Thursday, July 15, 2010

Bugaboo vs. BOB - a stroller review

I think it's safe to say that when you're excited about a stroller comparison for your blog, you are officially moving into mommy blogging territory. Whoops! When did that happen?

But I'm so beside myself with joy now that we have a BOB that I had to share. Mostly because for other pregnant ladies out there, I thought you might enjoy a comparison.



I shall begin by saying that I am coming from a v. biased place at the moment. We got our BOB on Friday and I haven't so much as sniffed in the direction of the Bugaboo since then. But I will also say that the Bugaboo is a great stroller. It's gorgeous and smooth and fun to drive and served as Dashiell's bed for his first 4 months. Which is why I thought this post might be helpful for moms to be who are pondering the great stroller debate.


Bugaboo

Love it because it's convertible. We used the bassinet as a bed for 4 months and snapped the carseat on the wheels when we needed a stroller. I felt so smug about not buying a separate bassinet for the house, especially since our house is tiny and we don't need anymore furniture. I highly recommend this option if you plan to buy a Bugaboo or any of the other stroller systems out there. It's also great for walking around town, shopping, and light strolling. But it's a big stroller. And when you attach the cup holder (which is essential), beware of door frames and people's pockets. Seriously. the first day I had it on the stroller, I was walking into the post office and snagged a man's pocket on the way in. He's all, "OH, hey hey!" as I dragged him along with me. AWKWARD.

The downside is that it's expensive. And it's not GREAT for legit walking. It's fine, but you get held up by rough road and cracks and such. And I'm afraid it's going to spend many a month packed up in the garage until Melanie and Sky have a baby. At which point I am forcing them to use it as their first stroller because making it the family Bugaboo is the only way I can feel okay with abandoning it until our next baby. Plus, if you're an active person and intend to get a BOB anyway, you might consider going straight for the jogger. Also, it's two pieces and kind of annoying to collapse.


BOB

Words cannot express how much I love our BOB. It's so smooth and agile and takes cracks in sidewalks like a champ. It has a massive sunshade and the storage basket is open, which makes it WAY easier to use. (The Bugaboo storage has a drawstring top that is always getting in the way). It collapses like a dream and is just one piece, which makes wrestling with it in the car so much more manageable. It's half the price of a Bugaboo and of course you can run with it, which is awesome. Plus it loves the beach. Because I can't resist posting a photo of Judah and his little headband, here he is on the beach with our BOB in the background:



On top of all of that, it just feels more like me. I think that's maybe the most important part. Finding a stroller that feels like you, because let's face it, it becomes part of your identity. In my heart, I'm an active camping running kind of girl who is happy sitting around in sweaty running clothes all day on the weekend.

If I would have known this before we had a baby, I think I would have opted to skip the Bugaboo altogether and get the carseat attachment for the BOB. But this first go, we are learning on the fly.

If you do get a BOB, I would also highly recommend the warm fuzzy seat liner and the cup holder. Even when it's warm out, the faux sheepskin is supposed to keep baby cooler than the regular seat. But we'll see about that now that summer has set upon us with a vengeance.

Last week it was 64 and overcast and now it's bright and sunny and 80. Yessss.

That wasn't the greatest comparison, was it? Bottom line, figure out what kind of stroller you need. But if you're going to get a jogger/walker anyway and you don't have endless money to spend on baby things, consider going straight for the BOB.

16 comments:

Kristen said...

I love my BOB so much that I did a little "gasp!" when I saw your blog this morning! We have a double BOB and even though people comment when they see little-ole-me lifting that badboy out of the back of my car to take a run on the beach, I think it is the easiest thing in the world. My 4 and 2.5 year old still lounge in it for a jog on the strand. I second BOB love!

LisaB said...

