Bugaboo Bee Plus Review Update

I wanted to revisit my earlier review of the Bugaboo Bee Plus, because at the end of my review period I was really left sitting on the fence! The Bugaboo Bee Plus has been with our family now for several more months….and we have no plans for it to go….so that has to be a positive!!

I dont think much has changed from my initial review, but let me update you.

We are using the Bugaboo Bee Plus mainly as a car based pushchair – ie its in the boot of the car and it is used for our 23 month old when we walk into nursery or into swimming, the doctors, to nip into a shop or playgroup etc. So we don’t walk very far with it at all. Nor to be honest would I want to walk very far with it. For me, personally, the Bee is too light as a walking pushchair. The wheels are too narrow. They get stuck on every bump, edge, protruding brick or edge – a slightly bigger pushchair would simply ride over these minor obstacles.  The Bee gets stuck in the gutters in the swimming pool changing rooms for example. When we come down the small slope outside nursery, one wheel is off the ground by the time we reach the bottom. I would rather choose another pushchair to walk more for any distance, to be honest (unless it was around a smooth shopping mall).

But for what we use the Bugaboo Bee for, and our particular set of circumstances, to be honest, the Bee is serving us very well,.

What do I like?

I like the narrowness of the Bee although I do sometimes misjudge that the front is wider than the rear. It slides into a room without filling it. It looks small and neat as well, and perception is good in small spaces and on buses!

I love the easy fold and unfold. I love that the Bee can be folded parent facing without any additional bulk to the fold. I have finally mastered the fine art of folding the Bee without the seat falling off. I know how to turn the seat around now without getting cross with it! I can also now, on a good day, open the Bee parent facing without falling over or having to lean on the car!! Although I do still lean on the car sometimes!

I really like that the harness and crotch strap can be adjusted to be absolutely right for my son. There is never a hint of slouching or him looking uncomfortable.

I love that when my son falls asleep, I can (all be it with a big tug – it is a bit stiff) pull the seat out to the full extension so that I can tuck his legs up so that he can sleep flat.

I like that I can fold the handle down in tight spaces eg changing rooms, nursery cloakroom.

I like that when the handle is low enough, my toddler can push her brother (she often asks) and the Bee is light enough for her to steer effectively.

I am warming to the basket on the Bee - It is bigger than you think and its a great basket for cramming things in! I don’t like that the basket opens forward facing. but to be honest our Bee seat is almost always parent facing, thus having the basket front opening is useful for us. I don’t like the access between the child’s legs when forward facing though. I like that its easy to post my keys through the tiny opening at the rear, so that I always know where they are.

I love the customisable nature of the Bee – we have put a Special Edition Electric Blue Bugaboo hood on and it looks fab!

We have added an organiser to the rear of the seat which is brilliant additional storage. We believe there is room to add another one on as well!

What do I not like?

As I said at the start of this review, I am not keen on the almost rickety feeling I get when pushing the Bee Plus. I often find myself checking if the chassis has fully locked (there are indicators). For what we use the Bee for, it is perfect, but I much much prefer a more robust pushchair for walking to the shops with.

Although its probably irrational, I worry about damaging the Bee more than other pushchairs. It just doesn’t seem as robust as other pushchairs. It does fill my boot up more than TBH I would like – it doesn’t lie neatly either. It does cause us issues when shopping because to be honest I am usually happy to put shopping around a chassis or in a seat unit, but not with the Bee. We are going on holiday and although the Beee would really be ideal to take, I think it will take up more room in the car boot, plus I would be worried about damaging it. Although it may sound strange, but the Cameleon and the Donkey are both easier to pack around in the car.

I still have to think twice when reclining the seat to make sure that I dont push the back rest down.

I have seen traces of wheel shimmy. I think this would annoy if I were to take the Bee any serious distance, but I don’t! So I can live with that unless it gets any worse.

We haven’t put a seat liner or footmuff on since we have had the Bee because we understand it isn’t easy to do, and the weather at present is so changeable. I wish that it was easy to add a footmuff though because we could have done with one this spring!

So all round, I am still sitting on the fence, but probably more on the side of liking the Bee than not! For what we need it for, the Bugaboo Bee is suiting our needs. It could not be our only pushchair though simply because it is too light and could not cope with anything that we wanted to do with it, unlike the Cameleon or the Donkey has done for our family. We can take the latter two anywhere! So for now the Bee can stay a little longer!