Ok, so I'd like P&T double, but which one?

[designerbaby]

Bit baffled as to the pros and cons of each...

When DD2 conmes along in Feb/March I'll have a tallish DD of 26 months ish who, while she likes to walk, unfortunately only ever wants to walk in the opposite direction to where I want to go... Or walk up to unknown front doors and hammer on them etc. etc. She also has a longish nap most days, so I reckon the P&T is for me... I'm out and about a lot. (The icandy being too heavy and expensive and side by sides to bloomin' wide for city life.)

Have seen the sport used by friends and liked it, but am concerned that when used with a newborn, DD may be too tall for it - and I've heard that there's a metal bar at the top of the seat which she may hit her head on...?? Also concerned that there's a lack of recline options on one or other of the seats, but not sure which?

Another friend has the vibe, and while I like the look, she's had quite a few glitches/faults with it... But apparently it will accomodate a taller toddler that the sport, and there's no metal bar issues? I do, however, like the fact that apparently you can fold it down with the doubles kit in place? And appretly has more recline options, but not sure for which seat?

I keep seeing the new dash, but know nothing about it... ditto the classic.

Have lost out on several ebay auctions and am beginning to think I may have to buy new, and then sell when I no longer need it - they all seem to hold their price pretty well...

Anyone got any tips before I drag DD1 to John Lewis and make them show me the whole range in various positions for her to sit in and try out!?

Thankyou, oh wise and learned pushchair experts...

db
xx

I have the Sport and I love it. DS was 20 months when DD was born and he fit into the smaller seat fine. I swapped them over when DD was nearly 5 months as she had started protesting about lying flat so put her in the back with a footmuff. The lack of recline has never bothered her and she sleeps for hours.
My DS is now nearly 30 months and still fits in the back seat. His head is over the top but he likes jumping in and out for quick rides when his legs get tired or he wants something to eat.

I wish we had got the Dash for the plastic footwell and the comfier seats. Plus the brake on the Sport is quite stiff at first till you get used to it.

Have you got anywhere you can try your DD in one set up in newborn/toddler mode?

Having the same quandary,as you can see from the thread I recently started. We spent two hours in mothercare with DS (21months and very tall from the waist up, so it would seem!) and established that his head is already bashing the top of the hood on the sport and he was not at all impressed to try and peep out from under it. He would need to sit in this seat and you can't use a raincover without the hood up (or so I was told by helpful lady working there).

We tried the Vibe and liked it more - definitely more headroom and liked the idea of keeping doubles seat attached when collapsing it - although either need a degree or a lot of practise to do this in practise I think!

I can't work out where the Dash fits into the order of things and mothercare here don't sell it so couldn't try it for size. Let me know what you decide and if you find anymore info on the Dash. It's a lot of money to spend on any of them if we end up not liking them.

i spent AGES and i mean ages looking at all the phil and teds, we had an icandy until they both had a HUGE growth spurts and we finally got a car and realised it was just a blooming effort to use now and sold it on, as a walker in a little town it was perfect though!

Sport has a slightly larger doubles seat BUT the metal bar is on there head if the dose off, i hated the break and the tiny little hood on the sport so that was out,

We now have a Vibe and we LOVE IT!!!
Ds is 2.5 and dd is 1, the fold takes a couple of days to suss and then its a doddle and SO so small and compact for the size of it open, we have a tiny 3dr 106 and it slips in the boot perfectly. The break is also brilliant, although it took two sharp stops for me to remember it was in the middle!

DD is a tall 1yo, needs 2yo clothes and she can use the recline on the back seat and sleeps quite comfortably (had a 3hr nap in there the first time we used it)
Ds also tall fits in the back nicely and had a dose.

We tried it in the newborn setting for a friend and ds had loads of room under the hood with the seat on the lower setting.

The seats are far comfier and more supportive compared to my friends classic and sports.
And the cocoons slightly bigger and has a lovely foamy mattress in it!

Any qs on the vibe feel free to ask!

I have had a Sport for DD2 and 3, DD2 was 2 1/2 when DD3 came along and her head skirted under the hood just, she was 90cms tall at the time, as you can tell I debated this forever. It's only a problem if you are out in the rain and for the first 5 months only really.

I will have no4 when DD3 is 22 months so am now looking at a Vibe, have heard mixed reviews about them so will watch this thread with interest.

The Dash seems v similar to the Sport but with different seats more padded, I didn't like the harness in the Sport that much.

I bought my Sport for £330 and sold it for £290 7 months later, well worth it.

I hate my Vibe and have just bought a Nipper which I now use all the time instead. Am hanging on to the Vibe for the mo in case it works better once my DCs are older.

My DCs are 22 months and 4 months.

My main complaints were:

1. it was too heavy
2. cocoon was quickly outgrown (DD is a tiddler but was too big for it by 12 weeks or so). DS's head was over the top of the doubles seat so there was no way we could recline it.
3. we've only had it for 5 months but the doubles seat has already had to be replaced after the first one broke.
4. it is impossible to steer with one hand.
5. when you are using it with the cocoon the whole thing actually takes up the entire car boot when folded.
6. I could never see how it would work once DD wanted to sit up as heaviest child has to go in the front or it tips over. The problem is my DS is endlessly hopping in and out to walk then getting tired again so I'd have had to keep moving them around the seats.
7. It is actually pretty wide. It will fit on buses and public transport but can be cumbersome in shops and unlike with a side by side double people don't make much allowance for you.
8. the double raincover is a total nightmare. To use it you have to have the hood up but a large toddler's head will be so close to the hood that this then means they can't see out at all. Every time I tried to use it my DS kept pulling at it meaning the baby got covered with water.

Sorry, much longer post than I intended but the more I thought about it the more problems I came up with.

Nipper is fab by the way but no good if you need to use public transport a lot.

Ah well, I've just won myself a Vibe on Ebay... I'll let you know how I find it once it's here!

[Eeek emoticon]

db
xx

Dont worry designerbaby

i love my vibe, but i have only had it for two toddlers, so baby and toddler mode may have made me feel differently, 2.5 and 1, dd is really tall, reeeeally tall for her age (needs 2+ trousers) and i can recline the doubles seat for her!

I find it very easy to push one handed, my friend who didnt had one slightly flat tyre and then her bearings went so id check that, as i never push two handed with mine!

And as for filling the car boot, i got a vibe because it fits perfectly in the bottom of the boot in my tiny Peugeot 106, although the back wheels come off, but thats a doddle.

Heavy, ummm, probably is but after my two in an icandy pear it feels like a feather!

The back wheels are wide, but again using it after a pear it doesnt seem so much.

With the heaviest child up top i dont bother, if ds is in out in out, dd goes up front. although my two dont have much more than a few lbs between them.

Let us know how you find it,

and also a tip for folding with second seat underneath, undo the staps on main seat and pull it upside down on itself iyswim push the double kit in and it folds really easily, so many people say its a nightmare to fold, as did i, until dp did it and made it look easy!