Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 16
  1. #1
    BayGirl2 is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    3,031

    Default If you've owned a Phil and Ted's...

    Please tell me what you liked and didn't like about it, and which model you had, especially:
    - Ease and size of fold
    - Size of seats for Toddlers
    - The fingers-near-wheels issue in the rear seat (I've heard this as a concern but never heard of an injury or recall)
    - Push and Maneuverability
    - Did the kid in back love it or hate it?
    - Other issues?

    Especially interested in feedback on the Vibe2 and Verve, reviews are so mixed.
    I think I could trade my Vista and 4 Seasons for one of these and solve my daycare and shopping stroller dilemmas in one shot.
    Amy

    DS - June 2009
    DD - September 2011

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    849

    Default

    I have a Dash, which I'm trying to sell. I don't care for the push, I find it isn't very responsive (but I've been spoiled by my Bugs). Otherwise it is a very nice stroller. Just not for me.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk, please excuse wonky autocorrects.
    Melanie

    Mama, PhD, to: Baby Bear (September 2006); The Cub (November 2009); and three babies in heaven
    Favourite human to two Maine Coon cats
    I drive a Bugaboo Cameleon, a Bugaboo Bee+ (2010) and a Mutsy Urban Rider. Ooops, and a Chariot CX2, too! Oh, and a purple Starck Maclaren And oh, wait, I have *another* Bee+ (2011). How did I get six strollers?? Uh-oh, there's a P&T Dash in my living room - who put that there?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    71

    Default

    I had a Phil and Ted sport.
    Fold: pretty easy in my opinion. Don't remember if it locked thought. Not overly heavy.
    Seats: main seat is huge, bottom seat is pretty adequate for a young child size-wise.
    Fingers in wheels: never had a problem.
    Push: not great. Was always kicking the back. Just a heavy, weird kind of push.
    Back seat: HATED. Neither of my kids ever wanted to sit there. It was a fight every time we left the house.
    The canopy sucked but the new models have better ones. I would check out the verve. It looks pretty cool.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
    Posts
    4,345

    Default

    I have a vibe2. At first I really disliked it however I kept it around and its perfect for us right now and I can't imagine another stroller that can accomplish the same tasks.

    - Ease and size of fold
    The fold has a few steps but I think its fantastic. Its far and away my favorite feature and it just may be THE reason that I kept it. I drive a CRV and its length is short enough to fit perpendicularly in my trunk. Which is very nice because that leaves close to half of the trunk open for other fun stuff like groceries.

    - Size of seats for Toddlers
    Front seat is huge. Back seat is not so huge but it works. Although my (40 lbs) 4.5 year old is well over the weight limit he does sit back there from time to time. My 2.5 year old sits back there more often but even she is too tall for the seatback and canopy.

    - The fingers-near-wheels issue in the rear seat (I've heard this as a concern but never heard of an injury or recall)
    Hasn't been an issue for us. I even took off our wheel guards because they were making a rubbing sound. Its been a bit muddy lately so I should probably put them back on.

    - Push and Maneuverability
    Not great. This is the reason I wanted to sell initially. It has a heavy feeling compared to my old bumbleride indie twin. However now that I have been using it all the time I am used to it and it no longer bothers me. We take it everywhere including over 100 year old cobblestone without any problems.

    - Did the kid in back love it or hate it?
    My kids tend to fight over the front seat more often then the back. They don't disklike the backseat though.

    - Other issues?
    Nope, not really. I'll be happy to answer anything else though. If I don't make it back to the thread feel free to pm me.
    AF wife and SAHM of three
    DS(2007.March) DD(2009.July) DS(2012.December)

  5. #5
    BayGirl2 is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    3,031

    Default

    Thanks everyone. Please keep the feedback coming! Very helpful.

    I believe the Verve back seat has a higher weight limit than the Vibe 2. My DC's are 25 and 12 lbs now so I have a while until the 35 lb limit is an issue but still the Verve seems like it has more longevity. Going to take DS to the store tomorrow maybe to play with them.
    Amy

    DS - June 2009
    DD - September 2011

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
    Posts
    4,345

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by legaleagle View Post
    The canopy on the second seat slides up the frame (as does the main seat), but is so annoying to use (it needs to be removed to fold and kind of flaps back oddly) and fairly useless so I just took it off.
    I stole this from the other thread but wanted to chime in that this is true for the vibe2 as well. Actually both of my kids are too tall to even use the canopy on the doubles kit. They don't really need one there though so I don't think it should be a dealbreaker.
    Last edited by roseyloxs; 01-27-2012 at 07:12 PM.
    AF wife and SAHM of three
    DS(2007.March) DD(2009.July) DS(2012.December)

  7. #7
    BayGirl2 is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    3,031

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by roseyloxs View Post
    I stole this from the other thread but wanted to chime in that this is true for the vibe2 as well. Actually both of my kids are too tall to even use the canopy on the doubles kit. They don't really need one done there though so I don't think it should be a dealbreaker.
    Thanks, I was wondering about that. Seems like the lower seat would be pretty shaded anyway and the canopy would just block getting in/out.

