Bebe Confort Vit

.../> I'd heard about the Bebe Confort Vit through reading Babyworld.co.uk reviews and wanted to try it. This stroller received very positive reviews on babyworld.co.uk product reviews for "The best lightweight buggies" in the market. Website for that is :

http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/products/product_tests/lightweight_buggies2/overview.asp

After visiting Bebe Confort's homepage for this stroller at ...
...expectations.

The Bebe Confort Vit is a very lightweight stroller (combined weight of chassis with seat and hood on is around 4 to 5 kg) which rivals the MacLaren Volo.

A clear winner over the MacLaren Volo for me, because of the fact that it allows for very easy one-handed steering which leaves other hand free for doing something else - carrying a bag maybe, or holding a child's hand.. The stroller is so easy to manouvre ... more

When my 2nd child had grown to a much bigger size at 9 months old, I was looking at the option of purchasing a 2nd stroller after struggling with an expensive Mamas & Papas Pliko Argento pushchair for the past few years both with my 1st child and my 2nd child. I did lots of research on the Internet and tried out some pushchairs in Mothercare and Toys R Us but didn't find anything I wanted (I wanted a very lightweight stroller that is easy to steer, folds and opens very easily, is comfy for my baby to sit in). The one closest to what I'm looking for was MacLaren Volo, which was lightweight enough for me and easy enough to use, but I wasn't very happy about the mesh seat on the Volo as I wanted a more "substantial" padded seat for my baby.

I'd heard about the Bebe Confort Vit through reading Babyworld.co.uk reviews and wanted to try it. This stroller received very positive reviews on babyworld.co.uk product reviews for "The best lightweight buggies" in the market. Website for that is :

http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/products/product_tests/lightweight_buggies2/overview.asp

After visiting Bebe Confort's homepage for this stroller at : http://www.bebeconfort.com/UK/prom_canne_vit.htm

I was convinced me, based on what I've read, that this really did seem like exactly what I wanted. I decided to buy it, and return it if it really didn't match my expectations.

The Bebe Confort Vit is a very lightweight stroller (combined weight of chassis with seat and hood on is around 4 to 5 kg) which rivals the MacLaren Volo.

A clear winner over the MacLaren Volo for me, because of the fact that it allows for very easy one-handed steering which leaves other hand free for doing something else - carrying a bag maybe, or holding a child's hand.. The stroller is so easy to manouvre - over pavements, on roads, in shops, etc. It tackles turns and corners effortlessly. The centre of gravity is just right so that tipping the stroller backwards when tackling pavements can be done with just one hand alone and with not much effort and struggle - unlike my previous £200 + Mamas and Papas Pliko Argento stroller!

The handle height is fully adjustable and so is the handle incline, which is easily adjustable within a 270 degree range. Handle is foam-covered which adds extra comfort while steering.

The stroller has a unique single-suspension system which allows for a more comfortable ride for baby. Compared to other very lightweight strollers (for me, very lightweight has to be weighing less than 5.5 kgs) on the market, this is probably the only one with suspension as I couldn't find another stroller on the market which was just as light as this but had suspension in it. The brake system on this stroller is a cinch - the 2 wheels at back of stroller are clearly labelled with blue and red levers. Push with one foot on the red lever to brake. Push with one foot on the blue lever to release brake. Its as simple as that. No more struggling with getting the brakes to engage/disenage and no bruising of toes involved either! However care must be taken while setting up the stroller for first use - the brake wheels come disassembled in the box and must be placed correctly on the stroller for the brake system to work as intended - so that means, wheel with the blue brake release must go on the left-back wheel, and wheel with the red brake must go onto the right-back wheel. They all click into place in one second, but its important to put the right one in the right position - though wheels can be disassembled again if you put it in the wrong position at first.

Seat is well-padded (more well-padded than the MacLaren Volo really!) and seems very comfortable - I've taken my baby out to the hairdresser for a hair cut and the baby was awake the whole time, seated contently in this stroller for all of 30 minutes without wriggling or whinging. She has also fallen asleep in this stroller before while on school runs, and looked very comfortably laid back in it, so although the seat position isn't adjustable, I don't think it bothered my baby a lot at all.

Stroller comes with a sun-hood and a raincover, all of which do not have to be removed when you are folding up the stroller. Stroller really does fold up with ease - you can choose to fold it up with one or two hands, and the one-hand fold method is really easy to accomplish - actions consist of just squeezing the blue clutch located behind the seat and kicking up the little black ball in between the two back wheels. Its as simple as that and not a lot of effort required, even if you are just a first time user. As you get used to the process, it becomes even easier. Opening the stroller from the folded-up position is even easier. Just squeeze the blue clutch behind the seat and push down onto the little black ball in between the back wheels.

Stroller folds up very compactly and can easily be tucked away in a corner along the wall - I have found that it is only stable when folded if placed against something like a wall, it doesn't seem to be freestanding. It will also fit a small car perfectly as it doesn't take up much space.

Instructions recommend that you purchase a silicone lubricant for the stroller (it also says that Bebe Confort manufactures one) and spray the stroller's movable parts regularly with it to keep the stroller functioning in tip-top condition and to maintain ease of folding up/opening stroller. I have not gotten such a lubricant for the stroller yet, but will get down to doing so eventually because I love using this stroller and intend to use it for as long as possible.

I've found this stroller perfect for school runs, a quick dash to the shops, holidays, shopping, etc because of its one-handed steering and extreme ease of manouvrability.

This stroller is specified by the manufacturer to be used for babies aged 6 months of age or older and is recommended for child/baby weighing a maximum of 15 kg.
The price of this stroller ranges from anything between £70 and £100, so yes it is a bit more expensive than a MacLaren Volo - which I think is its closest counterpart on the market, but this one wins over the MacLaren by far in terms of manouvrability, ease of steering, comfortable seat, ease of folding especially with sun hood and raincover still attached in place.

The drawback is that this stroller is not as easily found in shops as the MacLaren. Boots, Toys R Us, Argos, are amongst the retailers who don't stock it. Mothercare does, but at the price of £99.99, which is really quite pricey for a lightweight buggy which doesn't come with footmuff or an adjustable seat. I bought mine at a price of £69.99 (free delivery with excellent customer service) through an online retailer : http://www.babystoredirect.co.uk/
From its website, it also says it has a retail shop in Birmingham so if you live around there, might be a good idea for you to pop down to the shop and try out the stroller before you buy to see if its what you want. 

...less