Cosatto Duet Lite

...of hubbys car, was the Cosatto Duet Lite. At £179 at Toys R Us it was also the most affordable tandem and the one I liked the look of best, in monochrome colours it was perfectly unisex and would suit both my daughter and my new son.

The Duet Lite is as slim line as a tandem buggy can get but fortunately isn't too long as a result of this, admittedly steering can be quite a challenge at times especially on tight corners but I was pleasantly ...
...major factor in getting a slim line tandem for me was to be able to easily get to the school with the least of trouble, this included being able to get past the waste bins on collection day, even regular single strollers have been a squeeze for me in the past without ending up in the road but the Duet Lite is thin enough to get past them easily.

I had put off using it on my own in the beginning as I was worried that I wouldn't be able ... more

When I discovered I was pregnant with our 3rd child late last year I realised it would present a whole range of issues, would they all fit in the car, where were they all going to sleep considering our small 2 bedroom house, how on earth was I going to transport them all during the 45 minute walk to school? Well there was no way I wasn't going to have the baby so we bought the smallest the car seat we could find, resigned ourselves to the fact that we'd have to squeeze the baby in with us for the first year until we could think of moving somewhere larger and went on the hunt for a tandem buggy, while my son is 4 and enjoys the walk my daughter is only 2 wouldn't be able to make the long journey and I wasn't sure if she'd be confident enough for a buggy board so a tandem it would be.

Now I'm not the strongest of people, I may be tall at 5ft 8 but I'm a wimpy 7 ½ stone so knew that I would have to look for the lightest, most compact tandem I could find, after much searching and "test driving" I found the lightest one, that would also easily fit in the boot of hubbys car, was the Cosatto Duet Lite. At £179 at Toys R Us it was also the most affordable tandem and the one I liked the look of best, in monochrome colours it was perfectly unisex and would suit both my daughter and my new son.

The Duet Lite is as slim line as a tandem buggy can get but fortunately isn't too long as a result of this, admittedly steering can be quite a challenge at times especially on tight corners but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy I found it to push. A major factor in getting a slim line tandem for me was to be able to easily get to the school with the least of trouble, this included being able to get past the waste bins on collection day, even regular single strollers have been a squeeze for me in the past without ending up in the road but the Duet Lite is thin enough to get past them easily.

I had put off using it on my own in the beginning as I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get it up the hill but when I finally braved it I found that it wasn't much heavier then using a separate buggy with a board (I caved in the end and got one of those too) or carrying my newborn in a sling and putting my daughter in a buggy. Compared to a single stroller the Duet Lite does feel considerably heavier and takes a little while to get used to controlling, it's large chunky handles are great for getting a good grip of the buggy though which makes pushing it that much easier and more comfortable. The only times I really struggle to control it now are trying to bump it up a kerb as it's quite hard to tip the front end up, or if an approaching group of people refuse to move aside, if you're unfortunate enough to come across someone truly ignorant you need to be careful you don't get pushed too far towards the kerb as once it starts to topple it's hard to regain control.

The tandem is has an umbrella fold mechanism which once you've got the knack of is a simple matter of releasing the locking mechanism on the back and pulling up 2 latches on the handles before folding the tandem forwards, it takes a little practice to get the hang of the certain movement needed to collapse the buggy but once you've worked it out it takes no longer to fold then a regular one child stroller. Once folded there is a hook which fits over the side of the tandem which keeps it folded up and it has a convenient carry handle on the side, although I do find it easier to move it around when folded by releasing the wheel break and rolling it that way.
Obviously being a tandem the Duet Lite is made for 2 children. The front seat is suitable for children from 6 months as it does not fully recline, it has its own separate hood with a handy clear panel at the back for being able to keep an eye on your child and a bar across the front for a little added security. The rear seat reclines fully and is suitable from birth with 3 different reclining positions, like the front seat it has it's own hood with viewing panel, it also has a flap which connects to the front seat if you wish to lie your baby flat, this supports their legs nicely and allows them to lie comfortably, the flap can be folded under the rear seat though when your child is old enough to sit and this allows their legs to dangle down properly without being restricted. Both seats have 5 point harness systems that can be adjusted as your child grows older and they both come with pad attachments for the straps to make them comfy over your little ones shoulders.

The Duet Lite is surprisingly spacious and I've never had problems trying to get my children in their seats, I do always put my little boy in the rear seat first though as it makes it easier to put him in rather then having to try and work around a fidgety 2 year old. Both children are happy in the tandem and seem to find it comfortable, Jack will sleep soundly laid back in his seat and Elsa loves being out front and "driving" The tandem is very comfortable to push, as I mentioned before the handles are large and chunky but have a soft feel to them which is unlikely to hurt your hands if you're pushing for a long time, they are also set quite high which is great for taller people like me but could be awkward for a smaller person.

The wheels on the tandem are thick and chunky and support the weight of it well, they have individual, lockable front swivel wheels and a duel wheel brake at the back. The brake, when applied, seems quite secure and strong but it's the initial task of applying the brake which is quite tricky. In design it's a very simple brake system requiring you just to press down on the brake lever above the wheel but it can be quite stiff and needs a fair bit of pressure to get the brake to apply to both sides. While the tandem can be used over grass, as a result of it's thicker wheels, I find it easier just to stick to pavements and concrete, it can become quite heavy once both children are fastened in and takes quite a bit of strength to get over less solid surfaces, I certainly would never attempt to get it across a sandy beach.

There is a small shopping basket underneath the rear seat however it is very small and is unlikely to fit a bunch of bananas let alone a bag of shopping, I tend to only use it if I don't want to carry my handbag. Unfortunately the basket looses space and becomes even smaller when the rear seat is in a sitting position rather than reclined as your little ones legs hang down in the space. The tandem comes with a full rain cover and a cosy toes foot muff is also available to match.

I could certainly recommend the tandem as it is one of the smallest and lightest available, it's not so great if you're a shopping addict though! I find the tandem comfortable to push and my children enjoy being sat in it, it can be quite difficult to hear the child out front when they're talking to you but in my case this isn't always a disadvantage as Elsa does tend to talk about all manner of nonsense, so I just leave her to it. It comes with a 4 year guarantee which is perhaps the longest I've experienced with a pushchair, it certainly instils confidence that the tandem will last and stand up to a lot of wear and also that my children will be able to grow older and larger but still be able to use the tandem with ease.

Folded dimensions: L 120 X W 37 X H 39cms
Unfolded dimensions: L 120 X W 37 H 102cms
Handle height: 102cms
Weight (with seat and wheels): 13.75kgs

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