Prams for Multiples

Remember the following when buying a pram:

• Affordability
• Practicality – do you need a doctorate degree in engineering to operate the pram?
• Dimentions - does it fit through most standard doors (it will be a just fit!)?
  - does it fit into the boot of your car?
  - If you have a side-by-side pram you will use the wheelchair tillpoint in the shop.
• Weight - Mom must be able to get it into the boot on her own after a shopping spree!
• Side-by-side or tandem – be careful that the tandem pram you are looking at is designed for two babies and not for a toddler and a baby (both seats must be able to recline fully!).

Magda vd Merwe
Die probleem is daar is geen waentjie, behalwe die Peg, wat stoeltjies het wat in die motor inclip nie. Ek het besluit om die snug en save stoeltjies apart te koop, en het besluit op die Maclaren Twin Pram. Hy is relatief lig om op te slaan en vat nie baie plek nie. Hy was ongeveer R 2000 (Discovery gee in hul babapak 'n verdere R 200 af op hierdie waentjie). Die Mc Claren se stoeltjies is langs mekaar, hy is relatief klein en sukkel nie om by deure in en uit te kom nie. Die Peg is baie oulik maar Baie duur.

Mama Jooste
About the prams – well what can I say! We first bought the big three wheeler. This is not a conducive pram. It is too big to fit in doors and hall ways, shopping malls etc. You bump everything off the shelves and when you go clothing shopping you definitely cannot consider pushing your pram through the clothes because you pull every single piece of clothing with you.
Then we bought the Mama Love back and front. This too was not conducive for new borns. My babies were born two months prem and were very small. One: the pram does not go down to a complete flat position and two: the front seat goes down onto the back babies legs. This pram is definitely for much older babies who can sit and hold themselves. Oh and no place to pack anything under the pram although there is a carrier, but nothing can fit in it. I think this was more for loose bottles and small toys.
We now have the Maclaren side by side. What a bonus. My dolls love it. They cannot wait for there strolls. They go at least 3 – 4 times a day which is brilliant. They love falling asleep in it. We also feed them in the pram. It is much easier to entertain them like this. This pram is easy to fold and carry as it has a carry handle on the side. It is semi in weight. The covers of the pram is machine washable (great) and big bonus it fits everywhere. Ok not quite through the clothing lanes but it is a lot easier. I now can go shopping with my girls no hassle. Before I always had to take someone with me because they simply did not like the back and front and therefore had to be carried all over the show. Now it is simply no problem. They are quite happy to park off or sleep whilst mommy does her thing. There is also place to put a bag or two under the pram (not much but there is). Oh and it has sun visors. And the best: it has a cup holder. So all and all very happy with this pram. Plus you get a discount from Discovery on this pram.

Tash Winterton
We hunted and hunted for a suitable pram and I must admit to being incredibly disappointed by the range of twin prams available in South Africa (well, Cape Town). We eventually went with the Peg Perego Aria Twin side by side which at first was totally unsuitable for our tiny babies as its merely a stroller and not a full proper pram I found it did not protect them enough from the elements when out and about. However now that they are grown up it is perfect for them (our girls are 10 months now) and Ii actually bought a rain cover for the pram which is great for Cape Town winters it also acts as a shield against the wind on cold days and the girls are always warm as toast in there. The advantages to this pram is that it folds very easily and quite flat and can fit into most car boots, it is also incredibly light (only 8kg). Some disadvantages are that I also battle to push it on grassy/rough terrain, the pram is quite narrow so it does fit through most doorways but you ARE limited because there are those that it just doesn’t go through. We were coming back from Durban and when we were going through to check in the pram wouldn’t fit through the doorway so we had to unpack it, take the girls out and fold it and get it through and then put them back in (a real juggle).
We also have another pram which was given to us by a friend who’s twins have grown out the use of a pram. It is a gorgeous 3 wheeler running pram called a JANE Powertwin dual traveller - it is a one in front of the other and is absolutely awesome and goes beautifully on all terrain, it is from the UK but I went onto their website and it’s amazing the prams that they have on there, if I had known about them I might have bought one over there and had someone bring it back for me. The downsides are that it is very heavy and does not fold down very flat and won’t fit into most normal car boots.

Christelle
We have a Chelino double pram with the seats next to each other. This works well because they can both decline into a sleeping position. The cons of the pram is that it is too big to fit into my car (Honda FRV which was sold in the mean time), and you have to move the kids from their Snug-a-safe seats in the car to the pram when you reach your destination.

