It’s been a little while since we chatted about buggies and pushchairs. Given that lots of you lovely lot are expecting and are probably in the market for a pushchair, I thought I’d share the decision process behind why we bought the Bugaboo Bee 3 and what I love and DON’T love about it…
Why We Choose The Bugaboo Bee 3
Like most people, we narrowed down a list of the things that were really important to us in a buggy.
1. It had to be light. For the most part, I would be the one using it, so we wanted something that could easily be lifted by one person.
2. It had to fold up small. We live in an apartment, so wanted a buggy that wouldn’t take over the place. We also travel up and down the country frequently so the buggy had to fit in the car, leaving space in the boot, as that was needed for my clothes. Oh wait, silly me. I mean the travel cot, breast pump, steriliser, bottles, 50 million spare sleep suits and nappies…
3. It had to have a big basket. The primary purpose of this buggy was to allow me to walk to the shops and buy food if Matt was away with the car for a few days for work.
4. It had to be suitable from newborn until Elle stopped wanting to use it. We didn’t have a huge amount of money to play with when purchasing ALL of the baby crap and wanted to invest once and not have to buy a stroller a couple of years down the line, or to buy again for future babies.
Functionality
The Bugaboo Bee 3 certainly achieves all of the above things. As well as being light, it’s easily manoeuvred with one hand (handy for getting in and out of doors without needing assistance, walking a dog, crying down the phone to your Mum…etc). It’s VERY small when folded, although I must admit ours was usually parked in our utility room in the early months, rather than folded away. I’m also pleased to report we can fit it into our boot with the rest of the things we need for a weekend away. The basket easily fits two bags of shopping too.
We didn’t buy the bassinet as the standard Bee 3 chassis is suitable from newborn and with Elle at just over two now, it’s working well for us as a stroller too. Once you get the hang of putting it up and down, the Bugaboo Bee 3 is easy to use, but it takes a little time to learn how much pressure to use and which buttons to press. Like all conscientious parents to be, we attempted this before Elle arrived and it resulted in shouting and tears. We thought we’d broken it. We hadn’t.
The whole thing can be taken apart and cleaned, the covers are machine washable too. On warm sunny days, I’ve basically hosed it down and left it to dry off in the sun and it’s come up a treat.
This buggy is built for tarmac. It’s sold as an Urban pushchair and has the hashtag #beeinthecity. It CANNOT handle rough surfaces, grass or sand – so don’t buy it if you want to off-road or if your local council need to resurface your pavements. Having said that though, it’s still pretty sturdy and handled me taking it to buggy bootcamp in the early days.
Your baby is clipped in with four straps, connecting with one button which you click open to release. I’d read reviews that thought this was too easy for the child to escape from. But I’m happy to report that it takes a reasonable amount of pressure to click this button and Elle hasn’t attempted this yet…
What I LOVE About The Bugaboo 3
The canopy is amazing. It comes really far down, so if Elle falls asleep she can be almost completely covered, but I know there’s still great airflow.
It looks nice (!) everyone always comments on how cute and compact it is. This is fine if you have a pixie for a child, but I’m not sure bigger children would get on well with it. (The size of it also means that your baby feels quite low and far away from you compared to the bigger pushchairs – but this was a sacrifice I was willing to make for something that was light and easy to store).
I can’t fault the Bugaboo Bee 3 in being a light, easy to use buggy from newborn to toddler. It’s been perfect for us at every stage so far. (If you’re on the look out for a stroller, check out this post on the best strollers for travelling).
What I DON’T LOVE About The Bugaboo Bee 3
The chair covers don’t seem to fit the base particularly well. I’m not sure if that’s just due to the fact that Elle kicks them off when she’s having a tantrum about being put in it, but I’m always having to clip the bottom one back on. Equally the rain cover doesn’t seem to fit very well either – it’s like it’s been made for the bassinet, rather than the buggy. I don’t know if perhaps Bugaboo have a one size fits all rain cover (?) but this is annoying when the rain is set in and you have to take the dog out.
