Oscar

Having a baby and toddler means a double pushchair of some kind is essential. Especially when there is only a 14 month age gap! When I asked Maclaren if we could test out their Maclaren Twin Techno, I was delighted when they said yes and I couldn’t wait to get out and take it for a test drive

We already have the Phil&Teds Explorer which I have really loved up until recently but since Oscar has become too big to lie down in it, I have had a few issues

He will happily sit in the double kit on the back but I always feel sad for him as he can’t see where we are going. It also means that when he falls asleep I can’t recline the seat and so he looks uncomfortable sleeping sitting up. My other main issue is that with the double kit on the back, there is no longer any room in the shopping basket and with a toddler and a baby you NEED somewhere to put everything.

I had opted for an inline double initially as I was worried about being able being able to get out and about with a tandem and we wanted pneumatic wheels for when we go out walking.

So did the Maclaren Twin Techno change my opinion of tandems and could it solve the issues I have with the Explorer? Well here is what we thought!

Size
When the Maclaren Twin Techno arrived, I admit to feeling rather nervous when I saw the size of the box, it was HUGE! However after unpacking it became apparent that the pushchair is anything but.

It was nice that the pushchair arrived pretty much fully assembled, all we needed to do was unfold it and attach the hood – simple!

The actual size of the pushchair when folded is great, it takes up far less boot space than the Explorer does and leaves me plenty of room for shopping etc. I admit we are lucky enough to have a big boot in the 4×4 but if I notice a difference then so should everyone.

Unfolded the pushchair actually seems much smaller than expected! I was expecting it to be much wider than it is but it is actually only 76cm wide compared to the Explorer being 62cm. We’ve taken it out quite a bit over the last couple of weeks and have rarely had trouble fitting through doors. Admittedly we can’t fit it down all the aisles in our local co-op and it is a squeeze through our front door and I’m sure there will be some shops around Durham we will encounter problems with but I have been impressed with how little trouble we’ve had so far!

I love showing off my beautiful babies side by side, and Zara and Oscar love sitting along side each other too

Unfolding
Now this is the first umbrella fold pushchair I’ve ever used and so it did take me a while to figure it out. The mechanics are easy enough, unclip storage locks, unfold and then push down the red thingys (not a technical term!) at the back. I still find it tricky pushing down the red things to be honest but it’s getting easier, it may be due to the fact that a) it’s new and a little stiff and b) I haven’t got the knack of it yet I love the fact that it’s all in one piece though and I don’t have to faff around attaching double kits etc.

Folding
Now this is really simple and I can manage it fine. Simply put on lock, kick up the red things, press a black lever and fold forwards until storage locks click in place. Please note when folding forwards however that the storage locks are on the outside as I usually have to unfold again to release them as I always forget to check

Shopping Basket
There is plenty of room in the shopping baskets under both seats and it is easy to fit everything we need for 2 under them. The access to them can be a little restricted when the seats are fully reclined but to be honest you get this with most pushchairs anyway

There are also 2 handy pockets on the back of the hoods which are great for putting in snacks, muslins etc which you frequently need

Accessories
The Twin Techno also came with head huggers and cosy toes, bottle holders and a raincover. I really like it when everything comes with the pushchair and you don’t have to go out and buy them separately!

Handle Height
Now this is something I always mention in pushchair reviews as it is important to us. My husband is 6’3″ and I am 5’10″ and we really dislike having to stoop over to push a pushchair. The handles on the Twin Techno are fixed which to us usually means low. Again I was surprised here as the handles are a very comfortable height for us and with them being angled inwards it doesn’t feel like I’m pushing a double.

The handle height is great for Daddy even at 6ft3

Comfort
Now the seats on the Twin Techno aren’t the widest you will find and I was concerned that Zara (aged 21 months) might find herself a bit cramped in them. The first time out in it she fell asleep though lol which she rarely does so she must have found it comfy

I also love that you can recline the seats independently so that when Oscar falls asleep I can just recline his seat and let him sleep comfortably.

Well they obviously both found it comfy!

Smoothness of Ride
The Twin Techno doesn’t have pneumatic wheels and I was concerned that it would make the pushchair a bit like a bone shaker but to be honest it fared really well, even over the unsurfaced gravel tracks we regularly walk. Admittedly pushing it up a gravelly bumpy hill for 1km was hard work so I handed over the steering wheel to Daddy lol.

It can’t have been that uncomfortable for the passengers as by the time we got to the top of the bumpy hill they were like this

Sleeping babies, a rare sight indeed!

OK so the ride in the Twin Techno will never be as smooth off-road as the Phil&Teds with it’s pneumatic tyres but on the plus side we are also never going to find ourselves with a flat tyre either and as long as the passengers are happy then so am I!

Value For Money
At approximately £220 we think the Twin Techno is fantastic value for money. It can be used straight from birth, is really functional and basically a fab product! OK so you can’t attach car seats to it and it isn’t parent facing but for what it is, it’s excellent!

Bearing in mind we paid about £500+ for our Phil&Teds with double kit, soft carry cot, car seat adapter and even had to pay extra for a rain cover!

I asked my husband what he thought value wise and he agreed, for what it does it beats the P&T hands down when it comes to value for money

Overall Opinion
We absolutely LOVE the Twin Techno and the Brown family wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it to anyone with twins or a baby and toddler. Big thumbs up from us!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(more…)