The Phil & Teds folding mechanism has always been a counter-intuitive, gotta-see-it-to-get-it deal; but that's the genius of it. It's how they manage to stack a second kid underneath like a Pringle.
Now, because three parents out of thousands--tens of thousands--have gone and complained to the CPSC about getting their poky little fingertips mangled [see simulation at left], Phil & Teds has recalled nearly 30,000 Classic and Sport strollers sold between 2008 and 2010.
The Classic and the Sport are the company's two lower-priced models. The Dash's hinge may be just as amputational, but those upscale folks probably have stroller valets or something.
But this is no time for idle speculation. The CPSC recommends "Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled strollers," [yeah, that'll happen] until you get little hinge covers from Phil & Teds.
Meanwhile, if you've been attacked by your P&T stroller before, and you're far enough along in the healing process to talk about it [and you haven't signed a gag order as part of any settlement, of course], maybe you can give some tips--I mean, some pointers--d'oh, I'm sorry.
UPDATE: Ah-yow. In the comments, Seth answers the question that had been bugging me, which is: if the stroller hinge is so finger-choppy, why does the recall only go back to 2008? Answer: Because all the Phil & Teds strollers sold in the US between 2003 and 2008 were already recalled. in 2008. You can read about it here on, uh, daddytypes.com.
Strollers Recalled to Repair by phil&teds USA Due to Amputation and Laceration Hazards [cpsc.gov]
Unafraid? Longtime DT affiliate partner JoggingStroller.com will ship every unrecalled Phil & Teds to you for free! [joggingstroller.com]
We never lost any digits with the P&T but that's only because we developed a healthy respect for the fold right from the start. We spent two years fearing the way the thing closed like a bear trap. It was always a challenge to get the two buttons pressed just right and then....watch out.
Thankfully my son is now self-propelled and we were able to resurrect our Mountain Buggy Urban Single, which his sister and parents love (now more than ever after our time with the P&T).
Very interested in the upcoming Mountain Buggy Plus One which seems to combine the best feature of the P&T line (i.e., the pringle packaging) with the best features from the Mountain Buggy (i.e., everything else). This is the love child we hoped for when P&T acquired MB. Too bad it's a few years too late for our needs.
Also, is this hinge cover the same fix that was provided for earlier P&T Sport and e3 models? http://philandteds.com/services/safety/Cover_Instruction_revD_14_03_08Final.pdf
If it's the same fix being applied to the same problem on later models, that's pretty disturbing? We received hinge covers as part of a recall in 2008 installed them at the time. While the covers kept fingers out of the most dangerous spots, I was still never fully comfortable with the fold.
I always assumed the finger-chopping would happen to the add-on rider upon sticking his/her tiny fingers into the mesmerising spokes of the moving wheels.