Britax Vigour 4 Baby Stroller Features

Given that there are many different prams and pushchairs on the market with exceptional features nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly harder to know which pushchair will be best for a young family. Britax is one particular company that has been creating excellent quality pushchairs for the public for decades now. Baby stroller has always been at the forefront of the baby travel equipment industry. With Britax’s original release of the new Vigour pram and pushchair, it makes sense to be taking a closer look into what this model offers.

Although the Britax brand is already well known for its commitment to quality, comfort, and safety, the new Vigour is leaving its tracks as one of the best all-around prams and pushchairs. In this complete review, we look at some of the best benefits this pushchair offers and uncover any possible drawbacks in the process. It is our aim that after reading this review, you will be in a firm position to decide whether the Britax Vigour will be a suitable purchase for your needs.

Baby Stroller: Child’s Comfort

The Britax Vigour’s design incorporates a very smooth and easy backrest adjustment system for you to control your child’s resting angle, which is a desirable feature, and almost a must-have in a pushchair these days. Although the Vigour is similar to other models in that it allows your baby to lay from virtually flat (although this doesn’t entirely lay utterly flat) to various upright sitting positions, it’s the ability to easily change your child’s incline position to a broader selection of angles as they sleep (without disturbing them) that is the most unique and impressive.

Added to the benefits of this seat include the inclusion of an adjustable leg/calf support, which would surely come in handy as many children grow. Although the position is well designing for a wide range of baby sizes, we feel that ideally, the seat could have created a bit deeper than it has been. Some of the frames also exposed to the child when seated, which could be a minor comfort issue when a young child is slouching off to sleep to one side of the pushchair. However, it is easily rectified with a small blanket or cushion and couldn’t consider a deciding factor when looking to buy.

One more particular benefit we found with this model is its versatility. The pushchair can be very quickly adjusted to suit almost any mothering style and preference, as it allows for not just the primary seat’s settings to change, but also for the whole place to reverse. This great feature means that the child can be seated either facing towards or away from the pusher, which is becoming a popular option to have on hand. Unfortunately, there are not too many pushchairs out there today, which offer this great option, and so we think this feature does make the Vigour a more favorable option over-all. This model pushchair may, at times, compared with offerings from Bugaboo or Quinny. However, it has a more spacious seat than both of these other alternatives.

We feel that newborn babies will need to be using the clip-on car seat, which is available to suit the Britax Vigour. As it states in the user manual, the pushchair’s central position that comes with it is not explicitly designing for a newborn’s full-time use. It’s probably not going to provide the best support and padding for your newborn baby compared to a more secure car seat option. To clip one of the suitable car seat options onto the pushchair, you will need to remove the existing main seat, but this is not a problem as the pushchair incorporates Britax’s patented one-step ‘Click And Go’ system for this purpose.

For some reason, Britax has made this model with a fixed sun-shade, that will not be sufficient to cover your child from the sun on hot days. t this may well be something the manufacturer will look at modifying as it is a small but unnecessary failing for such an otherwise very well designed pushchair. If you consider this model for your child, we would recommend purchasing an add-on sun shield for protecting your child adequately on extra sunny days.

To improve the quality of the ride for your child, Britax has designed this model to incorporate a lovely suspension system that covers all four wheels. It is exceptionally robust, and we cannot see any flaws in the making when repeatedly used off-road. While the all-around suspension system effectively adds more excellent stability when maneuvering and traversing most off-road terrain, it also enhances the ride’s softness inside the pushchair well!

While this pushchair has designed exceptionally well, we feel the footrest below the main seat could do with being adjustable, as it may become too high for some larger three or four-year-old children with more extended leg space requirements.

The optional Companion carrycot recommended for the Vigour and newborn babies is undoubtedly very comfortable and very well padded. It’ll protect your infant when out and about both in the car as a car seat, carried by hand, or when clipped on to the Vigour frame. It has understandably received several rewards for being one of the most durable, cozy, and safe choices in car seat/travel systems for new babies. Thus, the Britax Companion car seat gets our high recommendation for new parents who’re considering this pushchair.

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Ease of Use & Maneuverability

The Vigour is an all-round pushchair for parents who want almost everything in one. While being suitable for all ages, this pushchair is also very impressively designed and easily distinguishable from the rest – not just by its looks – but also by it’s benefits.

Firstly, the Vigour is built to be a travel system and comes with many features that most well-equipped pram/pushchairs come with these days. Despite this, the device only weighs in at 11.7 kilograms, which is quite impressive. While this may not be a total lightweight compared to the full world of prams and buggies, it certainly keeps the weight down compared to many other popular pushchair systems in its class.

The Vigour does not entirely fold completely “flat” as the name ‘flat-folding’ might suggest, but it does get pretty close. It is an easy pushchair to fold one-handed and is held together nicely with an ‘automatic folding lock’ that keeps it from unfolding. Being a one-hand operation enables you to simultaneously handle another child or even a car seat or bags while opening out the pushchair. Unlike some other models, Vigour’s method for folding is straightforward and logical, which makes for smooth packing and unpacking between usage. Upon releasing the folding lock, the pushchair almost unfolds itself- with an audible click to hear each time the unfolded frame locks back into position.

