Bugaboo - are they worth it?

[mikeym]

I'm wondering whether anyone who has a Bugaboo would give me an honest opinion - my question is 'was it worth it'? Was it worth the extra hundreds of pounds, and if so why? I really like the product but also the iCandy peach (I think, can't qutie remember which fruit!) and the Mamas and Papas Solo.

I'd be willing to pay out for Bugaboo if it's justified, and we'd cut back elsewhere. But, at the same time, I think that it is a hell of a lot of money to splash out when there are other good products out there.

Your views will be much, much appreciated as this is a minefield!

[Tiggywunkle]

Which Bugaboo are you looking at?
I think the Cameleon, Donkey and Buffalo are worth the money. I am less sure about the Bee, but there is nothing currently which quite does what the Bee does at such a light weight. However that should change in the coming year. There's no doubt you get a quality product with a Bugaboo and yes, you do get what you pay for. But if you are comparing with an iCandy Peach, then its a very close run thing and I would probably choose the Peach. The Sola is best left far behind. There's no comparison for quality. Other pushchairs like the Britax Affinity, Silver Cross Wayfarer or Baby Jogger Versa would give either the Peach or a Bugaboo a good challenge though, and I could quite easily sell you a Versa if you wanted me to ;) Its a fab all round pushchair.

[mikeym]

It is the Cameleon 3 I was considering. I know the big test will be whether any pushchair will fit in the boot.

But, what I've found is when you go into the shops they talk about the ease for the parent and never about the commfort and safety of the child - I even commented about this in Mothercare and it made no difference to the 'sales pitch'!

[thistlelicker]

Sorry not helpful at all, I like the silver cross wayfarer !

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Have a look at the Uppababy Vista as an alternative to the Cameleon. It's a bit cheaper and is absolutely brilliant. Once you have the toddler seat on it can fold in one piece which as far as I know the Cameleon can't (definitely past models couldn't, I admit I don't know whether newest one can). Has the hugest shopping basket - mine was the envy of all my cameleon owning friends. Cannot recommend enough. (Ps apologies, I know this isn't what you asked...)

[5madthings]

I have a bugaboo frog, bought it when ds2 was little, he is now 11 and I have used it for four children over ten years and its still going strong.

[mikeym]

Don't apologise for trying to help and making suggestions! Some of these haven't looked at, so will do, thanks

[Chrysanthemum5]

I had a Bugaboo Frog. It was brilliant for our two children, and was still in excellent condition. I've passed it on to a charity who will give it to a family.

I'd recommend them.

[loveolives]

I've had the Cameleon from birth with my first child and it was faultless, apart from faffing with a 2 piece fold. Second child Bugaboo Bee from birth and it's absolutely faultless, we love it. Nothing bad to say about it at all!

[PlatinumStart]

I had a bugaboo frog - I used it every day for at least three years it was brilliant.

I then got rid of it when I was expecting no 4 and was given a chameleon by a friend who had used it with her two DC and again used it every day for a year. Again I loved it and it showed remarkably little wear.

I have owned loads of buggies (jane mclaren M&P) and pushed many more belonging to friends. I am convinced the bugaboo chameleon is the best there is.

(I did have a bee but I wasn't keen - definitely preferred my Mclaren)

[Soontobemama]

I have the chameleon and I'm not convinced it was worth the price.

You can't access the shopping basket when the carrycot is on so its useless really. I've had to buy a clip for the handlebar but I can't carry much or else the pram will tip.
The 2 small front wheels can't manage small dips. They get caught and you have to lean down and lift it out to carry on walking. Also because they front wheels are narrower than the back I find that the back wheels catch on things a lot. Maybe just my bad spatial awareness though.

Minor issues perhaps but for that money I did expect better.

[MaccaPaccaismyNemesis]

I've had a second hand bee and a second hand frog and they were worth every penny. The bee in particular is light, easy to push, easy and small to fold and is everything I wanted in a pram. I heartily recommend it to anyone.

[Boggler]

I have a cameleon and I love it, it's by far the easiest pram to push, it very comfortable for dd and it looks striking especially if like me you go for a limited edition fabric. It's a bit of pain having to take the seat unit off yo put it in the boot but you have to do that with the icandy as well. I found the icandy felt much heavier when lifting the chassis to get it the car boot and it wouldn't fit where as the cameleon did.

[Ihateparties]

I loved my gecko,it was excellent value for money but it was cheaper to buy then the cam by some margin.

The issues with width, basket access etc. are simple to identify before you buy a pushchair so those kind of problems can be avoided by having a clear idea of what your priorities and requirements are.

