So the buzz--let's just get that pun out of the way right now--has been building for a few weeks, but the Bugaboo Bee debuts for reals at JPMA, where it's gonna bring down the house.
Now the underground hipster parenting zine Time Magazine has broken the press embargo and released a photo of the compact, single-fold, single-single piece stroller, which, with the canopy on, bears a remarkable family ressemblance
The stroller drops in September. The cup holder will follow sometime in 2009.
Style & Design 100: Bugaboo Bee [time via dt readers becca, david, lane, karen & bt]
Related: Hats off to my scrap wood boy Piet Hein Eek, who made the list, too. His cribs are here three years after they were here.
Reminds me a lot of those little Aprica and Combi lightweight strollers you see everywhere in Japan (rear-facing seat, yellow canopy, shopping cart wheels, etc). I assume the Bugaboo one will be a lot more sturdy though...
[and the seat reverses, and it feels more like football equipment than the Japanese strollers, which always seem conspicuously fragile, even though they're not. -ed.]
Any idea how much it will weigh? We were just about to order the zapp this week, but maybe we can hold off for a few more months till this comes out.
I like the idea, but not the curved front bar. And the white/gray wheels looks cheap. Too many materials—maybe if everything was black except the aluminum handle. It's very fussy for something so simple.
What's the price?
Or is it another case of, "if you have to ask..." ??
I'm intrigued, though not in love with the two-tone wheels...
as a first time mom "stoller as status symbol" makes me sick... while expecting i researched for months and was constantly persuaded and drawn in by the buga boo's ad campaign as well as this web site's promotion and friends in new york ... but thank god we didn't buy one... as a family who travels frequently between new york, barcelona and santa fe we would have been miserable with a bugaboo...even if we stayed put.... they are extremely bulky...we opted for a quinny zapp with a maxi cosi which works for much less expensive ...but actually use our sling going out more than any thing else....and we are out with our babe quite a bit.
[as a first time dad whose family travels frequently between new york, washington dc and japan our Bug-Maxi Cosi combo worked great, go figure. I agree, though, that someone buying a stroller as a status symbol is sick. But like "propaganda", "status symbol" is always what someone else does, never ourselves. -ed.]
underground hipster magazine time -- great line.
If you really wanted to avoid "stroller as a status symbol", maybe a Graco would have been a better choice than a Quinny...?
I'm just sayin'
[actually, I think Britney Spears drives a Graco. No, wait, a Safety 1st. -ed.]
Kaz, you posted just what I was going to say, lol.
My mother was in Ireland shortly before our daughter was born and offered to bring back a Zapp. We were tempted, but declined because the equivalent of $150-200 US seemed an awful lot to pay for what is basically an compact umbrella stroller which doesn't recline. We splurged on the bug frog, which has seen a lot of use and been beat to hell over the past year, but never disappoints. No one stoller works the same for everyone.
So, what's the purpose of the Bee other than being more lightweight and easier to fold? Is it more affordable or does it have some other advantage? I didn't see any mention of price, so I'm thinking it's not designed to be a cheaper version. And therein lies the real question. If there IS demand for a lighter, easier to fold Bugaboo, what's so special about the Bugaboo to begin with? I can understand liking the looks of the Bug, as well as the rear-facing seat, but I can't understand these aspects justifying the high price.
[it's all of the above, Bob, and a lot of people don't like the Frog family precisely because of the two-piece fold. A cheaper stroller that you can fold and unfold with one hand without putting the kid on the street, while you get in and out of a car? It's like a stroller designed for the US instead of Holland. -ed.]
We debated for months before getting the frog. At the time, the cameleon and gekko were new and the frog was going to be discontinued. We liked the reversible seat, the bassinet (which dd slept in until we moved her into her crib at 3 or 4mos), and above all the ease of pushing it over sidewalks and rough terrain. I'm 5'. Some of the travel system strollers completely block my view, not to mention trying to wrestle one through a heavy door if I don't have help. The bug can easily be pushed and steered with one hand. With 2 kids, you can push/steer the stoller with one hand and hold on to a toddler with the other. Because it disassembles, the bug fits into the small trunk of my VW where other full size strollers do not. (plus, heck yeah it's cool looking, lol).
Do these things make up for the cost? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how your daily errands shape up and whether the pluses outweigh having to disassemble, rather than fold, etc. For us, the bug was a good choice and we've been happy with it. When people ask whether they should get one too, I'm always careful to give both pros and cons. For me, if I had to take the stoller on public transit frequently I would have opted for something else.