There’s no bar across the front, so when your baby gets to the ‘leg resting’ stage (yes, this is a thing – see action shots above) they have to do it legs akimbo. Which isn’t really an issue, they are obviously comfy, but they don’t look quite as chilled as their little mates with a front bar on which to put their feet up.
When your baby is facing you, it’s easy to get into the basket to retrieve your shopping. When your baby is forward facing however, you either have to stick your hand through a small hole and attempt to pull out your desired items (biscuits), or lift up the seat and risk waking the sleeping monster. Very annoying if whole point of your walk was to get them to sleep so that you could have your tea and biscuits in peace.
Would I Buy It Again?
Hmmm. Tricky one. It lives up to everything it promises, so in terms of doing the job we wanted it to do – yes, I’d certainly buy it again. I’d definitely recommend the Bugaboo brand, yes they are more expensive than others, but we’ve had zero issues with it and I know it be fine for another baby too. As an urban pushchair/stroller it really is great. I can’t help feeling that maybe we should have invested in something that was able to handle sand/track walks given we have a dog and are quite ‘outdoorsy’ (hate that word). Our logic was that for beach or coastal walks we’d use a baby carrier, which we did for the most part, but carrying an ever-growing baby is pretty tough on your back.
Also, next time around, I’d invest in the Baby Cocoon as I did sometimes feel like Elle was exposed to the elements compared to other bubs in their cosy bassinets.
Buggy Buying Advice
Even if you’re not buying the Bugaboo Bee 3, I hope this has helped you to decide what kind of buggy would work for you. It’s ok to feel completely overwhelmed by the whole process. I shed full on tears in John Lewis on more than one occasion while I was pregnant. Don’t feel pressured into buying all of the gadgets. We didn’t have a bassinet, car seat adapters, or any fancy frills because we decided we didn’t need them to fit our lifestyle.
The temptation to buy new is overwhelming with your first baby, but do consider buying a buggy second hand – there are some great bargains to be had and honestly, once your child has thrown up in it, the newness soon loses it’s shine.
If you have friends with kids, try their buggies out. Using a buggy in the wild for a morning is very different to pushing one around a shop for 10 minutes. If you want read about Lolly and Becky’s pushchair choices, you can visit this archive post too.
Do any of you have a Bugaboo? What do you think of them? Is anyone in the middle of deciding which pram or pushchair to purchase?
Oh and if someone could explain to me how I STILL end up with sand in basket of the buggy which doesn’t even visit the beach – I’d really appreciate it 😉 xxx
(PS sorry for my awful iPhone shots, I thought you’d appreciate some real life images, rather than stock imagery, and I couldn’t resist including teeny tiny baby Elle).
Thanks for the review Fern and Elle is gorgeous. Looks like a proper character too from your pics.
We’re off on our first pram shopping trip tomorrow to scope things out so this is v helpful! Everyone seems to have bugaboos or icandy round here so I’m tempted to stick with the popular choice as must be doing something right! My head has been turned by the Egg though so keen to give that a whirl! Exciting times 🙂
I was hugely swayed but seeing so many uppababy vistas on our days out at National Trust places. I didn’t even know they existed before then and here we go 2.5 years later still using it. At least you might get to try one before you buy. The Egg looks pretty cool though.
Thanks Emma, she’s definitely a sparky one, that’s for sure 😉
Have fun pram shopping and like Sarah S says below, plan lots of tea and cake breaks.
xxx
Emma, I have the Egg stroller in Forest Green and I love it! It’s really easy to manoeuvre and fold down to get into the car. We bought the carrycot which we used for around 5 months and now use the main pushchair with the furry footmuff which looks so cosy. The only niggle I have is that the hood doesn’t come as far down as some other pushchairs so I have to use a parasol in the height of summer. Overall, it’s fab to use, looks stylish and I haven’t seen anyone else with one which I quite like. Good luck with your search!
