Another pram thread! Phil and Teds?

[rotts05]

I have done a search on here and read so many posts on doubles / tandems and i read through 'best buggy' regularly but I sill cant decide on a pram.

My son will be 2 when this baby is due and we do a lot of walking so definitely need a pram to fit them both.

I also will be getting the bus quite a bit so need something which can do public transport and doorways easy enough.

I keep coming back to phil and teds, its usually a 'sport' I decide on but then i read more reviews and get put off.

Can anyone really recommend or really NOT recommend the sport? Or any other tandems? I prefer the look of the side by sides but with the bus and doorways being such a big priority I guess im better with a tandem?

 

[tina3747]

I've no idea about the practicality of the phil and red, the o ly thing I dislike about them is that one of the children is really low to the floor, I'd feel like they were in a draw!!
I saw I nice one yday at a farm park, it was an o baby. Not sure about the price or name of the model but they were back to back, I guess the older child front facing and younger parent facing.

 

[RachA]

I had an oBaby xi twin which is basically the same as the Phil & Teds-made in the same factory etc. and I definitely wouldn't reccommend it. I hated it and neither of my children seemed to like it either. I bought it new and ended up buying an Urban Detour side by side which I loved, I bought that second hand.
If I was buying a double again I would definitely look at a side by side. We also walk alot and as the urban detour was too big for the bus I just walked instead of taking the bus.

 

[DonnaBallona]

I had a phil'n'teds sport and hated it with a passion.

my daughter (older) couldn't recline enough in the top to go to sleep, my son hated the claustrophobic baby bit, he got hot because it was so enclosed in the summer, and then when they finally got old enough for 2 seats my daughter refused to sit at the bottom as she couldn't see anything. the final straw came when she was trying to touch the wheels as they were turning. no way was i going to chance having her fingers caught!

I chucked it and enjoyed every moment.

personally I'd skip the double if you have to get a tandem as the choice is so poor- just baby wear and use a single.

xx

 

[rotts05]

Thank you all for replying! I see a child minder when dropping my eldest off at school who has a "sport" and they sit so nicely in it but my boy would definitely try and touch the wheels! I hadn't thought of that!
Unfortunately not getting a double isn't an option, we really need 1. I walk whenever I can and have 2 dogs to exercise and in bad weather I would rather have new baby in a pram.

 

[lindseymw]

I had the sport. I loved it!

Both kids were happy in it, both fell asleep in it so must have been comfy.

I only got rid of it because eldest decided to walk everywhere and wanted a lightweight single

 

[anna1986]

ive bought the city jogger select which is a tandam am yet to use it as a double (currently using for DD as a single) but have played around with it n it seems fab. maybe thats an option??

 

[kellie_w]

I had the explorer and hated it. Used it twice then sold it. The cocoon was squashed by the top seat, it was difficult to get our newborn in, our 2 year old looked huge on the top. The wheel guards kept falling off and I just generally didn't like it. We didn't bother with another double, now have a buggy board which is working out fantastic! X

 

[Meredith2010]

There's lots I love about our Phil & Teds, but sadly as DD gets older it is becoming more and more irritating. When she was younger it was fine, but already at 8 months (admittedly she is a very long baby) it's a real pain to get her in and out of it, and her head is right by the metal bar at the top. I tried putting my 21 month old in the bottom seat just for fun, and there's no way in a million years he'd be comfortable in it! He barely fit into it!

It is really easy to push and the width is great for doorways etc. But for us, the size of the bottom seat and the fact that they can touch the wheels means we won't be using ours for much longer.

 

[AP]

Had the explorer, totally impractical for us. Either one or both girls had to "make do" with something and that's not right. In newborn/double you can't recline the front. DD1 couldn't nap and woke with neck pain. Sold it in an instant (honestly went on Gumtree immediately for half the price, I wanted shot of it ASAP! for a city mini jogger. Width on that is very narrow considering its a side by side! I see lots of mums doing the nursery run with it and one empty seat in the afternoons, it's no biggie, that's when you go hit the shops and pop ur shopping in there buses? No probs, anywhere a wheelchair can go, the city mini can too. I was shocked!

On that thought its been a long time since I've seen a P&T in town with two kids in it, there's ALWAYS shopping in the back seat

 

[RebeccaG]

We are thinking of a p&t. What's the difference between sport and explorer? There is also a vibe?

