Britax Vigour 3 Pushchair Review

Overall Rating

Stylish, fun, rear facing, and durable

It can be a bit heavy, but still the best value out there for a rear facing stroller

After loads of research, we decided on the Britax Vigour 3, and we couldn't be happier! But this was an arduous process, so I wanted to pass on my experience.

You have to decide what's important to you about a pram. If you use a car then you probably want a system to start with, where the car seat clicks onto the pram which has a newborn attachment. I have also decided it's important to me to have a rear-facing option, as my 4 month old is too big for the bassinet at this point, but I still want to see her as we stroll around.

If a person with deep pockets is going to buy the pram for you, then get the bugaboo chameleon. It's a great pram which won't break, and it has everything you need (including being able to face your child towards you once you start using the stroller bit. Or if you don't need it for off-road, then get the Bugaboo Bee -- the newest, and it will be out here I think in October, or you can pick one up from the USA. It's a great city stroller, but not as good for off-roading as the Chameleon). Or maybe check into the Stokke Explory. I don't know much about them but they look very cool, and I like the idea of the baby being high up and closer to me!

If you are paying for this yourself and money is tight, I don't think I would spend the money on a Bugaboo. Basically, most moms end up buying a MacClaren type of buggy when the babies are about 1 year old because it's the lightest, easiest and best value. At that point your child weighs so much you need the lightest most durable thing around. There are loads of great types that are only about £100 and do everything you need.

The bit that drives the price up on this whole process is the bassinet. You need one for when the baby is little, but then never again. So you end up with a huge outlay of cash for something you only use for a few months. If you can borrow a pram with a bassinet for 4 months then that's the best option if you are in a cash crunch. Then you can buy whatever stroller you want after that, and will know so much more about strollers by then.

If you can't borrow a pram with a newborn attachment and are buying this on your own, I would recommend checking into the Britax Vigour's or the Hauck Infinity travel system. They have all the features of a Bugaboo, with the added bonus of being able to collapse the stroller with the baby seat facing forward (which you can't do with the Bug).

But if you are paying for it yourself, there are loads of strollers with the same features (rear facing stroller, can add a car seat, fairly lightweight etc.) which are good

Hauck infinity - Good all around choice -- many versions: I'coo, Esprit, Jeep, Rock Star Baby etc.
CityElite First Wheels - Basically a complete knock-off of the Bug, but uses cheaper parts.
Bebe Confort Loola - Too bulky and heavy for me.
Quinny Buzz - super cute, but too heavy I think.
Britax Vigour 3 or 4 - I just bought the Vigour 3 for a jogging stroller, off-road and every day stroller while she is little enough to face backwards.
Silver Cross - too bulky and heavy, and not all that cute.
Peg Perego Venezia - pretty good, but I don't love the way it looks so much.

So now I am selling our Micralite travel system. I have loved the Micralite bassinet and the stroller. They are so sassy, but the stroller doesn't face backwards, and I really want that feature until she is older so I can see her as we stroll around.

Ebay, Craigslist and Gumtree are good places to look for used prams if that's what you decide to do.

I would keep the Micralite stroller bit for later, as I really think it's pretty cool, but we can re-sell the system for more than a new stroller costs, so that's why I am selling it and have bought the Rock Star Candy for the everyday lightweight stroller, which should take us through the rest of her stroller years, I hope. We have also purchased the Britax Vigour 3, which I am totally excited about. It faces backwards, which is good for now, and we will keep it as a jogging / off-road stroller. If I didn't have to deal with stairs / need an extra for my mother in law's house, then we would really only need the Britax Vigour. It's super cute and does it all.
http://shop.babyworld.co.uk/DisplayDetail.asp x?which=1442.
If you wanted to buy the carrycot and the whole system, then I think you can find one on Ebay or online for around £230, including the newborn attachment. Or £189 for just the stroller.

But the Bugaboo Cameleon does both things well (an everyday stroller, and it is somewhat OK for offroad / beach), or you could just end up with two like we have, which I think is better, because I like to have a choice, and we have a spare in case something goes wrong and need an extra anyway for baby's grandmother's house! And I just don't want to be a Bugaboo person -- it's just not my style. I live in Queen's Park and they are everywhere!! But on the other hand, the Bugaboo's seem to have awesome re-sale value, so you could just buy one new and keep it if you love it, or sell it later if you like. It's up to you.

I am finally happy in my two stroller world, and I hope this helps someone out there!

Members' Comments onrealblonde's Review

• laura89 on 10th May 2008

  I felt the person writing the review was not getting to the point i just wanted to know about the vigour 3

• andytaurus on 31st May 2009

  I found this review helpful because... I guess your 9 - 10 ratings say it all after listing so many good comparisons

• littleduck on 11th Sep 2009

  I found this review not helpful because it doesn't review the pushchair it just tells you about other ones.