Life just got SMARTER!

I have spent the last few days experimenting with the new phil&teds smart stroller!  To summarize briefly, it is a compact stroller that feels like a full sized stroller.  In typical phil&teds style, it is very versatile from birth, super easy to push even with one hand, very stable, and has good big wheels to get you where you need to go!  And the colors are wonderful.  I chose tangerine and hot pink as we are coming out of a long cold winter.  Have you played with the color combinations on philandteds.com?  It's very clever and fun for the stroller obsessed and future smart owners.  

Set-up
 
If you have had another phil&teds stroller, a lot of the set up will come naturally.  Lots of things simply click into place.  The instructions come in five different languages, with the main stroller instructions a series of pictures.   

The sun visor set up took me much more time than getting the stroller together.  Both my 7 year old and then my 4 year old tried to take the supports that you need to thread through before you zip it on the stroller.  I learned that while trying to figure out where the guides fit in the sun visor, it would have been easier to not have my 18 month old outside with me (she was EVERYWHERE as most 18 months olds are). I also first zipped the shade on backwards.  Mind that the taller of the two guides where you zip on the shade is closest to the handle bar.  It's a very clever shade as it works for a rear facing child and a forward facing child.  I also appreciate the price point of the shades and seats (for me in the USA, only $20 for the shade, $25 for a new seat).  My husband has already wondered how many colors combos I will eventually own.  

 

Size and fold: 

The one of the biggest deals to me in a compact stroller is the ability to fit well in a car truck.  I have had a great umbrella-like stroller that I love, but it is very awkward in a trunk. With the Smart, pop off the seat and pop off the back wheels, and the frame is practically flat. We then just store the seat and wheels separately as space allows.   If packing a car for a long trip, it is very handy to not have your whole trunk filled with just a stroller.  The stroller does seem small and light compared to my phil&teds explorer.  It is easy to carry with just one hand.

And it is easy to unfold the stroller with one hand.  I tested holding my wiggly and busy 18 month old and while holding her, I could get the smart out of my trunk and unfold the stroller.  Just undo the locks and listen for the click (or check the side red button,  this is a new feature from the first smart.  The side red button allows you to fold or unfold the stroller and clicks when it is ready for baby). 

Storage for all the baby things:

The under carriage storage when using the parent facing verso, is quite ample, allowing a large diaper bag.  I was slightly concerned as the user manual states that no more than 7lbs/3kg is to go in the storage basket.  I know especially when I have a young baby,  I have a massive diaper bag.  Once I count all the extra clothes and baby food and bottles and water, etc, etc, it very much weighs more than 7 pounds.  The manual also states to not hang parcels from the frame.  I know that is stated for safety, but it feels to be a super stable stroller with not much worry for tipping.  Knowing how things go when I am out with my kids, at times, we need a lot of extra of everything.  There will probably be some parcels hung from the frame. 

The new smart seat:

From looking at photos of the first generation smart, the seat always looked small to me.  I have tall kids and I wondered if it would be comfortable for them.  The new seat has been made longer and looks like it provides kids with a better ride.  My 18 month old is almost tall enough to use the bottom foot rest, but she has found another way to rest her legs.   Since the seat is long, she bends her legs a bit and puts them on the bottom.  The seat is very roomy for tall kids too.  The sun hood also accommodates my very tall 4 year old (she is over 46 inches tall).  She has outsized the stroller by a few pounds, but she would still fit. 

There is not a huge recline when the seat is forward facing, but my daughter would be able to take a quick stroller nap. I realized my daughter sleeps in her car seat, and recline is better than where she is in her car seat.    The recline with the verso is brilliant and looks very comfy for the smaller traveler.  And your baby can be rear facing until the generous weight limit of 33lbs/15kg.

mokopuna link

The seat also has a tail-free harness, that keeps everything together and tidy.  It's easy to adjust.  Just if people are curious, I put my explorer doubles kit liner in the seat and it also works well.  I have not tried to hand wash the cushy seat liner of the smart yet (but the time will come!).  I love that my explorer liners can go in the washing machine and hung out to dry.  And having a seat that can be wiped down is a parental dream.  I should give my baby an ice cream cone to then see how well things clean up.  For now it would make me too sad to see the smart dirty.

For those parents going into the Fall, I popped my snuggle and snooze on and it fit perfectly. 

Terrain:  

With the larger wheels than many compact strollers, the smart will take you places others could not.  It handles great on gravel (not easy for wimpy wheels!) and grass, pops up curbs, and covers cobble stones with ease.  Although I love the air filled tires of my explorer, the large wheels are great, and nice to not worry about flats.  

The smart is a very clever, lovely to look at and extremely functional piece of baby gear.  If you are hesitating about getting it, don't.  You won't regret it.