Buggy for newborn and large 21 month old? P&T Vibe?

[economymode]

Hello,

Am currently getting brainache researching double buggies. When our second child is born, our son will be 21 months old. He's tall and also a chunk (already over 12 kg at 15 months) so I'm a bit concerned that many of the standard double buggies won't be big enough for him.

I was pretty convinced with the P&T Vibe, but then reading reviews, some have said it's not great for larger toddlers. Is the 15kg weight limit set in stone?

I've seen the Baby Jogger City Select Twin, that looks like it might work - can be used with a carry cot for newborns (but it looks like it has to be a fancy, expensive carrycot) and the seats can take up to 20kg so we'd get more use.

But what I like about the P&T is that they are always going second-hand with the cocoon included.

Can anyone give me their opinions, on either the P&T, or other doubles? I'm erring towards a tandem rather than a side by side just for ease of getting it about. And it could also be used in single mode if we just wanted to take the newborn out.

As far as I know all the P&Ts in newborn toddler setup are awkward for toddler head height. Does the vibe have the adjustable hood, I think maybe it does so it's not so bad?

With the City Select although a lot of people love it word is it gets very heavy very quickly with child weigh on board so with a trend for bigger kids it might become unmanagable more quickly. I'm only going on what I have heard rather than personal experience but it sounds like you'd stop using the select before anyone hit 20kg!

Other options to look into: iCandy Peach (plenty on ebay, old blossom kit has non upright and smaller lower seat so limited usage, new PB2 fixes this problem but is not widely available yet). Jane Twone with matrix light carrycot/carseat or rebel car seat for newborn, the seats on this are close together and the lower one very low but it is very compact and easy to push etc. Britax B Dual is a good second hand buy, plus the main seat can be flat and parent facing when you want to use it as single. It is wide though, which is a consideration.

Would you consider a narrower side by side? The New Nipper is 72cm wide so goes through most doorways and sounds good for the bigger heavier child as it's very very easy to push.

Tiggy and others will have some more suggestions...

I have have a 12 month old DD and a 35 month old DD both off the scale tall and I have a P&T sport. Is brilliant for both - I find that I still have the doubles kit on most days but DD1 will walk and sit on the front footrest by DD2s feet if she gets tired. My friend has a city jogger side by side and DD1 is too tall for it.

DS is 21m and 15.5kg. Due DD in 4 weeks. We went for the Aria 60/40 - one side bigger than the other, DS has plenty of room! (more room than his stroller actually).

Britax b dual? My friend has one for her two dss, one of whom is 2 but the size of a 5 year old. They fit in it very nicely.

Pt explorer is newer with more space in back than sport
New pt I can't remember name of! has reclining rear seat

Thanks all, good suggestions and will investigate further.

Jamdoughnutfiend - was the P&T ok when your youngest outgrew the cocoon but wasn't old enough to recline? I've heard a few grumbles about that...

Good to know about the City Jogger, as that was one side by side I was considering.

We have a P&T explorer and DD will be 2.6 when next is born.
I'm planning on putting the doubles kit on the top and when DC2 grows out of cocoon just laying them in lie flat, it should be summer by then anyways.
DD was in the explorer sitting up from 4 months so at that point I will put the doubles kit on the back or get a buggy board.

The new P&Ts do look fab, saw them in John Lewis but the dot seat does appear smaller than the explorer.

Weight wise your DCs gain should tail off now, DD is in 91st centile and is 13.5kg now at 21 months.

I never like our Phil and teds

Worked ok in newborn and small toddler mode ( eldest was 15 months)
He is tiny but I very much doubt he would have fitted in the top toddler seat in newborn mode after 2.

From 4 monts baby ( without cocoon) could barely fit in newborn mode ( not large either) and I would have to pull his legs through to the front to fit

So then changed to regular double mode, back doesn't recline and front can't be recline if toddler in back as no room so baby would all asleep in back and flop over/ head lurch. Rather unsafe.

By this point eldest was almost 2 and walked most the time so we sold and just used buggy board on single if needed. Never looked back

If you can try looking at the narrow side by sides. I believe the mountain buggy duet and the new nipper are the same width as the single versions. The mountain buggy def has a high weight limit ( a 5 year old should be ok!)

Also look at the mima kobi

forevergreek, which P&T did/do you have?

