Phil and Teds Dot Stroller Review

Phil and Teds Dot is one of the most compact inline strollers on the market. You can use it as a single or convert it into a double mode by purchasing a 2nd seat. This is an all-terrain stroller that rolls on 10″ air-filled wheels. Take it to the park, playground, or over the grass, it can tackle any kind of rough terrain. The Dot is great for active parents who like outdoors.

The main seat has a flat recline and can accommodate a child from birth and up to 44 lbs. It’s full of great features like adjustable handle bar, large basket, and easy one-hand fold. The Dot truly grows with your family. In single mode, you can use it as a travel system or a pram by purchasing a carrycot/bassinet. In double mode, you can use it as a travel system plus a seat for a toddler or two seats for two kids. All this goodness weighs 26 lbs which is an average weight for a inline stroller.

Despite all the great features I’ve listed, I gave this stroller 3 out of 5 stars because of the medium canopy size, inconvenient recline, lock of storage, and non-telescoping handle bar. But, my main issue is the easy to reach wheels in a double mode. A child can hurt himself by getting his hand into the wheel. This is not safe! Also, I think that the handle bar should telescope to provide more feet room instead of adjusting up and down.

The lowest price I was able to find was $450 for single stroller and $589 with a double kit on Amazon (FREE shipping/FREE returns and NO sales tax). Keep in mind, the price does vary depending on the color.

Buy Phil&Teds Dot Stroller »

Pros

-Medium size canopy. You know me, I am ALL about canopies. When I say medium I am being nice. It’s small… maybe not the smallest on the market, but very close. It has a small pop-out sunvisor that does very little to help. The canopy is attached to the frame with two small straps that you can detach to convert it into a ‘floating canopy’. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold its shape once detached. The good news is that you can move the canopy up and down the frame to accommodate height of your child. For some parents a small canopy is not a deal breaker, for others like me, it is. There is a large peekaboo window with a noisy Velcro closure (I would like to see a magnetic closure).

-Adjustable handle bar. The handle bar goes from 32″ all the way up to 42″. The handle bar does not telescope, which would be more convenient once you add the second seat.

-Run-away strap. There is a run-away strap attached to the handle bar to prevent the stroller from running away from you.

-Comfy seat. The seat is 11″ wide and 28″ high from the bottom of the seat to the top of the canopy. The great thing is that canopy slides up and down the frame allowing you to choose the height. The seat can be used from birth and up to 44 lbs. It has a perfectly flat recline, so you can put a newborn into the seat. The bad news is that the recline is VERY inconvenient! It has a buckle and strap system on both sides of the frame that requires three hands to adjust (one hand will be lifting up a child).

-Opening. Once the seat is fully reclined, you will see a large opening between the seat and the canopy that provides nice air circulation. There is no mesh like in B-Agile and the canopy doesn’t have a closure for that opening, but there is a plastic see-through cover that’s included. It attaches to the fabric of the stroller with a Velcro. The challenge is to carry it with you all the time without losing it. I don’t know why it was so difficult to attach to the back of the canopy like in ALL other strollers.

-5 point harness. It has adjustable padded 5 point harness with a hard to unlock buckle which I like. Your little one will not be able to escape. The harness is also tail free meaning there are no loose strap ends.

-Bumper bar. INCLUDED! The bumper is covered with nylon material instead of foam (like on many other strollers), so your child will not get a mouth full of foam in case he decides to take a bite. This bumper bar is removable, but NOT swing away. I don’t understand why it is not swing away, when the Promenade model has a swing away bumper.

-Large basket. The basket is large and high. You can fit a lot of stuff in it and it’s very accessible even with the seat fully reclined. If you decide to use a double kit, some of the room in the basket will be taken up by the child’s feet.

-Wheels. The Dot model rolls on three 10″ air-filled tires that have cool sporty white stripes. The front wheel is swivel, but can be locked straight for more stability on rough terrain. These all-terrain wheels will have no problem handling grass, playground mulch or gravel. There is NO suspension.

-Parking brake. There is a single foot brake between rear wheels that is NOT flip-flop friendly unfortunately. When stepped on, it locks both rear wheels in place.

-Easy fold. The fold is really easy and can be done with ONE HAND! All you need to do is pull on the bar underneath the bottom of the seat and lift. That’s all! Since the Dot weighs 26 lbs, I don’t think you will be folding it with one hand unless you hit the gym regularly. LOL. It has an automatic lock, but does not stand on its own when folded.

-Second seat. NOT INCLUDED! You will need to purchase it separately. It is a smaller seat that converts Dot into an inline double stroller. It is 13″ wide with a 22″ seat back and 24″ from the bottom of the seat to the top of the canopy. So it is a nice roomy seat. The canopy is a joke, but I am happy it’s there (before there was no canopy). It is flimsy and small. The 2nd seat has the same 5 point padded harness as the main seat.