[PrimalLass]

A second hand one is definitely worth it. Does it have to be new?

[racmun]

I had a cameleon with ds and just about to start using for no 2 when it arrives. I used it day in day out a lot for 2 1/2 years and it shows little wear and tear.

It is annoying having to put it into 2 when folding it but the I candy is the same. I think the new bugaboo buffalo can be folded in one piece.

I found the I candy very heavy when I tried it.

[Hanginggardenofboobylon]

I did love my cameleon but the minute I bought an umbrella pushchair for leaving at nursery I never went back to the bugaboo. It is still sitting under the stairs almost like new. It's a lovely pushchair and great quality but worth thinking about eg when/if you go back to work and what sort of transport you will need then, whether other kids are planned soon and the type of place you will be going with it. If I had my time again I would get a cheap on have you can clip the car seat on and then a MacLaren or similar later on it's not worth shelling out for the bugaboo unless you are using it everyday and not having to get it in and out of a car regularly or having to fold up in confined spaces.
What I am saying is don't be swayed by its loveliness think practically about when and where and for how long you will use it

[Behindthecandelabra]

We bought the iCandy Apple when they were first on the market. I think we spent about £900 on it with all the bits. Being totally honest with you, I regret spending that amount of money on it. In retrospect, I think I wanted it for the wrong reasons. It was nice & practical etc. but if I had the choice now, I would spend half the money. There's so much stuff to buy for the baby & even if I had all the money in the world, I genuinely would feel a bit silly spending nearly a grand on a pram. It's totally unnecessary.

[Popps2905]

I have the Peach Blossom and it has to be the best amount of money i've ever spent. We did look at the Bugaboo when we were looking to upgrade but it just didnt feel like an iCandy. It's simple, compact, easy to fold and even fits into the boot of what i think is probably one of the smallest cars ever, my sister's original KA. I would say have a 'test drive' but from personal experience, i would invest my ££'s in an iCandy every time! If you're out and about a lot then the Peach will definitely stand anything thrown at it, we've used ours come wind, rain and snow and it's still going strong :)

[Sashabops]

I agree with Poppy, iCandy is definitely a great investment! We were toying with the Strawberry and Chameleon and decided to go with the Strawberry. It's just gorgeous, the curves, the fact that it's lightweight and easy to fold, it's so robust as well, i could go on and on about how fab it is but think you should try it for yourself. The handle height is perfect for OH as well, he's just over 6ft and we struggled to find one for his height but he loves it, he thinks he's some big shot when he folds it with one hand as well lol but it's the only thing we agreed on when we were buying for LO and since she arrived we have both loved going out with it!

[chocolatemartini]

I have a cam3 after 4 other pushchairs and I can't fault it. I'd say if you can afford it it is completely worth the money as you get a lot of it back on resale anyway, unlike with cheaper brands.

[Abi88]

I had a cameleon which was lovely at the time (4 years ago!) but I think there's lots of good alternatives on the market now that are much cheaper. I don't think I'd pay it again. Don't forget most people change to a simple umbrella fold pushchair when their little one hits 18m/2years..
Good luck!

[CashewNuts]

I do love my chameleon 2 but by the second child I have replaced one wheel and the two side discs. I think the brake lock is on it's way out also. I'm not hard on it at all but it doesn't seem to be faultless. Plastic bits that hold the chassis together when shut have also cracked. The foam bar across has bits sort of chipped out It's a pain having the two pieces to put in the boot and yes the under basket is not very big and not very accessible so hanging things on a buggy clip is the answer, until of course it tips the buggy! Despite all that I do really love it. For me the look is much better than anything else I've seen, but needs some pratical adjustments and I would have expected it to last longer without the additional spend on parts.

[fairimum]

Having had a cameleon 2, among lots of others, we now have an uppababy vista and have to say we think it is far superior and are now almost 2 years without even considering looking at other buggies - was a weekly thing! but the vista is fantastic in every respect :) and can be got for just over £500 new including carry cot (which is amazing)

[Espionage1]

I just sold mine - absolutely hated the thing - see under the Review Section and Bugaboo Cameleon - have never felt so compelled to write a review in my life before lol - please read.

[LoreleisSecret]

I've had a gecko, cameleon, donkey and have just got a bee+.
There is a reason they are so popular, they are wonderful versatile pushchairs that each serve a different purpose.
My donkey got the most use (20 months!) but, I must say I preferred my gecko over all the pushchairs I've owned (I've had 12!) These are old so can only be bought second hand but custom fabrics are easy to come by.