Our son is a very good walker already at 15 1/2 months, but I do walk a fair bit and can see that I'll need to have him restrained at some points for napping and when he wants to go in completely the wrong direction! I just feel a side by side might be a bit superfluous as I won't use the second seat all the time, but I would like to have said second seat.

I have looked at the Joovy Cabooze (sp?), which would be ideal if it could be used from newborn, but sadly it doesn't lie flat.

I had the P&T Sport for my first 2 DC. DS was 15kgs at 18 months and 20 months when DD arrived, he fit in it fine.
Once DD had outgrown the cocoon I bought a head hugger from eBay and just lay her flat where the cocoon was with the straps fastened round her. Then used the head hugger once she went into the rear seat. I never had any problems with my P&T, I still regret selling it.

www.bestbuggy.co.uk/category/single/babystyle-oyster-max/

hello,
I have BJCS and it's great. My two are 2 years apart, older is nearly 3 now and still goes in the pram very often (I would prefer him to walk but he doesn't want). I tested so far:
Maclaren Techno Twin - heavy, can't fit through the door, bumpy ride with small wheels
Obaby Xi - (a bit like p&t) toddler can't see much or nap as other seat doesn't recline, I don't like 3 wheelers in general they tip over easily but kept this one if walking not far to see friends
iCandy pear - heavy and horrible, small seats, tiny carrycots, expensive
I liked BJ City Mini Twin but I wanted to use it as a single
They have it now on sale in Boots (started today) for 400 pounds but second seat normal price (can get 20% discount with parenting club code)
the same with city mini double 320 pounds!!!

My eldest was 22 months when my second was born and DD1 was also big for her age (99th percentile for height and weight) and the P&T vibe worked fine for us. We used it a lot as we didn't have a car until DD2 was over a year old so it probably went 4-6 miles each day (obviously eldest was walking some of that and more and more as she got older). The one niggle I had with it was that the front wheel went a bit bockety after a while making the steering not as light touch as when we got it first, but I put it down to the fact that it got a LOT of use and DD1 was technically over the weight limit. It was still perfectly usable though - I'd recommend it.

I had the vibe and HATED it....very heavy, not very easy to manoeuvre. London buses were very mixed as to whether it was allowed on or not - and impossible to fold and deal with baby and toddler. also the silly brake button on the handle bar meant that I kept accidentally doing emergency stops in the middle of the road or somewhere equally unhelpful, and prevents you pusing it one handed as you couldn't push with one hand in the middle of the bar. Also could fit very little underneath if you had a toddler sitting in the back (when set up for two toddlers) and you couldn't really hang much off the handlebars without bashing the occupant underneath. Lastly, baby got pretty hot in the carry cot and grew out of it very very quickly - made for mini babies, not normal sized boys that grow quickly.
I sold mine.
I found it much easier to use a single buggy and a sling, and then I got a double maclaren which I love (light, easy to manouevre, can fit loads of shopping on it, folds easily, travels on airplane).
I had 17 months between my first two so I made do with the vibe for a bit then got rid.
I also have two friends for whom the front wheel of their P&T vibes fell off whilst they were pushing it with newborn and toddler. This was before the recall where they fixed this problem, but I know it was quite common.

Ah yes if you want a buggy that is easy to fold one handed I could see the P&T vibe being a problem. We didn't have a car and I wasn't using public transport much (and buses in our area had no problem taking it) so just walked everywhere with it so folding wasn't an issue for us. No problem taking it on airplanes either.

Re. the problem everyone seems to mention about the baby outgrowing the carry cot bit very quickly, its still possible to use the underneath lie flat baby bit without the carrycot (can use a moses basket or pram mattress if you want extra padding for the baby to lie on), and you can move the toddler seat up to a higher level which enables you to use the underneath bit for the baby that bit longer. DD2 was on the 91st percentile and we used it like that til she was 6 months old.

I guess I saw every double buggy as being a bit of a compromise - none of them will be perfect and for our lifestyle at the time it was definitely the one that suited best.

Sorry, forgot to say they have baby jogger city select for 400 pounds.
I would look at Baby Jogger City Mini Twin GT if you want side by side for bigger child.
Sadly there's not many good twin pushchairs and you have to compromise between size of the buggy and comfort of your little ones (smaller size - less comfort usually and less options) and of course the price.
I used bestbuggy.co.uk site to see options and honest reviews, it helps!