Posted by
Wheelymate
18 yrs ago
We are going to buy a double pram for our kids - 2 years and 3 months. It'll be used mainly for walks around the condo, neighbourhood and grocery shopping. Unlikely to go into a taxi unless I have my husband with me.
Phil&Teds is definitely one of the choices but wonder if any parents have other recommendations? Mothercare has a couple of options that are cheaper, not sure if anyone has tried them? And do you think the side by side style or front and back style is better?
Thanks!
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wheelymate, just wrote a long note on Jane Powertwin and the flaming computer crashed!! so now a short version - great buggy, we had ours from day one with our twins - but it is great for odler and younger siblings - the back seat goes pretty much flat for the baby and you can buy a car seat that slots into it. Anywa - excelleng buggy - we tested something like 10-12 buggies when were buying one.
the one problem - not very easy to find in HK (have to order from Mothercare) but not sure about Singapore...
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Phil and Ted's. No doubt. It's fantastic.
Even when we didn't live in HK and thus had enough space for a side by side, we loved our Phil and Ted's. It goes in through normal doors and is much easier to maneuver. It's just barely wider than a MacLaren so you won't have more than the usual issues on the HK sidewalks. And it will fit in the store aisles.
Some people commented that the kid "under and behind" probably feels "closed in". That was never our feeling (or that of other owners I have spoken to). Our older daughter loves the back seat since she can get in and out herself. She doesn't mind the front seat right before her at all.
When they were younger and #2 was lying down, the lie-down part is very nicely closed in and shaded, giving a calm environment for naps.
Expensive? Well, you get what you pay for. The quality is very good. Solid and durable. Easy to fold. Easy to convert from 1 to 2 seats, to bed+seat.
I would recommend getting the little carry-cot thing for your younger child. Much easier to get them in and out of the lie-down bottom section that way. Also get the double raincover and the "saddlebags". The latter are priceless as the hamper is not very large. And finally the little hangbag with bottle holders for the handlebars; it has a little zip pocket for wipes and sundry.
"the back seat goes pretty much flat for the baby "
Actually it goes completely flat, which is the only really good position up to 6 months.
"the one problem - not very easy to find in HK (have to order from Mothercare) "
I have seen it at Bumps to Babes.
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Thanks for the responses so far.
Idsllvn, Jane is pretty out of my budget (based on the prices i see on the mothercare UK site). can't find jane in singapore.
great review on P&T, i mean it's the top choice so far based on what i've seen and friends' reviews (and the SG mothercare has a promotion currently) but just want to review other options.
keep them coming!
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crj
18 yrs ago
We debated between the Phil and Teds and the Mountain Buggy.
We LOVE our Mountain Buggy.
It is amazingly durable, goes over any terrain, the kids are next to each other, it lays back quite far. It collapeses super easily, and is very well made.
We got it second hand (from this site), and it is our saviour in Beijing.
We also have a Maclaren Quest with a Buggy Board attached for 'flatter' walks or shorter walks where the toddler is likely to walk / ride / walk.
BUT the Maclaren SUCK for Beijing's rough pavements and off-road it is useless.
We almost traded it for a single mountain buggy, but decided that we shouldn't spend any more money on baby transportation! (even though it was second hand and not that much).
For Beijing, with the uneven terrain, huge parks and outdoor areas where we take our pram, the Mountain Buggy is great. It is not so good in crowded restaurants, but now we tend to have the toddler walk and the smaller toddler (yikes, she turned one and isn't a baby anymore!!) in the Ergo.
We didn't use it in HK (we bought it in HK, to bring with us to Beijing).
One of the best things about it, is that you can stear it with one hand - it is sooooo easy to push/drive. Unlike the Maclaren which takes two hands and more effort. This was something we had not expected. It also fits through most doorways without any problems.
For a city with smoother pavements, P&T would be good. We have seen some P&T here, and the parents said the three wheels were not so good for the Beijing pavements and trails. I think Singapore would be ideal though :)
We looked at the Jane, but even second hand it was super expensive.
We also looked at the InStep Safari TT because of the price, but when the mountain buggy came up for sale we jumped at it.
The one thing I will say - be sure the front wheels have a 'lock' and don't just swivel, or it can be hard to manouver.
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"One of the best things about it, is that you can stear it with one hand - it is sooooo easy to push/drive. Unlike the Maclaren which takes two hands and more effort."
Agreed about MacLaren. The frame isn't stiff enough to allow one hand drive. The Phil and Ted's is like you describe the MB. Very stiff and easy to steer with one hand.
"The one thing I will say - be sure the front wheels have a 'lock' and don't just swivel, or it can be hard to manouver."
The Phil and Ted's does have a lock. However I have never engaged it and the front wheels is free castoring.
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crj,
looks like you did your homework!! :)
if it's the same mountain buggy i see around, it's massive, i think i will have a hard time in the shops. at the same time, the idea of side by side seating appeals to me - my main misgiving about P&T is that one child will always be stuck under, not much to see right? with the side by side, the kids are interact with each other and don't get left out in terms of what they can see.
decisions, decisions! i guess because these double prams are not cheap, i just can't bring myself to make a decison, don't want to make the wrong choice! :)
i've bought an ergo and will use it when my baby is 4 months old (because i just couldn't figure out the infant insert) but i'm not keen to wear him too much because he tends to get drowsy if i do that too much.
haven't heard of instep, will look for it online...
