Bugaboo Bee Review
All stroller reviews- Introduction
- Seat design and function
- Child Safety Harness
- Hood or Canopy
- Handle design and function
- Storage
- Wheels and Brakes
- Fold mechanism
- Manoeuvrability
- Size
- Accessories
- Conclusion and Rating
Review by: Bethlene
Introduction
The Bee is a unique release from the world famous Bugaboo. It is their first compact stroller, as opposed to the traditional pram with bassinet/seat combination. They have termed it “for life on the fly”, a stroller designed for use out and about in the busy world. It has been marketed towards parents and carers with children from newborn to 4 years of age or 17 kg (37.5 lbs).
Bugaboo released the Bee in the US in September, 2007 and is due for release in Europe and Australia in late January, 2008, although latest news is that it has been delayed until at least March 2008 in Australia.
Seat design and function
Seat forward, fully upright.
Seat fully reclined.
Seat rear facing.
Seat length adjust mechanism.
The seat on the Bee is designed to look almost insect like. It is not the most spacious seat although it is designed to suit toddlers to 17 kg (37.5 lbs). The width and height are factors to think about prior to purchase. The seat reverses simply with the use of the well designed white clips and buttons throughout Bugaboo's range. It is a little tricky at the first attempt but there is a DVD provided with purchase to assist the learner. The seat base and back has to be folded into the upright position to access these white clips and buttons and obviously cannot be achieved with your child in the seat.
The seat reclines with the inward slide of a white button at the upper rear of the seat back, near shoulder blade height of your child. This is ingeniously designed in that it still allows full access to the underseat basket from the front without disturbing your fully reclined or sleeping child. It provides 4 positions in both the frontward and backward seating positions.
The seat sits completely upright, at an angle of 90 degrees. The seat base is adjustable to 5 differing lengths (once again with a white colour guide underneath the seat base) to allow for growth of your child, from 23 cm (9 in) in length to 33 cm (13 in). This allows great comfort and prevents any “hanging” of your child's legs regardless of their age or height. The Bee seat also has “sidewings” to protect the child from any hard edges and provide additional padding/comfort.
There is a black plastic footrest as standard on the Bee. The footrest is also the beginning of the underseat basket.
The seat measures 29cm (11.4 in) wide by 33 cm (13 in) deep by 53 cm (21 in) high.
The seat base measures 33 cm (13 in) wide by 23 cm (9 in) in length which can extend out to 33 cm (13 in).
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Child safety harness
The harness fastens a little differently from the other Bugaboo models. The lower hip clips snap in from the sides as opposed to the top like on the Cameleon. The length of the straps is adjustable by using 2 black clips at the shoulder position of the harness. This has inbuilt padding for comfort and additional safety of the child.
There are 5 shoulder slots on the Bee which are easily adjusted from the front of the stroller and have the white colour guide at the back for ease of use. The lowest point on the slots is 20 cm (8 in) to a maximum of 38 cm (15 in).
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Hood or Canopy
The canopy on the Bee is the first stroller I have used that provides maximum sun protection. It does this by means of a 2 part fold that is 42 cm (16.5 in) in depth on the first section and 31 cm (12 in) on the second section. A total length of 73 cm (29 in). This allows you to partially or completely open the hood depending on the need. The hood is made from a 600 denier fabric which has a similar feel to canvas. As an additional purchase it is possible to remove this canopy and replace with a silver coloured Breezy that has mesh inserts which have 60-65% UV protection and allow for additional air movement under the hood.
The canopy makes a slight clunking noise on opening and shutting as it moves through the guides on the side of the stroller.
There is no viewing window on the Bugaboo Bee.
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Handle design and function
Handle fully extended.
Handle height adjust button.
The Bee handle is not reversible. It has a black foam grip divided into 2 sections for the parents left and right hands. It is dense foam and feels comfortable and secure to the touch. There is also a tether strap which is designed to be put on the operator's wrist to prevent accidental loss of control of the stroller.
The handle is height adjustable on the Bee. It utilises 2 white clips on the sides of the handle which are opened to adjust the height. These clips are then closed to lock the handle in position. The lowest height measures 90 cm (35.5 in) and the highest position is 108 cm (42.5 in) from the ground.
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Storage
The storage basket is one of the best features of the Bugaboo Bee. It is accessible from both the front and to a lesser degree the rear of the pram. It is made from a sturdy black plastic/canvas material at the base and has mesh sides. The easy accessibility from the front allows both the toddler and the parent the ability to access whatever it is you are storing, whether the child is in the upright or fully reclined positions. This is the only stroller I have used that is accessible whilst your child is asleep. It stores a surprisingly large amount and has a maximum weight capacity of 4.2 litres (16 gallons). It can be removed if you so desire.
There are no other storage pockets on the Bee but it is possible to purchase a Bugaboo cupholder for bottle/drink storage if required.
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Wheels and Brakes
Front swivel wheels.
Rear wheels.
