You might recall, we tried out a new stroller—the Bumbleride Flite—in Paris, and left our own (a Bugaboo Bee) at home. As much as I love our Bee, I’d always been curious about umbrella strollers—especially for cities where one might be using a lot of public transportation—and Bumbleride got in touch to see if we wanted to give the Flite, their most lightweight and travel-ready stroller, a spin.
I was immediately impressed. Because I have to admit, I love our Bee and think it’s pretty darn awesome (newborn to toddler, lightweight and compact, long and extendable handles, yada yada), and I couldn’t help but compare the two non-stop. But it’s an expensive stroller—nearly $700 before you’ve even bought the carseat adapter or added in extras like a cupholder. So when I found that the Flite, which costs $270 and includes the carseat adapter and cup holder, boasted many of the same features I had sought in the Bee, I was pleasantly surprised!
Here are some key stats about the Bumbleride Flite, in case you’re interested.
Weight: 14 lbs
Capacity: 50 lbs (which I found was 50th percentile roughly around 6 years, even if it’s highly unlikely you’ll use a stroller at that age)
Seat dimensions: 12′ wide, with a backrest height of 20″ but a seat to canopy range of 25″ (which is quite tall!)
Pros:
- Lightweight, especially for such a feature-driven travel stroller (3lbs less than the comparable Maclaren Techno XT and 4lbs less than the Bugaboo Bee)
- Tall handle bars—40″ from ground—slope back at a steep angle for long strides. (Aron is 6’8″ and could push it fairly comfortably.)
- Deep recline.
- Universal carseat adapter included (along with raincover and upholder). Be sure to check website for your infant carseat, however.
- Collapses easily with automatic lock and has an attached side handle and an attachable shoulder strap for carrying on-the-go.
- Lockable front and back wheels.
- Attractive color choices, with a sturdy SPF 45 canopy. Includes a peek-window.
- Good price point, especially when compared to other strollers with such a wide age range. (Newborn to four or five?)
Cons:
- Strap-recline rather than levers. Fine once you get used to it, but we found it a bit harder to get as tight and upright with the strap.
- Shallow basket (which could also be made of stronger mesh). You’ll notice we’re usually using a backpack with the stroller; we could only usually fit our Ergo and a few other small items (a jacket or bottle of milk) in the basket—but I do believe this is fairly typical of umbrella strollers.
- 5-point harness has a breakaway feature—which is intended to be a pro to prevent entanglements or to allow for 3-point use with older children, but we found this a bit cumbersome at times.
Hudson is at the age now where he’d generally prefer to walk (or, as you saw in our Paris travelogue, jump), so we increasingly go places without a stroller. But it would be nice knowing that this one could grow with a child (even a tall one like Hudson, at the 90th percentile for height) for a few more years—especially for instances like travel abroad, when an umbrella stroller is a nice option.
It’s definitely a model I’d suggest to a friend looking for a great all-around, lightweight travel stroller that doesn’t cost an arm-and-a-leg.
Now the best news: Bumbleride is giving away one Bumbleride Flite to a lucky reader!
A Few Details on the Giveaway:
- You can earn entries in a multitude of ways. Just check the contest widget below and follow instructions there.
- Contest only open to US residents.
- Only requirement for entry is to visit the Bumbleride website and then leave a comment here on the blog with which color of Flite you’d like if you’re so lucky as to win.
- Be sure to use the widget below. It’s how I’m tracking all the entries for the giveaway (and you’ll have some additional ways earn entries!).
That’s it! Here we go! Good luck!
451 Comments