Phil and Ted Vibe Buggy Review

We received our Phil and Ted Vibe buggy a few weeks ago now and just wanted to pass on our comments.

First up we really like the Mountain Buggy but decided that we wanted the option for a 1 + 1 inline buggy offered by Phil and Ted.

Like everything there are a few things we would happily change with the Vibe but in general we are really happy with it and the things we would change are minor.

Things we love:
We love the feel of the Vibe and the construction. Its light weight but feels solid as a rock. Pushing is so smooth. The seats are comfortable and the straps are simple and fast to use. The folding can be a bit of a trick when you first try it but once you know how to do it it’s a breeze. My wife likes that you don’t need to bend over fully or lay it on the ground to do it. We like that when folded all the bits tuck away and it locks in place. Also with the front bar in place and the wheels unlocked its easy to tow around. The hood on the Vibe is really good as well. Folds simply and when in new born mode we put it right forward so it’s more like a traditional bassinet stroller with the baby facing us.

We both really like the break – especially my wife. She uses its lots and to be honest we would not have got a Phil & Ted if it was not for this as the break on the sport is horrible in our opinion. We even had a sales person tell us “it’s not too bad, her daughter just bends down to use it”! We also liked it was easy to use with the double kit on the back. This is our first stroller so have not found having the break in the middle of the handle to be a problem. We find we use it lots.
And what can I say about the looks. Great.

Things which we would be happy if they were modified include;
•     A viewing window on the top – minor but handy
•     With the toddler seat on the back the bottom basket can be a bit tricky to get into. Also you need to take everything out of the basket to fold it but this seems common across all buggies.
•     Better instructions. I would recommend having a look at this– has lots of good information that makes it much simpler to use: www.regallager.com/downloads/vibe-helpfulhints.pdf
In addition if you hunt around, the Phil and Ted website does actually provide more information:
Initial Instructions -
http://203.167.144.133/pat_advertising_templates/instructions/08_english_originals/vibe_instructions_set_1_web.pdf
Detailed folding instructions -
http://203.167.144.133/pat_advertising_templates/instructions/08_english_originals/vibe_folding_inx.pdf
Cary bag instructions -
http://203.167.144.133/pat_advertising_templates/instructions/08_english_originals/vibe_travel_bag_instructions_set_1_low_res.pdf
•     The toddler seat could be bigger but then we new that when we brought it and part of the reason we got it was our legs did not hit it when it was on. The advantage with it being small is that you can fold it while it is in place.
•     The standard Phil & Ted sleeping bag fits but does bunch in the centre a bit. I’m not sure if this is common across all buggies but is easy to fix by making the holes larger.

I still debate occasionally if it was worth the cost and if we would have been better going to the Dash (this was actually our initial choice). We did like how the Dash folds so simply. Easier than the Vibe and Sport. I also really like the look of the sport and the dash. The same issues still stand though for why we went with the Vibe. These were:
•     The break on the Dash requires two hands so you can’t be holding anything to use it.
•     When the break is on, the handle is in the down position, so if you have a bag across the handle it falls off.
•     The hood on the sport and dash we found a bit annoying as you have to clip it on and off to fold it down.
•     When we went in to purchase it Phil and Ted had just put a recall order on the Dash and we found out that they were having to replace the locking system and also redesign the hand break so it was stronger. Thats why there were a lot of bad reviews on line. Great to see good customer service though, as all buggies sold were being upgraded. This did really push us over the edge though.

Anyway, those are our thought as we hope they help someone making the same decision.

Cheers