All posts by Mike

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit in a Volvo XC60?

The Volvo XC60 is a mid-sized luxury SUV crossover that competes with other luxury SUVs like the Mercedes M-Class, BMW X5, BMW X3, and its stablemate the XC90, among families looking for safe, stylish 5 to 7-passenger mid-sized SUVs. It has some of the latest features in safety design in terms of both passive and active safety, from ESC, rollover-sensing airbags, and good safety scores to pre-collision avoidance detectors. Here’s an example of a crash I researched featuring a fatal collision where the XC60 occupants survived. I love the look of it, but what I really wanted to figure out was which car seats would fit 3 across in a Volvo XC60. Let’s take a look at the results!

Before reviewing which seats work in the XC60, however, it’s a good idea to talk about best practices in car seat safety. For me, that means rear-facing in an infant seat or convertible car seat as long as possible (ideally until 4!), followed by extended harnessing in a forward-facing convertible or combination seat (ideally until 8!), and then finally using a booster seat until children are physically and psychologically developed enough to pass the 5 step test for seat belt use (which typically happens between 10 and 12). These guidelines are designed to keep your kids as safe as possible by keeping best practices in mind when it comes to car seat safety.

It took a few hours of puzzling seats together in the XC60, but at this point, I’m pretty sure of which car seats will fit in one in a 3 across arrangement, and the good news is that you can definitely fit 3 kids of a variety of ages in one. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

2018 Volvo XC60

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 (x3).

Maxi-Cosi RodiFix (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The second generation of the Volvo XC60 is 185 inches long and 75 inches wide, making it 3 inches longer and 1 inch wider than its predecessor. In terms of 3 across compatibility, it will be ever-so-slightly easier than the first generation in terms of width and significantly easier in terms of front-to-back space. As always, I’d recommend choosing LATCH over seat belts to maximize the space across the back row.

xc60 - public domain - flickr2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Volvo XC60

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian RXT / R120 / R100 (x2)

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Foonf (x3).

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender (x2).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

This initial generation of the Volvo XC60 is 182 inches long and 74 inches wide, which is rather typical for 2-row mid-sized SUVs on the market.You can expect to have about as much room for 3-across installations as what you’d find in other SUVs of this size class or other mid-sized cars in terms of width, but because of the shorter front-to-back length of the crossover, you’ll have to scoot the front seats up a bit if you’ve got taller rear-facing convertibles. For that reason, I’d recommend going with a seat like a Fllo or a Foonf over a Radian RXT if you’ve got taller drivers or want to maximize front-to-back space.

Although there’s not as much room for 3 across here as in, say, an XC90, here’s definitely more room for 3 across in an XC60 than there is in an S60 or V60, despite the three vehicles sharing the same underlying platform. As usual, use seat belt installations to maximize your side-to-side space for installations. It’s as safe as LATCH, but much more versatile when installing multiple seats close together.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Will Fit a Ford Fiesta?

The Ford Fiesta [which was discontinued by Ford in the United States after the 2019 model year] is one of the most popular subcompact cars in the United States, available in both sedan and hatchback versions. It competes with cars like the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Chevy Sonic, Toyota Prius C, and Toyota Yaris among families interested in a small and fuel-friendly vehicle with a hatchback option for a good amount of storage. It was my goal to find out which, if any, combinations of 3 car seats could fit 3 across in a Ford Fiesta. This review applies equally to the sedan and hatchback, and the good news is that there are at least a few seats that will work, even though not very many will.

Before going any further, it’s important to keep best practices in mind when it comes to car seat safety. I strongly suggest rear-facing for as long as possible after your baby turns one (ideally until 4!), and then forward-facing (at least until 5), and then finally keeping your child in a booster seat until he or she is old enough to fit well in an adult seat belt (which typically happens between 10 and 12). My goals with these recommendations are to keep your children as safe as possible by keeping them restrained in the most optimal positions as long as possible.

