The company’s smart Promenade design boasts this, as well as the very nifty, new feature of two seats that both convert into lie-flat carrycots, meaning you could carry newborn twins and not need separate carrycots.
The Phil and Teds Promenade pushchair can also take a car seat to create a travel system. It can be used as just a travel system for one, or you can have the car seat attached and the rear seat attached, if you have two to transport.
The Promenade is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix, Maxi-Cosi Pebble, Phil and Teds Bebe* and Phil and Teds BebeHS. The difference between the two Phil and Teds car seats is that the Bebe* offers extra side impact protection and removable/adjustable energy absorbing head and hip foam inserts.
You purchase the car seat and the car seat adaptors all separately, along with the second seat for a sibling if that’s what you require, so price wise it can add up. To give you an idea, the Phil and Teds Promenade single pushchair costs £650, the Bebe* car seat costs £86 and the car seat adapters are £35, giving you a total of £771. The Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix could take this higher. The doubles kit is £139, and then there are other optional accessories such as the cosytoes, liner, storm cover (raincover), cocoon, sleeping bag, bottle holder etc.
The Promenade is only available in black. You can of course brighten it up with the added liner or cosytoes but I think black fundamentally sums up the Promenade up – it’s clearly so very practical.
I tried the Promenade out using a Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix car seat and with my two daughters, 7-month-old Sofia and 3-and-a-half-year-old Esme. The Promenade’s main seat and doubles seat are suitable up to 18kg, roughly 4 years of age. (In lie-flat carrycot mode, each is suitable to a max of 9kg).
What we love
Yes the Phil and Teds Promenade travel system is pricey, but I think it is good value for money. It is so very well made and if you’re using it for two children, then it is practical, not to mention durable.
From the word go the Promenade travel system has really impressed me. It’s a remarkable bit of kit, easy to assemble, and easy on the eye with its smooth lines and good looks.
This is a travel system that handles well and good suspension equals a smooth ride. The handlebars extend to suit taller needs and there is an easy step on brake system too.
The Promenade is definitely built for everyday urban use. It’s is tall and not wide, so going through shop doors hasn’t been an issue and it’s a pleasure to push up the high street.
Turning the Promenade from pushchair to travel system is totally pain free - there are car seat adaptors that click in to place on the chassis before slotting the car seat on top of these.
Due to the tall lightweight aluminium frame the car seat or top seat (in parent facing mode) is really quite close to you, and I love this aspect.
The Promenade adapts to become a pram or pushchair for two also without any fuss, easily switching to a tandem with the addition of the doubles kit (£139) in one very swift move. The two seats are comfy and both can move through three positions from sitting up to lying down flat. To change from seat to carrycot, you release two clipped straps, enabling the seat to relax down in to its basinette style. Easy! The fact that you can carry twin newborns simultaneously like this makes the buggy set-up appealing for twin parents as well as parents of two.
What to watch out for
The Promenade doesn’t carry two car seats. So if you had twins, this isn’t going to be a double travel system for two babies of the same age. You’d need to use the car seat for one up on top and the seat/carrycot for the second, and keep your second car seat in your vehicle. You might find it best for a newborn and a toddler.
When using it as a travel system with the doubles kit attached (which adds £139 to the price), I had 7-month-old Sofia up top in the car seat and big sister Esme in the seat below. The trouble with this configuration for me was that Esme seemed too big for the lower seat position. She is tall for her age (and 3 and a half), and so her head sits well up in to the hood and her legs out the other end into the basket area. The seat had to be in the middle position or lying flat for her to not look directly at the base of the car seat, and she bumped her head on the frame climbing in. Do pop your toddler in the lower seat before attaching the car seat.
The hood on the doubles kit seat didn’t seem to work with the seat sitting up with the car seat in place, nor the raincover for me.
You remove the doubles kit seat as well as the car seat before folding, however this isn’t difficult to do. The whole unit is rather large to store though and fills my mid-size Citroen Picasso.
Who is the Phil and Teds Promenade travel system best for?
Growing families that switch constantly from car to pushchair, and back again.
The Phil and Teds Promenade travel system is well made, versatile and practical. It looks the part and is an ideal set-up for those planning to have babies close together and those that drive. However, as it takes just one car seat, the travel system set-up may appeal most to parents of two rather than twin mums.
