Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)We now have two strollers:
The Bugaboo Cameleon bought in 06 and the BabyOrbit 07. I wanted to buy the Orbit last year but it was not available at the time + there were no reviews in comparison to all that's been written about the Bugaboo so we coughed up the coinage and bought a Cameleon. We received the BabyOrbit 2 months ago and here is the difference for those who wonder about the two strollers.
Right out of the box the Orbit was dead easy because it was already pre assembled-no tools- no watching a DVD or reading assembly instructions.Things we were unsure of were well laid out in the photo handbook that neatly zips away in the baby seat. We had to assemble things with the Bug and the line diagrams were a bit harder to read.
Impressions:
Excitedly, I took Maya out today for a 20 min walk just to try out the Orbit and compare specs to our Bugaboo Cameleon that is larger in fold mode going in/out of our trunk. Shannon said naturally without a thought..."Daddys gonna take you for an orbit"... and it was a good experience!
Immediately, the Orbit's unexpected strength other than the simple twist and stroller fold out launch, was the rotating hub. During my first walk, I must have rotated Maya 15 times; she just loved the rotating perspectives I was able to show her during our walk whether is was getting her eyes out of the bright sun light or away from cold winter breeze, just squeeze and rotate...simple.
With the Bugaboo, while I can with two hands bend over and unclick the seat locks then lift up and rotate Maya to one other position, in reality we don't do this very often because..A] the Bugaboo stroller seat a bit bulky to dead lift/ B] so one should lock the wheels and be on sure footing with room to rotate before performing a vertical lift/rotate and relock. This is much dicier if you have back problems. I don't do the 180 degree flip unless its really needed[ really windy-rainy or she is crying & bored], as Shannon is only 5'-1", she would rather not do it period preferring me rotate Maya.
In the Orbit all this becomes mute as functionality, design and ease merge to provide more than just the ability to rotate Maya easily as her field of view becomes a 360 degree perspective at the snap of a lever.
These new views kept Maya alert, quiet and happy[ she extended her leg and toes outwards so she could hold onto them throughout our walk as a sign of real contentment].
The Orbit's rotating hub innovation is truly a big leap in parent / toddler stroller ease of interaction. For anyone who has ever tried to strong arm a 20lb baby seat[ie Graco Snugride] into a car will attest- the task becomes a chore because you need to align the car seat at a 90 degree to your body[basicaly put the seat in over the base locking latches then relift over the latches till everything aligns and then locks inplace. The sideways lifting and fiddling can be hard on the arms or back.
With the Orbit, the seat goes into the car head first, pull up on the handle straps to gently guide the seat over the rotating base hub till unit clicks in place. Once secure the base carries all the weight as you simply rotate the seat until it locks into the travel position. If your baby crys or fidgets[especially waking up from a nap while the car is parked], simply rotate the seat to get easier access to her. Rotate the seat again when you are ready to take her out. What we love is this..as the seat rotates in any direction we can take her in and out from the passenger side or driver side with ease.
Superior build and wow factor. Being a Dad, I like cool well built things and the Orbit comes thru! Every detail is so well designed, I even enjoy using the sliding pod bag because its so easy to load and unload.
On the Buggaboo, their carry tray is quite awkward when you load and unload from your car. It doesn't swing free and takes up extra trunk area unless you unvelcro it from the stroller. If you leave it on or need more trunk space you need to tip it up but this causes stuff to fall out of the carry tray. With the Orbit, the pod is a carry bag that closes up so nothng falls out + it tucks up neatly when you collapse the unit.
The difference in trunk area between these two stollers side by side in our 4 door sedan?
The Orbit takes up 1/3 the trunk area and will fold up with a one handed lever twist= easy. The Cameleon Buggaboo takes up nearly 2/3's our trunk floor area and you need two hands to complete the fold. Relaunching the Bug is a learning curve. I'm fairly usefull at gadgets but the ingeniuos frame design of the Bug that allows different uses is also confusing to unfold. I finally "got it" after 12-15 launches! The designers would do well color coding the fold/ up/down direction of the aluminum support arms so novices and family can figure out how to unlatch it quickly without having to think or learn the process as it is not intuitive at all.
The Bug is slightly shorter in length so it can turn a bit easier. The ride of the Bug is softer especially over bumps due in part to better front wheels. For drivers the Bug ride is more Lexus while the Orbit more tighter like a BMW.
The Bug comes with a Bassinette which we used a few times. The Orbit comes with an integrated infant car seat with rock solid all metal locking base station that installs easily into vehicles with or with out infant seat latches. This design clearly surpases our old Graco Snugride in every way except weight. The Orbit infant is about 4-5 lbs heavier due to the extra padding & lateral protection. The shape of the shell is like a protective caccoon around our Maya/ the Graco is more open and exposed.
The Bug provides a bassinette instead of an infant car seat system. Both strollers have adjustable handles/ the Orbits has a more natural hand grip but the parking brake system requires two lever flips to lock as opposed a more convienent single lever on the Bug. We found the Bugs sun/rain shade a bit difficult to setup but the Orbit's literally a snap to use or tuck away.
The Orbit's is designed to transport infants and small toddlers about/ it has a comfortable resting angle but the seat does not recline like the Bug seat. The Bug is not as effective carrying infants outside of the bassinette but the seat has more room if your infant grows beyond 22 lbs. The Seats of both strollers are comfortable for Maya. As she is 9 mo old and has not outgrown the Orbit infant seat, we haven't tried the Orbit toddler seat addition which does recline.
In summary, both strollers are well designed, well built and without a direct comparison anyone would be tickled pink to own either stroller. However, after currently using both, I think the BabyOrbit provides better value in terms of the quality of materials used, the fit and finish of the details and more user friendly features in a more compact design. These are just a Dad's thoughts, if you have other experiences I would love to hear them.
Baby On!
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Stoller Frame, Car Seat and Car Seat Base are Included
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