Tracy-Lee Scott
Prams are a sore don’t at the moment. Not quite sure what to use.
I have two prams
1 Peg duette – the one that they can face one another
Pros - Can go through any door and is made really well, Stroller chairs which can be interchanged with the snug and safe chairs which recline to allow good nap time.
Cons -stroller chairs are not compact and are a pain to transport in the car.
1 Maclaren side by side
Pros - easy to assemble and perfect for a quick shop. Chairs also recline for nap time
Cons - a bit uncomfortable for my girls for longer shopping trips because the chairs are quite hard. They look like they are strapped in to go parachuting
Both prams fit nicely in my car which is a plus ( but not together, so I need to plan what I will be doing for the day).

Siddika Osman
I bought the Peg Perego Aria Twin.
I bought it because the seats recline to various positions and thus when the children sleep they are comfortable.
The pram is lightweight.
The pram is very user friendly, easy to open and close.
It is made of a fabric that can be easily wiped.
You get a matching nappy bag that attaches to the pram and you do not have to carry a nappy bag around.
It has a large shopping basket underneath.
The pram stands upright when folder and this is great for our Jeep.
I really love this pram and would recommend it any time.

Johan and Suzane Swanepoel
Na baie gesoek, het ons besluit om die "todler" (sit agter mekaar) pram van Chelino te koop, tesame met 2 snug 'n safe stoeltjies. Hulle pas nogal redelik stewig in die Chelino pram in.
Die ander prams waar die kinders langs mekaar sit, is seker lekker vir by die huis, maar daar is nie 'n manier wat jy daardie pram deur die betaalpunte van 'n winkel gaan kry nie.

Shannon Morgan
We have the Valco pram. It is a double(side by side pram) which has an attachment so that Rory can sit in the front (He was only 20 months old when Owen and Nathan were born). It is fabulous and get through all doors, has rubber tyres (you can buy spares from bike shops), has a swivel mechanism on the front wheels which made it really easy to manouevre around considering how big it is. The downside is that we had to buy it from Australia and cost R13,000 by the time we had paid import duties and courier costs, you can't fit it into a small car so you need a big boot. But for us it was a lifesaver as we had all the kids in one confined area and were able to go to the Zoo, malls etc from when they were very young. Now we use a small push chair for the twins when in Malls etc. I don't know the brand name (some cheap and nasty pushchair from Baby city) but the Valco is too cumbersome now that the twins are 19 months old. Hope this helps.

Carmen Tough
We bought the Maclaren twin pram - this is the most economical pram at R1999.99 excl the SAMBA discount (offered by Babies R Us). It is easy to fold and should fit into most car boots. It only weighs 11kg and is easy manoeuvrable with one hand - needed when you are carrying one twin. Most importantly it fits through a normal doorway and can be used from birth. All the fabric is fully washable.

Jenny du Toit
We bought a Peg-Perego Pram deluxe , the kids can sit facing each other or one behind the other one or back to back , basically both seat can turn 180 degrees. Works for us because fit in any door and easy to control has its own steering wheel. Takes a bit of space in the boot but we are very happy with it. Can use for babies till toddler.

Pam Giannone
We bought the side by side Graco twin pram due to:
1. Price (very reasonable)
2. Extra padding for warmth available – our twins were born in winter
3. Nice colours
However, I’m finding that the pram is quite wide and battles to fit through most places. There are very few shops where we can actually fit past the tills.

Stephanie and Theuns Marais
We have the Peg-Perego Duette Twin pram. This is a tandem pram on which you fit your car seats. The reason we chose this pram is because we already had a Peg-Perego car seat and wanted to make use of it. All we had to do was buy the second car seat and the pram base.
We like this pram because you can transfer the babies from the car to the pram without waking them up. It takes a few outings to get used to the maneuvering of the pram, but after that it's quite easy to "drive". The other advantage is that it fits through most shop aisles and till areas.
The disadvantage is that the base of the pram takes quite a bit of space in the boot of the car.

Jean Reah
When we found out we were expecting twins, we spoke to as many parents of twins as we could; to find out what prams they has used and how they had worked for them. We were quite keen on the Peg Perego Duo with the detachable car seats. You can also turn the car seats so that the twins can face each other. It is however quite expensive and many people said to us that often the twin in the back has a poor view and tends to start kicking the twin in the front. I saw quite a few prams like this in use at the Baby Expo and they looked quite cosy. Some moms said they preferred 2 single prams but I decided against this as it meant I could never go out on my own with the boys and I enjoy freedom of movement. From all the input we got, we finally decided that our pram had to be light-weight to lift easily, easy to maneuver, fold up quite small and as narrow as we could get to fit through most doorways and the handicapped check-out till at the shops. After looking around and test-driving some friend’s prams it was finally between the Maclaren Twin pram and the Peg Perego Twin Aria, both side-by-side prams. In the end we chose the Twin Aria as it was about 2 cm narrower and seemed the best choice for us, although it was also quite expensive (R3500 with our SAMBA discount). It is extremely maneuverable and I have been able to get through most doorways, sometimes by the skin of our teeth, except for the baby-changing room at Olivedale hospital!?! We also discovered that if a doorway was too narrow, you could turn the pram sideways and with a bit of help make it through. It is versatile and also coped well on cross-country walks. I highly recommend it!

