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(Review ID: 1483)
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70 of
70 people found the following review helpful:
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great full featured stroller for indoor/smooth surface use, August 13, 2007
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Reviewer: lorien_ca from silicon valley
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lorien_ca
saw things this way
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Overall Grade
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(10) |
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Pros:
amazingly smooth, one finger push, stable, great storage
Cons:
price, stiff and somewhat complicated mechanisms when new
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for the first year of my son's life, i had/used a bugaboo frog and it did everything i needed for me, everyday (you can read that review under the frog reviews). the frog has been my workhorse for 2 years now, but over time, as my newborn became an infant and then a toddler, the 2 part fold and getting both pieces into and out of my car all day long did get a little old. as much as i still adore the frog for anything we do outdoors, i found myself searching for an ideal errand and mall stroller to leave in the car. something that pushed as well as the frog but solved the problems of the cumbersome fold. i thought i would never find a stroller i like as much as the frog, leave it to bugaboo to meet that mark. if you're interested, i've detailed the first three strollers i tried in my search for the ideal car/errand/mall stroller before finding the bee to help explain why i like it so much. if you want to go straight to the bee review, skip the next three paragraphs. first i tried a maclaren quest. i hated it for pretty much everything except in the city (boston and san francisco) on and off public transportation (the T, bart, caltrain and muni). freakishly tippy, needs two hands to steer, and the storage is a joke. the fold was simple, but the canopy is meager at best. it's got the smooth push and maneuverability going for it, but that's about it as far as i'm concerned. i know a lot of parents love this stroller, but i'm not a big fan. then i briefly tried a borrowed peg perego p3. it had better storage, was a little more stable, and folded in one piece. the floating harness system is nice but the push and suspension were soooo disappointing after using the frog for the previous year. the foot print was no smaller than my frog when maneuvering in a store or in the back of my car really, so that was a no go. so on to the inglesina espresso. with this stroller, i got the stability back, much improved storage and it solidified that i personally really prefer a single push handle. it had a true single hand fold - the easiest of any stroller i've used thus far (including the bee). where the espresso lacked big time was the steering and suspension. it pushed and steered like a tank. enter the bee. yay! finally a stroller that met all of my needs and was a worthy addition to the frog. as a mall/errand/car stroller, this definitely get's my A+ for functionality and performance compared to everything else i've tried. if it were my only stroller, it would get an A- b/c it doesn't outperform the frog outdoors on dirt/loose gravel, but on smooth surfaces - well excuse the pun, but, it flys!the push is amazing. even better than the frog if that's possible - i guess b/c the back wheels are as smooth as the front. all four wheels have suspension, with the front two being the famous jointed swivel suspension. it gives the term "steers on a dime" a whole new meaning. i can push/steer it with one finger for short distances on the smooth mall floors and walk next to my son. the frog still outperfoms the bee hands down outdoors as soon as you get into anything loose tho. the footprint is just big enough to keep it stable even with a climbing toddler without sacrificing maneuverability in tight spaces. oh, and i guess i wish they'd chosen something more monochromatic for the wheels rather than the stark contrast of the black and white - but cosmetics is pretty low on my list, i'm all about the function. the forward facing fold is simple but stiff on it right out of the box. just release the triggers on either side of the push handle and lower it to the ground. same with the opening mechanism - stiff out of the box. the only slightly annoying thing about the opening mechanism so far is that b/c you kick/push out with your foot while holding the push handle, the handle can telescope out a bit even when locked down. i assume/hope that as the mechanism eases with use and time like my frog did, that will remedy that problem. in the mean time, if you grab below the telescoping area to pull from, it's a total non-issue. the fold with the seat reversed has an additional step to bring the seat back up even with the push bar. once that's done, it's the same as the forward facing fold. opening it with the seat reversed requires the same additional step in reverse. if you want to see the process detailed in photos i've posted them here: http://www.windsorpe ak.com/dc/dcboard.ph p?az=show_mesg&forum =14&topic_id=85171&m esg_id=85307&page=either way, forward facing or rear, once it's folded, it doesn't really "lock" or "latch" into a fixed position like other strollers i've used. it's an odd design choice and a little disconcerting at first, but it actually has a few centimeters of give that feels like it's going to spring back open on you, but it doesn't. it just stays in it's nice little compact, ONE PART bundle that is easily lifted in and out. when the seat is in it's rearfacing position prior to folding, it will be slightly floppy and not lay quite as flat when folded - still compact, just not quite as compact as with the seat forward facing.one of the best features this stroller has going for it is the reversability of the seat - it was one of my favorite features of the frog for much of my son's first year and on my 'must' feature list for #2. the process to reverse the seat is a 1,2,3 - 3,2,1 process. not hard at all once you know exactly what the steps are, but you have to do them exactly to align all of the bits. it is a tedious enough process that it's not something i'd do routinely, but i assume most of us tend to leave it either forward or rear facing for long periods of time, so again, probably a non-issue. as far as size goes, the seat is on the small/narrow side, but so is my son and he has about as much room left in the bee as he does in the frog. he's about 26 lbs and 33 inches or so right now. i'm guessing the bee will fit an average toddler under the canopy until at least 3+ish, a larger/taller one to 2.5+ or so? the manual says it accomodates a butt to head length of 20 inches under the canopy. i am actually not sure if the canopy frame itself is removeable, bugaboo does have marketing pictures up that show the bee without the canopy. if the canopy frame is removeable (the fabric does come off for washing) then that would afford an extra 2+ inches or so of seat height, at least. the canopy is generous, especially when compared to other strollers in it's class, and makes this UV leary mama a happy camper when we're outside in the bee. i haven't had it long enough to comment on the durability of the fabric, but after 2 years with my frog, i'm guessing it will hold up to the rigors of childhood just as well. the backrest, even in it's most upright position is still slightly reclined, so if you have a "must be sitting fully upright" toddler, that might be a sticking point, but mine seems to like it just fine. the seat itself is well padded and kind of novel in that it adjusts to fit the backs of your kiddo's legs. it does loose some of the 'cush under the tusch' at the fully extended point tho. the harness is a 5 point, and doesn't seem to have the ability to be rigged for 3 point that i can figure, which my toddler would prefer. but that's a small gripe, all things considered. the basket is also very generous. you access it from the front or sides of the stroller like a P3. i've had the bee empty and loaded down with a full run of groceries and it performs beautifully both ways. it stays stable even with my diaperbag/backpack slung over the push bar with the basket empty.
