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Original poster

Double buggy- Maclaren techno or Phil n Teds Vibe?

13 replies

oinkyoink · 20/03/2011 22:47

Not sure whether to go for the side-by-side Maclaren or the Phil and Teds where one sits behind?

I'm thinking i prefer the maclaren as it is umbrella fold, the only thing i am worried about is getting through shop doors....... also think the P&T is heavy and cumbersome. Maclaren would be great for travelling, airports etc.....

Let me know if you have one and what you think!

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sb6699 · 20/03/2011 23:38

I had a Techno and never had a problem getting through doors.

Its easy to fold and fits in just about any car boot (I had a corsa at the time).

I did feel the seats were rather on the narrow side, so probably not great for older children.

CBear6 · 21/03/2011 08:08

I need a double and I'm getting the Phil and Ted's, I used advice from MN and from asking mums I've seen with doubles.

I actually saw two mums out together and one had the Maclaren while the other had the Vibe. I had to explain that I was staring because they were the two pushchairs I was trying to decide between and they were great about it, they gave me loads of advice on them.

The Maclaren is easy to fold, not especially wide for a double (so shop doorways aren't a problem), and it's good enough for the money. But, and the mum emphasised it's a big but, it's no good if your two children are radically different sizes. She told me she wished she had gotten a tandem instead of a side by side because she has a toddler and a little baby in the buggy. The side with the toddler is noticeably heavier when pushing it and it's hard to turn because one side is weighted down more than the other, she said it hurt her arms and back after a while and the back wheels tend to wear out faster even when switching sides with the heavier child.

Based on that I ordered the Phil and Ted's because I'll have a 2yo and a newborn. The other attraction of the P&T was that once my 2yo wants to walk full-time or when one of the children isn't there, the buggy converts back down into a single just by taking off the second seat so I felt I'd get more mileage out of it whereas the Maclaren can only ever be a double.

mum2JRC · 21/03/2011 08:11

Is it for two children of different ages?

I've got a Phil n Teds Sport. 2year age gap between my boys and loved it. Can push it one handed when both in the buggy and folds down small for a boot. You need to make sure tyres always pumped up well otherwise it feels heavier to push

Firawla · 21/03/2011 08:25

from what i've heard a lot of people find the mclaren very narrow so if your children are big for their age an oldish toddler may not be the best?
i have a p&t (not vibe, sport) and overall am fairly happy with it. fits easily on buses etc more than a side by side

MissusF · 21/03/2011 08:25

I have had dozens of doubles as a CM, I now have a Britax B-dual, best one I have ever had, similar to the P&T, but lots more room, a decent basket, and both chairs lie back.

Sold my P&T to get it.

nannyl · 21/03/2011 09:41

Phil and teds, definitley
(or mountian buggy urban or nipper 360 if you wat side by side, and they are NARROWER than the Maclaren. Or the Jane slalom i think (tandem 3 wheeled double, by Jane)
Not used a Britax B dual but herd lots of good stuff about it and it does look better than a P&T

Have used all of the above. double maclarens are so much harder to push than any other of the above buggies, even more difficult if children are of different sizes, and they are wider!

ThisIsYourSong · 21/03/2011 09:57

I've got a Maclaren Twin Techno, and I hate it and the boys hate it! Its uncomfortable for them (they kind of slouch down). Its really hard to get up and down curbs. It is really quick and easy to get up and down though.

I've never looked to buy/pushed a P&T but everyone I know who has one loves it.

humanfraggle · 21/03/2011 12:31

I never liked / wanted a side-by-side so researched all of the front-and-back doubles.

Have you looked into the iCandy pear? This is the one I went for (I bought 2nd hand off eBay as am too cheap to pay full price thought £750 was a little excessive!

I much prefer this to the P&T as it's roomier for the kiddywinks (yet it's no bigger than a decent single), I find it REALLY easy to push and manouevre, and I like how you can use it as a single if either not both kids are with you / after my DD will have grown out of it

jellyhead188 · 21/03/2011 12:58

I've had both and would go for the phil and teds every time (well had a sport not vibe), the maclaren I found hard to push, hard to get up and down curbs, shopping was as nightmare and just generally cumbersom. plus the older child can disturb the baby as they are next to each other.

The P&Ts was fantastic, has the added advantage that if you only need a single you can convert it dead easy.

daimbardiva · 21/03/2011 13:55

I was just about to ask about the pear humanfraggle as I aleady have an apple. What is the age difference between your wee ones - mine will be a newborn and a 2 year old, do you reckon a pear would work for us?

(Apologies to OP for blatant thread-jack!)

humanfraggle · 21/03/2011 14:31

daimbardiva the age difference will be 18 months (no 2 due in August!), so have only been using it as a single (same as the apple?) for now and it's SO much better than any other pushchair we've had (have shockingly had 4 different ones in the last year. I'm picky).

However, I temporarily stole borrowed my friend's newborn to try pushing it with 2 kids in, and it's a breeze, because of the way the 2-seater adapter fits to the frame, it doesn't make it any bigger, they kind of go up-and-down rather than front and back (this is what I didn't like about the P&T, seems the poor kid who sits in hte back has a seat right in their face, but much roomier on the pear).

I plan on putting the older one in the front, and having newborn in the back where I can see / get to them quicker

I would absolutely recommend this pushchair to anyone, I can't find any faults with it yet (and like I said, I'm picky!!)

Hope this helps

ThisIsYourSong · 21/03/2011 15:26

I had a Pear, absolutely loved it! Lots of people complain about the lack of leg room in the back seat but I never had a problem with my two chunky boys. It did get a bit squashed when they were say over 1 getting them in and out of the back seat with winter buggy snuggles on, but I used to just whip off the front seat. Negatives are: its a faff to put up and down (which is why we ended up with the Maclaren for the car) and the basket underneath is virtually unusable when you have the two seats forward facing.

Original poster

oinkyoink · 21/03/2011 20:20

Thanks everyone - sounds like the Maclaren is definitely not the way to go then......Onwards and upwards with the research! :)

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