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Original poster

Phil & Ted users, advice please

23 replies

bevlin · 01/09/2009 14:37

I have a 2 yr old DS and a new baby due in January and was thinking the Phil & Ted looked the easiest out of all the double buggy's.
If you have one, what do you think? Is it heavy once toddler and baby are in it? Is it easy to steer?
What is the best type of Phil & Ted as im clueless.
Thanks x

OP posts:

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Tamlin · 01/09/2009 18:53

I've bought the Sport for when our second baby arrives as a friend recommended it - she's been bumping her double P & T across the local fields for two years now (with dog in tow!) and it's held up really well. I've used it a couple of times when babysitting a friend's toddler, and I don't think it's too heavy - the brake is a bit of a sod, though (hard to manoeuvre with just your foot).

I asked the saleslady when we bought it what the difference was between the Sport and the Vibe. She shrugged and said 'The Vibe's more expensive?! I'll be honest, I think it's just looks.'

RFCMummy · 01/09/2009 19:11

it's amazing. I went through 4 other double buggy combinations before getting the P&T. Used every day now for 2 years and never looked back

warthog · 01/09/2009 19:14

i used it when the dd's were smaller. very easy to manoevre. brake took a bit of getting used to. quite heavy to lift into the back of the car. otherwise i really liked it.

dd1 is a bit of an acrobat though, and would fall off occasionally (i should have strapped her in!) and for that reason i reverted back to the bugaboo with a buggy board. not as comfortable to push, but i love it. have now dispensed with buggy board and dd1 walks.

Original poster

bevlin · 01/09/2009 20:53

Warthog I have the bugaboo too at the moment and I love it. I think that's why I need to spend my money wisely or i'll end up with a double buggy gathering dust and either using a sling for the baby or buggyboard for DS. I just think my DS will keep wanting off the BB. I need to be able to strap him down to get anywhere nowadays!

OP posts:

SparkyMalarky · 01/09/2009 20:55

We have a Vibe and love it - plenty of space for DS who's 3.4 (and not small) and I use it as a pram (with the cocoon facing me) when DS at nursery....would recommend.

kathyis6incheshigh · 01/09/2009 20:58

We have a Sport and we love it.
You can buy a cupholder for the Vibe though

mankymummymoo · 01/09/2009 20:59

mine was fantastic, have an E3, am selling on ebay soon cos DS too big for it.

it handles brilliantly, only crap thing is the shopping basket at the bottom scrapes on the floor if you put too much heavy stuff in it.

Meglet · 01/09/2009 21:30

We have the sport. The vibe is actually a bit wider as my friend can't push hers through my front door. The brake on the sport is tricky to use (much better on the vibe), but you get the knack of it. Having the baby in the back of the P&T in the cocoon in winter means they are really cosy . I think the vibe can be folded with the back seat on aswell.

However I have recently stopped using the P&T and bought a second hand side-by-side Urban Detour ( although this is the new style ) as the P&T was getting hard to walk with so we are using the UD most days now. When the seat was on the back of the P&T I could only take little dolly steps and the weight of a baby & toddler made it hard to steer. I wouldn't recommend the P&T if you are tall or like taking big power-walking strides everywhere. But having said that the P&T was ideal with a young baby & toddler. I should have bought both types of double buggy second hand so we could change them to suit what we were doing.

theyoungvisiter · 01/09/2009 21:39

we have a sport and I love it. I would unhesitatingly recommend it. It is heavy, but that's the weight of the toddler plus baby, not the buggy per se.

It's also one of the few that fits easily onto public transport without folding - a must if you take the bus often.

The only thing is, I wish I had not bought it from an internet retailer.

We got a fantastic discount so at the time it seemed to make financial sense, however we've had a few small problems (seams giving way, zips breaking) which would, I think, have been fixed by the manufacturer as they all occurred quite soon after purchase. However I couldn't be arsed to return the buggy to the retailer as it meant organising a courier at my expense. The courier cost would have been refunded if the manufacturer agreed that the problems were their fault but I didn't want to pay out without a guarantee that it would be refunded.

So in retrospect I wish I'd spent the extra £50 and got it from somewhere like mothercare or John Lewis where I could have dropped it off for assessment and repair.

theyoungvisiter · 01/09/2009 21:42

oh and cocoon is absolutely fantastic for a winter baby. They are sooooo cosy and you don't have to dress them in 50 layers to get them in and out - just zip them up in the cocoon indoors and the whole shebang goes in to the buggy.

I also used it to carry DS2 from the house to the car, even when we weren't taking the buggy, as it meant I could put him down on the ground to open the car/sort DS1. Otherwise there's no way you can put a winter baby on the pavement , so it would have meant putting DS2 in the car seat first, by which time DS1 woudl have probably run under a bus.

he also used to sleep in restaurants under teh table and we used it as a travel cot for the first few months.

Was probably my no 1 favourite piece of kit.

NigellaTufnel · 01/09/2009 21:46

Which one would be better for off roading for country paths, the vibe or the sport?

jaffacakeaddict · 01/09/2009 22:07

I don't know anything about the Vibe I'm afraid but can second everything that everyone else has said about the Sport and the cocoon. In addition, I also bought the sleeping bag style buggy snuggle. It is fantastic once a baby outgrows the cocoon. It is really cosy and, if you want, you can zip it up so all you can see is the baby's face. It is really soft and my DS2 looked very warm in it. The cocoons aren't huge and I think most babies grow out of them by about 5 or 6 months old so you might get quite a lot of wear out of it. I've also liked being able to use the Sport as a single buggy. There is 2.5 years between my DSs and as I'd used the mamas and papas pram that I bought for DS1 so much that the wheels have worn down it is useful to have another single buggy. THe only downside that I've found to the Sport is that although you can push it one handed while holding an older child's hand it isn't as easy to do as it is with a Maclaren buggy.

