Customer Reviews

Peg-Perego 2010 Vela Stroller, Kiwi

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I Love this stroller it is fantastic! It is incredibly light,and the folding / unfolding mechanism is to die for. Totally amazing. There is absolutely no compromise on quality and the value for money is excellent. Its great at airports because it is so easy to fold and unfold and of course its maneuverability is like that of my much higher-end Skate. It rolls so smoothly I can push it one handedly without any trouble. The only draw back is the 5 point harness. Its really very silly to call it a 5 point harness because the shoulder straps don't restrain the child in any way at all. Peg perego call it their freedom harness and well yes it definitely gives them freedom by just not restraining them at the shoulder. They are well held at the waist so it doesn't matter too much but its irritating peg perego put the same Harness on the Skate and were so heavily critisised they changed it for a decent one. It surely would not change the price that much to put a proper 5 point harness on it.
The one thing I have to correct is that I saw a review that said the Vela was unstable. I have a very active leaning forward, wiggling around 15 month old and it has never even come close to tipping. If you hang bags from the handle using add-on hooks then that will effect the stability because it is only 9lbs in itself. As long as you use the ample storage basket underneath the seat it is totally stable.

I have a Maclaren I was given and it is not a patch on the Vela. The Vela pushes more easily, reclines flat, is lighter, cheaper and is so much more comfortable for my daughter. The only thing the Maclaren is better for is that being an umbrella stroller it collapses to a lot smaller unit and the harness previously mentioned. However the Vela will stand upright in the collapsed position and as it is so much lighter than the Maclaren I still would not trade it.

I hope this helps. I was worried when ordering this because of the other review that said it tipped but I have to say I was relieved and delighted and air travel just got a whole lot easier for me.

Antonia

I absolutely love this stroller. It is easy to assemble and an absolute pleasure to use. Love the single hand open and close. Love the large canopy. Love the easy maneuverability. Love the swivel opening of the child's tray for easy access. LOVE the color -- Tropical. Love how light weight it is and easy to put in my car. The storage underneath is not huge but plenty for a big purse and a diaper bag together. The recline feature allows the baby to sleep. The safety belts easily adjust and securely hold my 6 mo. old treasure. This is my 3rd baby, 3rd stroller, and best stroller by far. It's a wonderful design with features of a large stroller but compact and light-weight similar to an "umbrella" stroller. I highly recommend this stroller. Worth every penny.

This stroller is amazing!

It rolls and turns literally with the push of a finger. The maneuverability is it with this one. Definitely zero effort. The larger wheels definitely keep it from getting stuck on rough terrain, cracks, and bumps. A++

It comes out of the box virtually ready to roll, you only need to attach the front wheel, storage bin foot rest, and slide the canopy into place.

The car seat snaps in and out so easily, no more fidgeting around to find the "click". It fits our older model Primo Viaggio car seat, as well as the new 30/30 models.

The adult drink holder finally holds a real water bottle (27 oz stainless steel), as opposed to the old PP Aria model which could maybe have held a can of red bull.

It truly is a one handed collapse, as well as a one handed open, and is so light you can easily lift it with one hand without holding your breath. Once collapsed, it stands steadily on its own, and can still be rolled.

The canopy is large enough to over lap the opposite canopy of the car seat, so you don't need to use a blanky to keep the sun out of baby's eyes, but the 'peep through' is pretty tough to see through.

The only thing that I might say bothers me so far is that when the clips are out to attach the car seat, the back rest will not fold flat with the rest of the stroller, the clips keep it from collapsing all the way. But even with it sticking out a little, the stroller folds flat enough to store easily in the trunk of our '07 Honda Civic.

You will love this stroller!

I purchased the Peg Perego Vela stroller 6 weeks ago and today my 13 month old tipped it over. The one wheel in front doesn't provide enough support/balance. He was strapped in, wheels were locked, and I was right next to him watching my other son's baseball game. All of a sudden, there was a loud thud, the stroller with my baby strapped in, was on its side! I picked it up and he had a HUGE bump on his head. Very disappointed in Peg Perego. I have always loved Peg Perego products (I have 4 kids) but this just isn't safe!!! It also does NOT turn easily, as other reviewers state. The front wheel does not easily maneuver. I'll be totally surprised if this stroller isn't recalled soon.