Andri Correia
We bought a Jane from the people that import them. They are VERY well made. A bit bulky, but lighter than the Peg and easy to use. The back wheels also come off in order to fit easier into the car.

Stephen Roberts
We specifically chose a Peg Perego Duet (vs a side-by-side pram) as it could fit into and through spaces that a side-by-side pram could not. As a result we don't battle any more than a person with a singleton pram in crowded areas. The pram is also extremely easy to turn in tight spaces. We also enjoy its versatility in that the seats can be turned to face each other or to face forwards or backwards.
It is also light enought for a mom to unload and load it into a car whilst juggling a million other things. Folding it up takes a bit of thought but once you’ve mastered the steps, it is a dream.
The big disadvantage is that everybody notices you which is sometimes quite enjoyable and at other times downright painful.
We do lots of walking in our suburb and really enjoy the pram as it handles the odd 4x4 stretch really nicely,and it is not too heavy to push up hills.

Carl Richardson
We bought the Maclaren Twin stroller - fits through standard doors, folds up into the smallest pram of the many we looked at. quick and easy to open and close once you've done it a few times and light enough for both my wife and i to manage.

Derryn Brümmer
We have just bought a Zonic side by side stroller from Baby City (Park meadow) for R590. We bought it for our first beach holiday with Garrick and Julie (age 9 months), because our original pram (one behind the other type) is too bulky – and takes up most of the boot in our Honda CRV.
The stroller is great – it fits on the floor between the front and back seats of the car (without interfering with small feet), and still allows space for a baby "emergency" bag in the car too. It is so light and easy to get in and out of the car, and a breeze to open and close (even while holding one of the twins, while the other waits patiently in a car seat).
The stroller is certainly not suited for pushing over uneven terrain (or beaches) – but is great for petrol stops (for toilet / nappy breaks), is excellent for shopping centres, it's really light to push (our 4 year daughter Taylyn is even able to negotiate it), and brilliant for walks (roads and pavements). It's also ideal for feeding time (at the petrol stations, coffee shops, out at friends, etc).
Garrick and Julie seem to love the stroller – they love reaching each other, pulling one another's hats off, stealing each other's toys, etc – but they especially love the attention they get wherever they go.
With nodding and shaking heads they are even mastering the answers to those obligatory twin questions (…are they twins? ..identical? ….a boy and a girl?...who's the outgoing one? Etc etc)!!

Sally and Coen van Tonder
We were fortunate to be given several prams.
Our twin boys (James and Kenneth) are now nearly six months old.
Two single prams with snug and safe chair seats : Great if you're in an open air type of setting but if you end up in a mall you tend to fill the walk ways walking with two single prams. The logistics of grocery shopping is then a nightmare, because one parent has a pram and a trolley. We tried this once without thinking first, and I think my husband got his revenge on every shopper or little old lady that has ever blocked an aisle in a supermarket. ALso easier to park two singles at a table if you try to have a meal.
One long twin pram(sit behind one another) fits easily into boot of a Corolla and still leaves some space for shopping goods. Great when they were really small. Fits width ways through aisles in most shops. But don't try to go to the bank or a post office , it's too long to fit in those two door security efforts. However it did mean that whilst on Maternity Leave I regularly got out of the house. Initially it was big enough for them both to be comfortable enough , even to have a good sleep. But as they got bigger and more active the one in the front has to put up with being kicked in the back by his brother.
The latest model is a Chelino side by side three wheeled pram. My husband loves this one although not to good in all the shops (too wide for ailses ) its great for carving a path through crowded walk ways. However , you need a pretty big boot as it doesn't collapse down as compact as the other prams.
I also now know where all the lifts are in a shopping centre, didn't give a second thought to it before.
It would be useful if Shopping Centres had parking bays for moms, close to entrances and a bit wider, as trying to get two babies in and out of car seats into a pram from some of the limited space narrow parking slots is an issue. I used to hate people who bumped others car doors with theirs, but you park well and some idiot gives you 10 cm to try to load your kids.

