When you’re about to become a dad for the first time and you’re expecting twins there are lots of questions that occupy your tiny, worried mind:
What will you call them?
What clothing do they need?
How on earth are there two ACTUAL HUMANS inside that stomach?
Why are bottle sterilisation instructions 25 pages long?
Is it too late to change your mind?
What buggy should you get?
It was that final question that occupied me more than anything else. I knew getting the right buggy was vital and would mean a stress-free first few months post-birth. It was not a decision to be taken lightly.
Twin parents have a smaller pool of buggies to choose from than parents of singletons – no bad thing in my book. The main decision we needed to make is whether to choose a side-by-side buggy or one where the babies’ bassinets sit one above the other (known as a ‘tandem’).
In hindsight, writing this with my twins at two months old, I’m so pleased we chose the iCandy Peach Blossom 3 Twin – a brilliantly-designed tandem buggy.
When weighing up the pros and cons of each style, I figured the downside of not having the babies lying/sitting side-by-side (and therefore able to communicate with each other further down the line) would be outweighed by the nimbleness and flexibility of having a narrower buggy.
From the moment it arrived on my doorstep in several black glossy boxes, I knew the iCandy Peach Blossom 3 Twin was in a different class.
Not only does it look smart, sleek and understated, it has clearly been put together by some very clever engineers.
To start with, the assembly of the buggy takes minutes rather than hours. When you’re busy juggling twin babies (not literally, I hasten to add), the last thing you need is having to wade through complicated instructions, trying to work out which nut goes into which bolt.
The iCandy’s main frame, wheels, bassinets and seats all come ready-assembled and simply need to be clicked into place using the smart locking system.
And this locking system is what makes the buggy so brilliant. You can quickly swap from having both bassinets on the buggy frame to having car seats on there instead (adaptors sold separately), and then to having the buggy seats on there once the babies are old enough to sit up.
You simply push a button on the side of the frame to unlock the bassinet or seat and lift it off the frame. Putting it back on is just as easy: you slot the bassinet or seat into the locking mechanism and a satisfying ‘click’ tells you everything is secure.
It’s important to note that you can use the buggy as a single stroller too.
If you want to pack the buggy away for transportation, it’s another simple task done in seconds. You push the handle down and fold the frame in on itself, finishing in a neat V-shaped frame to bung easily in to the back of the car.
The handle is comfortable and cushioned, there’s a useful cup holder that attaches to the frame and a basket is provided at foot-height to hold the supplied rain covers and a few bits of shopping.
If I was being ultra-critical, the basket capacity could be bigger, particularly when you have the lower bassinet in place. But it’s not something to lose any sleep over.
Once you’ve finally got round to leaving the house (well done you!), the iCandy Peach Blossom 3 Twin is a dream to push around. It feels nice and light, very responsive to the touch but impressively sturdy at the same time. It has big, chunky wheels that make light work of kerbs and steps.
It turns on a sixpence (I even took it through a ‘kissing gate’ the other day without a problem) and its narrow frame means it will fit through almost any door frame.
And, if you’re about to become a parent of twins, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS. I’ve lost track of the times I’ve taken the buggy through narrow doorways that side-by-side buggies simply couldn’t go.
And it’s not just doorways. Narrow aisles in shops, narrow hallways, small lifts, buses and trains are all are a breeze with the iCandy. I’m not quite sure how owners of side-by-side buggies manage.
Price-wise it’s slightly more expensive than some of the other tandem buggies on the market but I feel you get what you pay for. You can be confident this is money well spent.
And after all, what could be a better investment than the buggy you use to transport your little babies for the first few years of their lives?
The iCandy Peach Blossom 3 Twin pushchair receives an official Dad Network star rating of 4.5 and our award of recommendation.
Harry Foges, dad to Amber and Frank (born October 2015)
We have this one but for a toddler & baby rather than twins. There’s only 18 months between them so we were looking for a double buggy/pram.
The main reason we went for the Peach Blossom is so that we didn’t have to get a side by side buggy! And we knew that as soon as our littlest is ready for the chair bit it’s easy enough to switch the cot (sorry bassinet) for the chair. Trouble is that our baby has outgrown the cot bit but isn’t easy for the chair. So we’re in limbo land!
But other than that it’s great – so easy to put together (once you understand which bit goes where) and doesn’t take up too much room in the boot. I mean we can fit this and a decent amount of shopping in the boot of our Focus.
by the way that should ready “isn’t ready for the chair” not easy for the chair!! Blooming autocorrect!
We LOVE this pram. Lots of twin mums at my twin playgroup can only go to certain cafes because they can’t get their side by side pram through the door. I can go just about anywhere which is so great. It’s easy to push and the babies love the carrycots. They’ll be in the chairs soon though!
We were thinking of getting a bugaboo side-by-side one (Donkey) but this has made me think again. Thanks!
This is really good. When we bought our iCandy, the guy in the shop pretty much sold it to me by saying this: “Everyone pushes Bugaboo.” He’s right. This is a narrow option and in my mind, a touch better. :)