 

[AP]

The explorer is the updated sport

The vibe has a few differences but I can't remember what exactly. Maybe more recline options?

 

[rotts05]

RebeccaG if you haven't already have a read through the reviews on the Best Buggy website. There's a few p&t's and they're all reviewed.
Its a great site. It gives you the pros and cons to each model.
I'm yet to decide but I'm leaning away from the p&t now.

 

[A43]

Keeping my eye on this one! I was thinking P&T but heard a few down points. Dont like the idea of my new baby not being able to see stuff. My first loves looking around and we used to walk daily so dont think the P&T will suit us. Shame because its so slim and feels so light and in theory so right. The P&T dot took my eye recently at Kiddicare.
The Britax dual B looks a good one aswell for about £380-400 new I think...
A friend of mine swears by her uppababy, and they do them in doubles too.
The search continues for me cos I dont want to spend too much !

 

[lovelylaura]

I have the mountain buggy duet can't praise it enough side by side but great on buses and fits through every door x

 

[Millnsy]

We have a very old second had sport. The gap between ours is 2 years 4 months so my eldest doesn't need to nap in the buggy any more. If she did I wouldn't consider the p and t. I live the cocoon with baby underneath and eldest daughter on top. Perfect for a sleepy newborn up to 5 months ish. Have just changed it to have the seat at the bottom and lo fell asleep in it this morning with sleeping bag. She was a bit slumped but was fine. She can see around easily. It's easy to push but very little space for bags and I usually carry my nappy bag.

It's worked for us but I know others who don't like it as much. My friend swares by her city jogger but they are very expensive!

 

[RachA]

Had the explorer, totally impractical for us. Either one or both girls had to "make do" with something and that's not right. In newborn/double you can't recline the front. DD1 couldn't nap and woke with neck pain. Sold it in an instant (honestly went on Gumtree immediately for half the price, I wanted shot of it ASAP! for a city mini jogger. Width on that is very narrow considering its a side by side! I see lots of mums doing the nursery run with it and one empty seat in the afternoons, it's no biggie, that's when you go hit the shops and pop ur shopping in there buses? No probs, anywhere a wheelchair can go, the city mini can too. I was shocked!

On that thought its been a long time since I've seen a P&T in town with two kids in it, there's ALWAYS shopping in the back seat

Funny you should say that-I think something like 80% of the times I see a P&T there is only ever 1 child and a load of shopping in the bottom seat.

 

[MumToEva]

I've been looking into doubles for what will be a 17 month age gap. I did a lot of research on line, and narrowed it down to the P&t navigator and the baby jogger city mini. Went to see them in reality, and was surprised to find I liked the P&T rather than the ciy mini, as did hubby - really thought it would be the other way around. What sold me on it was the all terrain wheels - so smooth and easy to push. I like to walk and the roads round here are quite rough/potholey, and I found the smaller wheels on my current single just didn't cut it. I also like that it can convert back to a single really easily when Eva gets to a stage of wanting to walk.

I had considered buying a P&T explorer second hand, but I tried it out in a shop that was clearing theirs out, and I felt that the fact that you can take the front seat off the newer models and replace it with a carseat rather than having to put it on top of the seat, plus that the back seat can recline partially on the newer models, was enough to make me go for the newer one brand new (as there are none available second hand yet in my area) nd then sell it on when finished.

Obviously I haven't tried it in real life yet, but that's just my thoughts.

 

[Mary Jo]

We have an Explorer and it was great, used it daily for 14 months. Agree with the points about one child always having to compromise in some way but it worked out ok for us. My younger boy was a really big baby so he only fit in the carrycot bit for a couple of months but I felt he was too young and lacking in neck strength to have to sit up most of the time. My older boy was, until Christmas, utterly unreliable re walking safely alongside so he *had* to go in the pushchair but now he's very well behaved so Joel is in our old Bugaboo Bee and the Explorer will be sold in a little while. I loved it when it was a necessity, both the boys latterly were pretty comfy, Adam would go in the back and was happy enough.

I use buses all the time so a side by side wasn't an option. I never had any trouble managing it on public transport.

We have a 2yr and 2.5 month age gap.

 

[XJessicaX]

I have literally just bought a Phil&Teds Dash double. Its BRILLIANT! Its narrower than the sport and better made, steers and drives beautifully. SO compact! It looks like a single buggy and then people look surprised when they see DD2 in the cocoon!