Phil n teds sport (or vibe) with a maxi cosi car seat - anyone tried it?

[Flumpity]

Just spotted u can get maxi cosi adapters to turn the phil n teds tandem buggy into a travel system. Anyone tried it and does it work with the newborn coocoon below the car seat for 2 babies (one in each)?

yes ke again still angsting about buggies lol!

Thanks in hope

[curiositykilled]

Official thing says doubles kit can't be used.

[curiositykilled]

would assume that means newborn cocoon can't...

[Flumpity]

Thanks. Just looked at one today and cocoon fits great in normal p&t newborn place with carseat on the toddler seat (just in case anyone else ever wants to know).

[loonylady]

has anyone tried a maxi cosi and toddler in back seat? i know its not recommeded but wondered if in reality it works ok?

[MillyMollyMoo]

I have to say I tried it out in John Lewis because that was my plan if I had twins and it does work until the babies out grow the cocoon and then you have the problem everyone else has with the P&T's that the baby is too young to sit in the doubles seat and too big for the cocoon.

Somebody has a bebe confort twin club on ebay atm which I have and that allows two maxi cosi car seats on the chassis and is about £100, that I suspect is a better option for the first 6 months.

[Flumpity]

its such a problem generally with buggies isn't it, that 3-6 month stage when they don't want to lie flat in a pram (certainly dd1 didn't!) but are too weeny to sit properly in a normal buggy. we solved it with dd1 by having a travel system (micralite fast fold newborn +) and she was in the carry cot for about 3 months, then in the car seat for about 2 months, then in the normal buggy from about 5 months. but there's a definite 'gap' in most buggies between helpless lying down newborn and child who can sit in a buggy, twin buggies don't seem any better.

our plan is to just rotate them between the cocoon and carseat, and you can put on in the cocoon bit without the cocoon just with a fleece or whatever when they have actually grown out the cocoon, but are still too small for the seat. i figure its only 8 weeks and one of them will just have to lump it and lie flat!!! evil parents huh. but i have friends who did this and managed and only had to have the one buggy. at least P&T isn't too wide to go through doors or too heavy like the icandy.

argh! good luck.

[Anjelika]

I measured our doorway/hallway last night and realised that we're unlikely to be able to fit any of the double pushchairs through it so the Phil n Teds is looking like the best option for me.

Does anyone know how long the cocoon is supposed to last? I was thinking that if you had a toddler and a new baby and the new baby couldn't go in one of the proper seats for 6 months, then surely the cocoon must last for 6 months? In that case, you could surely just use a car seat + the cocoon until 6 months, when both twins could go into the seats.

[MillyMollyMoo]

This is the trouble, most people find the cocoon lasts for 3/4 months tops and then there's a period where the buggy is useless until the little one can sit up.
However with twins you might get away with it.
Every twin mum I've spoken to said they didn't go out much at all when the babies were tiny, certainly not long enough to mean they'd been in the car seats too long so you should be fine.

[Anjelika]

Thanks MMM. I think I will speak to some of my friends who bought a P&T when they had their 2nd babies - I certainly can't remember any of them not being able to use it between 4 & 6 months when the baby outgrew the cocoon but was too small to sit in a seat.

Take your point about not leaving the house much but I have a toddler so will have to try and get out for his sake!

If push comes to shove I'll have to do car seat and Baby Bjorn carrier.

[Anjelika]

Just to say I posted a mesasge on the general pregnancy board about this and have been told in no uncertain terms that a P&T will not work for twins. According to one person it's not possible to have the car seat and the cocoon on at the same time - it has to be car seat with toddler seat - but Flumpity I think you tried it out and found it OK?