It took several hours, but I’ve finally compiled a collection of car seats that will fit 3 across in a Ford Fiesta hatchback or sedan, and I think this is the most detailed list for 3 across in the Fiesta on the Internet, although it still has a ways to go. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

fiesta - 2011 - publicdomain2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Ford Fiesta (Mark VI)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Graco TurboBooster, Safety 1st Complete Air, Safety 1st Complete Air.

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Ford Fiesta is 160 inches long in the hatchback (174 inches in the sedan) and 68 inches wide, which means you’re going to have to plan things out very well in order to get a successful 3 across installation. That said, if it’s possible in other subcompacts like the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent, it’s absolutely possible in the Ford Fiesta. As usual, when you’ve got so little room to work with, you’ll want to use seat belts for all three seats.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Send me an email at carcrashdetective [at] gmail [dot] com.

All Terrain Strollers vs. Jogging Strollers vs. Walking Strollers: What’s the Difference?

organic indie twinOne of the questions we most frequently receive is the following: What’s the difference between an all terrain stroller and a jogging stroller and a walking stroller? It’s a great question, because a lot of stroller companies seem to use the terms interchangeably, and it can get confusing picking out a stroller that works well for your family without a bit of guidance in this area. Let’s take a look at the three basic kinds of strollers: walking strollers, jogging strollers, and all terrain strollers in an effort to tease out the differences. You can read our reviews of some of the best double and single strollers here.

Walking Strollers

babyjoggercityminigt-672x372Walking strollers are designed, as their names imply, primarily for walking. They typically come with plastic wheels that are either solid or filled with foam, and there are typically four sets of wheels in a rectangular or square configuration.

Depending on the stroller, some may have two wheels per set in the front and two per set in the back, while others may simply have two wheels per set in the front and one per set in the back, as is the case with the Britax B-Agile Double and Joovy Scooter X2 Double. Still others may have simply one wheel per set in the front and one per set in the back, as is the case with the Baby Jogger City Mini GT Double.

Whatever the wheel configuration, these strollers are meant to be used on smooth surfaces, such as indoors in malls, shopping centers, and stores, and outdoors on asphalt or concrete roads or sidewalks. They are not designed to be used on trails or to be used when running or jogging. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from doing so if you choose to, but the strollers typically won’t perform well under such conditions, even though they can often handle a bit of grass without much trouble.

Walking strollers are a good choice for parents who are looking for basic strollers to do everything on sidewalks and inside buildings. The truth is that they will fit many parents just fine, especially those who aren’t looking to exercise with their strollers or those who live in more urban areas.

In our opinion, the best double walking stroller currently on the market is the Baby Jogger City Mini GT Double.

Jogging Strollers

x32-300x300Jogging strollers are essentially the opposite of walking strollers, in that they are mot comfortable when being used to explore and have adventures off the beaten trail. They almost always come with air filled wheels in a triangular, tripod, or pyramid configuration.

Depending on the stroller, some double joggers have two larger wheels in the back and a slightly smaller wheel in the front, such as is the case with the BOB Revolution SE Duallie, while others have three equally sized wheels, such as the Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double.

Whether the wheels are uniform in size or not, these strollers are comfortable just about anywhere where a stroller can go, from smooth surfaces to trails and even through snow and grass. Uphill, downhill, concrete, sidewalks, and even beaches are accessible with a good jogging stroller. And of course, as you’d guess by their names, they’re also excellent choices when it come to jogging. The front wheel can be locked and the tires are inflatable, providing additional levels of cushion over all but the most treacherous trails.

Jogging strollers are a great choice for active parents who want a way of getting a workout while out and about with the kids. They’re also a good choice for parents who simply don’t want to be stopped by the elements or turn around when the sidewalk ends; the truth is that if you can walk in an area, you can almost always push through it with a jogging stroller.

In our opinion, the best double jogging stroller currently on the market is the Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double.

All Terrain Strollers

indietwinnyAll terrain strollers are basically a balance between walking and jogging strollers. They’re equally at home on or off the sidewalk, and allow parents to obtain the additional storage and comfort factors present in walking strollers while taking advantage of some of the more rugged features typically only present in jogging strollers.

