Bugaboo Bee6 Pushchair Review

The Bugaboo Bee6 is the new and improved Bee pushchair designed for urban adventures. It’s compact design, optimum comfort features and light weight makes it the perfect pushchair to help you navigate those city streets and daily strolls. The Bugaboo Bee 6 offers the best of both worlds: true comfort in a compact size. But what did our trusted parent testers make of the new Bugaboo Bee6?

Parent Tester – Rita Sumalee

Delivery and packaging

Thanks to Natural Baby Shower The stroller arrived early which we were very happy with as we couldn’t wait to give it a try. The box arrived in a good condition and, as expected, the stroller inside was in perfect condition. Upon unboxing we were surprised to find absolutely no polystyrene, unusual for a delivery like this but we were impressed. 

After a quick glance at the well-presented instruction booklet we were ready to have a go.

The stroller is relatively easy to assemble, although we did find some of the illustrated sections a little confusing to locate on the stroller itself, maybe numbered diagram of the stroller or a short description on each stage could have made it slightly easier.

In total, unboxing and assembling the stroller took my partner and I just under 20 minutes.

Pros:

• Swift delivery
• No polystyrene, all cardboard waste went into recycling.
• Illustrated instructions 
• Fast Assembly

Cons:

• Some illustrations were tricky to identify on the stroller itself. After standing back and a bit of head tilting, we worked it out. A diagram or short description could remedy this. 

First impressions

We could tell straight away, the Bugaboo Bee6 is a premium stroller. The look and feel were of much higher quality than what we have seen or used in the past. The handle and safety bar are covered in a cushioned faux leather cover which looks and feels great. The stroller is not as lightweight as I expected but the sturdiness more than makes up for the slight additional weight.

The wheels at the front and back are evenly spaced (unlike the narrower front wheels we’ve seen on other strollers) which makes the stroller stand out, in a good way. We did notice the rear wheels looked small in comparison with previous strollers we have used. 

The seat is a generous size, our 6 month old sits comfortably in there with lots of years of growth available to look forward to. The 4 safety straps for our child seemed quite rigid to begin with but are actually well padded and flexible. There is a generous storage space under the seat which comfortably stores our bulging nappy bag with plenty of room to spare. 

There is a safety lanyard around the handle to put around your wrist, this suited me fine, but my partner complained it could be slightly bigger for him. 

All the parts which are adjustable are easy to find as they are white in colour, this was useful while we were getting used to the strollers different adjustable parts.

Pros:

• Attention to detail in the trims of the stroller, especially the faux leather handles.
• The stance of the stroller looks really good and modern, it is very sturdy.
• Good amount of under-seat storage
• Easy to adjust seat angle, apply brakes & handle height due to white adjustable features.

Cons:

• Slightly heavier than expected (but sturdiness makes up for this).
• Rear wheels seem quite small

 

 

 

First use and onwards

I have been very impressed with this stroller from the second we went for a walk. The wide stance of the front wheels makes the stroller feel as though it is gliding, it is very easy to maneuver and can be used with just one hand with ease.  Although I thought the smaller size of the rear wheels might be a problem, the suspension compensates for this and gives a very smooth ride. One thing I have noticed which I am very pleased with is the ease of lifting the front wheels to mount kerbs etc. The angle of the handle gives plenty of leverage so I can lift the front wheels with ease.

I am very impressed with 4 point safety harness, it allows us to clip in one at a time - unlike other brands where you have to slot 2 together before clipping it into the fitting.

It is simple and smooth to transition the seat from a sitting up position to a flat position, great for when the baby falls asleep sitting up.

The swivelling safety bar is a great feature which is very simple to use, I love the fact that I don’t have to turn away to find the safety bar as it can always be attached to the stroller.

My partner and I prefer a different handle height whilst using the stroller which isn’t an issue due to the ease of adjustment on the handle height.

At first my partner and I struggled to collapse and put up the stroller, once we had a play we quickly picked up the correct method and we haven’t had an issue since. It’s worth noting that over time the stroller and become easier and smoother to collapse and put back up again.

The stroller collapses to a manageable size and is easy to fit in the boot of our car as well as in the cupboard at home, there is a small ‘foot’ which keeps the stroller stood upright which is very useful for saving space when storing.

Pros:

• Very easy to maneuver
• Excellent handling
• Easy to collapse and put up
• Easy transition from sitting to lying position
• Great 4 point safety harness – much better and easier than anything I have used before
• Swiveling safety bar – I cant imagine using a stroller without this feature in the future!

Cons:

• Slightly stiff to put up and collapse for the first few uses (becomes smoother after a couple of uses)
• There is a knack to opening it. This is quickly learnt and once done so you will be able to open and collapse with ease. 

Conclusion

The Bugaboo Bee6 is by far the most high quality, user friendly and stylish stroller I have ever used. My son Harry must find it comfortable as he is usually out like a light after a swift walk! The ease of assembly, use and storage ensures that I will definitely be a customer of Bugaboo for many years to come. I have been looking at additional products to purchase which are compatible with this stroller and although on the expensive side, in my opinion it is definitely worth it for the ease of use and quality which it delivers. 

Parent Tester – Ella Ryan

I’ve been trying out the Bugaboo Bee 6 for three months now over Autumn and Winter. Myself and my little boy love this buggy! We have a the black frame and seat with a yellow hood. 

The buggy arrived from Natural Baby Shower in one box with all the components and instructions. My husband put it together easily in about half an hour. Nate and I couldn’t wait to test it out. We live in a town but with lots of parks, fields and countryside close by so the Bee6 needed to be able to handle different terrain. 

We weren’t disappointed! The buggy handles very well in town; it is a one handed push. It turns easily, goes up and down curbs well and the wheels rarely get stuck like on other smaller buggies. The wheels on this model are larger that the previous models and this is why the buggy ride is so smooth. My son is comfortable and relaxed. We have a set of steep steps up to our house; the buggy is light and easy for me to lift up and down the steps even with Nate on board. I can’t fault the drive, comfort and quality feel.

I’ve also taken the Bee6 off pavements and onto very muddy grass fields and riverside walks. The buggy can go through very muddy and grass, it just takes a firm push gets very dirty. The wheels can clog with mud and the basket will get dirty as it is lower down to the ground. This is not an off road buggy, however, the buggy never let us down; we were never stuck in the mud. 

The seat has an adjustable back, this is really useful as your child grows. The safety harness is very easy to use. I really like the safety bar for extra reassurance; Nate likes to have toys hanging from it too. The seat is well padded and comfortable; it wipes clean well and also is machine washable. I can’t fault it. 

The seat is easily adjustable from world facing to parent facing. It’s easy to do this on the go if you need to switch around and encourage a nap. The seat has three adjustable settings so your child can lay flat and sit upright. Nate is very happy in all positions and has had lovely naps in the buggy. 

The frame is light but very sturdy. It doesn’t scratch too easily but like all buggies, it does mark from time to time. It is easy to fold up and down, but you do need two hands to fold it. The buggy is compact when folded so it’s easy to store in a small space; the addition of the kick stand is really useful to hold it upright. I am very tall and use the buggy at the longest handle extension, it feels really comfortable. The handle bar is simple and easy to adjust; on the lowest setting, the buggy is really compact and this is useful if you are out at a coffee shop for example and want to minimise the buggy without folding it away. 

The Bee6 has a new hood. The fabric of the hood feels more substantial than the previous models. The additions of the peekaboo window and air vents are excellent. Nate and I love to interact even when he is world facing; this connection is brilliant. I chose the yellow hood, this colour has been tricky in the winter months as it marks easily. However, all marks have wiped off easily. The hood is extendable and it is huge. It gives a lot of protection in the rain. I have only had to use the rain cover once and this was in a heavy downpour. The rain cover is the standard bugaboo cover; this means it is fairly large on the Bee6. I found it a little cumbersome to put on but as I have only had to use it once, I am sure with practice it is probably simple. The rain cover comes in a storage pouch that slips into the buggy basket so it is with you at all times. It’s a good design. 

 

I think the only downside to this buggy is the basket. The size of the basket is good but the basket is accessed via the front of the buggy. I find it a bit of a faff going to the front of the buggy and putting things in. You also have to lift the front of the seat up to get full access. The design would be better if it were fully accessible from the back. 

There are lots of accessories that can be purchased to go with the Bee6. We loved the buggy so much that we brought the Bugaboo Cozy Snug and the Cup holder. The cozy snug fits on and off the Buggy easily, the drawstring top is a great idea for keeping little ones tucked up and warm. It machine washes well. I think the cup holder is a great design; it clips onto the top of the handle bar rather than the side as on my old buggy. This makes a real difference when going around town in smaller spaces and door ways where cups on the side of the buggy extend the width of the buggy. The Bee6 handle bar design removes that problem. 

 

 

We have also purchased the buggy board although we are yet to try that out. If we were to have a second baby, we would purchase the Bee6 carry cot and use the buggy board as a double buggy. 

Overall, I think the Bee6 is a fantastic buggy. It’s small but mighty. The quality and thought of the design are exceptional. It is my perfect buggy. I give it 9.5 out of 10 with the wish that Bugaboo looks at the basket design on the next model. 

 

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