Golfstream is a brand specializing in designing well made but well priced electric golf trolleys and putting them into the hands of golfers all over the world. I tested the Golfstream Blue a couple of years ago and was suitably impressed with the premium touches and simplicity on this well priced trolley. The new Vision Brake has arrived with many of the same features I enjoyed on the Blue, but with a new screen and new downhill braking technology added to heighten the overall experience. The RRP has been given a small bump in the process, so I took it onto the course to see if the new features are worth the investment and if this is still a well-priced entry-level electric trolley.
The Vision Brake has many of the same hallmarks that made the Blue one of the best entry-level electric trolleys on the market. The chassis is well built and lightweight while immediately screaming quality when you take it out of the box. The folding system is a triumph in simplicity. After unclipping the strap that holds the chassis down, the Vision Brake is up in one step ready to use. It being so lightweight, it's one of the easiest trolleys I've tested from a setup perspective. This is by no means the most compact electric trolley you can get, but for those who require a trolley to fold almost completely flat, there isn't any trolley I've yet tested that matches the Vision Brake. Perhaps the only area I can see for improvement from the build quality is with the tires, which have no tread and will start to look worn after only a couple of rounds.
The new screen on the handle is bright and clear with the information on it standing out clearly. I really like how the Vision Brake has 0.5 speed increments rather than just whole numbers between 1 and 9. Having speeds from 0.5 to 9.5 gives even more scope for you to find just the right walking speed for you and I'd like to see more brands adopt this practice. There's also a distance control function, allowing you to send the trolley off 10, 20 or 30 yards into the distance before it stops, for those who like to use that functionality. However, after just one use on course and one trip in the back of my car, the screen had already become rather scuffed up and wasn't looking its best. That's likely because it protrudes so much from the handle that it's likely to take a few knocks here and there as you transport it. Those who invest in one of these will want to make sure to cover up the screen somehow during transport.
The Vision Brake is available in three specs. You can buy it without the battery for £499, with an 18 hole lithium battery for £599 or with a 36-hole lithium battery for £649. When comparing it to some of it's direct competition from 'bigger' brands, the pricing of the Vision Brake just doesn't quite stack up for me. I tested the new Motocaddy SE earlier this year, another new entry-level electric trolley to have been released this year. The SE - with a 36 hole lithium battery - comes in at the exact same price as the Vision Brake without its battery. With the 18-hole batter, the Vision Brake is £100 more expensive than that and an extra £149. Versus the SE, the Vision Brake is also missing features like USB charging and the Easi-Lock bag system. For me the addition of the screen and downhill braking don't add up to an extra £149, so the SE wins this battle.
That being said, if you're looking for an entry-level trolley and downhill braking is top of your list of features, the Vision Brake represents superb value for money as there isn't a trolley with that sort of functionality at that price point. The folding system is superb too and the quality far outweighs the price tag. Overall the Vision Brake feels like a steady step up from the Blue. While not faultless, it's right up there as one of the best entry-level trolleys on the market.
