Bugaboo or Mountain Buggy?

[canberracpl]

Hi

Just wondering if anyone can provide some feedback on the bugaboo and Mountain Buggy prams?

We are considering the Mountain Buggy Urban Elite due to it's lightweight, easy to fold, practical and robust frame. I recently came across the Bugaboo but wasn't able to ask the storeperson for comparison.

Does anyone have any recommendations and is it worth paying double the price for a bugaboo??

Thanks!!

[robbie]

the real question is how stupid will you feel walking down the street with a pram worth more that some peoples cars! For that price it should change diapers, warm bottles and stack the dishwasher too!! It is no safer for baby and no more comfortable.

everyone I know scoffs in disgust when they see one of those bugaboos, and there are soooooo many of them for sale second hand already that I feel they can't be that great. My friend is trading hers in for a phil and teds.
The mountain buggy certainly is the most popular and lightweight and folds well, but is still very expensive.
in the end ask yourself Are You REALLY going to go jogging with it?????
very few people do and so maybe just getting a compact 4 wheeler is the answer.
Make sure it fits in the boot of the car
Make sure it folds up with 1 hand!
just my 2 cents worth

[littlepickle]

Obviously I am one of those "stupid" people as I have a bugaboo cameleon :D :p
I am a big fan of the bugaboo - I used to live in the Netherlands and they are pretty big over there. I am a big fan, but its a personal choice thing really - and I dont like 3 wheelers at all:(

[Beany]

I'm a wannabe stupid too :p

I've been flitting between the Mountain Buggy and Bugaboo too. The reason the the Bugaboo is winning out (this week, at least!) is because it actually folds down smaller than the MB (once the seat/bassinet is off, of course).

I like that it has an easily detachable bassinet that can be used to eliminate the need of a separate portable bassinet for when I visit people.

I also adore the reversible handle. From experience with my rather grumbly nephews, I have found that young children sometimes don't like facing away from the mother/carer and sometimes they want to see the rest of the world and not our ugly mugs. Having the option to do either one at literally the flick of a wrist is pretty awesome.

The price is a pretty huge hurdle to overcome, though ...

[canberracpl]

Yes, I agree with all the points listed above. This is becoming quite the decision!!

I had a very close look at the Bugaboo again today and there are some things that I definitely dislike about it compared to the Mountain Buggy. However, there are some things that I really dislike about the MB compared to the Bugaboo.

Is the bassinet really worthwhile on either model anyway? After all, none of the manufactures recommend that bub sleeps in these bassinets. And at least with the Mountain Buggy you can loosen the backrest and it becomes suitable for bub (which makes it rather versatile). The bugaboo however, you must have them in the bassinet until they are ready for the seat.

The manouverability of the Bugaboo (I suppose all 4-wheelers for that matter) is really appealing and I suspect not until you have struggled through Woolies with a 3-wheeler would you really get that one. The Bugaboo also really does fold down nicely into the car and takes up alot less space than the 3-wheelers. However, the folding down part of a Bugaboo is a fair bit more painful than the ease of a Mountain Buggy (probably the best I've seen).

On the surface, the bugaboo is a whole lot more expensive but I suspect that if you added all the equivalent extras onto the Mountain Buggy (bumper bar, bassinet, rain cover, mossy cover) then the prices may not be that far apart after all (I think the MB Bassinet is $270 alone).

The end result for me is - still unsure!

[Beany]

When bought with the bassinet as an extra, you'd end up spending about $500/$600 less with the MB compared to the Bugaboo.

I mean $500 isn't to be sneezed at.

If I do go with the MB, I'll definitely be getting the added bassinet, even though the stroller does lie flat. The simple reason for this is that due to the direction that the seat is facing on the MB, I wouldn't be able to easily see if the newborn was in any distress (throwing up and so forth). That panel on the hood is pretty useless when the back is down flat.

[littlepickle]

DH loves the bugaboo as he says that it is really easy to steer and will do a full circle on the spot. One of the thngs I like about the bugaboo is the fact that you can change the whole look of t by changing the covers. We have both red covers and blck covers for ours. It comes with the seat, the bassinette, a mozzie cover, a basket/bag for underneath, a rain cover (which fits perfectly compared to most and can be used both with the bassinette and the seat), a toolkit with mini type pump, hood, apron cover and mattress. It is surprisingly easy to fold down and put up. When I first got it, I found it a bit difficult, but after practicing about 5 times, I can now do it without blinking. The seat/bassinette clicks on and off really easily, and at only 9kg, the bugaboo is also very light. There is a handbrake and the wheels can be locked or left to swivel. Like I said before - it is a very personal choice. For me, I never liked the three wheelers anyway, so the choice was quite easy. It is expensive though. One of the reasons I think people might not ike them is that you cant get an extre toddler seat to attach if you have a slightly older child - you can get a standing board for a younger child. If you are planning on having more than one bub close together you may be better off getting a stroller where you have the option of adding a toddler seat

[Jamily]

Just thought I would add my 2 cents worth...