[bethoo]

i have a vibe and never bothered with the cocoon, jsut laid dd flat on the big seat layeered with blanklets as she was a winter baby and ds sat on the seat on top, he loved being so high, ut no use ot you with twins i know but what i am saying is the cocoon imo is not really necessary, just another way to get more cash out of you

[accessorizequeen]

Phil n teds is the worst twin pram I have used (actually the worst of all the prams I have had which numbers 10 I think) although I haven't used it with newborns or with a car sear (I don't like travel systems).
I really don't think it's a good option for two babies of the same age. It means one is in a car seat all the time (well swap them round, still means your babies are in a car seat too much of the time!), it's awful to fold, awful to push. As a twin mum I'd say that you don't get out much (to groups or that kind of thing) but going for walks is a lifesaver and that's manageable every day.

Once they're in the proper seats, it's a nightmare putting a baby in the bottom seat, the straps are sooo fiddly. There's nowhere to put anything and you've got twice as much stuff as for a single baby! They're designed for a baby & toddler, two babies have different requirements and it just doesn't fit. Mine are a year now and getting them in and out of the damn thing is so tedious.

I think an icandy pear (with the jogger wheel as it's really heavy with the normal wheel - Mel2005 was selling hers I think) or a powertwin are waaaaaay better options esp once babies get to six months and want to be able to see! I've got an MB double and have never had a problem getting it through a door anywhere. I have a v.narrow front door & hallway and it was fine. The p&t twin is also v.narrow & you can use cocoons in that.
Also worth bearing in mind that you don't get any of the nice 'twin' attention with them in a p&t coz no-one knows you've got them. There are days when that's a good thing, but generally people coming up and saying awww aren't they gorgeous is a highlight of the day!

[accessorizequeen]

sorry, that was really negative post!

[bigcar]

Did you know p&t are bring out a carrycot attachment, it's on the mothercare site if you want a look, no idea if it would work with a cocoon as well but may be worth a look?

[Anjelika]

Thanks bigcar - I will take a look. I cannot rest until I get this pram business sorted!

I was all set on an iCandy Pear but I've now got the impression that it will a) be very heavy once the twins grow a bit and b) the twins will outgrow it very quickly. There are an awful lot on Ebay which are less than a year old!

My other option at the moment is a Phil n Teds twin classic (side by side). At 73cm it is the narrowest of all the side by sides I think but I haven't seen one in the flesh and can't find anywhere that stocks them! Will set up another post for that one I think!

Anjelika.

[bigcar]

the twin is also on the mothercare site and it's not a website exclusive so maybe one of the larger stores will have one on display, could be worth a ring round.

[mel2005]

i have had the p&t twin side by side and the mountain buggy and i have to say the mountain buggy is by far much better quality and when the seats are reclined the p&t has that awful gap whilst the mountain buggy has fabric so its much cosier. the hood on the p&t was terrible. if you have the choice go for a mountain buggy.
i got rid of my p&t vibe in about a week as i didnt like it for twins. i currently have a jane powertwin and a mountain buggy. the mountain buggy is the best by far of the hundreds of buggies i have had. the powertwin is good but when i had it for a baby and toddler it tipped into the road. my new one has almost tipped with the twins when i had my three year old on the buggy on a pavement that sloped alot to one side and my 3 year old leaned to the side the pavement was tipping. i do think most buggies would have tipped in that situation as well. the powertwin is easy to fold etc and is much more suited for twins. i also have a maclaren twin techno. i dont mind it but its not much good off road, used mainly for when we go swimming. its quite a nippy buggy but the basket is tiny because of all the bars in the way not much will fit in. also the brake isnt easy to put on or take off.
i did have the fantastic icandy pear but i sold it as i had so many buggies and i mainly use the mountain buggy as i use two buggy boards for my older two monsters. i didnt like the seat positions when facing outwards (one low behind and one at the top)it was a great buggy for babies as it went in my car whole and i could be gone in a few seconds clipping the car seats on. bit of a pain to keep folding though if you have a small car boot.

[Anjelika]

Mel2005

Thanks for your input here. It's especially interesting to hear how P&T side by side compares with the Mountain Buggy. I'm hoping I might be able to pick up a Mountain Buggy second hand as it's a bit expensive to buy new (about twice the price of the P&T).

Anjelika