That said, being that for many people the main selling point of the bug is it's effortless glide over urban landscapes, I'm not how the bee will stack up. It doesn't have the inflated wheels of the larger models, so doesn't that defeat some of the point of having a bugaboo?
I agree -- there is a difference between (a) buying a Bugaboo because it handles well in a large city where your main mode of transport is walking and riding a subway/bus, thus it is almost a need, and (b) buying one to push around the nice smooth sidewalks and mall floors of suburbia, which is more "showing off".
Does anyone know if this will come in other colour combos than yellow/ black?
This is io crazy. I am completely ecstatic about the bee. I said to my husband three months ago that they needed to come up with an umbrella stroller better than the zapp and they should call it the bee! I swear I guessed the name (although, it's pretty logical in my mind). I live in The Hague, The Netherlands and am a happy owner of a cameleon. Our need for a second lightweight stroller does not detract from our need for the bigger bugaboo. We use the big one everyday... we dont' even have a car, so everything is done with that stroller - groceries, outings, etc. We need a smaller one, however, to take along on the bike with us (could you imagine a cameleon on the back of a bike? i don't think so...), and for travelling. I'm bummed the bee is not coming until after the summer, but i'm holding out because i don't like the zapp's drawbacks and hate conventional umbrella strollers.
anyway, thrilled about this stroller. woohoo!
I can't wait for this!!! It looks to be exactly everything I need, rear facing, bus-able,light-ish. I'd be interested to know the weight for sure. Is there any chance anyone will get to have a "go" of one before the release? I'm hoping I will prefer it to the Gecko I had and got rid of after a week...boy I wanted one but I didn't like the steering of it, felt like I was having to put too much effort in as it felt so "tippy" on the uneven slopy path to playgroup. (Maybe I am the only one!) I went back to using my old Peg Perego pram,handles like a dream,not so pretty but this Bee looks like it could come on the bus with me which is great, as I recently tried out a Triumph and that sucked, but the Starck was good, although my daughter likes to see me so that's going..on ebay now!
Think maybe I have a stroller problem...
I like it! I think it's a great design, fun stroller that's said to be handled easily. I assume the price will be about 25% below Cameleon. It seems Bugaboo did it again: Are these guys stocklisted?
for more real life picts of the bee. I came across this site.
BabyChic101
enjoy!
I just heard that the Bugaboo Bee will be in the $500 range and weighs in at 17 pounds.
i test drove this baby at a store near me when the rep for bugaboo came by while i was shopping. lucky huh...i loved it. completely lightwight and can be easily disassembled unlike the regular bugaboo. i have the frog and love it as well but not practical to bring when traveling. the cost of the bee is $529 and will have its own accessories but not sure when they are coming out. according to the rep none of the accessories such as footmuff, wheelboard for the current bugaboo will not fit the bee. More $$$ i know....wish they could make the accessories more universal, oh well
the bugaboo bee weight about 18lbs cost $529 Babystyle.com and stores will be only one that carrys the in August then everybody else will get it in september
I just bought this on Babystyle last night. I can't wait to get it!!
I just picked up my Bee at Babystyle yesterday. It was a good thing I was on the pre-order list because there where several people at the store wanting to buy or just look at a Bee but the manager was letting everyone know that they were all reserved. I was more excited than my wife when I finally got my hands on one and played with it all night... Not disappointed! Although I wish I could have purchased all the accessories I needed yesterday as well.
My biggest beef with this stroller besides the $500 price tag is that the kid has no peripheral vision. That shade is so huge. And by the time your child can sit up in a stroller they should be facing outward, exploring the world, not staring at your face. I believe that a lot of these high end strollers encourage parents to keep their children facing them for longer than necessary. Having said that it is good for their target market, that bugaboo came out with an umbrella stroller. Could double strollers be next? I say call the double the butterfly
[the seat reverses, but not as easily as the Frog, so you wouldn't be switching back and forth on a whim. also, the bee is way too heavy and folds too big to compare to an umbrella stroller. I think if you have a Frog/Cameleon, you probably don't need a Bee the way you could an ultra-lightweight umbrella. -ed.]
The million dollar question is (?!): Is this Bugaboo portable enough for airline travel? Will it have to be checked on or will it make it up to the gate? Yes, it is under 20 lbs and is fully collapsible, but it is not an umbrella stroller. Does anyone have any experience here? My concern is for international flights-- I am relocating 8500 miles away and an umbrella stroller isn't going to cut it for comfort to my 14 month old :@
[I don't think it's a big deal. the single, easy fold should make gatechecking a piece of cake. And even Air Canada--the only major airline with a stated umbrella-only policy--has backed off of it. -ed.]