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(Review ID: 683)
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36 of
37 people found the following review helpful:
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Why the Bugaboo Frog really is a Baby-Bargain, January 31, 2006
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Reviewer: lorien_ca from San Francisco Bay Area
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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:
If ever one stroller could do it all, this is it!
Cons:
You guessed it - the price
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I love the Bug. Love, love, love it. Did I say how much I love it? The Bug is the ideal stroller for my "active suburban" lifestyle. I'm a stay at home mom in a busy, suburban city. In my average week, I use the Bug on sidewalks in my neighborhood and downtown, paved and unpaved (dirt) roads and trails, the mall, the grocery store, the pool and a little bit of grass and sand. It is in and out of the car an average of twice a day.We have to keep our cars in our garage, so I knew I would have no room for a 'stable' of strollers to meet all of my different needs. If you want to compare apples to apples, you can't compare the Bug to the best jogger, the best standard or the best umbrella strollers. The Bug is an orange to all of these. As a multi-tasker, it serves many of the functions of each of these REALLY WELL, but it is not better as a jogger than say a Chariot or have storage space galore for the mall like a Savvy or a Metrolite, or have a single hand fold and weigh 7lbs like a Maclaren. The difference is, if I didn't have the Bug, I would own at least three strollers to do what this ONE stroller does for me on a weekly basis - and that's a 'baby-bargain' no matter how you look at it. With the Bug, I can do it all with the one stroller. Here is my list of the most useful and well thought out features:Bassinet: In the beginning, we used the frame with the Snugride adapter for shorter trips and the bassinet for anything longer than a half hour or so. Multi-functional as a travel bed and downstairs bed for the first 4 months. He slept as well there as he did anywhere else - and my DS is not a sleeper, so that says a lot. Bassinet Cover: Unlike the new Cameleon which has a zipper, the Frog cover fits over the frame with elastic, which means you can use it as a foot-muff even once you convert to the seat. It’s a great place to store a few toys, blanket and a cell phone and provides a little extra warmth for DS's feet in our mild winters. As a side note, the fabric of the whole thing washes up great. Seat: We switched to the standard seat at about 4.5 months and it is _so_ versatile for us. He naps in the fully reclined position, and uses the 45ish degree recline and upright positions for riding. The upright also comes in handy as a high-chair on the go. It is well padded and he doesn’t slump in it like I see in so many other strollers. Reversible seating: I admit it, I am a selfish Mama who keeps her baby facing her more often than not. I love being able to see him and talk to him and tell him about what we are doing and seeing. Now that he is 8 mos, he is spending more time in the traditional 'face the world' direction - which he loves. As long as you listen for the 'double click' to make sure the seat is secure, it is easy to flip around, even with the baby in it. Reversible handle: I consider this different than reversible seating because it actually reverses which wheels are in front. Most of the time, you push it with the little wheels leading - which steers on a dime. But sometimes, you need the clearance the big wheels up front can provide (we’ve used it in snow, sand, grass and mud). The Bug obviously loses steering maneuverability with the big wheels in front, but sometimes it's really worth the trade off. The other great thing about the reversible handle is being able to flip it out of the way when you are stationary (i.e. pulling the stroller up to a table in a restaurant) without having the push handle sticking out into the aisle getting bumped all night. Front suspension: I get comments all the time from my walking buddies about how comfortable he looks and how well he stays asleep even over rough terrain compared to their babies. If your primary use will be sidewalks and mall crawling, you won't miss it and would probably be well served by the new knock offs (I'coo and Fisher Price I think??) that don't appear to have this feature. If you do a lot of trail walking like we do, you will adore the smooth ride for the baby and be so thankful for the lack of jarring for you pushing it too!!!Rear air tires and Steering: If you've pushed an air tire stroller and a plastic wheel stroller - then you already know. This stroller really does push, turn and track one handed.Two part fold: With this listed as one of the most frequent draw backs to this stroller you must think I'm crazy, but really, I consider this an advantage. The seat part "nests" into the frame part. In my car (X3 - small to midsize SUV) I can put the stroller in upright at an angle, braced against the back seat and then nest the seat into the frame. That way, the