Great article Fern. If any of the RMF team fancy writing one about the minefield that is working out what to do about a buggy when you’re pregnant with your second and your first isn’t yet 2 and can’t / won’t walk very far, I’d be very grateful 😉
Also for anyone look at buying a buggy, particularly if you do want the accessories (bassinet, car seat adapters, rain cover etc) too, I would definitely recommend looking at secondhand options. We were able to get the buggy we really wanted plus all the accessories for £135 when the retail price at John Lewis was £980! And we helped out two local mums who got space back in their houses and some cash in their pockets. Win-win!
Snap! Baby no 1 will be 20months when no 2 is due. I’m planning on using my same pushchair (armadillo flip xt – love it!) with no 1 and a baby carrier for number 2. Double buggies scare me! Then when no 1 is a bit bigger and no 2 gets too heavy to carry get a buggy board for no 1! That is the plan… We’ll see how that pans out.
In this vein, please can we have a baby carriers post?!
I’d really recommend the out n about nipper 360 double. I’ve owned a few pushchairs, bought this one second hand for £100 and it’s my favourite. You can even put a buggy board on it for when they start to refuse to get in. I’ve just had my 3rd baby and it’s still going strong is suitable from birth, my 2 yr old is comfy when she goes in it and my very tall nearly 5 yr old still fits in when he’s being really lazy and ‘can’t walk another step mummy’. It also has decent storage underneath and can easily balance scooters and a balance bike on the top. Good luck X
Hi Kat, lots of my friends who have toddlers and teeny tiny ones (here or on the way) swear by having the newborn in a stretchy wrap at first, then you don’t need a double buggy. I guess then when the second one is a bit too heavy to carry you can get a buggy board as Victoria suggests xxx
And here’s a post on baby carriers a little whole ago http://rockmyfamily.wpengine.com/best-slings-carriers-babies/
Fab thanks!
Hi Kat I bought the bugaboo Chameleon for my first and I love it but needed a double one when my second arrived (20m age gap) I went for the ‘baby jogger city select’ which means they are one in front of the other (way easier than negotiating a side by side buggy along the pavements and through shops) I found mine on a twin selling page on Facebook (I didn’t buy twins- just the buggy) and got it for £200 with all the extras.
It’s doing the job BUT it’s way heavier than the bugaboo.
Hope that helps a bit
Good luck with your search x
Hi Kat. I can get on this one for you as I was in that exact situation!! I didn’t want to buy a double buggy so I kept the Bugaboo chameleon and initially carried baby Alice in our carrier with Molly in the buggy. Then when Alice got too big I got a buggy board and poor Molly had to ride on. She wasn’t a fan at first but soon got the hang of it and started walking everywhere quite early on. Alice on the other hand still goes everywhere in the buggy at 3 and a half. Feel bad for making Molly walk so much now I must admit but she never complained. xx
Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions. I’m thinking of hiring a stretchy wrap from our local sling library for when number 2 is little and then we shouldn’t have much need for a double buggy. I think I just need to get my head around wearing a newborn whilst chasing a cheeky toddler!
Love bugaboo! Have the Cameleon but should have got the buffalo as I am more off road than I thought I would be but the buggy manages fine. Also going to have a newborn and a 17month old…should have got the donkey!
I love my Bee. We originally had quite an big pushchair from mamas & papas but we live in London in a hilly area. It was too heavy for the hills and didn’t fit properly on buses/difficult to get on trains etc. The bee is perfect for London. My son is now 17 months and no need for a stroller as it’s so light and he’s really comfortable. You can get on the front of buses with it, and it fits in narrow doors. I’m pregnant with my second and due around my son’s 2nd birthday and everyone is telling me I’ll need a double, but I really can’t imagine giving up the Bee!
Oh yes Anna, I totally forgot to say I love the fact that it fits through a single narrow doorway really easily! Glad you love your Bee, I think it’s the perfect buggy for city life x
We love our Bee too and used it all the way through with our first. When our second was due wee bought the buggy board with the seat and she has loved it! It’s been a great half way house and better than getting a double!
I’ve been looking at the bugaboo donkey, I’m having twins so it seems like a no brainer really, it’ll last for a few years and is so easy to move about.
