Hot on the heels of the launch of the popular and super-stylish BabyStyle Egg last year, the BabyStyle Egg Tandem – a double stroller – has just been released.
Famous for its Oyster travel system, makers BabyStyle have geared the Egg Tandem to compete for a place as the best loved luxury double pushchair.
So what (if anything) is luxurious about the BabyStyle Egg Tandem?
The chassis is strong, and pushing it and steering it is very easy (see video above).
It has a very stylish silhouette and all the colours are modern and appealing. The chassis is available in either Gun Metal, which I have, or Mirror Finish.
The leather-style handle adds an extra level of luxury and it also has puncture proof PU polymer tyres which feature Tru-Ride Technology®. BabyStyle says these tyres last three times longer than commonly used tyres, and “offer superior handling and a smoother ride” and I have to agree.
Tell us more about how it handles
It’s very easy to push and feels strudy, even with the considerable weight of an 8-month-old baby and 3-year-old in it.
The wheels are simple to lock, you just press a button on the wheel base until it clicks and it will either lock each wheel in place or release them from being locked.
That means it’s even easier to push on rougher ground when they are locked in place, although I did find it pretty easy to push even with the wheels in the swivel position.
On the whole it gave a very smooth ride, I found it easy pushing it over grass and rougher ground in the park, and it was also great on cobbles. I had previously felt that my iCandy Peach Blossom was pretty unbeatable in terms of smoothness of pushing and ability on rougher terrain but this does surpass it.
The handle has five different heights, which is great. My husband, who is 6ft, is particularly impressed as he often finds the handlebars of a stroller slightly too low for him.
You can buy the Babystyle Egg tandem at Mothercare, Pram World and other independent Egg stockists.
Can it handle kerbs?
It can. I find it easy to pop it up and raise the front of the buggy onto the kerb, but it is quite heavy to lift the back up!
Although this is perhaps a bigger issue if you have your heavier child in the back as I do.
It’s also worth noting, if you plan on taking this pushchair on the bus you’re likely to struggle getting it up on the big gap between the pavement and the bus.
It’s also too wide to get down the aisles on the buses near me but it’s fine to get on through the middle doors. Likewise, its slim width, 59cm (compared to a side-by-side double like the Bugaboo Donkey - 74cm) means it’s handy to get around shops and its ease of collapsing and building also means it’s a great option if you are driving.
Is it travel system compatible?
Yes, it is, and we’ve got more information on that in our Babystyle Egg single review.
How comfortable does it feel for your little one?
There is no doubt that Fergus and Rafferty are comfortable in it. The fabric on the seat unit has a lovely squishy feel and added comfort comes from the seat liner, which goes on top.
However, there are downsides. It’s not so easy to interact with either child when using the buggy, as when you use it as a tandem with two seat units, both kids have to face forward and there isn’t a little spy hole flap in the hood to have a peek.
Also the clasp of the five-point harness is quite easy to open (I have seen my three year old open a stiffer clasp when he was a toddler) and the clasp doesn’t feel as strong as on other pushchairs.
My 8-month-old baby son Rafferty is harder to please in a buggy so I sit him in the front seat to keep him distracted, but if he falls asleep I can’t recline the front seat without it really impinging on my son Fergus in the lower seat unit behind him, which is not great. Also Rafferty gets quite clingy when he’s tired so it’s a shame I can’t face him to me to comfort him when it’s a tandem.
What about its fold?
For this type of stroller, it’s very easy to fold. But there is no getting around it, it takes up a lot of room compared to an umbrella fold pushchair but it takes up slightly less room than my iCandy Peach 3.
The wheels are freestanding when closed which helps while storing it.
How do you fold it?
You need to take the seat units and adaptors off first, all by pushing down on the pale grey buttons by the sides of the seat units and on the top of each adaptor.
You then twist the middle section of the handlebar towards you, then gently ease the handlebar to the floor.
Lift the carry handle and the wheels swing towards you and you secure it with the latch.
