Advice on Bugaboo Bee?

[nabz]

Hi there, just at the stage of looking at different prams for my baby due in feb. I dont want to spend loads but if its a good travel system then im prepared too. I dont drive so would be getting public transport alot and need something nice and light weight....which the bugaboo bee seems to be. Im just a bit hesistant about it, it still costs quite a bit and im starting to think people only buy it as a fashion statement rather then a good sturdy pram? If you own one id love to hear your thoughts about how the prams been!! im a bit worried the cocoon is not as good as a proper carry cot or is there no difference?

any advice would be great!! Thanks

nabz

[jennyh]

HI

My daughter was born in February and we used the Bee from birth so I know how it worked for us in that temperature. I would say that like most pushchairs it has its pros and cons. The cocoon is super snug and warm but in my opinion it doesnt give the same secure hold as a carry cot, the wind can whistle around the baby a bit but if you do the cocoon up completely and put the hood up it isnt far off. I liked that we could strap her into it rather than just placing baby into a carrycot, felt a bit more secure when tipping up and down to go on stairs etc. Our daughter didnt use the cocoon for more than 2-3 months though so it was expensive for what it is, she outgrew it plus the weather didn't warrant something that warm. We have just had to shell out masses for the footmuff (but I understand you can get other brands that will fit the bee for less money).

I like it is lightweight and even with a 20lb baby I can lift it up a flight of stairs and I am pretty small myself. It is nippy and squeezes between everyday obstacles like the poles on buses, or roadworks, narrow doorframes etc.

The basket underneath is a bit awkward to access but you can get a fair amount in it. We had a problem with the front wheels which I understand is common and is called 'shimmying'. Was very irritating but Bugaboo sent us the bits we needed to fix and we've not had any issues. I like that the seat extends upwards and outwards so that it can grow with the child but I do wonder whether the frame will still feel sturdy when carrying a toddler!

To sum up I am happy with it now that my daughter can sit up easily by herself, when she was tiny I still liked it but felt that a carrycot might be better. We didnt have space in our small flat for a carrycot/travel system so the Bee was our perfect choice as it folds down easily and doesnt take up much room when up.

Any questions you have i am happy to answer!

[zeban]

fashion statement or status symbol? I think the latter.

[sillywoman]

Or very practical bit of equipment that will help you get out & about knowing that your baby is comfortable and that you aren't damaging your back with a too heavy pushchair?

That's the option I'll go for.

[jennyh]

sillywoman Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Or very practical bit of equipment that will help

> you get out & about knowing that your baby is

> comfortable and that you aren't damaging your back

> with a too heavy pushchair?

>

> That's the option I'll go for.

Yep that's the view I would take. Bit simplistic to say it is a status symbol, I drive an old car and live in a tiny flat with only 4 rooms, I don't think having a Bugaboo pushchair qualifies me as flashy, it just means I invested my money in something I thought was worth paying out for.

[amydown]

Had the old model Bee with No. 1 from when he was around 2.5 months. Had the M&P Pilko fro the first 2.5 months and found it too bulky for me but it was nice to have a proper bassinet for newborn - I don't think I would have liked strapping newborn into the cocoon in the early days personally.

We have just bought a Cameleon however for Baby No. 2 (started a thread on Cameleon vs. Bee recently).

Overall, Bee is a very good buggy especially if you use the bus a lot.

[hellosailor]

The bee is a good buy if you don't have much space, as Jennyh says, and as amydown says it's great if you use the bus a lot especially if that's the only option as you don't drive.

If you live somewhere where you will have to carry your buggy up and down a flight of stairs it's an extremely practical buy - I don't think there is another buggy that I could manage to haul up our narrow staircase several times a day. And without wishing to sound like a doom-mongerer, a post baby body may not have the lifting capability of a pre baby body, my gynae physio at kings is constantly urging me not to lift the bee let alone a heavier buggy!

The whole 'fashion statement' or 'status symbol' aspect of this thread makes me feel a little downcast I must say - presuming to judge someone just by the choice of buggy they have, like a piece of baby equipment in some way defines who you are as a mum, seems just another slightly mean spirited way to bash other women for their choice of pushchair, of all things!

[KatsuQueen]

Nabz, we went for the bugaboo Bee (previous version) because it was the lightest, most compact buggy that could face both ways at the time. We were in a first floor flat so had to carry the buggy up and down a very narrow set of stairs (with awkward bend) several times a day - so it really was a practical choice.