All terrain strollers tend to come in four wheel configurations like walking strollers but with air filled tires like jogging strollers. However, they may also come in three wheel configurations, particularly if they’re the tandem or inline design, such as with the Phil and Teds Navigator or Classic.

Depending on the stroller, some double all terrain strollers may have larger wheels in the back and smaller wheels in the front, such as with the Baby Jogger City Select, which is a tandem all terrain stroller. Alternatively, they may have four identical wheels, such as with the Mountain Buggy Duet or Bumbleride Indie Twin. As a rule, however, they almost never come with multiple pairs of wheels, as is often the case with walking strollers.

All terrain strollers work well for parents who want more off-road capabilities than they’d ever be able to get from walking strollers, but who aren’t planning on doing daily jogs or 5Ks with their strollers in tow. It’s not that all terrain strollers can’t handle those; it’s just that they’re not going to be as efficient as jogging strollers for dedicated jogging tasks. That said, when it comes to hopping curbs, cruising through state parks and woody trails, or simply ambling through the snow, all terrain strollers have the benefit of large, beefy tires to help them get around.

In our opinion, the best double all terrain stroller currently on the market is the Bumbleride Indie Twin, which is also our double stroller of choice for pretty much everything.

Which Kind is Best?

Great question! The answer, however, will depend entirely on your needs. We know parents who are happy with walking strollers, jogging strollers, and all terrain strollers, and we also know parents who’ve bought one kind only to find out that they’d do better having another kind for special occasions.

Personally, we find all terrain strollers like the Indie Twin or Duet to be the best compromise in terms of functionality. You can take them anywhere you’d be able to get to with a walking stroller, yet you can also use them in some areas where jogging strollers would leave walkers in the dust. At the same time, they’re not as imposing as jogging strollers and are more likely to blend in when used, which is a positive element for a number of parents. What’s most important is that you choose a double stroller that meets your needs.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro Infant Car Seat Review

Ingenuity hasn’t been in the baby gear market for very long, but they’re already making an imprint with their newly released infant car seat, the Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro. I picked one up on sale from Amazon this past weekend and put it through its paces to see if I could add it to my list of recommended car seats.

2015 Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro – What’s the big deal?

ingenuity1The Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro is one of the latest infant car seats that brings a 35 pound weight limit, enabling slightly longer time rear-facing than the traditional 30 pound weight limit infant seats. Some of the unique features present in the InTrust 35 Pro include a recline fut that’s adjustable in 3 positions through a one-hand button push adjuster, push button LATCH connectors, an included infant insert, ventilated panels to keep kids cooler when the weather gets hot, and a peek-a-boo window in the canopy, a feature normally only found in high end strollers.

More broadly, the Ingenuity Intrust 35 Pro is an infant car seat, which means it’s designed to be used with your baby from the day he or she leaves the hospital. It can only be used in a rear-facing position, and after your child outgrows it, you will want to switch to a convertible car seat to ensure you can continue to rear-face before you eventually forward-face in a convertible or combination car seat. However, there are no convertible car seats that beat the InTrust 35 Pro in terms of weight and ease of installation, which is one of the primary advantages of an infant seat.

Buy the Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro on Sale at Amazon here.

Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 4 to 35 pounds. Your child must be under 32″ tall. An infant insert is included to help ensure a good fit for even premature newborns, and it is required when your child weighs between 4 and 11 pounds. There is a 1″ height limit relative to the top of the head support in the seat.

While most states allow children to legally forward face at age 1, as a reader of The Car Crash Detective, you’re going to aim for more time, and up to 4 if possible, the way our fellow Swedish parents do, since rear-facing will keep our little ones as safe as possible. Once your child outgrows the InTrust 35 Pro, s/he will need a convertible seat to continue rear-facing, and I’ve reviewed the best ones on the market here.

Dimensions and Lifespan of the Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro 

The Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro weighs 10.4 pounds by itself while the base weighs another 8 pounds. The lowest harness position is 5.5″ in the lowest position with the infant insert in place (6.5″ without the insert). The shell height is 18.” It will last 6 years from the date of manufacture, at which point you will need a new seat. The InTrust 35 Pro is narrow enough to make 3 across car seat installations feasible in a range of vehicles.