BikeRunSki · 01/09/2009 22:17

I got a cupholder/key pocket thing for my P&T Sport from Kiddicare. It is basically a bum back that goes over the back of the P&T.

I only have 1 DC and use my P&T as a single. It is study, easy to manouevre, narrow enough for shops etc, big shopping basket. A bit bulky and heavy to get in back of car, but no impossible.

madmissy · 01/09/2009 22:44

i have had the e3 the sport and the vibe

all heavy but hey its a double!!

e3 great rear seat will not recline but its higher

sport handle adjust and rear seat reclines ( although have to say the bar gets in way so bit pointless up to a certain age) mud guards standard

vibe great but mine broke was first batch out, wheel bearings went in front wheel and the brake done my head in!! the red button is sensitive so you wld be walking along and then you wld skid lol

but looks good, does fold with double seat but its wide

dash in one i wld like to try next

kathyis6incheshigh · 02/09/2009 08:23

I don't know about the Vibe but the Sport is certainly very good for off-roading. We've used ours a lot and only ever had 1 puncture.
I would probably check the relative weights of the two as this is a big factor when you are lifting it over stiles, dragging it up steep hills, etc!

Interesting that people are so positive about the cocoon. I hadn't thought about the putting it down on the pavement element - that could really help when getting buses. We have dc3 due in mid-Oct so warmth will be an issue....

Original poster

bevlin · 02/09/2009 14:28

meglet that double urban thingy looked quite neat for a double. Do you think on hinesight you would have preffered that from the off or would you still recommed P&T?
My Ds will be 2.7 years when baby born in January.

OP posts:

dal21 · 02/09/2009 18:08

OP - am reading this with interest...as my DS is also 2 and our baby is due in Jan.
I have a stokke which I absolutely love, however I dont think the buggy board will fit on it well and I also agree with you - I dont think that my DS will stay on the board for more than 30 seconds!

I am planning to wait until baby arrives and see how we get on with the combo of stokke/ sling/ DS walking before investing in a double buggy.

But will keep an eye on this thread, so P&T users, please keep posting!

madmissy · 02/09/2009 18:13

well i just got myself a e3 off ebay

always good idea to have a back up double with small age gaps

i will have a e3 and a cam to use with board on good days lol

PinkyMinxy · 02/09/2009 18:30

lol I had been thinking of getting rid of my P&T until today. Fist day of school run and DD1 (2.10) starts off on the buggyboard on my BUgaboo bee, at the first set of lights she decides she wants to walk then sits down on the pavement..so I am then pushing DD2 in the buggy with DD1 on my shoulders (well sort of half on my shoulders half on my head), carrying DS's sports kit and tyring to talk to him about his first day at proper school, all in the pouring rain.....

Tomorrow we will be going with the P&T They really are a life saver. I've had mine nearly 4 years and used it so much, it's a workhorse of a pram. I have the E3 V2.

I recommend the cocoon and the sleeping bag for the second seat, though for the front seat you are better with a buggy snuggle, IMO, as it is bigger.

As regards after sales, I bought mine from Lesters Nursery World in Manchetser and they are fab, however the ony problem with P&T is the UK importer- oUt n about I think- they are not very customer friendly. We needed a part for ours when it was still in warranty and Lesters were mortified when out n about insisted that we had to pay for it.

Toppy · 02/09/2009 19:34

Just to throw another P&T option into the mix have you considered the relatively new Dash - pitched in between the Sport and the Vibe it is a souped up Sport. It has a brake on the handle bar, one button collapse and I think a metal rather than scuffable canvas footplate. Have just bought mine from Peppermint for a really good bundled deal as John Lewis don't stock it. Have several friends that tried the Vibe and then changed to the Sport so Dash might be just the trick.
P&T are also bringing out something called a Hammerhead - has two small wheels on front like the Bugaboo to make it super manoeuvrable. Not out yet - I know one lady who has a three month old and is still holding out for it. Looks like it is going to be expensive though.

Original poster

bevlin · 07/09/2009 14:58

Oh that's interesting (bang goes my sensible 2nd hand plan though lol)! Im very into walking everywhere so the easier to handle the better. Toppy what is peppermint, is it an online retailer or a shop? When is the hammerhead meant to come out?

OP posts:

dal21 · 07/09/2009 18:03

Bevlin - two of my friends have recommended the out n about nipper double and it does look fantastic. I am planning to look at that one also! I prefer the side by side combo...so it may win for me...

Toppy · 07/09/2009 18:11

Hi there - Peppermint have about 4 shops across London - Clapham and Kingston spring to mind but they do internet orders too which is what I did. They have been excellent - a great price and I also got a free UV shade and bag with mine.

www.peppermint.co.uk

The Clapham shop was quite specialist - just sell a couple of brands of buggies and tripp trapp chairs from what I could see (NB John Lewis has stopped dealing with Tripp Trapp this year so always good to know where you can get them at a place with great service).

Not sure about the Hammerhead - I am sure it will be here by the end of the year. I would give them a call

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