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

[scriptkitten]

I had a vibe and adored it.

The fold was compact, but there are a lot if steps and you have to do them in order.

Kids loved the backseat. No one lost any fingers, tho they definitely tried to see if that could happen

Great CS.

Push is better than most doubles. Way better than a bjcmd. It's not a BOB but only BOB is BOB.

I sold it for the MB duet. It's easier for me to load up for shopping trips around the city and easier to haul all our gear to school since the basket is more usable. That's really the only advantage other than that the twins like sitting side by side to talk at this point.

[BayGirl2]

ScriptKitten - I was just reading your Vibe vs. Duet review from MagicBeans. (Those twins are so cute.) It made me want to consider the Duet. It looks like the Duet fold is smaller than the other MB's, and maybe only 1-2 inches too tall for my trunk. If I can find one IRL I may have to try stuffing it in my car.

Are you still loving the Duet? Your kids are just a bit older than my DS. Still plenty of headroom? He's skinny so width is not an issue, but I'm wondering if the Verve or the Duet would last us longer.

[BayGirl2]

Took DS to a local store last night to play with a Vibe2. Of course he refused to sit in the back seat. That fold seems complicated but probably one that gets easier with practice? And its super compact when closed, perfect for what we need. Its like BJCM size! Wish I could find a Verve to try out, but I think I'm sold on that for the larger reclining seat.

Annoying - that store didn't have the tires inflated on any of the high end strollers!?! Hello - if you want me to spend $1500 on a Donkey or $800 on a P&T I better be able to test out that push! They mentioned something about their pump arriving next week.

They had an iCandy Pear double there too. Pretty, sturdy looking, and love that both seats can reverse. But I think the fold will be a deal breaker for me, and its just too much like the Vista, but more crowded. DS seemed particularly interested in the Donkey....I think I'll need to have another DC to justify that kind of $$ though. And DH says he won't sell the 4 Seasons. So its the men in my life encouraging me to build my stroller stash!

[AustenFan]

We have the original Vibe, and I'm not up on the differences between that and the newer one. But maybe this will still be helpful...

When we bought ours (June '09), we lived in Chicago and wanted to do a bunch of narrow sidewalk walking. It was great for that.

Push was much better that our old single Graco metrolite and a friend's Graco Duoglide (?). DS has always been a chunk, so last spring it was getting hard to push him (38 lbs) plus DD1 (30 lbs) while in my 3rd trimester. I did a Baby Boot Camp class and all, but DS' weight definitely was noticeable. Now that it's just my two DDs (32 lbs and 15 lbs), I don't really feel that it's heavy. I've off roaded and done trails with a Stroller Strides class out here with them, no problem. I'm sure that bigger tires on a BOB or something would be easy no matter what, but we wanted narrow when we bought it, and we didn't know about other tandem options.

The fold is not a big deal for me. We've had it 2.5 years, and here in SoCal we keep it in the back of the minivan, so I unfold it every time I use it. Takes me less than 30 seconds, and yes, I've done it with a baby in an ergo or on my hip (admittedly trickier). It easily fit in the back of our Saturn Vue and will fit with DS' bike in the back of our Town and Country.

My kids have never cared about reclining, so the only time I've used the recline feature is in the main seat, when the girls were tiny and lying all the way down. DS can still cram into the back (even though he's way over the weight limit) if needed. My kids have never cared about facing backwards or anything--though I have friends who like that ability on other strollers. The sunshade is admittedly small, so we bought the full sun cover (which the kids love--they love being in a "tent" yet able to see out).

Have never had a fingers near the wheels issue.

Problems--had to buy a BOB cupholder and the sunshade. Hated that it was so barebones at that price (though we got it from costco and didn't pay full $$ for it). The basket is admittedly hard to access when a larger child has their feet in it. I could still stick a diaper bag, purse, and Baby Boot Camp bag in and get to what I needed, but other strollers (like a friend's Britax B-Ready) have better basket accessibility. It has tipped when I have a ton of stuff and a little one in the back if the big one in the front gets out too quickly. I hate the break in the middle of the handlebar--makes it a little harder to push one handed. Like that it is really easy to brake, though.

Other--I have jogged with it a tiny bit, and it's fine, but if I were a serious runner, I would probably get a "real" jogging stroller.

With all of that said, I really like the concept of P&T strollers and have recommended them to my friends, especially because they were the first ones I knew of that could convert from single to double. It works well for us, and I can put up with the downsides because I've been happy overall. We probably will continue to use it through all our kids. If I got to start fresh and buy a new stroller, I might consider another brand that gives you more for your money. But it sounds like you're more up on differences between those brands than I am!

[roseyloxs]

Took DS to a local store last night to play with a Vibe2. Of course he refused to sit in the back seat. That fold seems complicated but probably one that gets easier with practice? And its super compact when closed, perfect for what we need. Its like BJCM size!

Isn't awesome? It's shocking that a double can really be that small. My indie twin used to take up so much room in comparison. You'll get used to the fold. It's never going to be super fast but it becomes normal and no big deal.

I think the balance of the stroller is really good. I find the stroller to be a little tippy if I have only one kid in back but both of my kids are over 30 lbs so its not really a fair test. Its also not a workout to keep it upright. I don't have to hold it upright I just make sure to keep a hand on it because it is prone to tip if they try to climb out or something.

I seriously considered getting the duet when it came out. I still am very tempted by it but the fold of the vibe is keeping me loyal. There is no way the duet will fit as compactly in my trunk as the vibe does now. Mountain buggy posted this picture recently on facebook. It impressed me since neither of those boys look small and they are dressed for winter.

[scriptkitten]

ScriptKitten - I was just reading your Vibe vs. Duet review from MagicBeans. (Those twins are so cute.) It made me want to consider the Duet. It looks like the Duet fold is smaller than the other MB's, and maybe only 1-2 inches too tall for my trunk. If I can find one IRL I may have to try stuffing it in my car.

Are you still loving the Duet? Your kids are just a bit older than my DS. Still plenty of headroom? He's skinny so width is not an issue, but I'm wondering if the Verve or the Duet would last us longer.

i still love the duet. plenty of headroom and they like it just fine. i just wish it had the one handed push of the BOB but with 60lbs of kid, i'm not going to get that with any stroller other than the BOB. i also don't find 4 wheelers to be quite as maneuverable as 3-wheelers but that that is not a MB complaint.

the size is great. i take it on city buses al the time.