With everything the Vigour offers, it’s not going to be the smallest option available to parents and maybe a tight fit for vehicles that are limited in luggage space. The pushchair comes apart easily for fitting into smaller spaces- both the main seat and car seat options are fully removable, and so are the large wheels. The wheels snap off and on again in an instant, which is very handy. This ability to be broken down makes the pushchair much less bulky and means slightly more assembly and disassembly when in transit.

 The Companion car seat is straightforward to remove from the frame entirely; however, should you have both hands available?

When folded, this pushchair measures about 33cm high, by 87cm long, by 62cm deep, which will tend to take up most of the space inside the boot of your average sedan. If you are frequently catching air and public transport, then the Britax Vigour may not be your best convenience option. However, if you can overlook the most super-light and compact need, then the Vigour sure is still very attractive.

The Vigour’s main seat is fully removable and interchangeable with some excellent car seat options like the Britax Companion car seat. The design allows you to position your baby or toddler so that they’re either facing you or facing away from you, and this is something we’ve found very helpful to have. The ‘Click & Go’ arrangement that Britax uses with their travel systems also included in this model, and it is just as easy as one click.

When it comes to getting a suitable pushchair that both mum AND dad can feel comfortable pushing, it’s essential to get handlebars that will adjust fully. Many pushchairs offer limited handle height adjustment, but the Vigour is well suited to couples with some variance in height. It is a real plus for taller parents, as it means they can take control of the pushchair without the need to slouch continually and, in turn, strain their body. Britax has made the handlebar very comfortable grab and holds when maneuvering the pushchair too, so needless to say, we think you’ll be pleased with the handlebar’s all-around great feel.

Using the brakes to lock off all four wheels is friendly and comfortable with the two single-touch foot levers at the rear. It merely takes a light foot placed on either one of the two brake levers to lock the pushchair down when on uneven ground. The device remains locked-down safely until the foot brake rereleased.

The pushchair comes with smooth snap-locking front swivel wheels for tracking over off-road terrain or navigating through shops with delicate precision. Handling this pushchair is a breeze, and it can even drive with just the light touch of a few fingers. This model has an excellent turning circle for fast changes in direction when on the go, surprisingly being almost capable of turning 360 degrees on the spot! You do need to make sure your front wheels appropriately unlocked before expecting excellent tracking and setting, however, but this is not difficult to do (although something some people may not be aware of when trying it out.) We feel that the Vigour handles superbly for what it is.

The wheels are well made, and the back wheels are unusually wide, which allows for a considerable measure of stability when maneuvering both off-road and on. The large wheels may make some tight spaces in clothing shops and the like a little more cramped to get the pushchair through, but all-in-all it will fit through small shops and restaurant environments very well. It takes curbs, bumps, and steps very impressively, which can attribute to that wide stance and elegant input from the four-wheel suspension.

The underneath basket is a reasonable size which can take at least a few regular baby and hand-bags but still could have been made bigger we feel (when is a shopping basket ever big enough to carry everything!?) The basket is particularly lovely and easy to access in each pushchair mode, without any awkward straining required. In addition to the main hoop, there is a convenient pouch hidden in the back of the seat for storing more valuable items like a phone, keys, money, and cards.

While the grab bar is effective and safe when in place, it does not have a swinging action for use when placing a child in and out of the chair. It would be ideal as other models do offer this feature for faster access- however, it can still Ibe eradicated, which is always an option.

While some beneficial things tare included in the Vigour package, it does have less than some other high-end brands sometimes offer. Extras like cup or bottle holders, pannier bags, and the like are not available with the Vigour, but there are some great alternatives to be found for use with it, which are quite useful.

Finally, when buying a carrycot for this pushchair, you will also receive removable covers with the mattress that comes with the unit, so the Britax products have well thought through.

Quality & Durability

The Britax Vigour is a pushchair that’s been built to last. It’s aerodynamic aluminum chassis certainly keeps the weight right down and is the foundation of a very sturdy and robust design. There is little which can fault about the quality that Britax is offering here, and we believe that it will endure better than some of it’s class contenders such as the Bugaboo range.

 The wheels are considered a significant point to consider for durability. The Vigour has had it’s problems in the past with it’s early releases, unfortunately. Many of the previous models were using air-filled tires that wore-out rather quickly, and so Britax found themselves with some disgruntled customers. Since then, Britax has been quick to issue replacements and eventually replace all new models with a more durable wheel solution.

Now, every Vigour pushchair comes equipped with a puncture-proof solid material with no need for inflation and does not deteriorate the way an air-filled tube does. This change from inflatable wheels does lower the wheels’ shock absorbency a bit, but what’s lost here is undoubtedly made up for in the exceptional suspension above each wheel. Britax made the right decision here by eliminating the old wheels’ problems and has turned a delightful all-around pushchair into a real award winner!

Safety Features

When it comes to a pushchair’s safety, it can be hard to tell where the real issues might be until you get it home and on the road. However, after assessing the Vigour for it’s over-all safety features and downfalls, we found no nasty surprises.