I’m going to fly the flag for good old Silver Cross! After a lot of shopping trips (evening trips to Mothercare were the best as it was always empty!), and trying out every single brand in stock my husband concluded Silver Cross was the way to go. I had given up the will to live so was happy just with a decision! I thought I wanted a bugaboo but found all the clips really tough to move, and wasn’t too keen on a hand brake.
We purchased the Silver Cross pioneer directly from Silver Cross when a promotion was on. I have the navy blue one and love it! It’s light, the basket is HUGE! It folds up and down like a dream and the carry cot bit is soooo super snuggly and keeps all the horrible cold wind out. Important for all babies but I was very aware of this as my little one was prem. (To be fair I do stick a very cosy lambskin rug inside it as well.) it also handles well on grass and bumpy surfaces.
My advice for anyone looking for their first ever pram would be to forget what everyone else is buying and go for what suits you and your life. Sounds like you went prepared with a good criteria list Fern and found a great match!
Oh and also plan lots of tea breaks/lunches around the shopping trip! It’s a tiring business ?
Lolly has a Silver Cross pram Sarah and she loves it. Totally agree on forgetting what everyone is buying and choosing something that works for you! x
Yep Fern is right! I love it and subsequently bought a Silver Cross stroller too which has been a godsend especially on holiday last year. Highly recommend the brand and will use both for number two too xx
I’m not even in the market for a new buggy but found the article great Fern! A really helpful review which makes me feel better knowing the perfect buggy probably doesn’t exist and there are always small drawbacks on whatever you chose. I’d definitely second the tip to try your friends’ buggies out in the wild if you can as the smooth shop floors don’t provide much challenge and you could frankly control a digger with one hand. I don’t know how about you but I’ve found John Lewis and Mothercare staff quite useless when it came to demonstrating the buggies and helping to decide. Kiddicare staff seemed really knowledgeable and I wonder if smaller independent shops might be a bit better too. The choice in Mothercare and JL is usually pretty good though if you want to get an idea of what you like. We have an uppababy vista and like you it does what it says pretty well but is definitely on the bulky side (still fitted in the boot of our golf) and there are small annoying things like wheels sometimes locking when you fold it away. It’s still in use 2.5 years in and soon ready to be reused by baby number two.
Thanks Kat 🙂
I have absolutely no need for a buggy but I just needed to say that the last pic of Elle is SO CUTE!!! x
HA thanks Tracy, we call it the crazy chicken photo x
Great review! We’ve just taken delivery of our Chameleon all set for our wee one who’s due in four weeks! Living in a second floor tenement we just needed something that folds down well and was really light for carrying upstairs and I think we’ve ticked those boxes! I was very tempted by the uppababy vista having heard really good things, but I trapped my hand trying to fold it down in the shop so it was quickly ruled out! x
We’ve also just taken delivery of our Chameleon, baby is due in a week (so anytime now I guess). After initially falling in love with the Joolz, for purely aesthetic reasons and being quite anti the Bugaboos due to their ubiquity in London, my mum forced me to at least play with the Chameleon and once I saw the single handed folding mechanism I was sold. There is a reason a lot of people have them!
My husband built it last night and was impressed with the quality and manoeuvrability so hopefully we have made the right choice. We went with a special edition all Navy version which can just about compete with the Joolz on looks as well (not that that is a reason to buy a pram of course!).
It is quite overwhelming, I had to have three coffee breaks in John Lewis. Although I found doing the washing for the baby overwhelming so perhaps choosing a pram would be a doddle pre pregnancy!!
We have the Bee3 with baby cocoon and I adore it. Willa is so comfy and happy zipped up in it and it’s been perfect since day two when we went for our first outing in it! It is a bit tricky to unfold at first but when you get the hang it’s just fine. We are complimented all the time and as she’s baby no3 we wanted something light, easy to chuck in the car and that all folded down together (no attaching parts like we had to do with our previous prams!). The perfect pushchair for using on pavements and in shops/cafes as it’s so nippy.
