::bugaboo bee road test review::

The Bee has arrived! How exciting was it to find a Bugaboo box sitting under the stairs when we came home from Starbucks this morning!

Out of the box, the Bee looked pretty much like it should when it is completely folded. I just had to pop the two front wheels in and we were good to go. As usual, the Bugaboo directions are clear and concise. Although one might get a little overwhelmed by the different "bugaboo specific" terms. For those of us who need live-action demonstrations, the Bee even came with a multi-lingual DVD instruction video. Like the geek that I am, I watched the entire thing. Well, at least it was a good way to pass the time while O took her afternoon nap.

They tell you in the advertisement that you can fold and unfold the Bee with the touch of a button. Not quite. To open, you press on the break pedal with your foot, pull the handle bar toward you, and it pops right open. Easy enough. However, you need to make sure the handle bar is full extended and locked in place, otherwise the whole stroller will be off-kilter. To fold the stroller, you have to press secondary lock button on the left side of the handle bar while sliding the folding locks on each side upwards. See what I mean..."Bugaboo" terms. Once you've mastered the unlocking action, the Bee pretty much folds itself. And it is light. The whole contraption weighs about 17 lbs, one pound less than O at 7-1/2 months.

I tried facing O forward and backward. Either works fine, except I think the Bee looks better with the seat facing forward. The seat is nicely padded, even on the sides. However, this means that the width of the seat may be a little more snug than some of the other umbrella strollers. There is one important difference: you can recline the seat completely parallel to the ground, which is great for afternoon naps should you find yourself no where near a crib or bed. Also, you can customize the depth of the seat bottom by pulling it out or pushing it in.

Judging by the instructional video, it is very easy to clip the Maxi Cosi, Graco or Peg Perego car seat onto the Bee. I have only seen the Graco and PP adaptors sold here in the U.S., but am not exactly sure how the Maxi Cosi fits on there. Although Pacifier is claiming "adapters for the Maxi-Cosi Mico car seat will be available Fall 2007. Adapters for the Graco and Peg Perego car seats will be available in April 2008." Curious.

The spring-loaded, independent suspension ride is very smooth, even on pavement. However, the four small wheels definitely do not equal the two big wheels of the Cameleon. I definitely had more difficulty maneuvering over cracks and pot holes with the Bee.

Is the Bee as good as the Cameleon? No. Is it as versatile? Maybe. Is it better for travelling and car trips? For sure. Nevertheless, the Bee is definitely not a replacement for the Cameleon. To me, you can't replace the weightiness and stability of the Cameleon. Also, the Cameleon bassinet is a great feature that I couldn't have done without during O's first three months of life. However, one of the accessories (the Nest) does allow you to convert the Bee into a faux-bassinet.

The price of the Bee is slightly troublesome at $529. It is only $150 less than the Bugaboo Gecko, and it is almost $200 more expensive than the Maclaren Techno umbrella stroller. Also, the maximum allowable weight on the Bee is only 37.5 lbs, whereas the Maclaren Techno SLR can hold up to 55 lbs. Then again, would you want to be pushing your 55-lbs third-grader around town???

The biggest disappointment? The Bee doesn't come in orange. No worries, Puo is already making the pattern for the custom Marimekko cover as I write.