OK, so is there a better alternative to a phil and teds?

[mrswee]

hi

I've just found out no.2 is coming along. my DD will just have turned 3 at that time.
I currently own a Bee and use it most of the time when we are not going to walking some where.
I also have a phil and teds sport2 which I bought second hand but almost new when we had all that snow, I really bought it for off road rather than the double function but it came with all the stuff so i thought if we had another child then that's what we'd use....
However, I find the phil and teds SO clunky and heavy, which is no surprise compared to the bee, and I was just about to sell it when I descovered I was pregnant.. now I am in two minds... well 3 actually..

1. I keep and use the phil and teds

2.I sell the phil and teds and use the bee for the baby and don't bother at all with a buggy for a 3 year old or

1. I find a better/lighter/smoother alternative to a phil and teds and sell both buggys to fund it...

sorry for the long post but you can hopefully see my dilema... so does anyone know if there is a better alternative or should I just ditch it?

I love my nipper 360. Really easy to push and much more sociable to have them side by side. IMO
I can get through nearly all doors with it.

another vote for the nipper, i use one for my 15mth old dd and its been even with ds4 (who is just 4 and BIG) sat on the footrest, i am sure thats not recomended by the manufactuer tho! mine is a single but if i ever needed a double then the double nipper is fab, lots of my friends have them :)

as your dd will be 3 i think you could get away with a single nipper and maybe have a sling if she needs to be in the pushchair or do as i did and let her sit on the footrest, it works fine and is still a breeze to push. i think some buggy boards attach to the nipper as well :)

Get a sling / baby carrier to use for baby til DD ready to give up buggy then use a buggy board.
That way you can use your Bee.

Stick with the bee and a wrap for the baby if your on a all day outing and dd may need the bee for a rest.

At 3 your DD will probably be able to walk most of the time unless you are walking miles a day.

Maybe it is worth hanging onto the P&T for the odd occasion when your DD may use it. It really should only be short term anyway. FWIW I would never have gotten either of my DSes near a pushchair at 3.

wow thanks for the quick replies!
I should have said that I am on and off buses all the time, so I think a side by side would be a hassle in that respect. I'd quite fancy the bugga boo twin otherwise but it's too big.
My DD is getting used to a buggy board just now as I look after a friend's DD once a week and I use her pram so we just attach a board..
I am just thinking, do I want to be in the position where I never have a buggy availble for DD.. except if I was using a sling, which I could probably only use for the first few months.
I couldn't even use a sling the last time as I had SPD in pregnancy and when I used a sling when DD was little it seemed to bring the pain back. I was a lot heavier then so hopefully that will be less of an issue this time, fingers crossed.
We haven't been using a buggy as much these days as we walk a lot but if I do end up with SPD again then we will be back to the buggy because I won't be able to risk having to caryy DD when she is tired so I am wondering if she will get very used to being in a buggy again and resent giving her buggy away to another baby!
god the weird things that you wonder when you are pregnant!

I think with a 3 year old you'll really not need a pushchair enough for it to be worth investing in a new double. OTOH it's likely that you'll have the occasional day where you have to do a lot of walking in a hurry or the 3 yr old is poorly, so I'd also keep the P&T in reserve for the first 6 months or so and then sell it - you won't need a double very often, but for those few times you'll kick yourself if you sell it too soon.

I agree and disagree. I think my 3 a child suddenly becomes more sensible and can walk further and listen to you better without having a complete melt down (well my DD anyway!) but my DD is now 3 and a half and even this week we stupidly left behind our Peach Blossom pip convertor bars and paid for it dearly by the end of the day :( She had walked for something like 6 hours with barely a sit down though. But even on more "normal" outings I find the supermarket hard hard work if she isn't in the trolley or a pushchair. She may well walk home at the end though.

I would consider keeping the P&Ts although I strongly suggest you put the doubles kit on the front ie in newborn mode and see how your son fits underneath the hood when he's raised up.
I have to say if you do buy something different and buy wisely you shouldn't lose any money upon resale. My suggestions would be based on my own experience, a Peach Blossom - an old version one would be absolutely fine with your age gap so buy a good second hand one and you will get your money back. It makes a fab single as well.
Or if you have the money to spend on a new pushchair, then the Mountain Buggy +One is very good with your age gap. It can be a single or a double and even in double mode it still looks like a single and pushes like a large single. We have one and for me it just gives me that back up peace of mind that if DD has a melt down or is being opinionated over which direction she really wants to go in then she can be lifted in easily and off we go!

Thanks again for your advise. reading it is reminding me of all the miles I walked with DD in the pram when she was tiny and I needed to get out of the house or get her to sleep.. even in 8 months time I'm not sure DD will be able of up for walking miles and miles and a buggy is certainly handy at meltdown time, which happens a few times a day and often over a disagreement of which direction she wants to walk or that she wants carried!
I going to look at the peach blossom buggy and the mountain buggy single..

anyone tried other phil and ted models, are any of them considerably lighter than a sport 2 which is a monster!?