Phil & Teds: a few questions

[bethdivine]

We're trying to decide between a P&T and a nipper 360. (DS 2.6 - DD 4mo). At the moment we're favouring a P&T and just have a few queries:

Firstly I didn't realise they had different models! we were going to go with the sport model - anybody think any other model is better? (for use for long walks not always on smooth ground).

Can DD sit in the seat when it is set up as a toddler seat? we want it as a sit-up pram for her (obviously not totally upright yet), which she can do currently in our M/C urban detour 3-wheeler.

When it's set up as two toddler seats, can you recline both seats?

Can either child sit in either seat or is it designed so that the older (heavier) one goes specifically in top or bottom?

Has anybody's DC ever hurt their hand stretching it out onto the wheel when in the lower seat?

Does the child sitting in the lower seat ever seem bored / as if they don't enjoy not seeing ahead?

Has anybody bought one and then wished they hadn't? (or wished they'd bought a side-by-side instead?)

TIA is you're able to answer any of the above or have any other comments on the P&T - esp. if you've already answered any of my previous posts on this! cheers.

I am 99% sure you will not regret buying a P&T and I will try to answer your queries as best I can!

I have the Sport, it seems to do the trick, the Vibe is more expensive and you can fold it with the doubles seat on (when used for 2 toddlers) and personally, unless you have the cash to splash, the Sport should be fine.

When you ask if your DD can sit in the seat when it is set up as a toddler seat, do you mean when it is on the top or the bottom? If you mean on the top, yes, I have had DD3 sit in in from the age of 4 months and she was quite happy, she liked being high up.

You can recline the the main part of the pram when the toddler seat is on the bottom slightly but not all the way as it would infringe on the child in the bottom seat. You can recline the doubles seat very slightly, enough for a nap.

I have had DD2 jump in and out of the bottom seat whilst DD3 is in the top, although there is only 16 months between them and DD2 is a light toddler.

DD2 hasn't YET put her hand in the wheels!

Not had a problem with either child sitting in the lower seat, don't spend hours in it walking around so no, no boredom yet!

I love mine, the fact that it can be used as a single when I am on my own with just one of them is what I find invaluable, I would feel a bit of a fool walking out with a double pram with just one child in it!

If you do purchase one, get a black one as they are quite heavy to unfold and you do have to lie them on the ground, I can imagine any other colour would show the dirt quite quickly.

Firstly I didn't realise they had different models! we were going to go with the sport model - anybody think any other model is better? (for use for long walks not always on smooth ground).

''We've had the sport and currently have the vibe - I'd favour the sport as i found it roomier and it felt sturdier.''

Can DD sit in the seat when it is set up as a toddler seat? we want it as a sit-up pram for her (obviously not totally upright yet), which she can do currently in our M/C urban detour 3-wheeler.

''The bottom seat on the vibe reclines slightly so would be better in that respect to the sport - but i think you'd have to wait till she was older imo. It is still easy to use with the main seat reclined fully for the baby and the older child ontop btw. I was able to see the babys head in this position too in the vibe. can't remember with the sport - too long ago!''

When it's set up as two toddler seats, can you recline both seats?

''You can't recline either seat really when it's set up as 2 toddler seats - the bottom child would loose space and the sport bottom seat doesn't recline. The vibe reclines about 3 inches. Bit pathetic really.''

Can either child sit in either seat or is it designed so that the older (heavier) one goes specifically in top or bottom?

''I swop the kids around tbh - i think it's advised that the lightest goes on the bottom though. Tbh if you've got the basket loaded it's not gonna tip.''

Has anybody's DC ever hurt their hand stretching it out onto the wheel when in the lower seat?

''You can get wheel guards.''

Does the child sitting in the lower seat ever seem bored / as if they don't enjoy not seeing ahead?

''I find they adjust to looking out the sides pretty well. Plus - your eldest will be wanting to walk more and more so baby will move to front seat i imagine.''

Has anybody bought one and then wished they hadn't? (or wished they'd bought a side-by-side instead?)

''Actually we have a side by side too - which i use in preference on daytrips - simply for better storage though, and comfort for eldest who has sen and getting a mite big for the p&t. Used the sport for 2 eldest for duration of middle dcs buggy days though - and thought it was fab.''

Having had a sport then moving onto a nipper single, i would be very tempted by the nipper double,but with the age of your oldest you may not use a double everyday beyond the next 6m so get the sport. im a total pramaholic but happily used my sport every day for 6m i loved it.

you will find in practice that your older dc goes in bottom seat then they can hope in/out as they want to walk.

if i was buying a double again with the age gap i had (newborn and 18m old) i would get the nipper but with the ages you have i'd deffo get the sport i had mine when ds2 was 2.8m and ds3 was 13m it was excellent.

brilliant, thanks so much for all the replies. think we're pretty much sold now. If anybody is still around, I just remembered a couple more questions:

How do you keep them both protected from the sun?

Is the child in the bottom seat a bit exposed to the wind etc?

thank you thank you

HI, i have the sport and the vibe, the vibe is a better looking pram, bigger hood, better recline method on seat(the recline on the sport is done by clips on the back and i found the back of the seat sags over time), seat is more comfy, better brake, but the basket is almost impossible to get into with child in back, and they have problems with the front wheel juddering ( which phil and teds know about and will fix when happens, but how long this fix will last i do not know, so don't buy one second hand ) the sport is more basic, but is easier to use, the basket is easier to get to and the pannier bags fit ( they don't on the vibe, you have to put one strap around the bumper bar which is not ideal ), phil and teds do a double sun cover ( which my kids would hate ) on ebay you can get a kind of hood that goes on the back seat to block out the sun, so you could use a parasol on the front, ( the hood on the vibe can move all the way forward to block out the sun or a head on wind ). I keep my sport for the car and use my vibe more, the vibe is better than the sport in many ways, but the sport does the job. The base bag is very good for nappies, wipes, purse etc and fits on the axel even with the seat attached to the back, if i had to choose between the sport or the vibe i have to say i would find it hard as both have there faults, but for looks and comfort it has to be the vibe. go to mothercare, the larger stores should have both out on display, oh and if its realy windy i just put the rain cover on.

I loved ours. Couple of things though, you may get punctures. In fact, we ended up replacing one of the tyres with a really thick tyre instead of patching it. I had a friend who carried some kind of amazing gel stuff around that you can pump in, in case of punctures, but I never found this miraculous stuff.

The lighter kid is supposed to go in the bottom, but almost everyone I know finds the older one prefers to be in the 'den' and the younger one likes to be the 'big child' on top.

I had black as did my friend (the one with the tyre gel). but she did then regret it when she found the resale value for red is about £100 more.

Oh, and I'm not sure now, but a couple of years ago they were still rare enough that you get chatting to people all the time. I got stopped a couple of times by parents wanting to find out where to get them from and others who were just stunned by the whole double-decker concept.