Remember when I fell in love with Bumbleride almost two years ago? It seems so long ago – before I was even pregnant. & since I wasn’t pregnant, I pretended to be in the family way & waltzed into the local baby boutique to test drive the Bumblerides. & then when I was pregnant with Harpie, I plopped down the cash, then created the most horrifically awkward moment ever with the store owner after I lost the baby because the new models were coming out & I wasn’t pregnant anymore.
Yeah. Bumbleride & I go way back.
& I now have two – the Bumbleride Indie & the new Bumbleride Flite.
& I FREAKIN’ LOVE THEM.
Reasons We Bought Bumbleride
- To save the number of strollers we had to buy – versus purchasing a jogger & a travel system, we bought the Indie that could serve all purposes.
- Instead of being locked into a travel system, we got to pick which carseat we wanted since Graco, Chicco, Britax, & Peg Perego all fit into the Bumbleride to make a custom “travel-system.”
- The handlebar (shown below) can be adjusted up or down, which is perfect because we’re so tall – I don’t have to stoop to reach the bar!
- All of their strollers are light-weight & easy to fold – they also fold down super-small.
- Accessories – it came with a cold weather foot muff/bundle, cup holder, & rain shield.
We used the Indie since the day Harrison was born, since it reclines flat for a newborn or naps – look how tiny & fresh he was, at only a week old! Look how huge I was even though I felt tiny compared to what I had been!
This was our first walk. & The Momma asked me the entire time how my pelvic floor was feeling although to this day, I still have no idea what that means. But considering my uterus didn’t drop out of my body ten steps into the walk, I think it means my pelvic floor was a-okay for the exercise. We’ve come a long way since the gentle walks of newborns.
The Indie is PERFECT if you are a light runner – like maybe a jog in the middle of your walk, a few times per week. It’s smooth, solid, & easy to push. My family mocked me for dropping the cash on such a stroller until they pushed it – & realized how smooth it was in comparison to others.
note-worthy: it is not a standard jogging stroller. but since I only run for a) charity or b) when someone is chasing me, it’s perfect.
Simply keep the wheel unlocked for all-terrain, walks, & navigating the mall, then push the pin in place to lock the wheel & run. It takes five seconds, max.
Unfortunately, it’s not absolutely perfect. Because it is long. It is bulky like any big stroller. & even though it can turn on a dime when the front wheel isn’t locked, I still slam into people & doors when out in public. So enter the Flite, Bumbleride’s newest member of the family:
13 pounds of GORGEOUS, my friends. & look how tiny it folds:
A quick kick of the bar, pull on the tabs, & then fold down & snap secure. Toss in trunk.
It’s a smooth ride, especially for an umbrella stroller, & I love that it’s not too “short” for my long stride. I had a devil of a time selecting an umbrella stroller because I was constantly kicking the backs of Chicco, Jeep, etc. & that simply wouldn’t do. But with the Flite, the wheel base is set far enough away from me that I don’t have to mince steps or break a toe.
Complaints: 1) The clips to keep it folded are a PAIN IN THE ASS to unfold. I broke a nail & nearly a year’s worth of the curse-word-quota for the universe in the first five minutes of figuring out how to unhook it. So I don’t hook it anymore. 2) The basket has to be approached from the front. It’s big enough, which is great, but I’m used to slinging stuff from behind the stroller. Not a biggie, but something to get used to.
Harrison looks comfy, yes?
Sophie, on the other hand, looks squished.
&, of course, the mother of all important things: SAFETY! Because it wouldn’t be 2010 without worrying that an alien will drop out of the sky & wreak havoc on our offspring if there are no hard-core safety measures & warnings intact on all baby gear. Fear not – I give you the five-point harness:
Try getting out of those suckers, Harrison. Although…personally, when it comes to stroller safety, I tend to think it’s more operational than structure. Unless you’re running down an interstate. & even that is operational.
In all seriousness, I love these strollers. LOVE. Would highly recommend to anyone, anytime. They’re beautifully made, smooth as butter, & darn pretty to look at. Oh, & did I mention their customer service? Outstanding. Unfortunately, my Indie had a mildly bent frame & when we contacted Bumbleride, they immediately remedied the problem with the newer, more expensive frame to no cost to me. & they did it quickly, with absolute grace as a company. I couldn’t ask for better.
o
the Bumbleride Indie was purchased back in 2008 with my own hard-earned cash money. it was (& is) lovingly used. Bumbleride was a dear & supplied the Flite for my review at no cost to me since I adore my Indie oh-so-much. but they didn’t supply my opinion.
oh, & the Indie is in the “spice” color; Flite is shown in “ruby.”
We have the indie twin and love it. I use it on the trails all the time and in while shopping. It is an amazing stroller and I too would reccomend it!
