Evenflo Vive Travel System Review

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The Evenflo Vive Travel System has been designed with on-the-go convenience in mind. It facilitates quick and seamless transitions from car to stroller and back. The combo includes the Vive stroller and the Embrace Infant Car Seat.

Evenflo has almost a century of experience in developing child safety systems. Here, they have just endeavored to craft a lightweight travel system without compromising on safety and comfort. Often, travel systems entail the use of adapters and it takes a long time to detach the car seat from the stay-in-car base and get it onto the stroller.

Such complicated and frustrating assembly is precisely the reason why many parents get an extra umbrella stroller for short walks close to home. Parenting is quite tiring and often, moms and dads just don’t have the patience to deal with poorly designed products.

Niche products like the Chicco Keyfit 30 Caddy Frame Carrier are hugely popular as they’re very easy to operate and perform exactly as advertised. The Caddy is not even a full-fledged stroller, it’s just a frame and yet parents love it because it’s extremely convenient and functional in the real world.

The Evenflo Vive travel system too is a very practical product but unlike the Caddy, it’s also versatile! It leaves plenty of room for spontaneity and saves parents the hassle of planning out each and every detail of an outing beforehand.

Evenflo Vive Travel System Features:

Comprehensive Travel System: The Embrace car seat (base is included) is approved for infants weighing between 4 to 35 pounds. The stroller can accommodate a kid weighing up to 50 lbs – this indicates years of possible usage and a good return on the initial investment.

Quick Transition From Car To Stroller & Vice Versa: This is the USP of this travel system. The Embrace car seat can be mounted onto the stroller (and the base) via a fast and easy click-in mechanism. It takes mere seconds to go from car to stroller and the process does NOT require the use of external car seat adapters!

The Embrace attaches to the stroller in a rear-facing position, allowing the infant to feel secure and confident as the parent is continuously in their line of sight.

Multi-Position Recline: The seat on the Vive stroller is very comfy and reclines to several positions. The child can be positioned upright or in a resting position – based upon their mood and level of enthusiasm.

A 5-point safety harness with shoulder pads ensures that the kid stays safely strapped into the stroller seat.

Oversized Canopy: The large overhead canopy shields the occupant from the elements. It also gives the kid a little bit of privacy so that he/she may take a quick nap.

Ultra-Slim, Gravity Fold: The Vive stroller folds quickly and compactly thanks to a ‘Gravity’ fold. It has a thickness of just 16 inches when folded. This means that it stores easily, even in small city cars.

A good stroller needs to strike the right balance between build quality, comfort and compactness/agility. The Vive is all of those things and that’s what makes it a great urban stroller, at least on paper...

2-Way Pivoting Child Tray: This is really useful while snacking. In the absence of a tray, the parent has to bend a far way forward and feed the child while holding the food in their hand. A child tray encourages the kid to eat independently and gives the parent a bit of a breather.

The child tray on the Vive pivots for easy ingress and egress. It also includes beverage holders.

Parent Console: Parents will appreciate a dedicated console with deep cup holders and covered storage for things such as keys, change, cellphone. Having this accessory as standard really adds to the value of the travel system. Many other manufacturers have it as an optional extra, which means that buyers have to shell out an additional 10 to 25 bucks just for a tray and cup holders.

EVA Wheels: Aid manueverability and generate traction on a variety of surfaces. The Vive is designed to be used on paved roads. It does fine over a bit of grass and gravel but do note that this is certainly not an all-terrain stroller.

Rear-Wheel Suspension: Provides a smooth, plush ride. This is an important feature for a travel system. Infants are incapable of supporting their head independently – a stroller with good ride quality filters out bumps, jerks and jolts.

Loads of Storage Space: The storage basket under the seat can hold a 17 inch diaper bag with ease, with room for a couple of toys and snacks. The seat back (on the stroller) also has a mesh compartment for things like books, napkins etc.

Embrace Infant Car Seat: Meets and/or exceeds all Federal and Canadian safety standards – FMVSS 213 and 302; CMVSS 213, 302.

The car seat complies with FAA regulations and is usable on airplanes along with the 5-point safety harness.

The Embrace has been designed to withstand forces that are nearly 2X the federal crash standards. It has also been tested against side impacts.

The seat includes a removable full body pillow for enhanced head and body support.

Pros:

Usable from Birth to 50 pounds
Slim Gravity Fold
Car to stroller and back within seconds
Rear wheel suspension
Affordable

Cons:

The Vive stroller doesn’t have an adjustable footrest. Toddlers may not enjoy the ride as much once they start growing taller.
The handlebar on the stroller is NOT height-adjustable. People who are above or below average height should factor this in before making a buying decision.
The stroller is strictly not meant for jogging. Not ideal for people who’re into fitness.
Unlike the Evenfle SafeMax and LiteMax, the Embrace car seat has not been roll-over tested. It doesn’t feature an Anti-Rebound bar to absorb the energy of frontal impacts (SafeMax has it).
Several quality niggles have been reported by people who’ve purchased this stroller.

Evenflo Vive Travel System Review & Final Verdict:

Frankly speaking, the Evenflo Vive travel system is OK but after considering all facts, it’s not as impressive as it initially seems.

It’s still good value for money but in our view, products should be recognized for their merits and performance – just having an affordable price tag is not going to cut it with most parents.

Yes, the car to stroller transition is convenient but the Vive just feels a little dated compared to the competition. A string of negative reports by existing customers criticizing the performance do nothing to help the Vive’s cause.