Tutonia spirit

[kipper31]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of this travel system? I can't find many reviews of it anywhere!

[AngelDog]

Yes, but DS is calling so will pop back tomorrow if I remember.

[nicm]

hi yes i have the spirit s3. have had it now for just over 2 years and love it. still use it daily for ds. i git the fashion carrycot with it and the all year footmuff, windcover and sun parasol. i ordered from germany but you can get them here now and because of the euro exchange it's cheaper.

the 3 year warranty is good too as i have had problems with the front wheel and we somehow managed to break the bumper bar and they have sent a replacement no questions asked.

i really liked the s3 as it was the only proper 3 wheeler i could find at the time with a rf seat and i still have ds facing me.

anything else you'd like to know, shout.

[AngelDog]

Right. I've had mine 5 months so haven't started using the pushchair bit. I also have the Fashion carrycot, but no other accessories.

Positives:* Manoeuvrability is brilliant.

• Front wheel locks for use on rough terrain.
  
• Suspension is fantastic.
  
• Foam tyres = no worry about punctures.
  
• Rear/forward facing options.
  
• Handbrake is good for going down steep hills.
  
• SPF 50 fabric.
  
• Folds easily & wheels come off easily (when you want them to, that is!)
  
• Handle has good adjustability - better than most alternatives IMO
  
• We used the carry cot instead of a Moses basket.
  
• Good shopping carrying capacity
  
• Easy to get sleeping baby in carrycot in/out of the house without having to bump up & down steps with the wheels
  
• Very stable 3 wheeler: has never tipped over sideways.
  
  Negatives:* Fashion carrycot is not very long or deep compared with some others e.g. some Icandys, Bugaboo. (DS is 5 m.o. and was 50th centile for height, but is technically too long for it, although I just put him in it & bend his legs a bit - he doesn't mind!)
  
• Plastic catch to 'unlock' carrycot from chassis has broken (still able to take it off, but is a bit of a faff now - need to get it fixed). Could see this happening fairly easily.
  
• Still big when folded (but we never collapse ours so not an issue for us).
  
• Velcro fastenings for carrycot / cot cover aren't much good when covers etc get moved out of position / squashed.
  
• Cover for cot blows up at the bottom in strong winds - we keep meaning to put some self-adhesive velcro on to stop this.
  
• Hard to cover up side 'windows' on Fashion carrycot for a baby who is resisting sleeping.
  
• Don't like cot raincover that came with it - velcro tab to hold opening flap back has ripped off plastic. If we had another DC, I'd buy the weather protector (you can buy over the internet from www.paulstride).
  
  A great 'off-roader' type ideal for if you walk a lot. Not so good if most of your use is taking it out in the car.
  
  I would almost certainly buy it again as most of the -ves are little niggles but the +ves are big deals to me.
  
  HTH
  
  nicm how have you got on with the footmuff and windshield for the pushchair? Do you use both together, or would just the footmuff be enough, do you think? I need to get that organised before properly switching to the pushchair bit, I think.

[AngelDog]

Oops, some of my *s seem to be a bit random there.

And it should be www.paulstride.co.uk. I actually bought mine from Kiddicare but I rang Paul Stride when thinking about whether to buy accessories and they were really helpful.

[nicm]

angeldog i have used both when it was really cold in the winter although i don't have the plastic raincover as i bought a nylon one in berlin on holidays so the pram is still open iykwim. also used both mostly when he was smaller and sleeping outside. maybe this wouldn't be so essential if you used the footmuff and teutonias own raincover. i liked the all year muff too as i've used it in the summer and then just as a liner too. ds still fits in it at 2yo and he is 95cms at 2 yrs!

[kipper31]

Thank you, that's really helpful advice. I had actually seen in in Paul Stride and at the moment it is the winner. I like the idea of using the carrycot instead of a moses basket. Did you need to put a different matress in or did the one that came with it do the job ok?

Thanks

[AngelDog]

kipper31 No, I just used the one mattress it came with - it seemed fine, although it feels slightly squishy around the edges. DS was a winter baby so it was nice & cosy for him, but I'm sure it would be fine for summer too.

We did eventually 'upgrade' to a bigger carrycot of an old pushchair we were given, but TBH the Teutonia carrycot lasted as long as a Moses basket would have done.

nicm thanks for the advice!

[nicm]

no i just used the mattress that came with it! i had bought one but ds was 9lb 9oz and 55cm so i thought that if i had the extra mattress in to he wouldn't have fitted! but he lasted to 6 months and slept well in it.