The wheels are white and black and made from 15 cm (6 inch) foam filled rubber. They have the famous Bugaboo suspension which seems to glide over any uneven ground with ease. I have used the Bee extensively over the past few weeks in shopping centres, on city pavements and trips to the park and have had no issues whatsoever with steering difficulty or the stroller being caught in cracks or uneven surfaces. I wouldn’t recommend it for use as a dedicated distance walking pram due to the wheel size and feel that it hasn’t been designed for this purpose. The Cameleon, with the 2 larger air filled tyres would be better suited to this type of walking and trips to the beach.
The front wheels can be placed into a fixed position if so desired by lifting the white oval clips located just above the wheel. The front 2 wheels may also be removed for more compact storage.
Brake disengaged.
Brake engaged.
The brakes are a little different from a traditional Bugaboo in that they are on the footplate at the back of the Bee. It is once again white in colour and is easily engaged and disengaged with the press of one foot or your hand if so desired. The brake works by pushing a metal rod onto small ridges on the inside of the rear wheels. I preferred the brake on the handle of the Bugaboo Cameleon because it was easy to click on/off from any position near the stroller.
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Fold mechanism
Fold buttons.
The use of the white colour as a guide makes the fold simple. The seat needs to be in the upright position. The release buttons are located on the sides of the handle near the top of the canopy. With two thumbs, the left one pressing down on the release button, you pull the buttons up then push very gently and the stroller will collapse downwards. The Bee seems to fold of its own accord with little effort from the operator. At the back of the underseat basket there is a black carry handle which comes out during the fold. When you grab that the Bee folds down ready for carrying/storage.
The folded dimensions are 88 cm (35 in) long, 43cm (17 in) wide and 31 cm (12 in) high.
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Manoeuvrability
The Bee is a dream to manoeuvre inside. It almost pushes itself without a child on board and steers one handed with a 12 kg toddler seated. Outside the stroller pushes remarkably well on smooth ground but does wobble about slightly on surfaces such as gravel and sand. On grass the Bee manages quite well.The footprint (amount of area the stroller takes up ie. width and depth) of the Bee is comparable to the 3 wheeled Quinny Zapp and Maclaren strollers. It is slightly wider at the front wheel (it is 52 cm or 20 in wide), but this has no impact on its functionality in busy shopping centres and supermarkets. It is compact enough to fit in an intimate cafe without disturbing other patrons.
The ease with which the Bee manoeuvres with one hand makes it a pleasure to use in busy shopping centres.
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Size
Unfolded dimensions:52 cm (20 in) wide
67 cm (26.5 in) long
Folded dimensions:
31 cm (12 in) high
88 cm (35 in) long
43 cm (17 in) wide
The weight of the pram is 7.7 kg (17 lbs), with the hood, wheels and underseat basket attached.
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Accessories
Rain cover.
Cup holder attached to frame.
The Bee comes with the chassis, one sun canopy in the colour of your choice (red / blue / khaki / yellow / black), underseat basket, rain cover, a DVD user guide, and two year warranty. The DVD is fantastic for those who hate reading instruction manuals!
Bugaboo accessories are notoriously difficult to obtain. Bee accessories are unavailable in Australia until at least March 2008. There is a Baby Nest suitable for newborn use, a Footmuff for the colder months that is specifically designed for the Bee; a Parasol; a Nappy/Diaper Bag, all in a variety of colours. You can purchase a cupholder; a Breezy sun canopy (in silver only) which is ideal for the hot summer months; a Sunshade (in silver only) which covers the canopy and over the seat and protects from the sun and mosquitos/insects.
A Bugaboo Bee Travel Bag is available which is different to the other wheeled Travel Bag in that it is smaller and folds into thirds for compact storage when not in use. Finally there are car seat adaptors, which enable you to completely remove the Bee seat and attach certain car seat/capsules available in the US/Europe.
I have purchased the Bugaboo cupholder and it has been well designed in that it clips on and off with ease to the handle of the Bee and is also suitable for the Frog / Gecko and Cameleon.
Toddler Seat
none
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Summary and Rating
Pros
- Great steering
- Handles different terrain well for a lightweight stroller
- Compact one-piece fold
- Underseat basket is surprisingly large and accessible from the front of the pram
- 4 position recline, suitable for newborns upward
- Comfortable seat
- Deep double fold sun canopy for excellent sun protection
- Good brakes
Cons
- Purchasing accessories is somewhat difficult in Australia at the moment
- Seat width and height not the largest on the stroller market
- The Bee is not really designed for long outdoor walks due to the smaller wheel size
- Brakes not as easily accessible as other Bugaboo models
- Bugaboo have expensive price tags
Conclusion
The newly released Bugaboo Bee is a very pleasurable stroller to use. It steers and handles exceptionally well; has an eye catching and unusual appearance; has a superior sun canopy and a large underseat basket with an inventive front access.The Bee is by no means the cheapest stroller on the market however its diverse applications from newborn upward, its ability to reverse and recline the seat and adapt to the growing child’s needs provide excellent justification for the somewhat expensive price tag and difficulties in purchasing any additional accessories.
Rating
Overall Rating(out of 5)
Seat Rating
Harness Rating
Hood/Canopy Rating
Handle Design Rating
Storage Rating
Brakes Rating
Fold Rating
Wheels Rating
Manoeuvrability Rating
Accessories Rating
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