Using the Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro 

ing3Installation with and without base

Out of the box, the InTrust is simple to install, whether with the included base or without it, and whether with LATCH lower anchors or with the seat belt. Before you install  it with LATCH or the seat belt, you will need to open a grey door in the base and then close the door once the seat has been installed. Keep in mind that this isn’t a seat belt lock off so you will still need a locking seat belt. Fortunately, every car in the US made after 1996 has a seat belt that locks in some way, and in most vehicles, it occurs simply by pulling the belt out all the way until you hear the ratcheting mechanism click.

If you’re attempting a baseless installation, your only option, of course, will be to use the seat belt. A baseless installation comes in handy in situations where you don’t have the base handy, such as if you need to quickly install the InTrust in a friend’s vehicle, while you’re on vacation, or in a taxi or other borrowed vehicle. To install it without the base, simply place the InTrust on the vehicle’s seat at a good recline angle, weigh the seat down, run the belt through the guide paths, and tighten the belt until you have no more than 1″ of movement left to right or front to back along the belt path. Make sure the shoulder belt runs against the vertical part of your vehicle’s seat as well.

Recline adjustment

One of the more unique features of the InTrust is the one-handed recline adjuster. Essentially, you simply push a button on the side of the base while the seat is installed on the base to adjust the recline in 3 positions. You don’t have to install and uninstall the base each time while searching for the right recline; it’s a lot faster and easier to make adjustments this way, and I look forward to seeing this technology in more seats. You can look at a pair of green bubbles on each side of the base to help you find the right recline position, and you can see either set of bubbles from the side of the base or from the top of the base.

Harness and Fit

Perhaps the most unique element of the InTrust is the no-rethread harness and matching head support. You simply give the adjuster a tug to tighten the harness, and as if by magic, your head rest will move to where it should be while the harness also moves up or down to the proper height. You might need to do a bit of manual adjustment to the position of the harness once you’ve got the harness fully tightened, but it definitely saves a bit of time.

Something I’m a fan of in the Intrust Pro is its ability to fit premature-sized newborns and infants as well as it fits regular, full-term babies. The infant insert does a great job of ensuring that small babies fit with the harness below their shoulders in its lowest position. It also takes away any extra movement that smaller newborns would otherwise have in the seat. Remember that it’s required to be used if your baby weighs between 4 and 11 pounds, which means just about every newborn will start out with the insert.

Ventilation

Something else I like in the InTrust Pro is the Airinfuse ventilated panels included in the sides of the seat. These, along with the mesh, are designed to increase the amount of air flowing through the seat and around your child to keep him or her cooler when the weather gets hot. I stuck a thermometer in the seat and tried to test it out by placing the seat in a hot room, but was unable to get consistent results. That said, I think it’s a good feature and I’d also like to see this in more infant seats.

Buy the Ingenuity Intrust 35 Pro on Sale at Amazon here.

Why Buy the InTrust 35 Pro?

There are several reasons to buy any infant car seat, but for me, the key reasons are those that involve keeping your child safe. Every child, barring those with extremely special needs, such as very premature infants who might need infant beds, should start out rear-facing in either an infant seat or in a convertible seat in the rear-facing position. I prefer starting out with infant seats since they’re lighter and since you can install multiple bases to effortlessly move seats from one vehicle to the next.

Infant seats also make it much easier to transfer sleeping infants from the vehicle to the home, or vice versa. That said, no infant seat, not even the best available today in the United States, the Kiddy Evolution Pro, will get your child to age 4, which is where I believe we need to aim for when it comes to rear-facing, the way the Swedes do. To get to 4, you’re going to need to switch to a convertible seat somewhere along the way; I’ve reviewed plenty of these here.

However, even though it won’t get you to 4, the InTrust will get you started, and it will do so while making it easy to achieve a safe installation, which is key when you consider how many car seats are improperly installed each day. I also like the fact that the InTrust is an affordable infant seat, that it includes a no-rethread harness to make harness adjustments easier, and that it’s approved for airplane use by the FAA.