stroller only takes up 1/2 of my cargo area - leaving plenty of space for packages, etc. I can't get my friend's BOB Revolution (too wide) or a Quattro (too long) into my car this way - and they are both single folds. Just as a side note, I can be packed up and into my car just as fast as my single-folding friends. Maybe when I am dealing with a toddler, I'll miss the one hand fold that some strollers have, but not yet. I am neutral about the storage area. I have never found it to be a problem except when power shopping at the mall during the holidays, and then no one you see seems to have enough storage space for all the bags and packages :). The "basket" is really a stuff sack (like for a sleeping bag) - and as such, it really is quite deceptive as to how much you can fit in it. Between the basket underneath and a pair of bag clips on the handle bar, I have never had a shortage outside of the holidays. Wanna see a really small basket -check out the shoe box under the I'coo clone :). Here are the features I wish the Bug had: A parent cup holder - I solved this with a Valco Universal cup holder mounted opposite from the brake. If you play with the placement a little, you can have it on the inside where you can still get to the folding mechanism without interfering with the fold. A child 'snack tray' - I haven't really solved this yet - but so far, we've been fine with just link-a-doing a sippy cup onto the harness. I think I may be able to do this with a snack trap later this month too, since he's just learning how to retrieve things from it. In summary, if you lead the 'active suburban' lifestyle like we do, the Bug may be the one stroller that has a shot at 'doing it all.' If you have room for a stable (multiple strollers) this may not be as functional for you as spending the same money on multiple strollers that are optimally suited to each of your needs. If your primary use will be mall crawling and sidewalk walking, this may not be worth the price tag. If you live in a big city where you may need to be able to carry the stroller and the baby at the same time (i.e. up and down two flights of stairs to public transportation, or in and out of a cab with the meter running), this is probably not the stroller for you. If you will be using it indoors and out, even and uneven terrain, in and out of a car in a standard amount of time, and don't have room for multiple strollers, this may be exactly what you are looking for. This stroller is a multi-tasker - and 'orange ya glad' it is ideally suited as such.
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(Review ID: 596)
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15 of
17 people found the following review helpful:
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so far, so fantastic, November 29, 2005
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Reviewer: B_B from Somerville, MA
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B_B
saw things this way
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Overall Grade
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(10) |
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Pros:
Bassinet. Ride. Slick. Baby can face you. Great on stairs.
Cons:
Price. Height limit. You need a big trunk.
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I love this thing. I'm aware that its major downside for us (tall family) is that our kid might outgrow it, height-wise, sooner than other strollers, but so far I have nothing but praise for this well-designed, essential piece of equipment. The Frog was the first--and most expensive--bit of baby equipment we bought, but so far it's been used almost every day of our kid's life. We bought ours used via Ebay (looked on StrollerSwap Yahoo group, too) for . . . hmm, $600 or so, fully loaded. Probably it's cheaper now that the new Bugaboos are out, but at the time it was a steal. We put all the cloth parts through the wash and it looked like new--still does, apart from the drool and puke stains on it.We test-drove this and several other strollers in narrow store aisles and on winter streets, and the deciding factor was its versatility in these settings. It turns on a dime but the big, inflated rear wheels mean you can bump it over tree roots and high curbs without waking your baby.When our baby was small, the bassinet was incredibly useful. I didn't have a c-section, but climbing stairs still sucked for the first couple of weeks. When the kid wasn't nursing or lying in an adult's lap he was in the Frog's bassinet. I wheeled him around the first floor of our house to wherever I'd set up shop. There was enough room to tuck a few supplies, too (book, wipes, Tylenol, Tucks, etc). Once I could walk comfortably, we went out every day. The Frog bumps smoothly down our 7 front steps and easily navigates curbs. Early on, my husband bumped it up and down stairs to our second and third floors, sometimes, to keep from waking the baby, and I often carried it up and down stairs detached from the chassis. With a blanket, the bassinet's plenty warm outside in cold weather. The rain shield did fine on the few days it rained, and I could see my baby through it. The only challenge with the (largeish) bassinet attached is