I've had this stroller for a couple of months and overall it's been pretty good.

Pros:

- supper light!
- wide and roomy
- really big canopy, (much bigger then shown in picture)
- easy to maneuver (child must be sitting properly. When my 18 month old is sitting to forward it becomes difficult to turn)
- large basket
- easy to fold and unfold
- great ride outdoors and in

Cons:
- doesn't turn easily when child is leaning forward
- foot rest doesn't come up like a lot of other strollers, so child's feet dangle when sleeping
- pretty big when folded for such a light stroller

Overall I'm happy with the purchase.

I attempted to use this stroller for several months. Thanks to Amazon's 365-day return policy, I was able to return it after being unable to resolve the issue with the front wheel maneuverability.

When there is no child sitting in the stroller, it maneuvers and turns perfectly. But as soon as a child, say just under 30 lbs, sits on it, the front wheel support slightly flexes. That puts the wheel on a strange angle and off of its ideal turning axis. That means it's very hard to turn the stroller because it tends to get stuck in certain angles. I've carefully examined the front wheel and its design, and I've concluded that it is fatally flawed and cannot be resolved by exchanging it for the identical stroller.

I've never had the stroller tip over, but I can see how that can be a concern since there is only one wheel in the front. If you were to turn the stroller into a curb or something else that catches the front wheel, you could flip it if you pushed mildly hard.

Overall, this is a great stroller if you only want to go in a straight line.

I was thrilled to find this stroller. I thought it has everything I need and it's super light weight, "under 10 lbs", both on Amazon and on Peg Perego's official website, and everywhere else I looked (Baby R Us and so on)

When I got it, it just didn't feel that light, so I weigh it...it was more than 16 lbs!!! I called their customer service, and I was told that the 10 lbs is for the FRAME ONLY, not including everything else like fabric, cup holder, wheels, etc. I think this is very misleading!!!

The stroller itself is great though! I love the design/color(java), the reclining, the big basket, and the maneuverability, almost everything except the weight especially the misleading info to consumers!

This stroller is an excellent purchase. I have had it about 8 months now and find that it is lightweight, easy to fold and unfold, and durable. We use it mostly for suburbs - walking in our neighborhood, to the mall, errands, etc. My daughter is now 20 months old and weighs about 25 pounds. She likes to climb on it sometimes, which we occasionally let her do if we're watching her. She has not once tipped it over when climbing in or sitting in it. However, it's important to note we do make sure that if she's in it and it's not moving, the wheels are always locked - including the front wheel. Another thing, I wanted enough storage space to put her diaper bag in fully loaded. I turn the bag on its side and it fits into the understorage very well. This was hard to find in a lightweight stroller. Other lightweight strollers (Maclaren) don't have enough space underneath. Whereas the larger strollers on the market that have enough storage were too darn heavy to be lifting in and out of the trunk when running errands. The Vela is a nice compromise. We also like the canopy. The harness is really only a waist cinch, but it works just fine for a toddler. Most toddlers want to be sitting up looking around anyway. Maneuverability is good - if you find it isn't, check to make sure all wheels are unlocked - including the front wheel. If you go over rough pavement, gravel or dirt, locking the front wheel sometimes helps to make it stronger and sturdier. But if you are in a mall and need to swivel, unlock the front wheel for more versatility. Love this stroller and would recommend.

PROS: Lightweight, easy to fold, easy to lift (I'm 7 months pregnant and I can still handle it very well), sturdy, good storage space, maneuverable, affordable
CONS: Would be nice to have a place near the handle to put keys, the parent cup holder is kind of small and not sturdy

If you go for this one, you will be happy you did.

