Who this is for:
Have twins or two children close and want a functional twin pram on a budget.
3. Valco baby Snap Duo
RRP: $599
Width: 75cm
Folded size: L 80 x W 75 x H 36 cm
Weight: 9.8 kg
Seating flexibility: Seat + Seat, Seat + Bassinet, Seat + Capsule
It’s light for a double. Very light. And compact, easy to fold and not so wide it’s an issue. The seats are reversible, it’s easy to push around and it has a good size basket. It’s also good for newborns who can lay flat on the infinitely reclineable seats.
What’s not to like? Not much really, some say it’s not very sturdy, the foam handle gets cracked easily and the basket can be hard to access. Overall, the Valco baby Snap Duo offers a lot for a good price.
Pros
+ Very light
+ Compact
+ Seats reversible & fully reclineable
Cons
– Not sturdy
– Foam handle wears easily
The best tandem prams
1. UPPAbaby Vista
RRP: $1999 + adapters for tandem
Width: 65cm
Folded size: L 84 x W 65 x H 44cm
Weight: 12kg (15.1kg as tandem)
Seating flexibility: Seat, Bassinet, Capsule, Seat + Seat, Seat + Bassinet, Seat + Capsule, Bassinet + Bassinet, Bassinet + Capsule, Capsule + Capsule
+ Piggyback ride along board (selected configurations only)
The Vista is our best pram for newborns and for a good reason: it is everything you want in a pram. It also happens to look good and has a great build quality. The same applies as a double pram: expandability lets you grow (and shrink) your pram as your family grows.
While it is heavy and wide as a single, as a double it is not especially so. It does come with a bassinet which is a big plus as this can then be used together with the seat for when you have two. Or three, as the case may be, with the ride-on board. Bonus!
It ticks all the boxes and leaves you with wanting nothing more. This all-round competency does come at a price, however, and the cost of adapters and accessories do add up.
Pros
+ Flexible configurations
+ Bassinet included
+ Great quality
Cons
– Expensive, some accessories are extra
Who this is for:
You want the most solid and configurable pram that will support you for all combinations of children.
Bugaboo Donkey vs Uppababy Vista
Which of these two popular prams is the best? Here’s a comparison:
| Feature | Bugaboo Donkey | Uppababy Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Side-by-side | Tandem |
| Folded Size | Winner ✔️ | |
| Weight | Winner ✔️ | |
| Width | Winner ✔️ | |
| Quality | Draw 🤷 | Draw 🤷 |
| Price | $2,599 | $1,799 ✔️ |
| Choose if: | You have twins | You want flexibility |
2. Redsbaby Jive2
RRP: $1049 in tandem mode
Width: 58cm
Folded size (tandem, with second seat): L 73 x W 58 x H 50 cm
Weight: 14.9kg (inc second seat and canopy)
Seating flexibility: Seat, Bassinet, Capsule, Seat + Seat, Seat + Bassinet, Seat + Capsule
Redsbaby have made a big entrance into the pram market as an online-only retailer, utilising social media heavily to build its brand quickly.
Backing up the online model are some great value prams. The Jive2 looks great, is easy to push and has many configuration options for baby and toddler. Or toddler and toddler if you buy the ‘tandem’ version.
In single mode, it has a generous 12kg storage basket underneath but as a tandem is compromised as that storage now becomes space for your child’s legs.
Redsbaby have had early quality issues as a number of owners have reported the brakes sticking, but to their credit, Redsbaby have addressed this in a free-of-charge recall.
https://redsbaby.com.au/brake-upgrade/
Pros
+ Excellent value for money
+ Stylish
+ Well-designed
Cons
– Second seat close to ground, takes up basket
– Online only, need to attend demo day to see in person
– Foot brake gets stuck (Redsbaby addressed with recall)
Who this is for:
You want a fully-featured pram for half the price and are comfortable parting with your cash online.
3. Joolz Geo2
RRP: $1869
Width: 60cm
Folded size: L 87 x W 60 x H 57 cm
Weight: 14.3kg (15.3kg in tandem mode)
Seating flexibility: Seat, Bassinet, Capsule, Seat + Bassinet, Seat + Seat, Seat + Capsule, Bassinet + Capsule, Capsule + Capsule
Dutch company Joolz have delivered a stylish and practical pram with the Geo2. Huge 8” and 11.5” wheels make it easy to push and provide for a comfortable ride over most terrain. Anything large enough that might cause trouble you should probably walk around. The build quality is solid and is backed with a lifetime warranty.
The downside of the solidness is the heft of the thing: it is big and heavy when you need to lift it around. It is also a bit compromised in tandem mode – you have to give up the otherwise excellent storage basket.
Pros
+ Stylish
+ Solid build
+ Large canopy
+ Bassinet included
Cons
– Expensive
– Heavy
– Bulky
– No basket in tandem mode
Who this is for:
You want style, quality and function, and don’t mind the weight of pram or the weight on your credit card.
4. Silver Cross Wave
RRP: $2299 ($2799 in tandem package)
Width: 60cm
Folded size: L 94 x W 60 x H 38 cm
Weight: 13.3kg (16.6kg as tandem)
Seating flexibility: Seat, Bassinet, Capsule, Seat + Seat, Seat + Capsule, Seat + Bassinet, Bassinet + Bassinet, Bassinet + Capsule, Capsule + Capsule
Silver Cross is the Rolls Royce of prams: a high end luxury feel, elegant design, seamless quality and range of accessories to customise it to your tastes and needs. Pushing the Silver Cross puts you in the same category as the British Royals…as far as pram choice goes. Your babies will also be happy as they have ample seating positions with 16 different seat and bassinet configurations to interact with each other, or not. It also has a huge underpram basket for when you visit Harrod’s.
While it is large and heavy – read very heavy – like the real Rolls it drives like a dream. Also like the real Rolls and possibly unlike the royals, you may have to take out a mortgage to buy it.
Pros
+ Luxury feel
+ So many tandem configurations
+ Huge basket
Cons
– Expensive
– Large when folded
– Seat back doesn’t recline flat
The Double Pram Hierarchy
| Type | Model | RRP |
|---|---|---|
| Side-by-side | Bugaboo Donkey 2 Twin 🥇 | $2599 |
| Steelcraft Agile Twin | $679 | |
| Valco baby Snap Duo 🥈 | $599 | |
| Tandem | Silver Cross Wave | $2799 |
| UPPAbaby Vista 🥇 | $1999 | |
| Joolz Geo2 | $1869 | |
| Redsbaby Jive2 | $1049 |
Conclusion
All of these prams will let you carry both your children easily and in comfort. Depending on how close in age your children are, it is important to choose which type of pram is best for you and your family.
In terms of value, while functionality is similar across the range you will get better design, more flexibility and perhaps more style when you spend a bit more. But you won’t go wrong with any of them, it’s just with some you will go more right.
Have a double pram? Or shopping for one now? Comment below!
