Torn between BabyJogger Versa and Bugaboo Bee+. Help!

[Badgerhoney]

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone can help me on this one. One minute I think I've settled on the Versa then the next I'm swaying back to the Bee+. I've looked at loads of others and narrowed it down to these two, but just can't decide which one. If anyone has used these and can offer any pearls of wisdom, I would be forever grateful!

I live in a city basement flat with a short flight of stairs outside. Pavements around where I live can be quite cracked and bumpy in places, but the town centre is smooth.

I'll mainly be walking into and around town and to the park/along the river which is bit more rough terrain in patches. Car and short bus journeys a couple of times a week.

The Bee - I love the lightweight feel and the idea of being able to move in and out of tight spaces. I also wonder will having the Bee mean avoiding having to get another smaller lightweight stroller later on. I struggled when I tried swapping the seat round in the shop and found the two hand fold/unfold a bit fiddly. Also feel a tad concerned about a newborn being safe so low down and in only a cocoon. Biggest concern is the wheels. Will they cope with pavement cracks, rougher patches of ground, cobbles? And the shimmying problem I keep hearing about. One of the display models I played with in the shop actually had this problem.

The Versa - love most things about this including ease of folding, turning the seat, big basket, feels sturdy. Main worries are the weight. It feels heavy to lift when folded so I doubt I could carry it very far but guess one flight of stairs or onto a bus would be ok. Not sure about curbs. Also, it's a bit bigger unfolded than the Bee so wonder if it will fit through all doors, be easy to move in shops/restaurants/public transport. Also, I'd like the GT version but don't think I could handle the extra weight, but wonder if the standard wheel version will be good enough.

Sorry for the rambling.

Look forward to hearing from anyone who has experience of these two and could maybe help.

Cheers!

Badgerhoney

Parties I don't think that was the recall issue, think that was because it was folding itself up with kids in it iyswim.

Don't get me wrong, it ain't terrible - but just not worth the dosh imo. I'll be keeping my mini and my Britax - which I massively prefer to this!

Aha, I didn't notice the fabric then cos I never liked the shiny fabrics for some reason. The recall was to do with the fold pins becoming bent, something like that. The recline was very stiff on mine also though. Yours sounds well dodgy, esp if you can't get it folded up to go back in the box :-(

Parties, I have to admit shamefully that that was my fault entirely - the wheels were locked I didn't think it could be a fault - that would be too awful!

It's folded now and perfectly happy. I wish so much that I could love the fabrics and the seat. I'm just that it's chipped though. I may look at it tomorrow and love it slightly more - the chassis certainly - but that material is not very inspiring. I need nice material on a buggy

Also I forgot to say - it is very very heavy to lift. I had trouble getting it out of the box, I had to put ds3 down - he is normally on one arm, so a good test of the one hand fold!

The wheels are really cool, though. Great wheels.

You know, I never liked the shiny fabrics either until now. Now I've seen this, I really rate them!

I love the look of the wheels too, I'm a bit of a red herring versa owner in that I kept it up in the house and never folded or lifted it really. The chip is out of order but given how you feel about the rest of it a replacement seems kinda pointless for you :-(
Have you got the b agile carrycot? I loved mine with the carrycot, less so when the seat had to go back on as you can't really have a buggyboard on with the seat fabric and still be able to walk.. it's bouncier than the city mini, I liked that.

That's such a shame. The versa sounded so promising. Maybe you'll like it more in the morning? If not, it might be back to the Bee for me. Or to trawling the Which best buy reviews again for that lesser spotted mythical parent facing, one step/one hand fold with seat in either direction, sturdy but lightweight, all terrain pushchair with a decent shopping basket, great wheels and suspension, oh and extendable handle bar, that only seems to exist in my imagination, yawn. Night all.

:-O when you put it like that = Unicorn. That is a concise list of what almost everyone I know wants though.

Rooney-feeling any more love for the versa today?

I am. I am loving the chassis. Even if it does give a little.

I spoke to the shop and they are having it collected on Monday - I'm paying half. But I am so torn.

I keep looking at the seat and tryingto love it but I can't - the stitching isn't even very even, when you look at the hems - and the hood is horrid. That fabric is just wrong.

If they could send me a BJCM style seat, with the brilliant folding mechanism but nice fabric, I'd keep it in a flash.

Also the footmuff is very nice but it has a zip that goes in from each top end iykwim - and they meet in the middle at the foot end. And even that isn't proper - the two sides of the zip are different, so you get a little bulge in it wherever they meet.

To compare, I've recently bought a genuine Ergo carrier and a fake one from Hong Kong. the fake one arrived yesterday - the quality of that compared to my genuine one, which is perfect, is how I am finding the Versa seat compared to the BJCM.

I am very fussy though. These things may not bother other people. I'm a virgo - things like wonky hems and chips off the plastic make me think, immediately, someone has skimped on this.

It'sall about attitude for me - if I think something's had enough care and love lavished on it, if they have tried to make it as good as they can, I'll forgive the odd error.

If it looks like they have got cheap labour and tried to cash in on the hype and the name then I am sorry, but they can keep it.

Hmmm. Can't really remember what i thought of the fabric when i played with it in the shop. I don't remember white stitching though. To be honest I think I was too busy folding and unfolding it and going "ooOOoo" to notice much else! What about the weight, you thought it was heavy getting it out of the box, yeah? Did you have a wee push around the house with it?

