Official Kiwi Families review by Rochelle Gribble
Letās be clear about this- IĀ ā„Ā my Mountain Buggy Urban Elite. Sure, itās a 2008 model but itās done me proud and is still in constant use. But last week, a brand spanking new Mountain Buggy Duet arrived on my doorstepā¦ Miss 2 Ā½ insisted on unpacking it immediately and in truth, Iām not sure who was most excited.
Whatās it all about?
The Duet is one of two new double buggies recently launched by Mountain Buggy. While the +One is an inline model, the Duet is a side-by-sideā¦ I know youāre thinking: āSide-by-side- but theyāre just too wide to go anywhere.ā Not this one. At 630mm, itāll easily fit through a standard 810mm doorframe and is, in fact, exactly the same width at the wheelbase as the Terrain and the Urban Jungle.
The set-up:
Iām not totally gormless but I do like things to be simple and let me tell you, this buggy took me about 5 minutes to assemble- even with the āhelpā of the 2 Ā½ year old. It helps that it has a lot of similar features to my current buggy but actually, itās mostly assembled- you just need to snap on the wheels, click on the bumper bar and youāre ready to roll.
Iām liking:
So much! Itās got that awesome Mountain Buggy manoeuvrability and is a brilliant smooth ride over rugged ground. Itās narrow enough to swing around in shops (passed the āmall testā with flying colours) and my girls liked riding together (well, the big one did, anyway- 2 months is a bit young to express an opinion on this issue).
Iām sure this is not new to those of you with later model buggies but I L.O.V.E.D the clips on the straps. The snap clips on the straps made putting the small oneās sleeping bag in and out super easy (a vast improvement on the Urban) and the safety catch was incredibly simple to do up but still had 2 mechanisms to stop the kiddos undoing it by themselves. Iāve been doing battle with the buckles in both our car seats recently and it was so nice to have such a straightforward mechanism. Nice one, Mountain Buggy.
Things that made me go hmmmm:
The Duet is still a big, heavy piece of equipment and youāre gunna need a reasonable sized boot to fit it in. At 15.5kg, itās a heck of a lot lighter than a lot of the double buggies out there, but you definitely need to bend at the knees when you lift it.
Extra for experts:
I know Iām being picky now, but when I was testing the Duet I realised that the one thing I would love to see on a buggy is a pocket up high. I know itās got the tray down the bottom and all that but honestly, Iād love a pocket thatād fit my keys, cell phone and wallet without me having to bend down and forage around for them. Whaddaya reckon, Mountain Buggy?
The Verdict:
My big girl cried when we boxed up the Duet to take back and Iād have to admit that I was a little moist-eyed too. Itās perfect for the two-kid stage of life and I loved being able to push the kiddos around together. Iāve already recommended it to two friends- what other recommendation do you need?
| Features | ||
| Slim double buggy- 63cm | Takes one or two travel systems or carrycots | Individual sun canopies |
| Twist and slide safety harness for easy adjustment | Multi adjust handle height | 2-mode front wheel |
