REASONS TO BUY
Smaller unique fold
Easy car seat attachment
REASONS TO AVOID
Price
Inadequate storage limit
Bugaboo Bee5 Combo Review
Expensive, high-end option that has easy car seat attachment but is not great in the long run
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: Best Stroller and Car Seat Combos
The Skinny
The Bugaboo Bee5 is a quality full-size stroller with urban styling and a fancy overall feel. It has a lighter weight and smaller fold than much of the competition and connecting the car seat carrier is unbelievably easy and straightforward it does all but attach itself. However, in all other ways, this stroller is generally average. It has limited storage capacity, smaller wheels, a difficult assembly, and a higher price than products that score higher in our tests. While we admit it is a standout for car seat attachment, we think there are better overall choices to in the lineup.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Bugaboo brand is a high-end creator of baby gear. Launching in 1994, Bugaboo designs stylish strollers with a focus on what the company calls "game-changing" products. Bugaboo's hope is to help families find style and comfort in their gear.
Performance Comparison
We tested our Bee5 with the Chicco Keyfit 30 and Chicco adapter which proved to be an excellent pairing and easy connection.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Attaching Car Seat
The Bee5 is compatible with a variety of top infant car seat brands including some seats from Chicco, Britax, Maxi Cosi, Cybex, and Nuna. We tested the Bee 5 with the Chicco Keyfit 30.
The Chicco adapter requires some assembly including four screwss that need a screwdriver to finish. This adapter is one of the few we've seen that requires tools. You do need to remove the seat and canopy but this is very easy. The Adapter is a loop style and the carrier truly just falls into place without so much as a hiccup and it is by far the easiest option in the group to connect. It feels secure and you can't install it wrong.
The Bee5 has a unique fold that pushes in on itself and sort of collapses.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Weight and Folded Size
This option is a minimal frame stroller after the removal of the toddler seat and canopy with a weight of only 16 lbs. This makes it one of the smaller options in the group ad certainly one that wouldn't be too challenging to lift.
It also has a comparatively smaller fold at 8,685 cubic inches. This size makes it one of the smaller options that aren't a true frame stroller by design.
Maneuverability
This stroller sports all-wheel suspension and locking from wheels for straight movement over the bumpiness of life. Unfortunately, though, thee Bee5 is still challenging to push and turn and while flat surfaces are a breeze anything off-road like carpet, grass, and gravel are significantly harder thanks to the smaller size of the wheels. This option definitely feels like it was designed with the urban environment in mind with tight turning capabilities, but at least in our tests didn't fare well off-road.
Ease of Use
The Bee5 is average for ease of use compared to the competition, which is disappointing for the price.
Folding the Bee5 starts with unlocking the frame.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Fold and Unfold
The unique fold on the Bee5 includes unlocking the stroller on the frame and sort of pushing it down into itself until it collapses on itself. This stroller locks automatically, but it doesn't stand or roll like similarly priced options.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Brakes
The Bee5 has single-action brakes you press to set with a plastic pedal. The pedal lifts from underneath to release which can be challenging for open-toed shoes or nicer footwear.
The Bee5's storage bin is large with great access but it has a limit of only 8.8 lbs which is not enough for most diaper bags.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Storage
The bin has a limited maximum capacity of only 8.8 lbs. So while it might fit a larger size diaper bag, your bag is likely to be heavier than the limit of the basket, which is a shame. You definitely won't be running errands or picking up groceries with this ride.
Sunshade
The sunshade needs to be removed from the Bee5 before you can pair it with a car seat carrier.
Ease of Setup
The Bee5 takes longer to assemble than almost any other stroller we've ever built. With a 12 minute assembly time with a professional stroller builder, we worry the average parent is really going to struggle.
The documentation is poor for the price of the product with the multi-language on the same page design that makes things hard to follow. The manual includes information on putting parts together that aren't required.
The loop style adapter we tested attaches easily to the Bee5 frame.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Quality
The Bee 5 is nice quality with a sturdy frame and connection points that are not rickety and wheels that don't wobble. The fabric is thick and durable but still comfy to the touch. We were able to snag the canopy material so you'll want to use caution when you remove it for car seat connection. The foam-filled rubber wheels could be larger for better maneuverability but the overall fit and finish are better than most of the options in the same price range.
Manufacturer's Video
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Wendy Schmitz, and BabyGearLab Review Team
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