phil&teds Inline Sport Buggy w/ DOUBLES KIT (Navy) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)NOTE: THIS REVIEW REFERENCES THE PHIL & TED'S SPORT DOUBLE BUGGY (NOT THE e3) AND WAS THE LATEST VERSION OF THE STROLLER AS OF SUMMER 2007

If you're looking for a concise review, look elsewhere.Below is a detailed review (perhaps tediously so) of the Phil & Ted's sport double stroller by feature.We've owned the Phil & Ted's Sport buggy for several months now.I am in my late 20's and my wife and I have a2 year old and a 12 week old.As I found online reviews were quite helpful in my research, I though I'd return the favor to other multi-child families.

1.Fabric/Materials

Pros:

- High quality fabric, thick and strong with heavy stitching.
- Colors are fun with reflective portions for safety
- Buttons, zippers and hooks in all the right places
- "Runaway" safety strap along with a "frame lock" strap

Cons:

- None

2.Handlebar

Pros:

- Soft, comfortable handgrip (semi-firm foam)
- One handlebar for one-handed pushing if needed

Cons:

- Biggest problem here is the short handlebar.Lack of telescoping feature or simply extending back further leaves some people (1 out of 6 people I asked, plus myself) hitting the doubles seat in the 2-toddler position.(Push it around the store BEFORE you buy)
- Pivot feature (around a horizontal axis) serves littlepurpose as it does not adequately improve comfort for taller/shorter persons nor does it allow for more compact storage.
- "Play" in the handlebar deviates from the otherwise overwhelming feeling of solid construction and high quality.
- If you ever cut/scrape the foam (easy to do when moving in/out of the car) you'll be irritated by it for months (trust me, I know from experience :( )

3.Frame

Pros:

- Solid and secure, very reassuring (it oughta bebased on the pricetag!
- Ingenious fold up with lock for surprisingly compact storage considering its size and functionality (fits into our 2 door hatchback trunk...yah, soon to change)
- Toddler-infant arrangement folds up without disassembling.

Cons:

- I've found an irritating vibration in the right rear frame on 2 of these strollers now.The first one we returned because it did it all the time, the second one does it about 15% of the time.It seems to be related to how the axle seats inside the frame, and did not vary even with a new axle.
- This stroller is heavy!I'm a 5'10" male weighing 185 lbs.It is awkward and bulky for me to move in/out of the car.My wife has a difficult time moving it by herself.Beware those of you who use public transportation!You do not want to have to fold up this stroller and manage to kids at the same time, especially by yourself.
- 2-toddler position requires simple disassembly before fold up

4.Wheels

Pros:
- Easy on/off wheels are a very nice feature and again, ingenious.
- 12" Rubber, air filled tires offer a smooth, comfortable ride.
- 360 degree pivoting front 3rd wheel gives great agility
- Rear kids' fingers protected in 2-toddler position by 2 rear guards over the wheels (an improvement from the first version)

Cons:

- Thin rubber tires and tubes are a sure victim of goatheads and other thorns.This will vary based on your location (we've popped 3 tires already and spend about $40 on sealant and tube protectors).
- Easy on/off wheels are great, but we never use them as taking them off offers little storage advantage and you need them on to protect the tire guards from being damaged.
- This stroller is not for jogging

5.Storage Space

Pros:

- Large storage under the stroller fits most of what you need

Cons:

- lack of standard cup holders and zippered pouch for keys/wallet/cell phone.
- 2-toddler position has the rear child with their feet in the storage compartment leaving little room for anything else.

6. Brake

Pros:

- one brake for both rear wheels
- no chance of accidental unlocking

Cons:

- difficult to both lock and unlock with your foot, especially in either of the 2-child positions (don't try unlocking in Sandals... Ouch!)

7. Hood

Pros:

- Solid wiring inside the hood give eliminates the "flimsy" that accompanies most hoods.
- Hook and button on either side hold the hood tight and secure when open

Cons:

- Minimal sun protection when used as a single child stroller
- 2 child position brings the front child's head quite close to the hood.(Our child seems to like it, almost like he's able to hide)

8. Infant "Cave"

Pros:

- Private, flat space for an infant until such time as they can hold their own head up
- clear plastic cover seals the opening, protecting child from wind/bugs and nosy strangers

Cons:

- slightly awkward transferring child in/out of this cave, but overall a really sound setup.

9. Doubles kit

Pros:

- Pretty much the main reason for purchasing the stroller.This feature sets Phil & Teds apart from the pack
- easy assembly in both 2-child positions
- recline feature
- We had 2 toddlers in the stroller once and the rear-toddler didn't seem to mind the limited view
- At 8 weeks old, our daughter rested securely in the back seat in the 2-toddler position (much earlier than I anticipated, recline helps the smaller child)

Cons:

- Some people will hit the frame of the doubles kit with their knee while walking in the 2-toddler position, ESPECIALLY when reclined ... bad news!!! - test before purchase.(I hit it, my wife doesn't)
- 2-toddler position does not fold up without first removing the doubles kit from the back (a small price to pay for this fantastic feature.)

10. Accessories (We have both the fanny pack (hangbag & belt) and the bug/sun screen)

Pros:

- fanny pack is a must for everyone.It gives you a place for bottles, sippys, wallet/keys etc.
- bug/sun screen is high quality and fits just right.Kids don't seem to mind at all.
- "bumper bar" and "hood" keep the screen off of the front child's face

Cons:

- fanny pack hangs loose and can fall off when folding up the stroller
- a zippered pouch and cupholders should be standardIn Summary... this stroller meets all our needs.Although there are a few problems I have with this stroller, the benefits far exceed them and in some cases even cause them (example: high quality, solid construction causes stroller to be heavy).If you have 2 kids or more, this stroller is a must.When I see other parents struggling with double-wides and super-longs, I'm thankful for every penny spent (all 50,000 of them!)

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Product Description:
phil&teds Inline Sport Double Buggy!Direct from New Zealand comes the sporty inline, the phil&teds Sport buggy. This unique 4 in 1 stroller is like nothing else on the market today. Perfect for your newborn or toddler, it grows with you and your family to accommodate two children. Just attach the "doubles kit" (INCLUDED) to the back, and you have a compact stroller with seating for a baby and toddler, or 2 toddlers! No need to buy a whole new double stroller, click in the doubles ki

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