-Double mode. There are two place where you can attach the second seat: the front and the back. For a a toddler you can attach the 2nd seat to the front of the stroller while your newborn will be in the main seat. With this combination the second seat can hold a child up to 44 lbs. Keep in mind, the main seat has to be fully reclined (for the newborn) and you can’t use the bumper bar. The second option is designed for two toddlers. You can attach the 2nd seat in the back right above the parking brake. The 2nd seat in this position can hold a child up to 33 lbs and has a one-hand recline. With this option, your child’s legs will be in the basket, so you can’t really use it. IMPORTANT: You need to watch out for the child in the second seat grabbing the rear wheels. I wouldn’t put a 2 year old in there. To fold the stroller you will need to remove the second seat.

Cons

-Canopy size. The canopy is too small for my taste and that small sunvisor doesn’t help much. I wish it would be larger like on Promenade model and could convert into a ‘floating canopy’ while holding its shape. I also would like to see a magnetic closure for the peekaboo window.

-Bumper bar. The fact that this bumper is not swing away, adds additional step to when you take your child out. It should definitely be a swing away like in the Promenade model. I am surprised they made two different bumper bars for different models.

-Inconvenient recline. The buckle and strap system makes it very inconvenient to recline and bring back the seat. I don’t know why Phil & Teds wouldn’t use the one-hand strap system that is widely used by many strollers. Even better, they can do one-hand lever recline. Phil & Tends, take notes!

-Back opening cover. Once the seat is fully reclined, there is a large opening between the canopy and the seat. There is no mesh, but there is a separate plastic closure that comes with the stroller. The annoying thing is that you have to carry it with you and make sure you don’t lose it. It also attaches to the stroller with a noisy Velcro. I think that Phil & Teds didn’t think it through. Why not attach it to the canopy like on B-Agile and City Mini?

-Easy to reach wheels. In double mode, a child in the back seat can easily reach the rear wheels. There is a tire guard on top of the rear wheels, but a child can reach around it! You would need to teach your child not to touch the wheels before putting him/her there. I just think this is NOT SAFE!

-Handle bar. In double mode with a second seat in the back, there is not a lot of leg room. The handle bar can be adjusted up and down, but it does’t telescope out like in other inline strollers. If you have long legs, you might be kicking that second seat a lot. LOL.

-Lock of storage. The basket is the only storage available. There is no pocket to put your small items like keys, phone or a wallet.

Video Review

Baby Gizmo as always has a great video review. Take a look.

Specs

Stroller weight: 26 lbs
Weight limit: 44 lbs (main seat), 33 lbs (2nd seat rear position), 44 lbs (2nd seat front positon)
Folded dimensions: 30″L x 10″H x 23″W
Handle bar height: 40″
Seat to canopy height: 28″
Wheels: 10″
Overall length: 39″
Overall width: 23″

Phil & Teds Verve vs Dot

Since both strollers look very similar, some of the parents get confused. In a nutshell, the Verve model is more expensive, less compact, and has more features than Dot.

Canopy. V has medium size floating canopy that follows the sun vs D that has medium size canopy that is attached to the seat and doesn’t provide as much shade.
Weight. V weighs 28 lbs vs D is 26 lbs
Width. V is wider at 25″ vs D that is 23″.
Wheels. V has four wheels while D has four.
Parking brake. V has a hand brake while D has a foot brake.
Carrycot. V is compatible with a ‘peanut carrycot’ while D is compatible with ‘snug carrycot’.
2nd Seat. V 2nd seat is a little larger, has more recline positions, and can accommodate a child up to 44 lbs (front/back), while D has a smaller more compact seat that can hold a child up to 33 lbs in the back and 44 lbs in the front.
Price. V is more expensive $575 vs D can be purchased for $408.

Comparison Chart

If you want to see how Dot model compares to other Phil & Teds strollers here is a great comparison chart.

Warranty

Phil and Teds has 1-year warranty from the original date of purchase and you have to be the original owner. Here is more information on the warranty.

Available colors

For 2013 the Dot is available in three beautiful colors: apple, chili, and flint. All strollers come with sleek black frame.

Accessories

Accessories for the Dot: carrycot/bassinet ($143), cup holder, double kit/second seat ($150), travel bag ($100), sun cover ($40), car seat adapter ($36), cocoon /crarycot ($60).

Where to buy it

My favorite place to buy strollers and a lot of other baby items is Amazon. It usually has the lowest prices, free shipping, free returns and no sales tax. How great is that? You can get Phil&Teds Dot single in one of the three beautiful colors for around $450 on Amazon (FREE shipping/FREE returns and NO sales tax). The DOUBLE version is also available on Amazon for around $589.