Bugaboo Donkey 5 Twin vs UPPAbaby Vista V2: Side-by-Side or Inline

This is the side-by-side versus inline question wearing two expensive badges. The Bugaboo Donkey 5 Twin puts both babies next to each other in identical seats, at about 28 inches wide, for around $1,800. The UPPAbaby Vista V2 stacks them front and back, at about 26 inches, for $1,000 and up with the second seat. Our verdict: if your doors, your elevator, and your budget can all take the Donkey, it is the nicer twin stroller to live with, because two equal seats side by side is what twins actually want. If any one of those three cannot, the Vista is the better compromise and costs a lot less.

Where they differ for twins#

• Width: the Donkey in twin mode is about 28 inches; the Vista is about 26. Two inches sounds trivial until you meet a pre-war apartment door or a small European elevator. The Vista clears standard doorways. The Donkey clears most and fails the old ones, with your knuckles as the margin.
• Layout: the Donkey is side by side, so both babies see the same world, both seats are the same size, and you can check both faces from the handlebar. The Vista is inline, so one twin rides in the lower RumbleSeat with a view of the other's back.
• Fold: the Vista folds in one piece with both seats on. In twin mode the Donkey folds in more than one piece, seats off and frame down. Trunk friendly once you learn the routine, annoying in the rain with two babies waiting.
• Weight: both are heavy. The Donkey in twin mode is heavier and wider to lift. Neither is a walk-up stroller.
• Modes: the Donkey goes mono to duo to twin by expanding sideways; the side basket in mono mode is where the second seat lives in twin mode. The Vista goes single to double to triple with a ride-along board.
• Car seat compatibility: the Vista takes two MESAs with no adapter. The Donkey takes two infant seats with Bugaboo's adapters for its partner seats, and the partner list differs between the US and Europe, so check it for your country before registering for car seats.
• What is in the box: Donkey 5 Twin bundles typically ship with two bassinets and two seats, so you are done on day one. The Vista ships with one bassinet and one seat; the RumbleSeat and a second bassinet are extra.
• Price: around $1,800 for the Donkey Twin. The Vista is $1,000 and up with the second seat, and around $1,800 as a full travel system with two MESAs, so at the complete-system level the gap closes.
• Resale: both hold value. The Vista's used market is deeper in the US, the Donkey's in Europe. Twin families sell Donkeys with both seats when their twins outgrow it on the same day, which is your buying opportunity.

Who the Donkey 5 Twin suits#

Twin parents in a European city, or an American one with wide sidewalks, who live on the ground floor or have a decent elevator, and who want both babies in equal seats for three years. The big wheels handle cobblestones and tram tracks. The side-by-side layout means the twins entertain each other, which is worth more than it sounds at month eight. And the complete twin set means no adapter shopping and no second-seat upgrade in six months.

It is also the pick for parents who find the inline second-class-seat problem genuinely annoying. Some families rotate who sits low and never mind. Others mind a lot. Know which you are before spending $1,800.

Who the Vista V2 suits#

Twin parents in a US apartment with a standard doorway, an SUV or wagon, and two MESAs on the registry. The native car seat click, the one-piece fold, and the resale are the three reasons the Vista is the default premium twin stroller in the US, and all three are real. It also suits families who already have a toddler, because the ride-along board turns it into a twins-plus-one rig cheaply, and anyone who would rather spend $1,000 now and $400 later than $1,800 up front.

The cost is the RumbleSeat. One twin rides lower with less legroom and less view. For the first year nobody cares. For year two, plan to rotate.

The dealbreakers#

• Doorways under 30 inches on your daily route: the Donkey is out. Measure the narrowest door you use every day, not the building's front door.
• A small elevator or regular public transport: the Donkey's width and two-piece fold get old fast. The Vista fits the bus better.
• A total budget under about $1,200: buy a used Vista and a new RumbleSeat. A used Donkey Twin with everything included is rarer and still expensive.
• Living in the US and wanting a car seat that clicks on with no adapter: the Vista.
• Rain, stairs, and a two-piece fold: the Donkey's twin-mode fold is the thing owners complain about most. If you fold five times a day, weigh it honestly.

What we'd do#

Measure first. If the Donkey fits through every door we use daily and the money is there, we'd buy the Donkey Twin, ideally used from a twin family with both seats and both bassinets included. If we lived in a US apartment with a standard door, an SUV, and two MESAs on the registry, we'd buy the Vista and never think about it again. Both are good enough that the wrong choice is still a fine stroller. The wrong width is the only mistake that costs you the purchase.

Related reading#

• The twin stroller doorway test
• UPPAbaby Vista V2 vs City Select 2 for twins
• Twin stroller or two singles
• Best twin strollers for city apartments