I’m also a huge fan of the infant insert and of how easy it makes it to achieve a safe fit for premature infants and small babies, and I like that the seat includes ventilated panels to aid with cooling during the summer and a peek-a-boo window in the canopy. I do wish it had more than a 6-year product life and I’m always eager for infant seats with much higher height limits, but for that, you’ll need to look toward the Kiddy Evolution Pro, which leads the field by a large margin there.

I heartily recommend the Ingenuity InTrust 35 Pro, and you can buy it here in Larson. Unfortunately, it’s not available in Canada, but the closest Canadian equivalent I’d recommend is the KeyFit 30, available here.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Phil and Teds Classic Stroller Review

classic-features-02-tsPhil and Teds has been in the stroller industry for a number of years now, and although Mike and I are primarily fans of side by side strollers like our rocking Bumbleride Indie Twin, we can’t help but admire their awesome approach to tandem strollers with offerings like the Navigator. As a result, when a friend offered me their Phil and Teds Classic stroller with a double kit for a couple of weeks, I couldn’t turn him down.

Phil and Teds describes their Classic stroller as the best value high end tandem or inline stroller on the market, and considering how much cheaper it is than their Navigator while sharing so many of its key features, it’s hard to argue with their assessment. It’s an all terrain stroller, which means it’s designed for light off-roading but isn’t a fully capable double jogging stroller. On the other hand, it lets you do more than you’d be able to with a double walking stroller, which is why we prefer to place it in a third category that’s rapidly growing in the high end stroller market.

You can buy the Phil and Teds Classic Stroller here, as my girlfriend did a few months back. She couldn’t stop talking about it, which got me curious about it. What follows is a pretty detailed review of the Phil and Teds Classic stroller in case you’re on the fence about just how awesome it is.

Weight and Dimensions of the Phil and Teds Classic

classic-features-01-best-valueHow much does the Phil and Teds Classic weigh?

The Phil and Teds Classic weighs around 25 pounds when in single seat mode and around 10 pounds more, or 35 pounds, when the second seat is attached. In this respect, it’s slightly heavier than the average high end side by side double stroller, though still lighter than the higher end tandem stroller it competes with, the Phil and Teds Navigator.

What’s the narrowest door you can fit a Phil and Teds Classic through?

The Classic can fit through a door as narrow as 24.4″, which practically means a 25″ door. This is about as narrow as it gets for a double stroller, and as good as what you’ll get from the Mountain Buggy Duet, which is the narrowest side by side double stroller on the market today. Of course, tandem strollers naturally have an easier time of fitting through doors due to the design, but it’s still good to measure and know that the Classic will be able to get through pretty much any door without issue.

Buy the Phil and Teds Classic Stroller on Sale at Amazon here.

What are the length, width, and height of the  Phil and Teds Classic?

When unfolded, the Classic is 24.4″ wide. When folded with the wheels on, it’s 30″ long, 11.8″ tall, and 24″ wide.

Using the Phil and Teds Classic with Children

classic-features-snug-heroCan you use infant seat adapters with the Phil and Teds Classic?

Yes, infant seat adapters from a range of manufacturers may be used with the Classic. Phil and Teds states the Classic is designed to fit children between newborn and toddler age ranges. Specifically, one newborn and a toddler can fit in the seat, as can two toddlers. It is not designed, however, to accommodate a pair of infants. You’ll need a side by side double stroller like the Bumbleride Indie Twin, Mountain Buggy Duet, Baby Jogger City Mini GT Double, or Baby Jogger Summit X3 Double for that feature. Keep in mind that you can also use a bassinet attachment in the Classic, which is something we love since not every stroller will let you do so.

What are the recommended height, weight, and age limits for children you can fit in the Phil and Teds Classic?

The recommended age limits for children in the Classic are from birth to 6 years. The weight limit for the main seat is 44 pounds. If you have a second seat installed, the front weight limit remains at 44 pounds while the rear seat can add another 33 pounds, bringing the total weight limit to 77 pounds. This is significantly lower than some of the best double side by side strollers on the market, which tend to top out at 100 pounds in total, or 50 pounds per seat. However, this is one of the inherent features in the design of a tandem stroller.