As you may already know, there are two versions of the Vigour: the Britax Vigour 3- which is the three-wheeler version and the Britax Vigour 4- our more preferred option, which sports four large wheels. Having the four-wheel version is preferred because it ensures better stability of the pushchair, especially on uneven surfaces or when your toddler is growing older and restless! The back wheels are also very thick, which is suitable for the all-terrain activity, and their enhanced girth adds to the Vigour’s overall stability.

Other great safety features found on this pushchair include a five-point safety harness to keep your child put comfortably, reflective piping for high- yet stylish- visibility, and a park brake system that efficiently operated with one foot. The brakes function on all four wheels, both front and back at once, which is just another of the further excellent benefits of this model.

One thing that could lose a fraction of a point for this travel system is the tendency for the smaller front wheels to slot into large cracks in the pavements etc. However, it is something that poses a tiny problem to every pushchair with these small wheels at the front, such as the Bugaboo Bee.

Although it got a mention here, we don’t feel that it’s a severe issue as most people quickly get used to merely avoiding large cracks or lifting the front wheels over more enormous obstacles all-together.

This pushchair now comes with a rain cover supplied. It also uses Britax’s popular ‘Click & Go’ system to accommodate an excellent range of optional attachments such as the Britax’ Baby Safe’, ‘Baby Safe Plus’, “Baby Safe Plus-SHR, ‘Baby Safe Sleeper’ and ‘Carrycot’ travel system options.

In addition to these few accessorizing options from Britax, it may be useful for you to consider getting some more generically branded attachments such as a cup holder and key or mobile phone compartments. We know BOB has some reasonable solutions for those looking at extras accessories, and these items can usually obtain quite cheaply online.

As the sun canopy that comes with the Vigour is not so effective at keeping the sun out of your child’s face entirely, it is advisable to purchase a cheap generic sunshade for using with the Vigour on very bright and sunny days.

Looks & Popularity

Quite simply, the Vigour is certainly a pushchair which skillfully combines looks with brains. It is a lovely model to take out with you onto the streets.

If you do choose this pushchair, you can surely expect to notice. It looks much more pricey than it is, and it also includes many of the eye-catching lines that other top-rated brands like Bugaboo have used, while at the same time carving it’s reputation for innovative style and design.

It is a trendy stroller that indeed turns heads and makes a statement about where baby accessories are due to be headed in the 21st century. If you’re considering classy looks as an important deciding factor when looking for that perfect pushchair, then this should certainly be one of those on your shortlist!

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• Shipping throughout the UK
• Full safe & secure online ordering
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• Genuine and reputable returns policies
• Shipping is for standard working days
• Additional warranty available on purchase

Customer Service & Warranty

Britax has only given a six-month manufacturer’s warranty with the Vigour, and this is shorter than what some other big brands are providing. Despite this, it may be possible to find an exclusive extended warranty offered through some of the larger online retailers, and it is worth considering these if you do find one. It’s not like you’re likely to need it, but a more extended warranty can, at times, come in handy when you least expected, as you are probably already aware!

Even if you do find any issues with a pushchair made by Britax, it is a pleasure to say that they are one company that places high importance on giving excellent customer service. They quite well recognized for their focus on customer satisfaction, and so it is something we feel well makes up for their shorter warranty period on this.

Baby Stroller: summary & Conclusion

When we looked over the Vigour in full, it was a hard pushchair to find fault within itself. The frame is sturdy, lightweight, and durable, the comfort and quality of the seat and fabrics are exceptional for what they’ made for, and any recurring problems that have resulted since it’s release have done away.

Though we have compared this pushchair with some of the benefits that Bugaboo offers, it is quite different in price. Where the range from Bugaboo considered pricey by some, Britax has managed to keep the price right down on this pushchair, while including most of what a parent could want in a pushchair.

We feel the Vigour is such good value for money because of the exceptional durability and usability it offers. Both the main pushchair and the matching Companion car seat are very well and thoughtfully (except for the minor aspects already discussed) designed and constructed.

Admittedly the Vigour does not come with a cup-holder or some of the other small accessories that are nice to have on your pushchair. However, for the price that this pushchair retails for today (especially online), it is undoubtedly an incredible buy that will suit most parents’ needs and wants exceptionally well.

There are very few prams/pushchairs available today that can cover just about every test area. Still, the Britax Vigour is undoubtedly one of those models that delight the majority of its users. In addition to the thoughtful design and broad set of great features, the Vigour has a look that turns heads wherever it goes, and will no doubt continue increasingly do so for some years to come. Admittedly, it’s a little disappointing to have few accessories available for this pushchair, but we’re sure that some further options will become available for use with it down the track.

Having considered all the essential aspects which can make or break a pushchair, it’s now clear that the Vigour is one very tempting option for parents in the UK. While it’s not the first choice for those who fly frequently, this model is probably one of the best all-around prams/pushchairs suited to most parents and their children. For these significant reasons, we here at ‘Baby Pushchairs Reviewed’ are happy to give the Britax Vigour our highest recommendation handed out to-date.