Having said that it's been great, its served us very well from newborn to nearly 3. We are expecting another baby soon, and I am hoping to get another 3 years use out of it. We didn;t bother cocoon first time round, but might get one now. I'm still in two minds about that, because when the baby is really little (say before 8 weeks), we will probably carry her around in a sling mostof the time anyway. Minikatsu still fits in it no problem (but he's a bit titchy, to be fair); we have just bought a buggy board that goes with it too.

The only slight caveat is it has a "short wheel base" so a bit tricky to get off buses/trains on your own when you are "reversing out" (if you see what I mean) Sorry if I haven;t explained that well!

Otherwise, I would recommend all the way. Of all the baby purchases we made, the Bugaboo Bee is probably the best value. I have proabbly done hundreds of miles pounding the streets of East Dulwich / Peckham (and further) with it!

(HelloSailor - I'm feeling depressed that people judge mothers by their buggies too. It is really mean-spirited, do you judge my child on the clothes he/she wears too? How awful)

[hellosailor]

> (HelloSailor - I'm feeling depressed that people

> judge mothers by their buggies too. It is really

> mean-spirited, do you judge my child on the

> clothes he/she wears too? How awful)

Grim isn't it! I've found motherhood has enough challenges and stuff to make your confidence falter inbuilt, without having to worry that someone's decided you're a superficial tool simply because of what you're pushing before even speaking to you!

[mima08]

Hiya - I love my bee for all the reasons people have mentioned above (light weight, nifty around tight spaces, compact fold, etc). You can get better deals on line if you invest some time researching (I spend a lot of time and managed to safe about ?100 on a bee plus car seat adaptors plus cocoon combo vs John Lewis/mothercare prices). I did like the cocoon as my baby was also born in Feb and quite small at the time - he seemed very snug and safe), and I did not miss having no carry cot. You can get cheaper footmuffs on line that will fit, too. I also know from others who have used their bee for up to 3 years, so seems sturdy enough and finally the resale value of them seems quite good to.

[amyw]

in defence of my sister and all the mums i know i think its pretty shallow to judge someone on their choice of pram, zeban. its an easy target and pretty pointless on a thread which is simply asking for advice.

so you have basically had a pop at the original poster for no reason and contributed nothing to the debate.

anyway - prams these days all look a bit posh don't they - all silver and chrome etc - does it really matter what brand they are? I'm expecting a baby soon and i swore id never buy a bugaboo - how ridiculous that i even cared. in the end we looked at all the available options and what we needed and went with... the bugaboo bee! bought off the forum and really happy with it although obviously not yet had a chance to try it out. i needed a pram. i got a pram.

so, i won't rise to zeban's nasty and pointless comments again but i really felt fed up of the mean spiritedness of it all and decided to reply. just this once.

i learned what a troll is the other day. i think you are a troll zeban.

[amyw]

forgot to say that a mate of mine has the bee, used it from birth, her baby is almost 2 now and its still going strong. they live in an upstairs flat and she is fairly petite so needed something she could lift up the stairs with the baby in it.

the cocoon is quite expensive though i agree - we got that second hand too although i would have liked a new one!

[ClareC]

Way to go Amyw :-)

Saying what everyone else thinking!

unfortunately I don't think Zeban is a troll, just a young lady that has strong opinions on lots of subjects she has little or no practical experience of! I try (unsuccessfully) not to rise to it too so will say no more but stick to the thread.

Pushchairs are like shoes..... There simply is not one that is suitable for everything! I had a Cameleon which I loved, was forced to change to a double buggy which does the job but is by no means perfect. The bugaboos are lovely to push and so light!

Lots of my friends bought Bee's they are fantastic London buggy's, only downside from what I've seen is older toddlers can get quite big for them, that's the price for the size convenience and a good excuse to encourage walking ASAP :-)

[snowboarder]

I actually see no reason why a pram should not be something you love to look at and are proud of....in the same way as I do not chose purely practical shoes, bags or coats - or some people with their cars (!)...I think I've said before that I think motherhood is TOUGH - you need to have some nice things!

Back to the point - I have a bee plus for baby 2 with buggy board for toddler. I do think it is a bit rickety having had bigger air filled tyre prams, but it is a great urban from birth parent facing pram. It's also easy to fold and attach a car seat to. And is looks funky. Winner.

