Bebecar Vector review

There’s no escaping the price tag – the Bebecar Vector with Convertible seat unit is £667. It does come with a two-year guarantee and in a staggering 12 fabric options, if that helps. If you purchase the added extras, such as the footmuff, change bag, parasol and raincover, these will set you back a further £138. While Bebecar’s website is simple to get around, there are no prices. I signed up for a brochure and impressively it arrived the next day, every bit as high-end and glossy as the products themselves.

The Bebecar Vector is travel system compatible with Bebecar’s Group 0+ car seat, the Easymaxi SPP, which has an RRP of £135.

My daughter Esme, almost 3, to put the Vector well and truly through its paces with me.

What we love

Esme and I tested the ultra smart ‘Cortez’ option with its black and champagne fabric. It certainly looks the part, on top of the chrome and black Vector chassis, but it is huge. If you like a large pram and a return to the traditional style, you’ll love this.

By far the most outstanding feature of the Bebecar Vector’s design is the clever way you switch the twin front wheels from swivel to fixed mode through the touch of a button. There’s no crouching down involved at all and suddenly manoeuvring your pram has never been so easy. If you have a toddler walking beside you as well as a baby in the Vector, you’ll find pushing one-handed no problem.

The wheels are also detachable and have all-round suspension. Their clever system with ball bearings offers a smooth ride and, apparently, prolonged tyre life.

The Bebecar Vector feels light, though it weighs 14.7kg, which is by no means small. Also surprising for its size, pushing is absolutely effortless and the Vector seems to float along. I’m heavily pregnant and found it very easy indeed. Esme whizzed up the street even with a full shopping load onboard. The shopping basket, by the way, is a good design with ample room and easy access.

Off-roading in the Vector is also possible. Esme happily bounced cross-country, and I was delighted it coped so well. The larger rear wheels glide across the bumps, due to the suspension.

The handles are height adjustable with several positions to choose from.

The seat sits up well, and both reclining and changing its direction is straightforward. Face you or face the world is something many pushchairs offer these days but it should never be underestimated. It’s an important feature as is the fact that it can lie fully flat.

To use the Convertible seat unit as a pram body, you simply add a padded poly-cotton liner and extended bumper bar. As a pram, the Vector comes in to its own. It not only looks fantastic, but because of its size, your baby will be content in it right up until they can sit up unaided.

The Vector features a rather compact folding chassis. Bebecar calls this the ‘rolling system’ and it is ridiculously easy to open and fold. Although collapsing the chassis is simple, you do have to remove the carrycot/seat in order to do so. The chassis is freestanding when folded, but you still have to store it as well as the carrycot/seat.

What to watch out for

When folded, the Bebecar Vector is large and not great for parents after a neat option for a smaller vehicle or limited storage space at home.

It wasn’t so simple to assemble initially and the harness was particularly fiddly. I can’t understand why the straps aren’t already in situ when the product arrives. It is not as though you choose where to thread the harness according to the size of your child – there is only one option.

With the two padded protectors attached to the harness, the straps don’t sit well over a taller child’s shoulders (Esme is tall for her age), so you must remove them. Not great.

As Esme is tall, she appears to be all knees when riding in the pushchair. That said, she fits with her feet on the footrest, but doesn’t look as comfortable as she should.

I presume the raincover zips onto the hood although as this (unfortunately) isn’t included in the package, I wasn’t able to test it out. I wonder how large the raincover is and if it would have fit well over my tall toddler?
It clearly states on the back of the product that not all fabrics are waterproof. Disappointing, and frankly, what does this mean when it comes to cleaning? Where there are labels, they state hand wash only.

The padded pram liner is not actually that soft and I think for all the glitz and glamour, Bebecar has missed a trick here. To cover the liner with a pram sheet (and even little mattress) would create complete comfort. Some babies are prone to being sick too, so having to remove the pram liner and hand wash it each time would definitely become a bore.

Who is the Bebecar Vector best for?

Mums with large cars who don’t rely on public transport, after a large-scale pram.

MadeForMums verdict

Due to its size and price, the Bebecar Vector isn’t going to be practical for many parents, though it is stylish and clearly an up-market product. If you’re after a good-looking and large pram that offers comfort, this could well be it. When using the Vector as a buggy, with the weight of a toddler on board, it’s impressively effortless to push and really does continue to function well. It’s just a shame the raincover isn’t included and tall toddlers miss out a little.