Bugaboo Donkey 6 review: our verdict after testing it as a single and double pushchair

Our verdict

The Bugaboo Donkey 6 is a premium single-to-double pushchair that delivers where it matters most. During daily testing with a two-month-old and a 15-month-old, it proved smooth to push across everything from pavements and gravel to grass and muddy paths, while remaining impressively easy to manoeuvre in both single and double mode.

Our parent tester Beth particularly liked how straightforward it was to switch between configurations once she'd practised, telling us: "I really enjoyed using the buggy as a single and a double. It is easy to change for a newborn and one-year-old, and works well with one or two children."

The Donkey 6 feels reassuringly solid and well made, with several thoughtful upgrades over previous models. During testing, the larger underseat basket and thicker, more premium bassinet fabrics stood out, while the side storage basket proved especially handy in single mode, offering extra storage for everyday essentials without making the pushchair any wider.

The Donkey 6's main drawback is its size. It's also undeniably expensive. However, if you're looking for a premium side-by-side pushchair that can grow with your family from one child to two, the Donkey 6 is worth considering.

The Bugaboo Donkey 6 was tested in real family life.

How we tested the Bugaboo Donkey 6

The Bugaboo Donkey 6 was tested daily over a period of four months with a two-month-old baby and a 15-month-old toddler. During testing, parent tester Beth used it as both a single and double pushchair to see how well it adapted to different setups. Depending on your needs, the Bugaboo Donkey 6 can also be bought as a twin buggy or as part of a bundle.

Beth tested the Donkey 6 during everyday outings including park and shopping trips and on one train journey. It was put through its paces on pavements, gravel, grass and muddy paths, and also tested in a small car boot and in tighter spaces to see how practical it was for everyday family life.

What’s in the box and how easy is it to assemble?

Assembling the Donkey 6 took around an hour and didn't require any tools. Beth found the printed instruction booklet clear, although she felt the QR code could have been more helpful.

"You expect the QR code to take you to the specific buggy set-up, but it takes you to the general Bugaboo website, which isn't as helpful as it could be."

Once assembled and after a couple of practice runs, converting the Donkey 6 between single and double mode became much easier. "Once practised a few times, it was quite straightforward,” says Beth. “There are multiple things you have to do to convert it, but the seats come on and off very easily."

The box we tested included:

• Bugaboo Donkey 6 frame

• 2x child seats

• 1x seat frame

• 1x bassinet with frame

• 2x sun hoods

• Storage basket

• Bumper bar

• Instruction booklet

• QR code for set-up

• 2x rain covers

• Hooks for hanging a changing bag

The Bugaboo Donkey 6 is available as a double, single or twin pushchair.

How does it look?

The Donkey 6 certainly looks the part. Beth loved the design and said it attracted plenty of compliments while out and about. "People commented on it looking very smart and neat," she says.

She was equally impressed with the quality of the materials, particularly compared with her previous Bugaboo Donkey. "The material of the bassinet seems thicker and better quality."

The fabrics also performed well during testing. After getting caught in heavy rain before the rain covers were fitted, Beth said the material kept both children dry. When she used the rain covers, she found them easy to fit and effective, saying they were "very thin but work fine." They also come with their own storage bags so can be neatly tucked into the basket when not in use. The stroller also includes a bumper bar, which Beth found quick and easy to remove.

Like other Bugaboo pushchairs, the Donkey 6 comes in a selection of neutral, premium colourways (five in total), including Heritage Black and Desert Taupe, alongside Donkey 6-specific options Cocoa Brown and Fern Green. Beth tested the Deep Indigo.

How safe and sturdy is the Bugaboo Donkey 6?

The Donkey 6 scored high marks for safety and stability, feeling sturdy across a range of surfaces, including pavements, grass, gravel and muddy paths. Its suspension helps to absorb bumps, making for a smoother ride overall.

Beth was particularly impressed by how stable it felt with two children onboard: "You don't really notice the weight difference, even when you have bags unevenly distributing weight [in the storage basket] underneath."

The only time she noticed any movement was when going down certain kerbs, where the width of the side-by-side design occasionally made the pushchair feel a little wobbly.

The single brake was equally straightforward to use and felt reliable on hills, while the five-point harness provided a secure, comfortable fit for her toddler.

Our tester's children found the carrycot and seat very comfy.

How comfortable is it?

The Donkey 6 also impressed for comfort. Beth said her 15-month-old fitted the seat well, and both children had plenty of space when travelling side by side in double mode.

The recline was mostly smooth once she'd become familiar with it, although she noted it could occasionally feel a little stiff.

One of her favourite features was the adjustable handlebar, which comfortably accommodated two parents with a significant height difference. "I'm 5ft 1 and my husband is over 6ft and we can easily swap the handlebar between our suited heights."

The leather-look handlebar was comfortable to hold and added to the Donkey 6's premium feel, and she found the lowest handlebar setting useful in tighter spaces, such as train carriages and doctors' waiting rooms.

The extendable, UV-protective sun hoods provided plenty of coverage during testing, helping keep both children shaded on sunny walks.

How adaptable is the Bugaboo Donkey 6 for different ages?

One of the Donkey 6's biggest strengths is its flexibility. It can be used with one carrycot and one seat, two seats or two carrycots for newborn twins, making it a practical option for growing families or siblings with a small age gap.

During testing, Beth regularly switched between using it with her newborn, then her toddler and then both children together, and found it worked well in every configuration: "It works equally as well for my newborn and toddler both together and separately."

The Donkey 6 can be used with one carrycot and one seat, two seats or two carrycots for newborn twins, making it a practical option for growing families. Beth says, "No adapters are needed [for the carrycot or seat] so it is very easy to slot the different seats or the storage bag on and off."