Ilse van Lochem
Our girls are 5 ½ now but when we bought the pram we did lots of homework first. We eventually bought a new Peg Perego Duette.
The advantages –
• slim enough to go through the aisles in ALL shops and
• slim enough to get through the checkouts in ALL shops.
• Slim enough to go to the Outdoor show and other shows like it without taking up the entire aisle!
• Slim enough to go down an escalator when (not if!) the lifts are out of order
• Both babies can lie virtually flat
• Can chose which way they face
• When they’re older, they love to face each other
• Navy and neutral so don’t show dirt and match with everything
• Manoeuvrability was excellent
• Each “carry cot” comes off – makes for very convenient “cots” when you’re away or visiting or even at home
The disadvantages-
• Expensive, but you can get good second hand ones through SAMBA’s ads , and you can resell them again through SAMBA if you look after them
• Bulky in terms of packing into a car – having said that even the side by side ones (other than the slim Peg Perego one) are also bulky – having twins is a bulky business!
• The “cradle” underneath is not big enough or strong enough to put the baby bag and,or shopping. Baby bag doesn’t fit at all. Even it it’s just shopping – space is very limited.

René Pero
Just one tip on the prams, when you buy a side by side pram, make sure it fits through the door ways!

Triplets
Elene Gerhardt
As toekomstige ma van 'n drieling was 'n pram vir my die een ding waaroor ek seker wou maak ek koop 'n kwaliteit produk wat my 'n paar jaar gaan hou. Omdat ek op 'n plaas 2 ure van 'n dorp af bly moes ek maar meeste van my soekwerk op die internet doen. Ek het besluit op 'n paar waarvan ek gehou het, maar nadat ek na die prams gaan kyk het was baie van hulle te lendelam vir die prys. Daar het een website aangehou opkom.
www.brenine.co.za. omdat dit nie een van die bekende name was nie het ek dit maar aanhou ignoreer, maar later uit desperaatheid maar na die website gegaan. Ek was baie beindruk met die "prentjies" maar wou die pram eers sien voordat ek 'n besluit kon maak. Daar was nie eers 'n huiwering nadat ek die prams gesien het nie. 'n Bietjie duurder as die meeste wat te koop is, maar kwaliteit.
ek het op 'n travel system besluit.
Die stroler stoeltjie kom heeltemal uit die pram uit sodat die karstoeltjie aleen in die "frame" sit. Die karstoeltjie hou so tot en met 10 kg waarna jy oorskakel na die stroler stoeltjie.
Een groot voordeel vir my was dat die karstoeltjie heeltemal kan platslaan sodat dit as 'n "carrycot" gebruik kan word. Dit het ook 'n muskiet net ingebou wat jy net kan uittrek indien jy dit nodig het.
Die eienaars was ook baie gaaf om vir my 10% afslag te gee omdat ek 'n drieling verwag.
Meer oor die prams:
Jane wie die produk vervaardig is een van die enigste vervaardigers wat hulle eie "crash test site" het waar alle produkte se veiligheid getoets word. Die "matrix system" wat die carry cot karstoeltjie het was ook vir my belangrik aangesien toetse gewys het dat babas nie heeltyd soos in 'n gewone karstoeltjie kan regop slaap nie omdat dit sleg is vir hulle ruggies.
Voel asseblief vry om vir Brendan of Janine te kontak by jb@brenine.co.za of alle inligting kan ook vanaf hulle webtuiste gekry word, www.brenine.co.za.

Ricci Lyons
Single and double prams for trips
Hand me down double 3 wheeler pram - one hand fold, heavier than others but wheels come off in boot. Steady over rough terrain when going for walks.

Shaheena Devangree
The Maclaren twin and single pram.
- both fit in our boot - vw polo 1.6 classic sedan
- both are light and easy to open, especially when you are alone and have the kids ready to move.
- easy to clean
- wheels are small and do not lock when turning
- has safety harness i.e. does not strap only at the waist
- has enough storage space at the bottom for napkin bag blankie etc. The pram also has a bottle holder at the cente in back - handy when you need water when you go for a long walk with them. Also has storage space at the back.
- the handles for the prams are height adjustable and face forward so you have a good grip and the rubber on it makes it more comfortable to push.
- plus discovery medical aid holders get a discount when purchasing
- the brakes are easy to use i..e lock and unlock
- no cons really except that the brakes on the single pram are easier to lock and unlock than the twin pram.
- we bought the single and twin for our triplets because it was more cost effective than a triplet pram. Also we would be able to resell it more easily than a triplet pram. Both fit in our boot. Also with triplets you are never alone - you have to have someone with you all the time.It is also easier to move about the shopping centers with a twin and a single pram. No nasty comments made because people don't realise they are trips unless they are observant and the observant ones always have something nice to say.

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