Phil and Teds Dot Review

Name: Phil and Teds Dot
Brand: Phil and Teds

Strange seating leaves second child without space or visibility

Phil and Teds Dot Review — Credit: Abriah Wofford

Price: $500 List

Manufacturer: Phil and Teds

By Juliet Spurrier, MD & BabyGearLab Team ⋅ Mar 8, 2019

OVERALL
SCORE

Ease Of Use - 35% 3.0
Maneuverability - 25% 7.0
Weight/Folded Size - 15% 7.0
Safety - 10% 5.0
Quality - 10% 7.0
Ease Of Attaching Car Seat - 5% 5.0

View at Phil and Teds

Our Verdict

Phil and Teds Dot is an inline double stroller with a rumble seat that almost sits underneath the front seat and in the storage bin/tray. This stroller brings some nice things to the table with a shorter footprint and easy maneuvering compared to much of the competition. However, it doesn't give the passengers a similar riding experience, and the bottom or rear passenger will end up occupying the entire storage bin with their feet. We wanted to like this stroller when we first saw it, but after testing, we became disenchanted feeling that it is sort of cool, but not quite there. This stroller is difficult to use, requires the removal of the rumble seat to fold, and lacks some of the conveniences parents are likely to expect on a double stroller. In short, we feel this stroller could use a little improvement in design with a design that left us disappointed.

REASONS TO BUY

Shorter footprint

Easy to push and turn in tight spaces

REASONS TO AVOID

No storage with second seat

Harder to use

Weird seating configurations

Our Analysis and Test Results

Phil & Teds is a small company based out of Wellington, New Zealand. They have been making baby gear for over 20 years under the names of Phil & Teds, Mountain Buggy, and Mokopuna. Phil & Teds has spent significant time working to create innovate products and has won several awards. Their products can be purchased internationally.

Performance Comparison

phil and teds dot — Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use

For ease of use, the Dot earned a disappointing 3 of 10, which is the lowest score for this group in the ease of use metric.

phil and teds dot - unfolding the dot includes removal of the second seat and the sun... — Unfolding the Dot includes removal of the second seat and the sun shade cover if you are using it.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Fold and Unfold

The Dot has one of the more complicated folds because you need to remove the rumble seat. So, you'll be responsible for two children, a folded stroller, a diaper bag, and the additional seat. This is a lot to carry! On the upside, you might be able to fit it in smaller spaces because it is divided in two.

phil and teds dot - part of the dot folding process includes pressing an unlock button... — Part of the Dot folding process includes pressing an unlock button and squeezing the handle before pulling up to fold.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Unfolding requires two hands to remove the seat, but only one to finish the fold. It has six steps, auto-locks, and does not self-stand. Unfolding is challenging with eight steps including the rumble seat. This is definitely not the stroller for a quick turnaround or one you want to mess with at Disney World.

Brakes

The Dot brakes are single action requiring one push to engage. Applying and releasing the brakes is easy and sandal foot friendly with a soft pad on the underside of the brake pedal where the top of your foot presses.

The second seat on the Dot sits in what phil and Teds call the "gear... — The second seat on the Dot sits in what phil and Teds call the "gear tray" making the typical storage space virtually useless.

Storage

The photos above show two different angles of the “gear tray” for the Dot. If you imagine a child in the seat, you can see how quickly you'd lose room for even the monkey doll or a bottle.

The storage is referred to by Phil and Teds as the “gear tray,” which we think is a fun way of saying it isn't a bin. When used with the rumble seat in place the “tray” all but disappears. In fact, when it comes to size, we list it as “not applicable” because you can't use it when pushing two children as the second passenger's leg fill the bin. The Dot does not have any other storage, and while the manual claims the tray has an 11 lb allowance, we don't see how you'd fit 11 lbs of stuff in the tray unless they mean baby's legs.