It's lovely to push - have tried it in the hall only but still, really nice.

I have relented. It's staying They are sending a new seat unit though. I'm wondering if they could send me the versa one in red, instead. But haven't asked yet as too embarrassed for messing them about!

the way it folds is superb, I have to admit and the chassis is beautiful...I am going to colour the white thread black with my sharpie, and put a nice footmuff in it

Wow! I'm sure they would exchange for red, you're not messing them around at all. Ooo, I don't know what to do now. Might have to go look at it again in the shop just to be sure. Although, have already played with it twice in the same shop, they'll probably think I'm odd going back again!

Oh just go back and make sure you like it. It's a big outlay - also, ask them about price matching. Most places are asking 429 for the GT. So it's a good price.

I think depends on how they are replacing the seat tbh, if they're getting it ordered in from the manufacturer they might just as well ask for a Versa seat - not sure how it works. I think I'd like the red better as it doesn't have the white stitching I think.

My black versa didn't have any white stitching at all. This is all quite odd. I wonder if they will be willing to mix the seats.

Really Parties? I wonder if that was the first batch you had - the ones that got recalled? Maybe they changed it since then.

I'll call them I think in a minute and try and ask.

you can see it on here

Maybe white stitching is just on the GT one?

Looks like both on the comparison on that site.

It's strange isn't it - well, I've spoken to the shop and he's going to see if the factory can send me a new frame direct. And I don't have to send back this one as they can see from the photo it's chipped.

He said they won't be sending the fabrics though, just the frame so no can do on the red, and they might just send me one from their own stock if the factory hasn't any. But I guess I can sell the spare seat on ebay or something, obvs stating the fault, which brings the price down in total.

He said they might want it back but will let me know.

Nah, it will have has it and i just straight didn't notice.. you mean the semi circle on the footrest? I genuinely don't remember it but i probably put a footmuff straight on and didn't take it off till it went back.

Hi Badger
Just thought I would come in with my vote for the Bee+! I have one, (even though I have 3YO triplets who I rarely take out separately) but I cannot bare to part with it because I just love it so much!

I can 100% accept that the 'newborn mode' (i.e. laid flat with cocoon) isn't very appealing, and I have to admit that I wouldn't lie any of my newborns in it. However, if you're willing to buy a few extra bits, it could potentially be the Pram of your dreams!
Right, if you buy the Maxi-cosi carseat adaptors for the buggy, they slot in and a Micralite Toro carrycot can then be inserted into the adaptors (obviously same shape and width). It makes a fantastic pram as the adaptors significantly increase the height of the carrycot. The carrycot itself is absolutely lovely - really big and roomy. Have a look on eBay for the carrycot as they are very hard-wearing and last brilliantly.
If you give the Bee+ with toro carrycot a google, loads of people have done this. Obviously Bugaboo themselves cannot vouch for this as the combination has never had any H&S tests; however, many mums have done this and been extremely pleased!

Unfortunately I haven't had a Babyjogger, but having given it a google, it does look nice. I did come across one picture though - here (I know it's a foreign site) where it seems that the seat doesn't look very long? It looks like a pretty big buggy, but with quite a short seat?
Although as I said, I've not had one of these so can't really comment.

Hope the Bee + Toro combination works for you! :)

Thanks kateShmate, that's interesting about the carrycot. Will have a look. The seat doesn't look as big in that pic, if only I could understand what they're saying! I think the foot rest does fold down out of the way though so older kids can put their feet on the curved bit of the frame below.

Have you had any issues with your bee's wheels. That's my main worry, partly the shimmying problem (and Bugaboo just sending washers out that don't always fix it) and partly the wheels getting stuck in holes and maybe not being tough/big enough to cope with the dodgy pavements and bumpy footpaths that crop up quite regularly around where I live. There are a lot of smooth pavements too as I'm in a city but to get to the nearby park and river (only 15 mins walk) it's a bit rough. The poor baby might be rattled around a fair bit! But for jumping on buses and nipping around town I know it would be great.

Just to say the foot rest doesn't fold any lower, Badger - it's only got two positions relative to the seat itself.

The seat has two positions - upright (which is a decent upright imo) and laid back. And then you can adjust the footrest to the two different positions as well. I put baby ds in it yesterday, for a moment, while I faffed about with something, and he looked pretty happy in the laid back posture - but he hates being flat anyway. But it didn't make him slump. might use it a bit before 6 months then

Ah, I get what you mean. Am sure I saw something in a video about the bottom bit of the seat extending a bit to make more room for legs if you pull it out, but it might have been a different pushchair-looked at so many! Does it say anywhere about washing the seat fabric? Can't find any info about that. Wondering if you can take it off and bung in washing mashine like the bjcm?

Ah yes I get what you're on about! I had to take off the seat fabric yesterday, in preparation for the new bit of frame.

What it is is that the bottom section of the footrest, is a separate bit of metal tubing to the rest of it. And it has two little white buttons on the sides, and when you press them, the bottom section of metal extends down - there's elastic in the sides of the footwell fabric, and it makes it a couple of inches longer.
I didn't realise this was there till I took off the fabric as I haven't looked at the manual yet but it's a pretty good idea
Fwiw the fabric doesn't detach from this section so I don't think you could machine wash it - unless I'm missing summat - but because it's very thick, plasticky material I am sure it would be best just washing it down in the bath. It's not like anything could really sink into it iyswim.