It’s smart, but is it a buggy?

Check out the new Smart Buggy from Phil and Ted’s, and you’ll discover a sort of cross between a stroller and hand truck. We spent a good amount of time puzzling over one on Friday, and IMHO this is a very innovative concept, but it may still need to work out some kinks before it’s a true success.

The good: It’s so light. At only 12 lbs, it’s easy on the back, and the fold is very compact. It’s very different. For city dwellers who don’t want to join the parade of Maclarens, this is an interesting alternative to the Volo or the Triumph. The adjustible handlebar is absolutely amazing. It seems to go on for miles. It’s a great choice for very tall people. For folks who use public transportation, it’s really easy to kick out the wheels into “Swing Mode” and bump the buggy up or down stairs.

The bad: Oh, how I wish they had used pneumatic tires. I’m sure they were trying to keep the weight down, but the plastic wheels are not really doing it for me. On snowy Boston sidewalks (or white sandy beaches) this thing would be incredible if only the wheels were a bit more heavy duty. The folding mechanism is a bit tricky to learn, and once we had folded and unfolded it about 20 times, the automatic locking feature was not working as well as it had the first 19 times.

The verdict? I really need to try this with a kid in it before I decide. The company claims that it is “perfectly balanced” so the maneuverability should be excellent, but I’ll believe it when I see it. I really, really like it in theory, and I think many parents will appreciate the originality of the concept. Whether it really gets off the ground is still up in the air.

We have a floor model at the store, so feel free to stop by and take it out for a spin.

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