Sunshade

The sunshade is small, and we rated it medium in size compared to the competition. It has extra ventilation and a vinyl peek-a-boo window on the top canopy, but there is no canopy for the lower seat. Instead, it has stretchy mesh cover that extends from the top of the main seat to the back of the second seat. This placement creates a cocoon effect that keeps the sun to a minimum, but it isn't the same as a canopy that blocks it entirely. Perhaps Phil and Teds thought the top seat offers protection since it eclipses the bottom seat, but it is short-sighted to provide a shield that can be misplaced and leave baby exposed. Most of the similar competition provide a canopy to both seats. The top canopy attaches to the frame with elastic loops that gives the whole thing a cheaper feel.

phil and teds dot - all four straps on the phil and teds dot must be inserted into the... — All four straps on the Phil and Teds Dot must be inserted into the buckle separately one at a time. This makes the harness and buckle more difficult to use, especially if baby is fussy or doesn't want to be strapped in.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Harness

Both seats have 5-point harnesses. Both are easy to adjust, but we find getting them on and off more challenging than the average harness. There are four harness straps that go in the buckle one at a time, which takes twice as long as any other stroller. This process will be a hassle if the baby is squirming or having a tantrum. We found significant resistance when trying to insert the straps into the buckle and unbuckling is no picnic either. While pressing the button isn't hard, the straps don't always pop out, so you'll need to take it apart. Shoulder height is a rethread adjustment with three height positions and only one crotch strap position that is not adjustable.

Seat

The seat does not have a leg rest as it comes to an abrupt stop leaving legs to dangle and only children of a certain height will be able to reach the footrest. Also, because the seat bottom and back are stationary, as opposed to pivoting where the two connect, reclining tilts the entire seat back. This design results in a baby's legs sticking up into the air or hanging off the end of the seat.

The recline is arguably stranger than the leg rest issues in our opinion. The front seat and second seat are so close together that to recline one means you must recline both, even if the passenger doesn't want to. To recline the main seat flat, you need to move the second seat in front of/on top of the main seat. If you move the second seat on top of/in front of the main seat, then you have one baby virtually laying on top of the other, and the only way you can get to the baby in the main seat is through the back head area between the seats. This juggling of seats seems excessive and akin to poor design. While many strollers offer a variety of seat configurations and combinations, this is the only one that requires harness threading alterations. In the end, we feel like there is no good option for either passenger and it is unlikely that any seating configuration will work for both riders all the time.

Each side on the back of the main seat of the Dot has plastic... — Each side on the back of the main seat of the Dot has plastic adjsutment buckles to raise or lower the seat. It is only 1 step in a possible 5 step recline process.

The Dot recline mechanism is several steps including unbuckling the... — The Dot recline mechanism is several steps including unbuckling the sides, sliding the adjuster on each side, and potentially un-zipping the inside for full recline.

The photos above show two of the initial steps in the reclining process of the main seat.

phil and teds dot - the reclin on dot's second seat is far less complicated and requires... — The reclin on Dot's second seat is far less complicated and requires only 1 hand and 1 lever.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

To operate the recline on the main seat, there are two side plastic adjustments slides that work independently, each requiring two hands to operate. Then, you can unzip the sides from the inside of the seat to increase the recline. This process is one of the most convoluted operations in the review. If the baby is laying completely flat in the front seat, you also need to reconfigure the harness straps by moving the shoulder and crotch straps to new positions. This process involves unthreading the straps and rethreading in different holes so you can harness the baby into the flat portion of the seat instead of the seat bottom that remains at an almost 90-degree angle (baby also rotates, so their head is at the seat bottom). What the?? This arrangement isn't impossible, but other strollers manage to recline without the ridiculous hassle. Plus, when baby wants to sit up, you'll have to remove them from the seat to make the adjustments back to an upright harness. We aren't sure what you do with the baby in the meantime if you are traveling solo, but we don't like the idea of sitting baby on the ground while you divert your attention to mastering convoluted harness adjustments. In their instructional video (see below) the process looks like a hassle. However, if you reimagine the video with an actual baby and consider how the user manages the baby and the adjustments, it isn't hard to see why we have reservations and suspect that once the seat is in the flat position parents aren't likely to move it until they get home.

This photo shows the Dot with the second seat in the standard... — This photo shows the Dot with the second seat in the standard location under the main seat. This photo shows both seats in their most "upright" positions.

This is the Phil and Teds Dot in the standard configuration with the... — This is the Phil and Teds Dot in the standard configuration with the second seat. The main seat is partially reclined while the second seat is fully reclined. The rear passenger has less legroom, no canopy, limited recline angles and poor visibility with the front seat blocking their view.

The photos above show the Dot with the seat backs fully upright, the main seat reclined and the second seat fully reclined, and the main seat fully reclined with the second seat moved to a front position (from left to right).