Yes Coral – the no attaching parts thing is SO handy. I’m definitely getting the baby cocoon for the next one though. Glad Willa loves yours! x
We have the uppababy vista which I am still in love with two babies later! It’s great as a single pram, but you can buy an additional seat should number 2 arrive before number 1 will happily walk long distances, so it’s great to have that as an option. It’s big, & quite heavy, but it’s definitely sturdy.
Also, the basket is HUGE so perfect for shopping trips & not having to take the car out.
Hi Karen
I’m pregnant with twins and have a 2 yr old already who does go in a buggy quite often. After extensive research, we’ve pretty much decided on the uppababy vista 2015 version that you can have for twins with x2 car seats/x2 carrycots etc and then will get the buggy board for the toddler. Once the twins are in to the seats, then the toddler can get in one and i can sling one of the twins if needs be.
Can I ask if you think, from your experience of having two in the Vista, that it’s a good choice for our situation i.e. 3 kids under 3 (insert massively scared/overwhelmed face here!!!!)? Thank you!!
Hi Anna, congratulations on your pregnancy…how exciting to have twins on the way!! I actually have the 2014 Vista, so the second seat isn’t as good as the 2015 version, but we get on with it really well, so I’d say it would be a great choice for you.
I’m quite small (& not very strong) so was worried it would be really heavy and awkward to manoeuvre but it’s actually really easy, I can zip round the shops with them both no problem. The 2015 version is designed so much better for 2 babies than mine so you’ll be fine. Also, I have a 2 year old who used to hate walking (read actually running in the opposite direction to the one we were going in!!) , but it’s amazing how they want to feel grown up & walk alongside the pram holding on!! Good luck with everything!! Xx
It took us an absolute age to choose our pram. I wanted one that was compact but not flimsy, as I didn’t want to change my car. We eventually went for a silver cross wayfarer (it easily fits in my Polo’s boot) and we were really lucky as we picked it up from a local Baby store when they were offering a free silver cross car seat, and by buying at a ‘mums to be’ event we saved 10% off the overall cost too. It’s definitely worth looking around once you’ve settled on a pram to see if there’s any upcoming offers – we saved about £200. Another reason that I love the wayfarer is that you can buy a colour pack and change the look of the pram completely!
Hooray, thank you for this post, I’m now 6 months pregnant and still debating. Love reading everyone’s comments as well. Bee is on our list, but I’m a bit worried how it would cope with our walks by the canal and in the park. I also have a very tall husband so it may not be ideal… We are looking at the Chameleon so nice to see good reviews of it!
Silver Cross is also on our list – the Wayfarer I think. We struggled with the folding mechanism of the Uppababy as well Rebecca! And Katie, definitely yes to John Lewis coffee breaks. With cake! I am also tempted by the Joolz – they look lovely.
We had the Bugaboo Chameleon so am a big fan of the brand. It was actually Edd who wanted it more than me as he could turn it with one hand!! I took ages deciding though as it was so expensive but in the end decided it was a worthwhile purchase. Then I just happened to walk in to my local Mothercare and they had an immaculate ex display one for £650. I cheekily asked if they could do a better price and they took another £100 off. Definitely worth keeping an eye out as you never know. It was perfect for us and survived tromping round country lanes and over fields. I loved it. We used it lots with the car seat adapters too as it was so practical. The only thing that got me in the end was that it was quite big even in the boot so ended up swapping to a McClaren Stroller when Alice was about 9 months old. I kind of wish I hadn’t as that is equally large although a lot quicker to put up and down. Looking forward to not needing one at all soon. xx
I’m another chameleon fan and it is still going strong after 3 years of use from my eldest being a newborn to now using the buggy board. It looks good, it’s practical and cleans easily. It looks almost brand new still! When my youngest was born, I had to have a c section so baby carrying to avoid buying a double just wasn’t an option and my daughter was too young to reliably use the buggy board. We went for the Mountain Buggy double and loved it. We travel a lot so wanted one that folded in one piece for ease when flying and you can buy a carrycot for the newborn stage. I bought new but would recommend buying second hand if you can find one as it wasn’t used for long enough to justify the money spent on it.
