Single vs Double Pushchair: How to Actually Choose

Choosing a pushchair is less about finding the single "best" model and more about matching the format to your actual daily routine — how you travel, how much storage you have, and, if you already have an older child, how big the age gap is.

Single pushchairs

For a first baby, or once an older sibling is confidently walking, a single pushchair is lighter, narrower for doorways and shops, and generally cheaper. The Joie Parcel (£130) is a genuinely lightweight, compact option well suited to city living and public transport, where folding it one-handed on a bus matters more than off-road capability.

Full travel systems

A travel system pairs a pushchair chassis with a compatible infant car seat, letting you move a sleeping newborn from car to pram without waking them. The Silver Cross Reef (from £900) and iCandy Peach 7 (from £1,100) both sit in this category — larger investments that are built to last from newborn through toddler years, with the Reef generally the more affordable of premium British-brand travel systems and the Peach 7 known for a particularly smooth ride and strong second-hand resale value.

When you need a double

If your children are close in age (roughly under 2-3 years apart) and you're regularly out with both, a double becomes worth considering. The two main formats:

• Tandem (in-line) doubles keep the same width as a single pushchair, which matters for narrow doorways and pavements, but add significant length, making tight turns and lifts more awkward.
• Side-by-side doubles are shorter but wider, which can be the opposite trade-off — easier to manoeuvre in open spaces, harder through narrow shop aisles or standard doorways.

The Bugaboo Fox 5 (from £1,400) is a single-to-double convertible system — it starts as a premium single pushchair and can be adapted with an add-on seat as a second child arrives, which is a genuinely useful format if you're planning a second child within a few years and want to avoid buying two separate systems.

Questions worth answering before you buy

• Will it fit through your front door and your car boot, fully or partly folded?
• Do you use public transport regularly? Weight and one-handed fold matter far more there than off-road wheels.
• Is it compatible with an infant car seat you already own or plan to buy, avoiding a second purchase?
• What's the realistic resale value if you're not planning more children? Premium brands (iCandy, Bugaboo, Silver Cross) tend to hold value significantly better than budget alternatives.