Bugaboo Bee 3 Review ⋆ Nicola Says

A light, portable stroller perfect for trips around town

We’ve been using the Bugaboo Bee 3 for a little while now so I thought I’d introduce you to it, run through some plus points and explain why it’s our favourite pushchair yet.

The Bee 3 by Bugaboo is the most-recent-but-one pushchair in the Bee series, billed as a ‘the urban pushchair’. It sits alongside the all-terrain Buffalo, iconic Cameleon and convertible Donkey in the collection.

It’s a lightweight, portable stroller that is perfect for city living. Or if, like us, you have a small house or an even smaller car boot.

Available in a staggering 64 different colour combinations, the Bee really is a pushchair you can make your own. Ours is the aluminium frame version but you can also buy black, and choose from four different seat colours and eight hood colours.

Bugaboo Bee 3 Features

Suitable from birth (with cocoon or carrycot) to 17kg
Extendable sun canopy
Adjustable seat unit to grow with your child
6in durable foam rubber tyres, swivel or lock
Five point harness with adjustable straps
22l capacity basket with front + back access
Machine washable fabrics
Weight: 8.7kg
Folded size: 85x45x32 cm

Small + light

The Bee 3 is a pushchair which fits happily into our car boot, but importantly it’s also great for public transport. I use the bus a lot if it’s just me out with the kids do this is a big plus point. It’s also light enough to collapse quickly and carry if you’re on the bus or tube.

Beautifully designed

I find that the design of Bugaboo pushchairs is a bit marmite. Personally I love the way this one looks and appreciate the smooth, curved lines and little details like the use of white to show that the part does something – like the brake.

Versatile

We have a newborn and a nearly three year old and they’re both happy and comfortable in the stroller. It’s great for changing it up on the go too – if you use the cocoon you can simply pop in the basket if your other kid is too tired to walk. And carry the baby, of course. There are plenty of adjustments for seat height, canopy and handlebar height making it perfect for most kids and parents.

Easy maintenance

Another thing we love about Bugaboos is how easy they are to clean and maintain. All fabrics are simple to remove and machine washable, so no worrying about keeping them pristine. The frame and wheels are sturdy, but replacement parts can be bought easily from their online store. You also get a X year warranty if buying new.

Smooth ride

On most surfaces around town you’ll get a pretty smooth ride from the Bee 3. It’s a joy to push along pavements, in shops and on most flat surfaces. It’s not designed for heavy use on cobbles or trekking across fields but will cope with a little of most things if you need it to.

Challenging on rough ground

This is a city stroller so don’t expect great results on difficult ground like sand, cobblestone or grass. If you need something all-terrain try Bugaboo’s Buffalo.

Expensive

The Bee 3 isn’t a cheap pushchair. The good news is there’s a thriving second hand market for Bugaboo pushchairs, which is how we picked up ours – expect to pay around £300-375 depending on condition.

Low height

We love that the Bee 3 is low to the ground, but this isn’t something for everyone. It’s not the pushchair for you if you want your newborn close to your face, but we haven’t found any bad effects from our little one being closer to the world.

It’s not for everyone but the Bee 3 is definitely our favourite pushchair so far. It beats most others hands down when it comes to a small, lightweight parent-facing pushchair – especially if you need it from birth.

The Bee 3 is no longer the latest version, which means it’s really affordable to pick up second hand – try Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay to find one near you.

You can buy the most recent version, the Bee 5, from a number of retailers including Amazon and John Lewis & Partners.