P&T Explorer question

For those of you have have an Explorer or any other P&T pram, I suppose, I just want to clarify an issue brought up time and time again on the reviews I have read.

How easy is it to see / access bubs when they are in the newborn position (i.e. in the main seat with it fully reclined) while you have your toddler in the toddler seat on top. Some reviews have said that it is totally ridiculous and the baby is almost entirely covered by the toddler seat and when they get a bit older they start cracking it because they can never see out. It is also hard to access bub without taking the toddler and toddler seat off.

This will be our 3rd pram purchase (an absolute waste of money, really, given that we will be stopping at 2 kids) and I am so scared that at $800 it won't do the job we need it to do.

I would love any feedback, please :)

We have PT Dash and I didnt have issues getting DS2 in and out etc while in the coccoon would put him it that then slide him in and out in that. Once he was too big for that i pretty much put him into the toddler seat on the back with the zip part fully undone to lie him back as much as it would but was still sitting up. This was about 4 months.

I still use my phil and ted most days with a nearly 3 year old and a 15 month old.

Yep I have the explorer and it was crazy trying to get DD in and out and buckled when DS was in the toddler seat on the front. You literally have to be on your knees hold her one hand on her lower back, one on the back of the neck and ease her in and out. It was ok when I was putting her straight in from the car or at home because then obviously I can just put her in first, but when you are out and about and she wants a feed or just wants to be held its not like you can get your toddler out, ask him to stay still while you take the seat off - get her out-then put the toddler seat back on one handed. Mind you it is a minor inconvience that is outweighted by the good points of the pram.

We got the "hammerhead" toddler seat because we wanted it to be able to recline and have a sunhood and now DD goes in that. She cant sit up by herself but that seat reclines enough that she doesnt have to be supporting herself.

HTH.

I thought it was a PITA honestly and didn't like a lot of things about the pram so took it back and got a Baby Jogger City Select instead.

We have one and hated using it when the toddler seat was up the top, my DD1 would early squash DD2 (newborns) feet, also tryign to put a newborn in you have to bend down really low, and she swung a lot of side to side also in the pram. We are not using this pram for newborn this time when DD3 will be born in june, we are going to buy either the Baby Jogger City Select or the Baby Jogger City Mini Double as we can by the City Select for less than the P&T overseas or just about the same amount incl postage which has better seating configerations (16 different ones) and you can use a capsule on it too. Hope this helps.

I also have a P&T Dash - so similar concept and yes i found it to be a pain. But seriously, not so much of a pain that i wouldnt buy the pram again if i had to do it over. I made sure i took my sling with me anyway when she was really little (as she and i prefered her to be in there) so if she did get upset and wanted to get out then i wouldnt have to squish her back in again. Once she was about 4 months i put the seat on the back and unzipped it - like Feebs - and she must have been comfy cause she fell asleep!
From my experience she didnt really like being 'sat on top of' as such but she was just a teeny little baby so who really knows and it was for such a short time anyway as i dont even think i went out by myself with both kids where i needed to use the pram till she was 6 weeks anyway!

Thanks so much for your feedback, ladies. I have been putting off this pram buying forever, because there just doesn't seem to be an appropriate solution for our situation (primarily having a very tall and very heavy toddler who hates prams anyway). The P&Ts seem to have bigger seats and that is why I was initially looking at them. Then with all the reviews of them having manufacturing problems and to top it off, the fact that the toddler seat almost covers the main seat, really got me worried.

I am now looking at the Baby Jogger City Select, but again, have the issues of the main seat not being tall enough to accommodate DS who is now 94cm tall. We are off to a baby shop tomorrow morning to, once again, try and solve our problem (fortunately they are having a crazy sale, so if we do find a solution, we will get some sort of discount).

Again, thank you all :)

Thanks so much for your feedback, ladies. I have been putting off this pram buying forever, because there just doesn't seem to be an appropriate solution for our situation (primarily having a very tall and very heavy toddler who hates prams anyway). The P&Ts seem to have bigger seats and that is why I was initially looking at them. Then with all the reviews of them having manufacturing problems and to top it off, the fact that the toddler seat almost covers the main seat, really got me worried.

I am now looking at the Baby Jogger City Select, but again, have the issues of the main seat not being tall enough to accommodate DS who is now 94cm tall. We are off to a baby shop tomorrow morning to, once again, try and solve our problem (fortunately they are having a crazy sale, so if we do find a solution, we will get some sort of discount).

Again, thank you all :)

Have you thought about maybe one of those little skateboard things that clip onto the back - is your toddler a good walker and just gets tired, or does he ride more often than walk? Otherwise all I can suggest is take DS into the babyshop with you to try out a few suggestions. Good luck!

Thanks CK. DS only started walking at 17 months (he will be 21 months by the time bubs arrives), so he isn't at all confident and is still in that clumsy phase. Notwithstanding that, though, he is still a "runner" and won't stay with me. I NEED to be able to restrain him if necessary - especially when I have both kids out with me and I need to attend to the baby. I am hoping that soon we will be able to just use a skateboard attachment...well, when he eventually listens to me and does what I say! I will post back and let you know what we decided on after we get back from the shops tomorrow (I am determined not to come home empty handed like I have the last several times!).

Howd you go Life is Good? our DD2 is about the same height. We are still tossing it up, the BJCSelect seems to have wider seats than P&T. The thing that we liked about the others not the Phil & Ted is we dont have to pump up the tyres at all they are forever air tyres, we are forever pumping up the P&T tyres.

Update: In true Pram Warehouse form, the service was awful and they were selling the last BJCS as we were actually trying to pop DS in it to measure him (notwithstanding still showing them available online!). It looks like he will fit if the canopy is set to it's highest setting. My friend also said that the 2011 model has a higher seat-back than the 2010 (if this helps anyone). Anyway, apparently the 2011 model will only be available in Australia in June / July (and we always know there are delays). So we plan on ordering one from The States now and making do for the 6 weeks that it will take to ship. Forfeiting the warranties is still worth it when you see what you are saving IMO. All I can say is that I am soooo happy that the $AU is stronger than the $US at the moment :D