    P&T claims that the Vibe2 and Verve are balance tested (or something like that) so they don't get tippy when only one seat is used, even the 2nd seat. I'm wondering if that's truly been improved over the earlier versions and the Dash/Sport or if its just a claim.
    Amy

    DS - June 2009
    DD - September 2011

  8. #8
    jacksmoma is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    so. cal
    Posts
    2,653

    Default

    i had an explorer for a few hours before i returned it! did not care for it after owning a bob so long. push was bad; it was super heavy and weird to lift into the car, and it just felt cheaply made to me. I would go for a city mini double if you really need a second seat.
    ds- 4
    dd- 2 1/2

    bob revol in navy/gray
    ingslesina swift in black on black in my car
    happy!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    578

    Default

    I just sold my Explorer. To answer your questions:

    1. Fold: Pretty straightforward. Not one-handed (at least for me) like it is advertised, but definitely not difficult. Medium-weight, but I was able to lift it with my bad back.

    2. Seats: I agree with everyone else. Main seat is huge, second seat is adequate. My 3.5 yo just hit the weight limit for the back seat. As everyone else has noted, the seat back in the second seat is rather short, so only smaller children (maybe 2 and under) will be able to use the canopy on it. Follow-the-sun canopy on the main seat is excellent.

    3. The fingers near wheels issue: DS2 liked to try and stick his fingers in there around age 1, but the wheel guards worked okay, I guess, because he never got hurt from it. As he got older and better at listening to me, it wasn't a problem.

    4. Push and maneuverability: Decent for what it is. For a tandem double, I think it's very good, and about the same as my old BJCCD. I will say, as my kids got heavier, it was hard to push on hills (we have a lot where I am), but was fine on flat areas. It pushes easier, I think, with the heavier child in the main seat, and the lighter child underneath.

    5. Did the kid in back love it our hate it?: My kids LOVED the back seat. Like would cry if they didn't get to sit in it. We called it the "cave" (I think I got that idea from someone here), and DS's thought it was super-fun to have a hidden spot. And they could actually interact with me pushing a lot more easily than the person in the main seat.

    6. Other issues: It was slightly tippy with only 3 wheels. I would probably get a 4-wheel if I had to do it again.

    I did a pretty extensive review of my Explorer about a year ago, if you want to read it. It's a pretty glowing review. And overall, I think it is the ideal stroller in specific situations. For me with my bad back, I needed an AT double that I could lift into the car, and P&T was about the only thing that worked. My kids loved it, and it is wonderful for taking places that a typical double might not fit. It was fun to push, and I'm glad we had it for our situation.
    Having said that, I decided to sell it because, sadly, I just didn't think the quality was that great. Main problem was the wheels kept breaking (tire popping out from wheel frame), and after having them replaced 4 times in one year, I was just tired of dealing with it. To the point where I was afraid to use the stroller because I was convinced the wheels were going to break again. Also, the fabric was wearing thin in places. And DH just didn't think it felt sturdy. Since my DS1 is older and doesn't ride as much, I sold it to get a Valco Quad with HH, (and am planning to get a toddler seat for it, to use as my car double should we have another DC_. The quality on the Valco is great. I haven't heard anyone else on here mention the wheel issue, though. Although after reading a lot of reviews on Australian websites, this seems to be a common complaint about P&T products.

    HTH!

  10. #10
    BayGirl2 is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    3,031

    Default

    Thanks TribePride, great review. Interesting that your 1 year old eventually started listening to you. I think my 2.5 year old is going in the opposite direction.

    JacksMomma - I already have a SBS double, need a front/back to supplement that. Otherwise I'd totally go for a BJCMD. Love my BJ Summit XCD and BJCM, but if I add one more my fleet will be to BJ heavy.

    Compact fold w/both seats is a big deal for me, I'm hoping to leave this at daycare instead of the Mac (and stop having to wear DD), so it needs to have a small footprint. I think that limits me to Vibe/Verve, with the Verve having a reclining 2nd seat.

    I'd prefer the price point of the Explorer of course. Maybe I can find someone who will swap a Vista + RumbleSeat for a Verve. In my mind if I can sell both the Vista and 4 Seasons that will cover the cost of a new Verve. Maybe.....
    Amy

    DS - June 2009
    DD - September 2011

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •