Sicko Stroller Post
I want a sickeningly expensive stroller for Thor.
In my defense (because I do feel like I need a defense) I anticipate using this stroller an awful lot. For anyone who’s not familiar with the “culture” of Brooklyn/Manhattan, walking is simply how you get places. I have a car, but I have no idea where, exactly, it’s parked right now. The Boy handles moving it out of the way of streetcleaners every week, and truly, if we didn’t love this car so much there’d be no reason to keep it – it only gets driven out of town.
Also, since the Boy works at home, at a couple of jobs that require concentration, I anticipate Little Thor & Nellie & I will be walking around the neighborhood rather regularly. Besides the typical grocery-shopping/dog-walking/errand running that the Boy does the most of right now, we’ll also be walking to get out of the house & away from the WriterMan. Also to keep me from going stir-crazy. Also to help me lose the IVF/baby weight. Also because – well, because I just want one, ok?
The reason this is presenting me with such a tough decision is that besides the fact that it’s the only “gucci” thing I really want for this baby-experience (ie: we’re going for a cheap, simple IKEA gulliver crib for $89 or so, and most of my maternity clothes have been purchased on eBay for <$5), I’m having a helluva time deciding between the two front-runners. Even though I realize that either one of these strollers would be perfectly adequate (and then some) for wheeling a baby around the city.
But is that good enough for me? No! For I have decided to obsess. So it’s time for another waffling chart! That I’m going to share with you’all! Because what could be more fun than listening to me whine about which ridiculously over-engineered stroller I should spend almost an entire paycheck on!
Both strollers cost about the same, though the UppaBaby definitely comes with more “stuff” included. Both have the features I’m non-negotiable on – baby can face either forward or back, adjustable handlebar to accommodate my 6’4″ husband as well as 5’2″ me. Sturdy, top rated, all that good stuff. Everyone agrees these are nice strollers. But the things that are different between them:
Bugaboo Bee 2010 Pros:
- Small. Small and lightweight, with a nicely narrow footprint. Meaning I can take it inside the greenmarket without blocking passage for everyone else in the greenmarket.
- Lightweight. Only 17#! I’ll be schlepping this + baby + baby gear up and down subway steps (and lots of ‘em) nearly every time I go into Manhattan. Also folds up smallish, for tossing in the trunk, or stashing out of sight in the house (though I rather suspect it’ll be left unfolded because I’m lazy like that.
- I feel totally lame for admitting this, but it’s just plain adorable. I can totally picture Thor in this stroller, and it comes in bright yellow, which is one of my favorite colors for baby gear.
- Takes the MaxiCosi car seats. I’m a fan of European safety standards, and these car seats look great and are very highly rated for safety.
Bugaboo Bee 2010 Cons:
- This year’s model has been completely redesigned to address some sizing issues that other folks have had with BBs in the past. Initial reports say that Bugaboo did a great job, but I’m always leery buying the first year’s model of anything.
- Little wheels. The sidewalks in Brooklyn are just a bare step above post-apocalyptic. I don’t want Thor getting shaken baby syndrome every time we go to the store.
- Bugaboo charges top dollar for every damn little accessory. $25 for a cup holder? Oh come on. You people are already making a Rockefeller fortune off the insanely expensive stroller. How about throwing in some of the accessories (rain cover, perhaps!) that everyone’s going to need?
- No bassinet option, even aftermarket. Not a huge big deal. The seat lays flat for infants, and it is car-seat compatible, but a bassinet would be really nice – both for strolling and for having in the house as an ‘extra’ place for Thor to sleep.
UPPABaby Vista 2010
- Big wheels in back for sand (beach!) smoother ride over insane Brooklyn sidewalks, etc.
- Bassinet is included. I’m thinking this stroller could double as Thor’s upstairs bassinet for the first few months. Hell. Depending on how easily detachable the bassinet really is, it might be his downstairs nighttime bassinet as well. Throw that sucker on a stand and call it a bed til he’s sleeping more than 2 hours at a stretch.
- Most accessories I’d want are included, and those that aren’t are priced a little more reasonably than Bugaboo’s products. Not that it makes sense to quibble over a $10 difference in price when I’m all but selling the farm to buy a fancy stroller, but Bugaboo’s attitude pisses me off more than UPPABaby’s does.
- Because it’s a bit beefier, it looks like it’d be more comfortable for a toddler.
UPPABaby Vista 2010′s Cons:
- It’s bigger. Bigger footprint – especially in width – and bulkier and heavier – like 7# heavier. Which is a lot. Or will be a lot when I’m carrying all that stuff. Plus the whole “taking up more room in stores than I like” thing is going on here. Smaller is better. Except when it’s not. Yeah.
- Those giant wheels in back look like overkill for 90% of what I’ll be using it for – like I’m taking the kid out four-wheeling. NYC is an Urban Center, for heaven’s sake.
- I don’t like the colors it comes in. Pale yellow. Khaki. Actually, the orange is nice, but do I really want my kid’s first vehicle to look like a big pumpkin? Seems to be tempting Cinderella fate or something…
- It may or may not take a MaxiCosi car seat. The website is confusing on this (and can I just say that every website I’ve visited in the Quest for Stroller has sucked? If I wanted to start up a for-profit website it’d totally be a comparison shopping site for strollers that wasn’t rendered completely useless by fucking animation & frou-frou music and groovy graphic artz. This is so annoying…)
I’ve heard great things about both strollers, and suppose I really need to dedicate a few hours to irritating the shit out of my local stroller boutique owner by tearing both models apart & really getting to know them for an afternoon. I am your worst nightmare-customer, lady. I am pregnant, ungainly, insanely interested in this particular piece of baby gear, and I’m not even likely to make a purchase today to justify the annoyance factor of me. Bwahahahahah!!!
