Mountain Buggy Duet v’s TFK Twinner Twist Duo

This set of photographs shows the Mountain Buggy Duet side by side with the TFK Twinner Twist Duo. The Duet is just £19 cheaper than the Twinner Twist Duo.

Styling: I think the difference in styling is what hits you first about these two pushchairs. The Duet is sleek, sophisticated, and quietly smart in its black with grey seats & silver footplate. The Twinner Twist Duo has a variety of colours but it has a sporty more rugged, outdoors feel to it. There is more of a separation of the seats on the Twinner Twist Duo because of the separate footrests.

Size: The Mountain Buggy Duet is slim (63cms wide) whereas the Twinner Twist Duo is 11cms wider (74cms wide). The Duet is smaller height wise too. But this also means that the Duet handlebar is just 106cms high at its highest. The Duet seats are very comparable to the Twinner Twist Duo seats in size and are in fact taller and wider at the back. The width of the Duet is its major selling point, and it is amazing that there has been no real compromise in the seat sizes for the children. However the Twinner Twist Duo will easily go through a standard 76.2cms door, so you should have no problems with fitting through a door.

Fabrics & Child Comfort: The Twinner Twist Duo has the most amazing padded seats with breathable fabrics. There is a real lack of padding in the Duet seats – there clearly is some foam inside (because I can see it hanging out from the sides under the seats!) – but its not a luxury ride. The fabric for the recline on the Duet bunches around the child’s head when not in use. It is possible to tuck it down the back of the seat, but as mentioned elsewhere on Best Buggy, it means removing the child to do so, and if you tuck this behind the seat then it is hard to recline the child when you want to. The Twinner Twist Duo recline seat fabric forms lovely neat folds on either side of the child’s head which stick together using velcro tabs.

The harnesses both are substantial and sturdy with good shoulder pads. The Mountain Buggy Duet one requires two hands to undo the safety lock, however there is a further clasp on the child’s shoulders which is easy for a child to undo!!! The Mountain Buggy Duet has an easy to adjust twist & slide harness height mechanism which is great. The Twinner Twist Duo has various harness settings which are easy to adjust. 

The Twinner Twist Duo has adjustable foot rests for the children.

Both pushchairs come with a bumper bar. However the Duet one keeps falling off. The Twinner Twist Duo bumper bar (a single and double bumper bar are included) needs removing to fold, so I don’t put it on.

Seat Recline: The TFK Twinner Twist Duo reclines via two sets of zips which give you a flat recline or a mid way incline. The Mountain Buggy Duet reclines using two toggles which are released or pulled up again. With both systems, the outer toggles / zips are easier to do than the inner ones, but thats the nature of double pushchairs! Both seat units are suitable from birth. As mentioned above I don’t like the way the fabric bunches up on the Duet when the child is brought up from a reclining position. This can be seen in the photos above.

Carrycots & Car Seats: Both pushchairs take car seats and carrycots. The Twinner Twist Duo takes a whole range of car seats. The Duet takes the Maxi-Cosi Pebble and Cabriofix. The Twinner Twist Duo uses a bar to attach the carrycot onto. The Duet carrycots slide onto the central bar and then clip at the side. Both pushchairs require the fabric removing to use a carrycot. Both can take one or two carrycots.

Basket: Both pushchairs have large baskets. The Twinner Twist Duo basket is really divided into two sections by a bar at the back. Access via the sides is hard. Access to the Duet basket is divided at the back by two straps, but access via the sides is good. The basket on the Duet is more open.

Storage Pockets: The Duet has no storage pockets other than the basket. But it does come with a bottle holder which is great. The Twinner Twist Duo has handy storage pockets on the back of the seat and also at each side.

Hoods: The Mountain Buggy Duet hood is larger than the Twinner Twist Duo hood. Both also have flick out sun visors. Both have Peekaboo windows in the hood which can be kept rolled back. The Twinner Twist Duo hood locks open at each side. The Duet hoods ‘catch’ in the middle which means that should your toddler decide to push their hood back, the chances are the other hood will get pushed back too. The Duet also has a large hole in the rear of one of the hoods which has been discussed on here elsewhere.

Handling: Both pushchairs have superb manoeuverability in small spaces and around corners. However the Duet is really heavy to push with two older toddlers (35 months and 13 months) on board. This isn’t helped by the relatively low handle. I have used the Duet on a handful of occasions but its really too heavy to use long term. I also find the Duet veers to the side that the older child is sat on. The Twinner Twist Duo runs straight and is easy to push.

Brake: The Twinner Twist Duo has a handbrake. It needs two hands to put on though which is bit of a pain when you need to hold a toddlers hands too. The Duet has a footbrake but in reality it is hard to actually get your foot around the back of the brake as it is too close to the chassis. It’s easier to bend down and pull the brake on with your hand!

Tyres: Both pushchairs have pneumatic tyres. The Duet has 10″ tyres all round. The Twinner Twist Duo has slightly larger 12.5″ tyres at the rear and 10″ tyres at the front. The front wheels on both pushchairs can easily be locked or changed to swivel. Please note that the UK Twinner Twist Duo wheels are black not silver like the ones in the photos.

Fold: The Twinner Twist Duo is a trifold. The Duet is a long fold. This makes the Duet long and slim, whereas the Twinner Twist Duo is shorter but wider folded. The Twinner Twist Duo fits in my car boot with room to spare. The Duet only just fits and fills the boot up. The fold on the Duet is simpler – lift the safety catch, press two buttons and it folds to the ground. The Twinner Twist Duo is a several step fold with catches to undo.

Which would Best Buggy choose?: Reading this through the Duet appears at first glance to have the benefits ie slim with good size seats, easy fold, bigger hood, easy access basket etc. However the reality of having the Duet is that it is hard to push, the bunching up of the fabric behind the children’s heads is really really annoying. There are other small details which are mentioned on the main Duet thread such as poppers coming undone, poor quality workmanship etc which are annoying.

The quality of the Twinner Twist Duo is superb with great attention to detail whether its the way the seat fabric folds, to the inclusion of spare poppers, the reflective stitching and good quality fabrics. The whole feel of the Twinner Twist Duo is of a quality product.

If more care and attention had gone into the Duet such as dealing with the recline fabric better, offering a non hole hood as an option, having better finishes ie no fraying stitching, no pink foam on view etc but importantly looking at the weight distribution and handling, then the Duet would have been our choice. BUT pushing the Duet was soooo difficult, and the handle is too low (for me at 5ft 6ins) that it has aggravated dormant issues with my back, and I am unable now to use the Duet. Therefore it is of no use to me as a pushchair to carry my two children in.

Note: Please use this quick summary in conjunction with the more detailed individual reviews.