the 'brake' holds well and is foot operated, unlike the frog. it's a single pedal in the center which you push down to engage, lift with your toe to disengage. the bee came with a raincover. i didn't get one, but baby style had the bugaboo cup holder which now comes with a clip that fits the bee handlebar. i've read that they will have a footmuff for older kiddo's, a 'nest' for infants, and the graco/maxi cosi and peg perego car seat adaptors, as well as a new footboard. no snack tray, but we don't miss it - he does just fine with a snack trap. i'm going to look for some bag clips since i find them indespensible on the frog. lastly, just a heads up, this stroller is just complicated enough for the new user that it can appear bent or broken when reversing the seat and opening/closing it with the seat reversed. i know many people here have reported problems with this at babystyle. the day i went to get mine, one employee gave up instantly, and declared their floor model broken. another came over, said, oh, no, not broken, just misaligned. she wiggled the little arm down the groove it slides in when you recline it and voila, the stroller was miraculously fixed. then employee #1 proceeded to show me the reverse fold, same thing, she didn't get it opened and locked all the way on both sides and it appeared that the frame was bent. nope, employee #2 came over again, opened it until it 'clicked' on the second side and voila, perfect again. so be sure you read the manual yourself, and/or get someone who actually knows what they are doing to show you the features, or it will indeed look like a piece of junk. in my experience so far tho, the thing is actually quite sturdy and robust once you know what you're doing, if a little complicated. just like the frog, it has a somewhat steep learning curve, but once you've mastered it, it's a dream of a stroller. if you're only going to get one, i'd say the frog is still my #1 choice for it's versatility indoors and out. i do and have taken the frog just about everywhere (snow, sand, disney, dirt trails, farmer's markets, parks, malls, grass, etc) and i don't think the bee could do all that. but for pure ease of use and performance on smooth floors and level, paved outdoor terrain, the bee is a close second. if you are looking for a lighter weight, single part fold stroller that will primarily be used on paved and/or indoor surfaces, i have yet to find something that outperforms the bee. hope that helps someone else in their search,
lori
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(Review ID: 1666)
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5 of
5 people found the following review helpful:
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The Bee is a well thought out, nice looking stroller., May 18, 2008
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Reviewer: Anonymous
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Anonymous
saw things this way
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Overall Grade
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(8) |
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Pros:
compact size and easy to push; baby can face you
Cons:
Price. while the design is great it is not worth the 500+ price; airlines don't know how it folds
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We got a Bee when I started complaining about the 2 part fold on our Cameleon. It was $560 including tax. It comes pretty much assembled so it's practically ready out of the box. The push is super-smooth and nimble. I love the telescoping handle as well since it lessens the strain on my back. The basket has easy access and you can pack alot in there. When the baby was younger, it was great to have her facing me (now they make graco adaptors and older babies want to face the world so this feature is not valuable to us anymore). The recline feature is really nice, but you'll ned extra sun coverage when the seat is in full recline (the parasol is cute).The Bee fits in any space too so you can get around easily without bumping into things. In fact it is almost too narrow for an older baby, I think. As for the fold, it is one piece but takes a little practice and it certainly isn't one-handed. Given its billing as a "lightweight stroller for traveling" I can tell you it is not much lighter than a Cameleon and airline staff have alot of trouble with it. I travel alot with DD so this was another thing motivating this purchase. Airline staff repeatedly opened it up incorrectly or I would catch them forcing it. One airline wrecked it (in spite of the sign I put on it that said DO NOT OPEN) so I had to get the chassis replaced. You are better off with something you could afford to have broken at the gate check in and don't spend this kind of $$ on a travel stroller. Get a travel bag for your Frog or Cam or travel with a Volo instead. I am not sure what the value of the Bee is right now for me but I do give Bugaboo points for the nice design and well thought out features. This stroller is too expensive for what it offers. It isn't that lightweight and it doesn't have the versatility of the Frog, Cam or even a BOB revolution.
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