[ClareC]

Totally agree Snowboarder, on all counts!

Pre kids I'm ashamed to say I thought staying at home with kids was an easy life! Now I would choose a bad day in the office as being a far easier option than a bad day at home! That said a good day at home beats the best days at work hands down, although I miss drinking tea hot, eating my lunch when I fancy it and visiting the bathroom alone ;-)

That aside, I am tempted by a Bee myself for when I just have my youngest with me, or with a buggy board for the pair of them. At what age does a Bee and buggy board become a sensible option for the eldest to travel? I sooooooo can't wait to ditch the double!!

I think the Bee plus is likely to last longer size wise with a toddler, would you agree? I've not compared the two side by side.

[amyw]

ok fair enough not a troll! I'm probably not using the term correctly anyway!

i will miss going to the loo alone i think. oh well!

[ClareC]

Using the term correctly, and certainly comes across that way a lot of the time:-)

[Pickle]

Well said ladies!

I'm getting a Bee for #3. Why? Because I think they look nice. Shallow, perhaps, but I don't really care ;-)

I had a Bugaboo Cameleon for my 1st baby, it was fantastic and I was gutted to have to sell it and get a double buggy when #2 came along. The Bee came out just a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd, and I was about to buy one, but a positive pregnancy test put those plans on hold. So I'm looking forward to getting my Bee - I have done my research, and it ticks all the boxes for us. I do still like the cameleon, but it's bulky and I need to be able to nip out and about doing the school run so small and lightweight is perfect.

I've given up the fight with Zeban and her words of "wisdom" on family room posts covering topics on which she has no first hand experience. Best to ignore and move on to the posts from those with parenting experience.

[zeban]

So it is a fashion accessory then?! You've just admitted as much although you got immediately upset when someone else suggested it, because they were judging you! I guess they were judging you right, maybe it's that that bothers you all so much.

But fair enough if you want to feel good about yourselves by buying something pretty, I just wonder how you all seem to think the prettiest one is the most expensive one on the market? (Yes, I have gone pram shopping with friends with children and know how much they cost. )Which brings me to the conclusion that they are a status symbol given their price- only the wealthy can afford them.

I think I've come to the conclusion now from reading this thread though that many Mum's with bugaboos are just frustrated, unhappy, and bored middle class stay at home Mum's who wish they could buy a pair of really expensive shoes and go back to their old lives but buy a really expensive buggy instead because they can no longer jusify buying the shoes to their husbands and to the other Mum's ;-)

[Pickle]

"I just wonder how you all seem to think the prettiest one is the most expensive one on the market?"

I don't see anyone saying that on this thread?

I can't help but think it's (to use some of your choice words) the sign of a frustrated, unhappy non-mother that you're even wasting your time looking, let alone commenting, on threads such as this one.

[KatsuQueen]

Zeban - what about the Mums who can buy the Bugaboos AND the expensive shoes too??? Wow, I bet you reserve your best sneers for them. How about fancy changing bags Zeban? Sign of a frustrated, unhappy mother? :))

Seriously though. Bugaboo Bees are great.

[ClareC]

As I said earlier, buggies are very much like shoes...... You need a selection to cover all eventualities ;-)

[ClareC]

Pickle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "I just wonder how you all seem to think the

> prettiest one is the most expensive one on the

> market?"

>

> I don't see anyone saying that on this thread?

>

> I can't help but think it's (to use some of your

> choice words) the sign of a frustrated, unhappy

> non-mother that you're even wasting your time

> looking, let alone commenting, on threads such as

> this one.

Couldn't agree more Pickle!

[zeban]

To be honest KatsuQueen, I think I'd prefer the Mum's to buy themselves the shoes given that that's what they really want! ;-)

Hate to break it to you Pickle and ClareC, but I'm a very happy non-Mum. For personal reasons (due to academic background) am interested in this room. I stand by my viewpoint that bugaboos are a status symbol. They're stupidly expensive no matter how 'good' they are, and they're that price because the manufacturers know that the Mum's buying them are buying into the status of the brand. It's the same with designer clothes- they're all made in China..

[DaveR]

Buggies are like cars. A boring Japanese or Korean one will do the job. But lots of people prefer a Golf. If you want a Bugaboo, get one. It will do the job and look good. There are other buggies that will do the job for quite a bit less dough.