What are the seats, sun canopies, and seat support like in the Phil and Teds Classic?

The canopies provide a decent amount of coverage in the Classic, as you can see in the snapshot above. It’s adjustable in 3 modes and includes a UV mesh sun visor. The seats themselves are comfortable and come with 5 point safety harnesses.

Can you recline the seats in the Phil and Teds Classic?

Yes, the main seat can recline to a completely flat position to make it ideal for newborn use. There are three positions in total for adjusting the main seat (full up, halfway, and flat). The second seat cannot recline completely (we think it only goes back around 5 or so degrees compared to the main setting), and will take up much of your storage room beneath the stroller, which is unfortunate but necessary in the tandem stroller design.

Buy the Phil and Teds Classic Stroller on Sale at Amazon here.

 

Moving, Using, and Storing the Phil and Teds Classic

classic-features-04-ultra-lightWhat is it like to push the Phil and Teds Classic, and is the handlebar adjustable?

Pushing the Classic is smooth, easy, and comfortable. It feels lighter than a number of tandem strollers like the City Select, and is more reminiscent of the Navigator, which makes sense, seeing as they are made by the same parent company. The handlebar has a foam grip and is adjustable to two positions (low and high) that do a good job of fitting a wide range of parent heights. Steering is also fluid and feel stable the majority of the time. The stroller is an all terrain design, which means you’re allowed to do light jogging with it and will definitely have more flexibility in where you go than you would with a typical walking stroller.

We were fine pushing ours over sidewalks, gravel, pavement, dirt trails, and even through a bit of snow. That said, it’s definitely not a jogging stroller, and you’ll want to look at other models if you need something you’re going to be running hard with every day.

The geometry of the Classic was designed specifically to make it easier to pop curbs by raising the front wheel, and I can verify after several days of curb popping that they did a good job here. Of course, you can lock the front wheel if you’re going over rougher ground or if you want to do a bit of jogging, while if you’re looking for full maneuverability you can let the wheel swivel freely.

What are the brakes, tires, suspension, and wheels like on the Phil and Teds Classic?

Twin foot brakes are included on the Classic, which is a nice touch for security; you can effectively stop the stroller with either foot while on the go. The foot brake is bright red and clearly marked by each wheel, which make it easy to locate even in the middle of a grassy field. The tires are 12″ in diameter, which is nice and large for getting over bumps and hills, and they’re filled with air, which also makes the ride smoother when moving.

 How easy is it to pack up, assemble, or disassemble the Phil and Teds Classic?
 

Folding the Classic up is rather easy; it’s designed to be done with one hand in a “pull and slide” approach, per Phil and Teds. We found it relatively easy to figure out after a bit of practice, and were even able to get to the point where we could fold the seat with a single hand. However, all of this flies out of the window when the second seat is present; in such cases, you will most definitely need both hands and you’ll also need to remove the second seat before you can fold the stroller down. Once folded, it’s likely to fit in the trunk of any mid-sized or larger car, SUV, or minivan.

What are the cargo storage and weight limits of the Phil and Teds Classic?

The gear tray in the Classic has a 5kg or 11 pound capacity, which is comparable to what you’ll find in other tandem strollers. Howeve, it’s important to note that you’re not going to be able to use much of that space if you have second seat set up; such are the limitations of the tandem design. We also found it slightly difficult to gain access to the basket when we had the main seat set flat.If you’re looking for a cavernous amount of space that remains usable when both kids are in the stroller, you’ll need a high end side by side all terrain model like the Tri-mode Twin EX or the Indie Twin.

Concluding thoughts on the Phil and Teds Classic

Is the Phil and Teds Classic worth it?

In my opinion, the Phil and Teds Classic is definitely worth it; it’s essentially a cheaper version of the Phil and Teds Navigator that seems to do almost everything the Navigator does for less money. You can buy the Phil and Teds Classic here in Black and Red.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.