Both seats can be used in both parent-facing and world-facing positions, and she found changing between them very straightforward. The only part that took a little longer was converting the carrycot into a seat, as this requires swapping the fabric over on the same frame rather than simply just changing the unit.

What’s it like to use day to day?

In day-to-day use, the Donkey 6 impressed Beth with how smooth and easy it was to push. It was comfortable to push, whether she was walking on pavements, tackling gravel paths in the park or crossing muddy ground.

"It is very smooth to push and easy for getting around both on paths as well as across grass and rougher surfaces."

Getting up and down kerbs was straightforward most of the time, and while it struggled more on sand and rough pebbly surfaces, it handled most everyday terrain with ease. Even in double mode, our tester noticed very little difference in how it pushed.

The biggest compromise is its size. Although Bugaboo says the Donkey 6 fits through standard doorways, Beth found that wasn't always the case. "It doesn't fit through all doorways and is tricky to manage in smaller shops like small corner shops or local Tesco." She also found it too large to store indoors comfortably, so it lived in the garage between outings.

Public transport also proved challenging. While she successfully used it on one train journey, she felt it was best suited to travelling with another adult who could help lift it if needed.

"You need two people to lift it onto the train if there's a step. I personally wouldn't feel very comfortable taking it on a tube due to the size of the buggy and I think it would struggle to fit on lots of buses," Beth says.

Overall, the Donkey 6 is best suited to families who do most of their travelling on foot or by car, rather than regularly relying on public transport or navigating tight urban spaces.

The Bugaboo Donkey 6 was tested on public transport.

What’s the storage basket like?

Storage is one of the Donkey 6's standout features. The underseat basket comfortably held everything our tester needed for a day out, including changing essentials, snacks, drinks and toys. 

She also liked that the basket remained just as practical when using the pushchair as a double: "Having two seats doesn't change the amount of space apart from giving you slightly more as the frame stretches out the storage further when at its full width."

In single mode, the additional side storage basket makes even better use of the available space. Beth found it useful for keeping everyday essentials within easy reach and thought it was a great-quality addition.

She also appreciated the smaller storage pockets built into the back of the seat and bassinet, which were handy for keeping smaller items organised.

Access to the basket wasn't perfect though. She found it could sometimes be awkward to reach items stored at the front because the footrests partially blocked the opening.

Despite this, storage is generous and thoughtfully designed, making the Donkey 6 particularly practical for longer days out with two young children.

How easy is the Bugaboo Donkey 6 to fold and unfold?

Folding is one area where the Donkey 6 isn't quite as polished as the rest of the pushchair. "There are a few steps so it can take a few minutes. The frame is quite heavy too," says Beth.

The pushchair locks securely once folded and can stand upright by itself, but both seats need to be removed if you want the most compact fold. While this isn't difficult, it does make packing the pushchair away more time-consuming.

Beth used the Donkey 6 alongside her Skoda Fabia and managed to fit the frame, carrycot and one seat into the boot, although it took up most of the available space and partially blocked the rear view. As both seats need to be removed before folding and the frame is quite heavy, loading it into a smaller car takes a bit of time and effort. She felt it would be much better suited to a larger family car.

Asked whether she could realistically fold it while managing two children on her own, her answer was clear: "No, unless both children are strapped in car seats whilst you collapse it and put it in the car."

If you're mainly walking from home and don't need to fold the pushchair frequently, this is less of an issue. However, families who regularly load and unload their pushchair throughout the day may find the Donkey 6's size and weight more noticeable.

The Donkey 6's side-by-side design makes it easy for siblings to interact.

How easy is it to clean?

For day-to-day cleaning, Beth wiped the frame down with a cloth to remove any mud, crumbs or stains. "I would clean it with a cloth by hand, but you can put most of the fabric in the washing machine on a gentle cycle at 30℃," she says.

Is it good value for money?

At £1,245 for the single, £1,560 for the double and £1,690 for the twin version, the Bugaboo Donkey 6 is undoubtedly a significant investment, but Beth felt the premium price is reflected in its quality, versatility and everyday performance.

"You can feel the quality in the materials and the sturdiness of the buggy, and you are also paying for the option to use it as a single or double buggy," she says.

Having used an earlier version of the Bugaboo Donkey, she also felt “the improvements can definitely be noticed in the Donkey 6."

The larger underseat basket, higher-quality bassinet fabrics and smooth handling all stood out during testing, while the ability to convert from a single to a double pushchair adds longevity for growing families.

That said, it's only good value if it suits your lifestyle. The Donkey 6 is large, heavy and takes up plenty of space, so you'll get the most from it if you have somewhere practical to store it and don't need to fold it into the car several times a day.

Summing it up, Beth said: "If you are looking to spend that amount on a buggy and have the space to store and use the buggy, then it is a good option."

For families with a newborn and toddler, twins or plans to grow their family, the Bugaboo Donkey 6 is an highly capable double pushchair that feels every bit as premium as its price suggests. If your daily routine involves narrow hallways, compact cars or regular public transport, however, it's worth weighing up whether its impressive performance outweighs the practical compromises that come with its size.

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head Editorial Content at Mumsnet. Mum to a four-year-old, she is fully invested in finding the best and most affordable products for families.

With over 10 years’ experience as a full-time editor, including eight years spent writing, commissioning and editing product reviews and round-ups, Laura has developed particular expertise in buggies and car seats. She has a keen eye for what parents genuinely value and is passionate about delivering honest, practical reviews that help make parents' lives that little bit easier.

In addition to her work as a writer and editor, she has also appeared in a number of product review videos for Mumsnet's YouTube channel.