Our stroller requirements were that we only wanted to buy ONE so it had to be all things to all people for a reasonable price. Our priorities were that it be lightweight, able to be used with an infant carseat and have three wheels for good manoeuvrability. The Vela (2010) was the only we found that met those criteria for a reasonable price (we paid $160). We have had it 6 months (age 0 - 6 months) and it is working well. Yes - if you hang a heavy bag off the back it is easy to tip over - it is lightweight and has three wheels - we knew this was the trade off and we handle it appropriately - if the bag is on the stroller our hands are never off the handle while our daughter is in the stroller. It was great when we used it with the carseat and it is light enough and folds well enough to use as airplane carry on. The wheels have held up well over a variety of terrain. The 5 point harness is a bit annoying - we have only used the lap belt to date as our daughter is only 6 months and reclines most of the time - when she is more active - well, we shall see - the plan is to use it until she no longer needs a stroller. The recline mechanism is a bit dinky, but it works. My biggest complaint is that when the seat is reclined it is hard to get stuff in and out of the basket underneath (!) Hardly a deal breaker.

After having this stroller for about 8 months I find myself with mixed emotions regarding the product. First because my experience with Peg Perego is that nothing beats their products, but this one definitely has some flaws worth of paying attention by the manufacturer. I'm splitting my pro's and con's with a bit of reasoning for each point:

PROS:
- Lightweight: Other than umbrella strollers, this is the true lightweight meets sturdy kind of stroller. Haven't really stopped to weight it, but I have a back hernia that wouldn't let me live happily with this stroller if it weren't really light.
- Easy to Open and Close: Truly with one hand, I can open and close this stroller and even put it inside my trunk (I have a Nissan SUV) while carring the baby with my other hand.
- Great Maneuverability: Now that the baby is more active (he's 11 months old) its a bit difficult to handle it with just one hand, but it can be done if you have to.
- Sturdy: I use it practically every day, usually through pavement, but very frequently I have to go through unpaved road and sand (when taking my baby to the park) and the wheels have been able to get us through it, and it doesn't feel like its falling apart at all.
- Basket: Very decent size of basket. I've been to the SM and it holds 2 full regular-sized bags, so I don't have to hold the bags all the way home. This is only when needing just a couple of products (bread, ham, cheese, etc)
- Reclines: It reclines almost to an 180 angle, so baby can easily take naps in it. Actually, it is my baby's favorite place to nap while at his nursery.
- Seat Belts: They work like a charm during the first months of the baby. See below my experience.

CONS:
- It Indeed Tipped: Yes, my stroller tipped with my baby in it. Thankfully the baby was correctly wearing the seatbelt so he was tightened to the chair and couldn't reach the floor (nothing happened to him). It might have been because the front wheel gets stuck in soft floors, and my daughter was spinning it around (not an adult). But still, it tipped... Peg Perego needs to run tests again because this should happen at all.
- Seat Belt: with younger babies it works perfectly. But after the baby starts getting curious they can get out of it and fall.
- Recliner Mechanism: The reclining mechanism is somewhat simple, not very Peg Perego like. It is a nylon belt with a plastic piece that gets fixed higher or lower along the belt, which is where the back of the chair rests. If the belt is long than the chair is reclined, and short its for the upright position of the seat. Anyways, I do understand that a more "complex" mechanism would have priced the stroller up.
- Wheels: The ones that come with it aren't either strong enough to go through bumpy roads, or delicate enough to go through the mall without you having to straighten the front wheel constantly.

Overall, and even after MY tipping incident, I do believe this stroller has what it takes, and with better wheels it would be the best choice out there for lightweight strollers. I also believe that the fact that an 8 year old kid was handling it at the time of the incident had a lot to do with it. Another thing worth mentioning is that at the time of the incident, my baby wasn't even 8 pounds, so there was practically no weight holding the stroller down to earth. But no matter what I can say about it, this just shouldn't happen AT ALL.

Without this incident my rating would've been 4.5 out of 5. Now its down to 3.5. Still, I do recommend this stroller giving the proper safety advices I do here in this review.

Massiel.