In single-buggy mode the B-Dual’s seat can be forward or rear facing. The main seat can also be swapped for a carrycot-style car seat, the BABY-SAFE Sleeper, or one of three other Britax car seats. A second, forward-facing seat can be added underneath to turn it into a double buggy. Both seats recline fully so are suitable from birth to around 3 years (15kg).
When it comes to folding the buggy, its collapsed dimensions are 53cm x 69cm x 100cm, but this can become smaller still if the seat units are removed: 30cm x 69cm x 84cm.
What we love
The assembly instructions are clear and took me from box to buggy in under half an hour. Once assembled it’s easy to fold and unfold, without having to remove the seats.
For a tandem buggy, the B-Dual feels amazingly light and easy to push on flat surfaces. The front wheels can be fixed or swivel, which makes steering a breeze.
There’s a good distance between the top and bottom seats meaning the child who goes underneath has a better view than in many other tandems of this style. And because the second seat is removable, you can convert the B-Dual to a single buggy and get more years of use from it if your children are different ages.
As a single, it’s travel system compatible with Britax car seats, which feature Britax's CLICK & GO system, so no separate car seat adaptors are needed.
The storage basket is roomy and zips provide handy access from the front and sides for when the second seat is in use and you can’t reach the basket from behind.
My favourite feature is probably the huge hoods – these unzip to reveal a mesh panel, providing babies with a view when lying flat and extending the range of the hood so it’s an excellent sunshade.
Overall, the B-Dual looks sleek and stylish and comes in a good range of colour options.
What to watch out for
It squeaks. I found it became more and more squeaky with each use and no amount of lubricating spray helped. On one trip around a department store I was actually embarrassed at the noise I was making with every turn!
Unfortunately, what the B-Dual gains in lightness it loses in sturdiness. It didn’t perform as well off road (I’m not talking mountains, just uneven grass) and I thought it gave my twins a rough ride at times. That may be a tough criticism however, as it’s not sold as an all-terrain buggy.
The 5-point harness had quite a flimsy, fiddly click fastener and the straps could use better padding, particularly between the legs where there’s none.
Despite adjusting the height of the shoulder straps my babies never seemed quite secure enough and often slumped to one side or slid down, especially in the lower seat. The instructions do say that both seats should be fully reclined until your baby is 6 months old but, as any mum will know, non-sleeping babies like to be part of the action a little earlier than this. It’s worth bearing in mind that an older child in the lower seat would effectively have his feet in the storage basket, reducing its capacity and his comfort.
The B-Dual’s rear wheels are wider than other tandems, perhaps due to their cheap-looking plastic guards (to stop little fingers reaching from the lower seat into the wheels). This meant I couldn’t get the buggy in through my front door, and I often misjudged spaces when manoeuvring around shops. For me, the main advantage of a tandem over a twin is the narrow width so I found this annoying.
Although the B-Dual is sold as suitable for twins from birth, I personally wouldn’t have wanted to put a newborn in the lower seat as it’s so low to the ground and seems exposed and uncushioned – and it can only face forwards. The option of a carrycot (which you need to buy separately) is for the main seat only. As a twin mum I would say this buggy is really better suited to children of different ages – a newborn in a carrycot in the main seat and a toddler underneath.
The brake only locked the rear right wheel, which was a problem when travelling on the bus, as I had to hold the buggy still to prevent it from swinging around every time the bus cornered.
The mesh panel in the hoods, while brilliant for extending the coverage the hoods gave, did seem to attract insects (presumably they thought they could fly through it).
Finally, as this is promoted as a tandem, with the word ‘Dual’ in the name, it seems incredible to me that the second seat is not included in the price (£449.99). At an extra £99.99 for the second seat, it makes the overall cost pretty steep. Add on a raincover (surely an essential in the UK) and two cosytoes and you’re looking at £675 – a price that, overall, I did not feel was consistent with the quality.
Who is the Britax B-Dual tandem buggy best for?
Parents planning a second child who prefer whizzing round the streets to careering across the park.
The Britax B-Dual is more suited to children of different ages than twins, and better for urban use than off-roading. It’s light and versatile, switching between a single, travel system and tandem, but watch out for the squeaks and the mounting cost of “extras”!