I don't have this dilemma but a couple of my friends bought bugaboo's and are now pregnant with bub #2. While their bugaboos are lovely they have been a very expensive stroller for about 18 months - 2 years use....they are going to sell them on, but they are 'losing' quite a bit and are now having to buy double strollers. Each one of them has said they wished they had bought a less expensive stroller in the first place....

However, I know what its like to buy for your first baby and I am sure that if I hadn't been so sure I wanted another bub within a few years of the first, I would have bought a bugaboo too! :D

[littlepickle]

Yup - Thats kind of what I was trying to say .. you summed it up a bit better though:smiliedance:

[Mary_T]

I have a MB Urban which I love. I do jog and walk heaps with it and take it down the coast. I had a bassinet attatchment too, which I found great for DD up till about 4 months. She would sleep in it very comfortably and it was handy to take to MILs for her to sleep in when we went for dinner. MB is great if you are doing a lot of outdoor stuff not so good if you want it to take to the shops as it is quite big and wide.

I had mine brought for me as a present so I was very lucky.

[oscarsmilkbar]

here's 2 cents more!

I too have a bugaboo and LOVE it......
*easy to manouvre and the 360's you can do around the shops and in cramped spaces are fantastic. Machine washable too.

*It is definitely personal choice and agree with all others that say that.

Once you get the hang of dismantling and vice versa it's a breeze.The benefit of 2 parts to the pram is that when in bassinet/carry cot mode you can take it out of car into friend's places /bbqs etc for bub to lie in and they are completely flat on their back which is great ergonomically for their spines. Not a replacement for a bub's sleeping bassinet though .

When in the seat mode you can take that off and take to park/picnic and sit bub in it to feed or be off the ground but on ground level with others.

It's very lightweight - and the Maxi Cosi baby capsule will be available around Jan/Feb 2007 that clips onto the bugaboo frame so that you don't disturb bub in and out of car for walks/cafes/etc and it's just like the safe n sound capsules...that's a HUGE bonus to the Aussie market. They the maxicosi is around Europe but Australia is waiting on final adjustments to suit standards..

MB is great 3 wheeler and 10.5kg. That's extremely light weight for a 3 wheeler. (bugaboo is 10kg with bassinet, 9kg with seat). Just one click and it's folded down. It is about 66cm wide i think and the buagaboo is about 56cm ( from back wheel to back wheel). The MB is just a tad longer being a 3 wheeler.

hope any info helps!

PS...I work in a baby shop in sydney...the 2 highest selling prams are the Bugaboo, closely followed by the Mountain Buggy....hence also knowing the maxicosi capsule info!)

[canberracpl]

That's interesting to know oscarsmilkbar. And are prices generally cheaper up there in Sydney? Or are margins fairly tight on these products so it's perhaps not worth a trip up there to buy everything.

[Beany]

What are the prices like where you are?

Here, in the local DJs, the Cameleon is $1599. The Frog is $1299.

[kymmy]

i am suprised how popular such an expensive pram is
if you going to be using a pram a lot especially outside
the bugaboo is not ideal
a mountain buggy look ok to me
I am so over 3 wheels though
They are so unstable

[cosmic]

I love the bugaboo but we bought the Mountain Buggy purely for joggability. I walk every day and intend to continue walking and jogging after the baby is born. Of all the 3-wheelers, it is the most heavy-duty but light-weight and I personally just love it.

I haven't bought the bassinette though. As much as I'd love it, I figure $250 is just too much when I have heard of bubs sometimes only fitting into them for a couple of months and I'm likely to have quite a long baby so I didn't think it was worth it. Hope that helps. :thumbsup:

[ElizaDee]

Just to let you ladies know Choice magazine just did another test on strollers and the bugaboo was one of them, I have not read the article yet.

I only just got the magazine the other day but I am sure you will find it on thier webpage. Like I said I don't know what they said about it but it was certainly reviewed.

HTH:)

[anna&oli]

Hi i am another one of the 'stupid' ones. I love my Bugaboo- wouldn't change it for the world definately worth the money. I purchased my cameleon Nov last year through Baby trader on the net. It was shipped to me within 4 working days from the Netherlands and only cost $1099.00. AMAZING I think they stuffed up something on the net because i didn't get charged postage. The Bassinett was fabulous, but Oli just loves sitting up in the seat now and i love being able to face him. but the best part is that when the sun is facing him, i just swing the handle the other way and he can see around and the sun isn't bothering him. It's easy to fold up and Just the most amazing thing to stear! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

My DH also loves it.