We went for the Uppababy Vista, which we love but is also not cheap. It does great on rough road and folds up way easier than the Bugaboo, but I'm not sure it works for jogging. It's also one piece and has an open storage basket, like the BOB. We did the basinette-as-bed thing until four months, which I agree is great--not only for limiting the number of spendy + ugly baby furnishings, but also for ease of moving a sleeping baby from room to room. Now he rides around in the chair attachment, which reclines and adjusts in so many different ways I think he'll basically fit in it right through high school.

christina said...

thank you so much, kristina! we actually got an chicco infant seat & snap & go for the first few months and a bob. that's it. i'm hoping to just use the infant seat & snap & go until she's big enough for the bob (unfortunately, the bob infant seat attachment does not work with the chicco & i really wanted to stick with the chicco infant seat)...

so thanks for this. the bob is still in the box in our hallway, but your post definitely made me feel better about my choices!! thanks!!

Britt said...

I LOVE our BOB! I have the same one as you, even same color. We have used it since my little man was born, just got the car seat adapter for it! We are runners and wanted a stroller that would serve all of our needs...the BOB has done that and more! All the other strollers mentioned are good too but you can't run with them (not to mention cost). Plus, my husband loves itnas much as me because it's more rugged looking! Can't wait to get the double someday:) thanks for the post!

morgan said...

thank you SO much for posting about strollers! As a mom-to-be, it has been one of the most confusing things to figure out. We have been leaning towards an UppaBaby & a BOB, but now that I read this, I'm wondering if we can't make do with just the Bob! You are awesome for writing about strollers. thanks again :)

cake and cider said...

judah is one of my favorite names for a boy. and his hair (and headband) are gorgeous! what a little hipster. :)

morgan said...

sorry, left a false URL last time :)
-Morgan

Carrie said...

Does BOB have a carseat adapter? If not, do you just take D. out of his car seat (even if he is sleeping) and put him in the BOB? I love the BOB, but my husband wants a stroller where the carseat pops in and out.

carolina postcard said...

Gotta say I'm a BOB fan too. My bambino is only a few weeks old, but we've cruised around the farm with the car seat adapter and love it. Great for gravel roads, and bumps in the grass :)

Anonymous said...

We bought a Bumbleride Indie which is another jogger like the BOB. It's awesome! You can either pop the carseat in there or actually put the newborn in there from the start if you wanted to. It looks sleek and it folds down to be super compact. I personally find it to look smaller and less bulky than the BOB so I don't feel bad walking into stores and restaurants with it. The BOB is really large. You can pop it open with one arm. Great color choices too. I believe it is lighter than the BOB, maybe as much as 5 lbs. But please note, I am not a BOB owner so I haven't compared the 2. I would recommend test driving both and making your decision from there.

ASM said...

Kristina, thank you so much for this post. We currently own a BOB and just recently ordered the Bugaboo for comparison and possible BOB replacement :( We love our BOB but we are having issues with the seat losing shape causing our son to slump. He loved this stroller, as did we, it handles everything wonderfully, but now at 18 months he is very uncomfy and constantly pulling himself forward or turning sideways and his head is surrounded by all the canopy/safety fabric at the top. I'm definitely interested in seeing how the Bug handles in comparison to our beloved BOB. Thanks again for putting your opinion out there!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your post. I found it super helpful and informative! Keep the tips coming!

Wedding Favor said...

Hey,

Sweet Baby, Wanna Mountain Climbing....he he he

Very lovely... :)

www.encontactos.com said...

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baby care said...

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Anonymous said...

I have a Bugaboo Donkey and I LOVE it! I use it every single day. We take it for walks, runs, on wooded trails, snow etc. It is fabulous! We love its all terrain ability and have tested it to the max. It has 3 seat positions which is fabulous and great for comfort. There is an upright, reclined and fluky reclined option. We love that because on long hikes our little one can go from being fully engaged in the adventure to taking a siesta while mom and dad take trails by storm. Our little guy LOVES it! We also love the seat can face in and out!

We have had 2 friends with BOBs. One had a mono and then bought a duo with her second child. She liked it well enough, but we wanted to avoid buying 2 strollers. The Donkey coverts from mono to duo and back in a snap.

Our 2nd friend didn't use hers much. Her son was uncomfortable in it. The recline was awkward.

Unless something has changed, I don't believe a Bob can be used before 6 mos of age without a car seat attachment as it does not fully recline.

We wanted a safe, comfortable, all terrain stroller that could grow with our family. We love it!