Car Seat Compatibility

The Dot accepts two infant car seats from a variety of brands including Mountain Buggy, Phil and Teds, Maxi-Cosi, Cybex, Graco, and Chicco. The adapters are sold separately with an average cost of $50. We tested this stroller with the Phil and Teds Alpha, the Chicco Keyfit 30, the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max, and the Cybex Aton 2. The adapters do not require assembly, and you do need to remove the second seat to attach two car seats.

The Alpha is the easiest option to attach, which makes sense since it is the same brand, but it is still challenging to line up the sides. All of the seats require that the handle is in the down position, which makes the installation more difficult and can be hard to do with a 20-pound baby (get ready to weight lift). None of the infant car seats work that well, and we feel that none of them feel secure once attached.

Ease of Setup

The Dot is hard to set up and took us about six minutes to put together. The user's manual directions are not clear, and they seem to skip steps. We only accomplished parts of the assembly thanks to our experience putting together lots of strollers over the years.

phil and teds dot - the dot has a single front wheel which helps improve... — The Dot has a single front wheel which helps improve maneuverability, but it used to be rubber and pneumatic which we think would probably be even better.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Maneuverability

The Dot managed a 7 of 10 for maneuverability, which is nothing to sneeze at. While you may have trouble figuring out where to put children in this stroller, you certainly won't have too much trouble pushing them. The Dot has a three-wheel design and puncture proof tires that are not plastic.

phil and teds dot - the front wheel on the dot can be locked in place to help negotiate... — The front wheel on the Dot can be locked in place to help negotiate uneven terrain.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

This stroller is compact and fits almost anywhere. On hard flat surfaces, it pushes and navigates tight spots well which is great for city dwellers. When you get off the flat path and onto grass and gravel, the Dot didn't perform well despite the trike design and rubber tires. We were able to push it through grass and over gravel, but it doesn't manage rougher surfaces as well as strollers with pneumatic tires.

Wheel Hazard
Given the proximity of the second seat to the back wheels and brakes, we worry that little ones could manage to can possibly mangle their fingers by playing with the parts they can reach. We suggest parents stop using the second seat when the passenger's arms are long enough to reach the wheels.

phil and teds dot - while the dot is relatively light and compact compared to much of... — While the Dot is relatively light and compact compared to much of the competition, it isn't light or small enough to put up with removing the second seat prior to folding.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Weight and Folded Size

Phil and Teds pitch this stroller as compact and lightweight, and it is below average for both weight and folded size compared to the competition we tested. The Dot receives a 7 of 10 with a weight of 30.9 lbs using both seats which is below the average of 32 for the group. The folded size is 12,931 cubic inches which is much smaller than the majority of products with some measuring over 29,000 cubic inches. However, keep in mind that you must remove the second seat to fold so you'll have two parts instead of one.

Quality

What the Dot lacks in functionality it makes up for in quality with a 7 of 10. The fabric has a nice feel, and the padding is more than adequate. The seats are thermo-molded and feel durable. The frame is simple without a lot of connectors and plastic parts. The wheels are also simple and look nice. Overall, the parts give the stroller a good fit and finish.

phil and teds dot - the handlebar on the dot is adjustable by rotating it on a pivot... — The handlebar on the Dot is adjustable by rotating it on a pivot point. This type of height adjustment results in the occasional kicking of the rear axle as the higher handle height brings you closer to the stroller.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

The handlebar has a comfortable shape, despite being narrow. It is adjustable, but many testers ended up kicking the rear axle occasionally while strolling.

The stroller lacks suspension and the seats are firm and somewhat hard under the padding. While they are sling-style seats, it isn't enough to be super comfortable. We suspect with no suspension that passengers won't have a comfortable ride. Other strollers in this price range have suspension.

Twins

The Dot is not the best option for twins despite accepting two infant car seats. The seats are hard to install, and space is limited. Even if your twins are old enough to ride in the main and second seat, it isn't the best bet given the disparity between the riding experience. In our experience, it is better to offer siblings a similar experience if you want to avoid tantrums. While children with larger age gaps may do well in strollers with different riding experiences, this stroller probably won't work that well for older/larger children given the small second seat, so it's hard to say what child will enjoy sitting close to the ground with their legs in the storage tray and a seat in their face.

Manufacturer Video

— Juliet Spurrier, MD & BabyGearLab Team