crowded stores. Though the wheelbase is narrow enough and the turn radius small enough to get through almost any maze of store racks, heavy crowds make you feel like you're driving a nimble SUV--yes, it turns easily with one hand and fits through narrow spaces, but it takes up a fair amount of space while doing so.My guy sat up early, so we were able to start using the seat at 4 months. We walk about three miles a day on city streets. I use the handbrake frequently, and it's solid and reassurring when it clicks into place. I love the multi-recline feature (he can nap completely flat, semi-recline, or sit up nearly straight) and the fact that he can face me (I burble numbers and ABCs at him) or the world, depending on which is more interesting to him that day. The storage bag is big enough for three plastic bags of groceries (it expands upwards substantially) and hasn't yet limited me, which was a surprise after reading other reviews. I take it to farmers' markets and can load up without worrying about having enough room for my purchases. The parasol, while cute, is fairly useless. I never used the mosquito cover or the footmuff--at least, not yet. The two-part fold isn't much of an issue for us. When we go on trips, I put the baby into the car seat (convertible now, Snugride then) and buckle him in, then put the Frog into the trunk (we have a Honda CRV, a tiny SUV). While shopping, I put together the Frog (with a little practice it's quick and simple), roll it to the side of the car, engage the handbrake, and transfer the baby from the car seat to the stroller. I drape the Skip Hop over the handle and go. For longer excursions, I buckle the Skip Hop to the handle, and when he was smaller, I'd pop our Graco Snugride into the car seat adapter without waking him--a huge improvement over wrestling a sleepy, floppy infant out of one 5-point restraint system and into another.I use the Skip Hop diaper bag in the same color (red), based on the recommendations I found on the boards here. I can tuck a large drink (e.g. Starbucks latte or even a large McDonald's cup if pressed) into the mesh side pocket, and it's well organized and washable, and like the Frog its tough nylon fabric shows no wear. If I had it to do again I'd get a contrasting color, though, like orange or spring green. Useful accessories: Skip Hop, bag clips, rain cover, car seat adapter (essential when small and sleeping in car seat).Useless accessories: parasol, 3d party cup holder (hampered fold and asthetics, made unnecessary by Skip Hop).other (unknown) accessories: footmuff (looks slick, haven't needed yet), other 3d party cupholders, 3d party (and cheaper) warmth accessories like the Bundle Me, toddler board (have read that users find it small). I'd get it again, and I'd get it again through StrollerSwap or Ebay. For us, the Skip Hop, bassinet feature, and easy steering were irreplaceable; I considered the Valco as an alternative, but found it bulkier and harder to get through narrow store aisles, though the steering was smooth and it handled rough terrain easily. If money was no object, I'd probably look harder at the new models. They have a few more inches of height for the baby to grow into, funky colors in attractive, lightweight fleece, a bigger storage basket, adjustable handles to accomodate taller adults, and a few other features. Good luck!
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(Review ID: 45)
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28 of
28 people found the following review helpful:
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Frog user for over 12 months, June 10, 2005
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Reviewer: lmariana from Marietta, GA
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lmariana
saw things this way
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Overall Grade
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(9) |
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Pros:
Effortless steering, bassinet, reversible seat & handle
Cons:
Expensive, short seatback, 2-piece fold
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I bought my Bugaboo Frog in June 2004 for our 10 month old. Now 12 months later, it is still my primary stroller, and I am one happy customer. I'll try to be as impartial as possible, but be warned that this review is written by a Frog Lover!My favorite things about this stroller...
I struggled with my decision to buy the Frog because of the hefty price-tag. However, after testing it out in person, I was sold. I wanted a stroller with effortless, one-handed steering, reversible handlebar, and the ability to go outdoors with ease. Normally, you'd have to buy two strollers to fit the bill, so the Bug was actually cheaper than two separate strollers. In addition, the Bugaboo included the newborn bassinet, which is usually $100-$200 more on other strollers. If you want a stroller to handle the outdoors and breeze through store aisles, add the Bugaboo to your list.The Bugaboo's steering is fantastic, the seat is easy to recline up or down, the canopy offers great coverage, and the basket will hold more than you think. On the beach, I was able to fit 3 adult towels in the basket!Travel...