I purchased it because of the weight factor. I have a bad backk after breaking a vertebrae a few years ago, so the weight was a huge factor when buying a pram..

Anna

[Charlie's Mum]

I must be another one of those people that is stupid to buy a bugaboo! But I love it and think it is worth the money. I know plenty of people who will gladly take it off my hands (family and friends) if I have number two and need a two seater so I don't consider it a waste of money at all. In fact I know lots of people who bought cheap prams and ended up having to buy another one cause the first one had problems or got destroyed quickly.

Bugaboos are so easy to get in and out of the car. They are the least bulky of all the prams i've seen and the importance of this can't be underestimated for shopping trips etc. They wheel around like a breeze and are super easy to put together if you are travelling. I think they look awesome too. So I guess we've all got our opinions. I tossed up about the mountain buggy too at the beginning but am glad we went the bugaboo.

[Scout]

Yup, I'm a stupid one too! It was a toss up between the MBU, Bug and a Quinny. The MBU didn't fit in my little car.

Between the Bug and the Quinny, having to use a separate bassinette and toddler seat on the Quinny was just inconvenient whereas only storing the material between the bassinette and seat for the Bug is just fantastic for us (small car & small house).

The Bug is also the only pram on the market in which bubs can sleep all the time in the bassinette. Therefore we haven't bought a cot as yet and will move the little guy around in the pram as needed (particularly if people come and stay, we can take the little guy in with us in our room).

I have not in anyway pandered to having the best of everything for my baby nor have I bought every nick-nack under the sun (in fact, I've bought relatively little in the way of big purchases) and have no concern over spending that amount on a pram.

Happy to know there are other Bug owners here at BubHub but I also love the fact that we do not judge people by the pram that they own on some other parenting forums.

[oscarsmilkbar]

hiya again...:smiliedance:

canberracpl and beany..hi!! - margins are definitely tight on these products being imported and all. At our shop we do give a 10% store credit on a bugaboo purchase. The price at our store and the RRP is $1499 for the cameleon, the gecko is $1299.

Gotta luv the maintenence pack with the cameleon!...great to have a pump for the wheels...I have a Bugaboo Frog - but I do take in to the store if my wheels need a pump ....I should invest in a maintenence kit (can purchase as extra accessory). There have been a few calls to Buaboo requesting a new back tyre as the customer has taken it to a servo and tried to use the car tyre pumps there and their wheels have exploded...:D ....so I don't recommend servo use!!

The mountain buggy is a Jogger though......most 3 wheelers are actually not suitable for jogging.

There is a lightweight stroller in USA that you can plug your ipod's into for walking....now here comes the next generation of strollers!

[Beany]

Scout: I too considered the Quinny but rejected it pretty quickly. It's a gorgeous little stroller, light and stable and so forth, but the lack of a basket just made it unusable for me. That tiny little bag at the bottom just wouldn't have been enough :(

[MumsieMel]

Can i suggest for those that are interested in the Bugaboo, to check out the Hauck Infinity. (childcare brand)
http://www.babysavingsco.com.au/?main=%2FCatalogue%2FBaby%2520Saving%2520Co%2520Br and%2520NEW%2520Products!%2FCHILDCARE%2520INFINITY %2F

It is alot cheaper, avaliable at Toys R Us and it comes in some great colours! Bright PINK!!!

I have one and when i bought it they had a sale that you got the bassinet for free!

I LOVE IT!!!!!

I think i paid $599, but that was when they were first released!

Hope this helps.

[MumsieMel]

Also found this:

www.bebeonline.com.au (http://www.bebeonline.com.au)

Have a Bugaboo special $1499, plus a $100 bebe voucher.

[Pixie]

neither lol get the Quinny Buzz with the bassinet it's compact light and wonderful I love mine!! The bag isn't so bad you can fit a lot in it + you can now buy a shopping tray thingo as well :D I have both and I can go shopping no extra bags :D

[MumsieMel]

TOYS R US CATALOG
Up to 50% off Esprit (childcare) brand prams, portacots, highchairs and rockers

[Scout]

There have been a few calls to Bugaboo requesting a new back tyre as the customer has taken it to a servo and tried to use the car tyre pumps there and their wheels have exploded...:D ....so I don't recommend servo use!!


Sarah, I'm so glad you wrote about not going to the servo to pump up the tyres!! :eek: I was going to do that next week. I put our bike pump away somewhere during one of my nesting moments - will make an effort to find it now!


Any other tips for the new Bug user?