Great article! I’m another Bugaboo fan (even have the running chassis, although at 8mths pregnant that’s currently gathering dust!). We have the Cameleon and buggy board (which is great as the bugaboo one has a little seat too) for our daughter who was 2 in December as she does like to walk. However, I still want a seat for her on longer trips or if she’s just playing up and needs to be contained! So I kept an eye out online and we bought a Bugaboo Donkey secondhand. It’s immaculate and what I also love about the brand is that they do hold their value, especially if well cared for. We’ve still got the cameleon so planning to resell the donkey once Darcey doesn’t need a pushchair.
We opted for the Bugaboo Buffalo in the end as we live on a farm and are surrounded by country lanes with no pavements, and I am completely in love!!! We are 6 weeks in with our baby girl and it makes getting out and about so easy, especially when we are surrounded by fields and even going to get a pint of milk involves cramming everything in the car!! It’s really easy to put up and down ( just click all the white bits!!) which was really important as I wanted to be able to do it by myself easily!! and I love that you can lift the bassinet off with one hand if our baby girl has fallen asleep on a walk to leave the muddy wheels outside and carry her inside easily, especially if I’m juggling an overly excited terrier on a lead at the same time!!! A big selling point was also that the bassinet and seat use the same frame, and you just change the material when you are ready, so we don’t have a big carry cot to store when she finally grows out of it, this also means that it is mostly machine washable!!! ( although I am doing my best to
Keep it clean so I don’t need to do this very often!!!)
I can’t recommend it strongly enough, especially if you will be heading off the beaten track at all, it even has a two wheeled off road set up if it is really muddy/snowy!!!!
Xx
We went for the Stokke, which is not light and does not fold down easily, however I love how high up it is. This makes a difference when you’re tall. It fits (just) in my polo but you have to remove the wheels so not ideal if they’re muddy. It’s a bit style over function but it is lovely to push and everything fits together really easily. Maybe should have gone with the consensus and got a Bugaboo though…
Not sure I can really comment as we’ve got a hand me down travel system from my boyfriend’s auntie, but to be honest it’s saved a lot of deliberation (not to mention money…!). It’s a quinny buzz and it’s survived rough paths around chatsworth as well as lots of city/town visits, plus it fits in the boot of an i10 (v. teeny)! We’ll see how we get on but I’m partly glad to have had the decision taken away from me!!
Great post! It’s an absolute minefield and so easy to be swayed by fashion/what everyone else has/ what you THINK you wanted… we went for the Silver Cross Pioneer in the end. I thought I wanted a bugaboo but in reality found the bee much too low for me and my husband (both over 5’10”) and the others in the range felt too bulky for our London/apartment needs. Time will tell if it’s the right decision – currently at 27 weeks so avidly reading all these equipment posts!
Uppababy Cruz for us, and I’ve loved it – smaller, zippier and lighter than the Vista so ideal for city life and public transport, but still manages well off-road (ahem, by which I mean the park…). The Bee felt way too flimsy to me when I tried it in John Lewis and, like all Bugaboos, far too low down for me – and I’m only 5″7! But have friends who adore their Bugaboos, so it’s all personal choice!
This was a great article to read, as I’m currently trying to decide between the bee and the chameleon! I’m veering towards the bee, but am worried about two things: is it a bit flimsy? Also, my in laws live in the countryside, would it be ok on gravelly paths and roads? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Eimear. I live in a little village and we had the chameleon which was excellent on all manner of bumpy roads. I also took it cross country over fields as you can flip the handle so the big wheels are at the front to navigate tricky terrain. Fern did do lots of walking with her Bee too so I’m sure either would work. The chameleon is definitely more robust but at the same time it is bigger so depends on things like storage/boot space. Good luck xxx
Hi I’ve just purchased a bee 3 and the seat seems to have a lot of movement rocking back and forth is this right? I used to have the bee plus a few years ago now for my first son I don’t remember the seat doing this on the plus thanks