I've flown with the Bugaboo once, and on the trip there, it arrived in perfect condition, not a scratch! On the way home I did get a leak in one of the tires, which my local retailer repaired for free. It was a little difficult to get through security, since you have to take apart your stroller and run it through the x-ray machine. Just for that reason, I might not fly with it again. But if you're concerned about it surviving a gate-check, fear not, the Bugaboo has a strong aluminum frame with barely any plastic at all, which means nothing will break off. I recommend detaching the basket and canopy before gate-checking though, and put that stuff in your luggage.The Fold...
The Bug comes apart into two pieces, the seat/bassinet and the chassis. Just pop the seat off and place in your car, napper bar side up. Then fold the chassis and place on top. To lift the whole stroller grab the napper bar through the chassis, and you're good to go! It takes a few days to get used to the fold, but I didn't find it difficult at all. Practice makes perfect. It only takes 30 more seconds to set up a Bug than an umbrella stroller, and I think the steering is worth the inconvenience.The Cons...
-My son is now 22 months old and 34" tall. He still fits wonderfully in the Bugaboo, but the top of his head is starting to brush the top of the canopy. So if your child has a long torso, you may outgrow it sooner than the 3 yrs Bugaboo claims.-I'm in the suburbs and have to drive everywhere. The 2-piece fold doesn't bother me, but it does bother some people.-If you do a lot of off-roading on serious terrain, the Bugaboo might not be a good fit. I'd recommend it for the park, zoo, gravel, and the occasional walk in the woods or field, but if you're a hiker or outdoors enthusiast, I'd look into a true all-terrain stroller instead. Special Note:
If you buy a Bug, make sure you read all the instructions first! As with any baby item, if you use it improperly, it may cause harm to your baby. Always listen for the 2 clicks when installing the seat/bassinet, then pull up to make sure it's secure!
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(Review ID: 694)
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1 of
2 people found the following review helpful:
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A highly functional stroller, espcially living in the city!, February 7, 2006
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Reviewer: chirshfield from Washington DC
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chirshfield
saw things this way
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Overall Grade
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(10) |
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Pros:
It is incredibly light and drives like a dream
Cons:
It comes in two pieces.
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We purchased the "boo" about 3 years ago when it first was coming to America and we paid $699.00. It was the best purchase of all my baby items. It is so lightweight which is perfect for living in the city. It can take the bumps in the city streets like it is going over glass. It can make a turn with one hand. I love that is grew with my son, it truly was the only stroller I needed (except for a jogger). Now that I have my second son, we bought the step attachment and call it my older son's chariot. He loves riding on it. The Bugaboo's an incredible buy and really can be the only stroller you need, sort of justifying the price.
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(Review ID: 374)
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3 of
3 people found the following review helpful:
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Great quality stroller that is mulitpurpose., August 22, 2005
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Reviewer: LuxyBebe from Tucson, AZ
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LuxyBebe
saw things this way
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Overall Grade
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(9) |
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Pros:
Great steering, reversible handles, bassinet.
Cons:
Two part fold! Need I say more?
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When I first found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to get a Frog for our little baby. After test driving one out from a friend and also numerous trips to the Babystyle store, dh and I both loved the frog. The only thing that really drew us back was the price. It cost almost as much as our mortgage payment. With lots of patience and looking on both ebay and craigslist...I finally found a STEAL!!! We paid $565 for an almost new frog ( the tires still had "whiskers" on it.) It came with tons of stuff... everything a new one would include plus added bonuses such as a footmuff, brand new bugaboo diaperbag to match, bag clips, and toddler wheel board. If we didnt find such a wonderful deal...I dont think I could bring myself to paying the $729 for a new one.Now that our little baby is here...we use the bassinet feature exclusively. It's great since we can put her in it for her afternoon naps and just push the stroller to where we are in the house during the day, that way we're right next to her when she wakes up. Thats just one of the great features of this stroller. Did I mention it steers like a dream?? This stroller might not be for everyone, especially considering the price but if you can afford a Frog...its the way to go. Also with the two piece fold...you really get used to it and then its not so bad. I hope this review helped 
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