I have to say I agree 100% with you on the expensive stroller thing. I too wanted a great stroller (even though I do not live in a big city) and I found it with the Quinny Buzz. I LOVE my stroller. It has the bassinett attachment and also uses the Maxi Cosi infant car seat. I use the bassinett attachment every day when we walk (my daughter is 6 weeks and LOVES it)! I have friends that have the same stroller and there son is 1 yr and they say the stroller is a life saver. It is light weight, folds really easily the attachements are so easy to switch. It seems to be fairly similar to the uppababy stroller. Godd luck deciding. Baby stuff shopping so so fun!
My sister used the Bee and loved it. She had the red and it was super cute for her little guy.
I just bought the frog (gently used)and the only reason I didn’t go for the Bee was the bassinett. The Frog has both the bassinett and bigger wheels, have you looked into that model??
It sounds like you’re getting the bugaboo. Just saying. lightweight, right colors, smaller footprint? All really important.
Can I come over and help you put it together or put on the cupholder -ok – just play with the darn thing when you get it? (this goes for whichever one you ultimately decide on…)
BTW, aren’t pro and con lists the best?
If it is really that lightweight and narrow I’d go w/ the bugaboo. . . plus its a bugaboo. Don’t you love just saying the word Bugaboo?
As far as the bassinet feature for using as a bassinet in the house- eh not THAT big of a feature IMHO. I got a moses basket from Target for $34 and its the BEST thing I registered for.
Don’t underestimate the benefits of light and narrow for travel on subways. Don’t know how helpful New Yorkers are but Londoners don’t exactly rush to help people get strollers up and down stairs. As for bassinets part of my justification for selling my Frog and getting the new Bee is that F loathed the bassinet with a vengeance – wailed and wailed every time he went in it. Moses baskets are pretty cheap too so you can always get one of those instead for at home. On the changes from the pre 2010 version I wouldn’t worry about them too much they are really to iron out problems with the old one rather than wholesale changes as the designer had a baby and realized what was wrong with the original. I found an article on line with an interview with him which was quite helpful. The springs on the wheels seem to deal with crappy pavements pretty well and I am totally loving the yellow too. So I say go Bee!
I have never pushed the bee, haven’t pushed the uppa in few years…
i’m just not so sure how great of a job the bee will do for all of your walking.
i live in the bronx, walk at least 3 miles everyday for exercise and i use my cameleon (bought off of craigslist) so i know the need for a nice walking stroller.
but you also need something compact for when you do travel…
have you thought of getting an umbrella stroller to do your manhattan trips, like a maclaren?
I don’t think there is 1 stroller that is great for walking, yet lightweight for traveling…
if i were you, i would decide based on what i would use it more for…if you do more brooklyn traveling (i.e. walking) go for the uppa baby. if you do more subway/manhattan traveling, go for the bee…but then again, in the city you also need a good walking stroller…
hmmm….this is why we have 2 strollers
Just realized I said most of the above a few days ago! Sorry – brain fade.
I agree with you the stroller purchase – you’ll be using it all the time and you need to pick the one that best suits your lifestyle. My girlfriend lives in Manhattan and bought the Bugaboo Cameleon with bassinet. She said the larger wheels were critical in helping navigate the broken sidewalks and making the ride smoother for baby. It doesn’t accept a carseat, but the bassinet stands in for it. Good luck on your choice. I live in the suburbs and chose the Chicco Cortina simply because I’ll be able to take baby in carseat out of car and put into stroller. You won’t really have that issue in the city.
as a former nanny, in the pre bugaboo days, and in boston’s south end, I can say the jogging stroller was awesome because I could go oversnow drifts! It took up some room in stores, but it moved like a dream. I think big wheels are good!
I have the Bugaboo Frog and as I said before I love it! It does come with a bassinett, but you can buy a carseat adapter for $50 I think (I know, I know, expensive extras….my husband finally bought me the cupholder cause he was sick of never having one!)
I don’t live in a big city (small town Michigan here!) but I wanted a awesome stroller to use for years and a great diaperbag….the rest I could compromise on!
I agree with Mo. Sounds like you really want the Bugaboo. I also think it’s the right choice. Plus you can always get a jogger if you really need a bigger, sporty situation. Bassinet option doesn’t seem like a big deal to me…Thor will have cozy spots to sleep and that’ll only last to 7-8 months or so before crawling time. I have a Maclaren Techno XT and a Baby Jogger and leave the Mac in the car and the Jogger in the carport. Deep down which would thrill you more to zip around in? The Bee? And the weight thing is a huge issue. Light, light, light=better.
And, if I may (as a Southerner), it’s “y’all.” Cheers!
I have the Uppa and love it. The big wheels are great if you do a lot of walking. My only complaint about it is that it is a bit awkward to fold.
I don’t think the lack of a bassinet is a big deal — you will just want an adapter for your infant car seat…moving the baby in his seat is a lot easier than taking him in and out to put him in the bassinet.
BTW, not sure if you’re planning another New England trip anytime soon, but if so the Uppa factory outlet is in MA. I got mine there for $400. You have to call ahead and find out what they have at a given time and you don’t get the bassinet but you get everything else and it’s well worth it.
I vote for the UPPABaby Vista!
My 2 cents: I live in Boston and I’m super happy to have big wheels. I have seen many a small wheel sufferer. Bassinet Shmassinet. A car seat works for the stroller and baby slept in bouncy seat or on my chest for first month…ok 6 weeks. Good luck at the test drive!