First Impressions of the Phil&Teds Promenade by Rachael

The new Phil & Teds Promenade is a really nice looking buggy with what looks to be a strong scissor shaped chassis. Both the main seat and lower seat add on are easy to attach and remove, in addition they look quite neat and easy to store. The fold and unfold is also logical and simple.

My first thought when approaching the buggy to push was the slightly odd handlebar height positions. There are 3, firstly a very low one, I did not measure but this would be well under a metre high and if the lower seat is on, then the handle in this position is well forward of the lower seat. It could be used in single mode for shorter pushers but in doubles mode this is really a park/fold position. There are two further positions, the first of which being quite a surprising distance above the lowest one, I found myself searching for clips to put the handle into place quite a long time before it clicked into the actual position. The very highest position, because of the angle of the handle, is a long distance from the rear of the buggy. Although this makes the whole thing seem rather long I imagine this would be excellent for taller people who also have the problem of kicking the back of the chassis when they walk if it is too near the handle for their stride. At 5’8″ the middle position was perfectly comfortable for me.

Both of the seats drop down using a clip system into what Phil and Teds term ‘a lie flat bed’. The lower seat has a 3 position recline, as does the upper seat in single mode. In double mode I am not sure whether the upper seat reclines at all, you would need to check this out. I understand P & T are recommending the use of their cocoon accessory for a newborn inside the lie flat bed, in my opinion some sort of accessory would certainly be needed for a newborn’s comfort, a seat liner or cosytoes at the very least as the seat itself although firm and supportive is not very padded. Incidentally I didn’t feel that the lie flat bed was particularly comparable to a carrycot, more of a lie flat seat with the added bonus of some protections from the sides. This makes the system flexible to use with what might be a refreshing lack of extra parts to store etc. but perhaps as a result of this it is not directly comparable to other products where there is a separate carrycot accessory with mattress etc.

Basket space with the lower seat in lie flat bed mode is fairly compromised, you may be able to slide a raincover under and perhaps something else small but that’s about it. When the lower seat is more upright there is space around the child’s feet. The lower seat is also shorter in the back than the main one and does not have the adjustable footrest either. Both hoods are removable should the child’s height become a real problem but this is not quick to do. All of the wheels are also quick release although it should be noted that removing the rear ones enables a flatter fold it does not make the unit any narrower due to the wheelguards staying in position.

All in all the Promenade appears to be a nice looking buggy with good features that it easy to use and switch between different users. I would say that would be the main strength: the flexibility. At 64cm it is on the wider side for this type of tandem/in line but I didn’t find this particularly noticable (to note I am usually quite distracted by the width of prams generally). The suspension seemed good and the large wheels should offer plenty of comfort.