Twin pushchair choices

by Bex

Expecting twins has made this shopping experience somewhat simpler for us as it has obviously narrowed our choices down as we need a double pram/buggy

We've narrowed our options down to two already.  This was quite easy for us as we actually found one choice right at the start when we were googling various twin things while in Thailand (before twins were confirmed but I was convinced), it stood out for one very specific reason, the twins can face each other, as well as various other options - it's just so versatile.

The Obaby Zoom tandem pushchair:

It comes with the seats which are suitable from 6 months but can also take pram attachments and car seats with an adaptor.  Other than the sheer number of orientation options, other pros include the big basket, good wheels, easy folding down (fairly compact for the size of the thing), and it is narrow enough for woodland tracks, doors and narrow pavements.  However, it is pretty long so may prove difficult to manoeuvre around tight corners in shops.  The length is one of the reasons we like it though, all other tandems we've seen have had the seats so one is practically on top of the other so the baby behind wouldn't be able to see anything, or even literally on top of each other which seems a bit unfair to whoever is bunged behind or underneath (even if we did swap them about).  The zoom gives them so much more space and seems to be the only one which lets them face each other, so much more sociable :)  It is the more expensive option, especially if you buy the extra bits.

The only other thing is, it's pretty boring looking, all black with some added colour options which are harder to find and still mostly black anyway.  Very dull, especially when you compare it to our side-by-side double option below, the Cosatto Supa Dupa Twin in Pixelate:

SO pretty!

I absolutely love the bright colours and this one can be used from birth without the need for extras.  However, we're unsure about a few things.  It may be tricky to get through some doors, especially on buses/trains and might be a bit wide for some paths or woodland walks.  We can't put the car seats on it which means possibly waking babies to transfer them from car to buggy (although I'm not sure how much of an issue this is since the time babies are supposed to be in car seats is limited anyway?) and I'm also not sure how secure teeny babies would be in it, we really need to check it out in person.  I have read that many people don't use pram/car seat attachments on pushchairs for long anyway so we might not need that option but then again, our babies are likely to be smaller for longer as they'll probably be early.

I do love the insulated bottle holders and extra cup holder for my latte ;)  It also has built in speakers and a gadget pocket to play music to the babies.  Again, it folds simply but is much more compact than the Zoom and cheaper.  It also comes with a 4 year guarantee which is fab as it takes up to ~3 year olds so we're covered until we no longer need it.

Both options have adjustable handles so should be OK for our height and they should both fit in the Qashqai boot easily.  Obviously we plan to go and see them in 'real life' before we decide so we can try them out and see how they look and feel.  We won't be ordering until we've moved but having made the decision will help me feel more organised given everything that is going to be happening in the next 3 months and the fact we really have no idea when the twins might arrive!

So, any opinions on side-by-side vs tandem pushchairs?  Which do you think would be the best choice out of the two above?