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"my main misgiving about P&T is that one child will always be stuck under, not much to see right?"
I also thought that, but I don't think children think like that. Our older daughter actually prefers the back. My theory is that adults want to be high up with a clear view. Young kids often prefer not to be so exposed, so the out of sight bottom appeals to them. Most young kids like to be cozily tucked in. Just a theory.
Until your younger child is up to 6 months, he/she will be under anyway. After that, you can let them choose. Technically, the heaviest should go in front, but if you exercise a minimum of care there's no problem either way. It's not like a child 1½ years older weighs that much more. Just make sure you load the front first or the stroller can tip backwards.
We like to have the youngest in front, since the oldest is more mobile and will tend to get in and you more. Otherwise both have to be unloaded just for the oldest to get out.
My conclusion from this thread is that both MB and P&T are good options. Maybe you should look at the accessories and see which ones appeal to you more. There is no "perfect" double stroller. It will always be some sort of compromise. Just be thankful you don't have to get a triple or quadruple!
BTW here's a good pic that shows the four "modes" of the P&T: http://www.bobbysbest.com/images/products/bb-stroller-buggy.jpg
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Kim11
18 yrs ago
I also have a Phil and Teds and love it. I wish I had bought it with the first one. I initialy tried and side by side stroller in Australia so both kids could see and it was terrible. My 3 year old is very big and so it was difficult to push and just very awkward, but it was a stroller and not a Mountain buggy which does have good wheels.
We bought the Phil and teds to bring to Hong Kong and I couldn't live without it. My Mom also thinks the kids need to see but like axpat said I think they sometimes likes to be out of the action. My son also likes the back and will choose where he wants to sit. He is a large 3 year old and it still drives well so I think you would get your monies worth and be able to use it for a long time. I use it everyday and it works so well that both kids can sleep at the same time while we are out. I would highly recommend it.
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axptguy - i was not talking about Phil and Teds (that you cant find it in HK) but about Jane Powertwin. and as WM said she cant find it in Singapore either - so my bit of advice was not much use really! sorry!!
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WM, we triend Mointain buggy and I personally hated it (of course there are a lot of people who love it) - far too wide - I felt like driving a tank - at the time we were in UK - and it just would not fit through doors or in lifts!! If you cant find Jane, go for P&T I think - one behind the other is so much more compact than side by side! It is a shame you are in Sg - we are going to sell our Jane soon i think, girls are getting older, yay!!! :)
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hi there,
was so inspired i went out to mothercare last night to test drive the buggies. bought the P&T in the end. i wasn't 150% sold on the product because you have to remove the double kit from the bottom if you want to fold it, which i thought was not too intelligent. but that aside, i tried it around the shop - very smooth and manageable for me.
i think it was seeing the other options and knowing that i do need a double pram is why i got the P&T. the other prams were HUGE! the side by side ones, don't think i can get it into the lift! and those front and back models....i told my husband i would have to give the kid sitting in front a mobile phone so that he can hear me!!
i took a quick look at the P&T website, they have new models! but too late haha and in any case i think the new models will be very expensive.
just to ask those with P&T: how often do you pump the wheels? my husband has a pump for his bicycle, will that be ok to use when needed? also, is it shady enough below or does the kid below need a hat or something?
idsllvn....so are you buying another double pram? :)
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no, no!! no more prams for me! getting them to walk mostly and we have two light single ones for airports etc, etc.. so that is it for double pram i hope!!
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but P&t seemed pretty easy to push when we tried it, have fun with it!! as for one behind the other, Jane is very compact - much more so than most of the buggies that style, but again, if I did not have Jane, my next choice would have been P&T for sure! as for wheels - i suspect they are all the same - we do ours maybe every 3-4 months?
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"as for wheels - i suspect they are all the same - we do ours maybe every 3-4 months?"
Same here. Every few months. Also they are easy to fix. The inner tubes and tires are from small bicycles. A little bicycle vulcanization kit and a spare inner tube are all you need for most things. In any case the risk of puncture is small since the loads are light compared to a bicycle. The periodic pumping is probably just normal slow leakage from the valves.
Bicycle pump works.
"also, is it shady enough below or does the kid below need a hat or something?"
Depends on the direction of the sun, but if it's coming from anywhere aft of center the child will be exposed and will need a sunhat. You can rig an old pillowcase from in front of the handlebars to the top of the second seat. Not perfect but it works.
Also make sure you get the "doubles" version of the rain cover as it covers both seats.
"i wasn't 150% sold on the product because you have to remove the double kit from the bottom if you want to fold it, which i thought was not too intelligent."
This has bugged me too but I don't see how they could have designed around it without adding a hinge that would have to take a lot of strain and be prone to breakage. However note that if baby is in the lie-down position, with the doubles kit on top, it folds up just fine.
"i took a quick look at the P&T website, they have new models! but too late haha and in any case i think the new models will be very expensive."
Nice! I am such a pram geek.
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i must stop buying anymore prams because with the P&T, we will have 3!! but they all serve different purposes...
the new P&T ones supposedly allows you to fold the pram without removing the doubles.
yes, will need rain cover...
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