How easy is it to store?
Because you can’t just fold it down in one, I tend to either keep it fully constructed in our house or collapse it and keep it in the car.
However if you want to keep it in the house it helps that the wheels are freestanding when folded.
Does it fit in the boot of your car?
Yes it fits in our boot easily although there isn’t loads of room left to fit much else in.
What do you think of the basket?
The basket is pretty small and if you are using it with the tandem seat unit its size is reduced even further because the lower seat unit sits just over half the basket making it hard to make much use of.
How does it compare to other popular double/tandem buggies?
Costing £868 for the pushchair with two seats, BabyStyle has positioned the Egg Tandem in the same market as the iCandy Peach Blossom 3 (£955, 17.4kg), to which it bears a resemblance in the style, size and weight (the BabyStyle Egg Tandem weighs 17.5kg).
Pricewise, it’s comparable to the UPPAbaby Vista (£873.95). In double mode the Babystyle Egg Tandem has 6 seating configurations, while the Vista has 8. Where they differ significantly is the weight. The Vista weighs a rather light 15.2kg, while the BabyStyle Egg Tandem comes in at 17.5kg.
The Joolz Geo Double may be as stylish and weigh a nifty 15.1kg, but it remains a pricier option at (£999).
But the Egg Tandem compares unfavourably against the Phil & Teds Verve Inline Double buggy (£698) in terms of it’s compactness when stored – the Verve can be collapsed as one unit and measures just 86cm by 31.5cm depth, even with both seats attached, while the Egg Tandem needs to be taken apart to store.
Meanwhile it’s a more expensive choice than the iCandy Apple 2 Pear (£580) which is a featherweight 12.5kg by comparison. But it remains comfortably more affordable than the Bugaboo Donkey, which is an eye-watering £1,199, (although this does include a carrycot) and due to it being a side by side double it is considerably wider at 74cm than the BabyStyle Egg Tandem 59cm.
It’s also different in the fact that the Bugaboo Donkey sits the children side by side, but it’s very clearly a top of the range buggy. I like the fact it’s an excellent stand-alone single buggy that you can convert easily into a double and back again. With the Bugaboo Donkey, you still have some extra width to manage when it’s a single before you convert it.
Is the product value for money?
There is no getting away from the fact it’s a very expensive product, but if it’s something you are going to use every day for years, and if you can afford it, it’s a great buy. The chassis feels very durable and strong, although I am not sure how durable the fabric on the hoods is.
The Egg tandem stroller is £907 which includes the chassis, seat unit, insect cover, hood, apron, rain cover and seat liner, tandem adaptors and tandem seat unit, rain cover.
Again, for a luxury pushchair it is good value – the Joolz Geo Duo costs £999 but doesn’t even include rain covers. And it’s cheaper than the iCandy Peach Blossom 3 (which starts from £860 and goes to around £1197) and the Bugaboo Donkey at £1,199.
What’s in the boxes?
- The chassis
- Four wheels
- Bumper bar
- Main seat unit
- Insect cover
- Apron for the upper seat unit
- Two adaptors
- A seat liner
- Two rain covers
- Tandem seat unit
Is it easy to build?
It was very easy to put together; the instructions were clear but it was also quite intuitive. Once it was out of the packaging it took minutes to assemble the first time. In fact, my three old Fergus helped put the wheels on. It was very easy to put together, the seat units arrived fully assembled, I just had to push the bumper bar onto the upper seat unit. (video included)
- Egg carrycot - £179
- Seat liner - £30
- Changing bag - £80,
- Footmuff/babynest - £80
- Cup holder - £15
- Parasol - £25
A stylish tandem buggy with many well thought out features and which can last for years. It can grow with your family – and shrink again. Although it comes with a hefty price tag, it's still cheaper than other buggies in its class.
It’s a fantastic pushchair for anyone with either twins or a baby and toddler. It’s great if you like walking long distances because the seats are comfortable for your children and it’s also very easy to push.
If you like this buggy, have a look at these...
