As soon as I clapped my eyes on the Bugaboo (it was a bit hard to avoid as every time I opened a glossy magazine, there was invariably some celebrity walking their little bundle along the streets of NY, LA, London) I knew it was the pram I wanted. Sure, its status as a ‘must-have’ baby item was a factor but more than that, the Bugaboo just looked so damn cool.
My husband needed more convincing but on the first day of my maternity leave when I was exactly 34 weeks pregnant, we trundled off the UK department store John Lewis (we were living in London at the time) to buy our baby essentials, including the pram.
We tried various prams, including the Bugaboo, and one of the crucial facts in winning him over was that the Bugaboo Chameleon actually fit well in the back of our tiny little hatchback car. This was very important as we were living in a one bedroom flat on the second floor. Also, the Chameleon had an adjustable handle bar; we are both tall so this was another feature that we found lacking in the other models.
The ability to choose your own colour combinations with the Bugaboo Chameleon was a big hit with me as well; we chose a dark grey base with orange fleece and we also ended up buying the red fleece about five months after our baby daughter was born (Orange for summer and spring and red for winter and autumn).
Developed by Dutch designer Max Barenburg and his physician brother-in-law Eduard Zanen, in an
attempt to create a stroller that was both fashionable and functional, the Bugaboo first hit the pavements in 1999 in Holland with the Frog model. It became popular with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah Jessica Parker and its status as a ‘must-have’ item for parents was born. To offer more choices, Bugaboo introduced the Gecko, Chameleon and Bugaboo By range to offer rabid parent consumers a wider choice.
More recently, Bugaboo now offers the hood, seat and apron in the same canvas material that the base is made from. Personally, I think I would have preferred this to the fleece. However, I have washed my fleece hood and seat several times and they come up very well. There is also a Bugaboo Chameleon Denim model available now, which will appeal to funky urbanites who love the hard-wearing and classic material.
The Bugaboo is a pram that draws admiring (and sometimes envious) glances from people. It is expensive but I figure that it is probably the biggest equipment purchase you will make and something that you will be using daily. The Bugaboo is also a fashion accessory; it is chic, sleek and functional. Just like the fashion sense I am aspiring to, although sometimes it is hard when you are sleep-deprived and don’t have time to do your hair.
I have purchased additional accessories for my Bugaboo – footmuff, UV sunshade and travel bag. There is also a Bugaboo Breezy canopy hood, which offers extra ventilation on hot days.
Interestingly, as Bugaboo brand awareness has grown, so too has the incidence of Bugaboo thefts! We were advised to always have it well concealed in the car as Bugaboos have a high resale value on places like eBay.
Pros
Streamlined and easy to manoeuvre. Adjustable tension settings on wheels.
Adjustable handle bar that changes direction so that you can have baby facing you. Great for tall people!
Pick and mix your own colour combos.
Lightweight.
Looks great!
Cons
You have to buy extras like travel bag, foot muff and UV sunshade, which can make it even more expensive.
This is an urban pram. It isn’t so great along dirt tracks or country walks. It is not suitable for jogging. If you are an avid jogger or want to get your pre-baby body back fast, you’ll be better to buy a pram appropriate for running with.