We have a new baby on the way. It’s been 15.5yrs since I’ve had a baby, ALOT has changed! Glad you did this review. I’m clueless as to what’s out there now!
So jealous of your Flite! I have the Bumbleride Indie Twin and lurve it. I’d buy a double Flite in a heartbeat (do you hear that Bumbleride? Make one!).
I don’t even have kids and I want one of these after reading this. Great review!
THANK YOU for this review. (Yes, I needed to yell.) I want this stroller. I have massive ammounts of lust in my heart for this stroller. Alas, I am a tightwad. The more I read about this, the more I think I need it. It really is exactly what I need and your review highlighted that.
I would make out with you if I wasn’t an Internet Stranger.
I could only find one problem with Bumbleride strollers: they don’t fit in the back of my Scion xB. BIG bummer. =(
Shasta, the Flite will fit! We have a Scion xB as well – the Indie doesn’t fit when the back seats are up, but the Flite will. We keep the Indie in my car & the Flite in Nate’s.
I actually won a bumbleride flite about 2 months ago. At the time we were expecting and then we lost our baby at 9 weeks. We were expecting the arrival of the winnings and when it did arrive, we were thrilled!
It was so easy to put together, we strolled it around our living room to give it a try and fell in love. My husband even liked it and he’s super tall too.
Lucky for us, we also got the carry cot, for a future wee one. Now we just have to work on getting my body back into gear and try again.
Great review! We have the ruby too! Great choice!
Thanks for the review. I really like the looks of the stroller but Consumer Reports gave it poor ratings (especially in safety). It is useful to hear how someone who has used the stroller finds them.
I seriously started looking at these strollers when I was 15. No lie. I’ve always been a baby girl & sucker for nice quality things. I love your review & the pictures.
Dude, this is one of those times that you TOTALLY should have done a giveaway lol
I have never heard of this brand but I waaaaant! I used a huge bulky Graco travel system for the first 5 or 6 months of Parker’s life and now I have a Circo umbrella stroller. They worked great and I was happy in my stroller ignorance, but you have opened my eyes to what could have been and I am SO JEALOUS!
Hey, just came across your blog. Like the picture at the top, gives it a personable touch.
Interesting. I like the Indie too, but there aren’t any local stores in my area that carry it. I tested out the BJ City Elite and it seems like a close comparison.
Thank you so much for this review. I’m an Bumbleride addict and there is no baby in my ute, nor has there ever been……
(Yes, my phantom baby wish list is long my friend, long indeed)
How very interested that you posted this today! I’ve been following your blog for quite some time and am in need a new (double) stroller. I’ve spent the last 2 days reading consumer reviews online and I’m still no further ahead.
I will have to look into whether it is available in Canada (apparently our safety standards are higher and so we don’t have as many products to choose from)!
Thanks for the review, there’s a very strong possibility I’ll be buying one based on your opinion alone!
I am waiting for the extra $700 to buy the twin indie!! Tell your bumbleride people that there is a girl with hella kids in CA that LOVES to review!
I am currently expecting my first and super-lusting after the Indie in Spice – still trying to convince the hubs. Thanks for the review! I’ll have to show him.
I’m a month away from my due date and received the Indie as a shower gift. I cannot wait to put him in it. So far I’ve just toured the driveway with the cat. He is very patient with me. He’s also test-ridden the swing, the crib (to my displeasure) and a hand-me-down umbrella stroller. Anywho… I did a lot of research on jogging/all-terrain strollers and I felt that Bumbleride did the best at meeting both needs. A stroller that can go for walks and light jogs, and not be too cumbersome for general use. I’m soooo looking forward to trying it out with our actual son, not our feline one. Glad to hear you like the Flite, too!
Hmmmmm though I def heart my Chicco travel system and my Bob jogging stroller – perhaps the bumbleride would have been a smarter choice. Kudos for being a smart cookie!
I = jealous of your free Flight. The husband banned me from buying another stroller (we only have 2, swear!).
I love it! lucky!
You totally just made me wish I had the Indie. Adorable! Harry could not get any cuter. Seriously.
First, I just wanted to say that Harrison has to be one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen (after my 2 of course
Seriously, he could be a baby model. I’m surprised you haven’t had sponsors asking to use him in their ads!
Also, I’m jealous of your Flight! I looove Bumbleride strollers. We bought the Indie when we had our first son and the Indie Twin when we had our second. You might want to consider the latter when you get around to having #2
Seriously going shopping today.
I have the Flyer, and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I did not get an infant carrier–it seemed impractical bc I am so painfully short that I would never be able to put it on the top of a shopping cart or anything–and it was nice to be able to reverse the handle on the Flyer so that she was facing me in those early days
Those are some cute strollers. Does Harrison have issues with the recline in the Indie? We have a different brand of urban-jogger and I think my little guy doesn’t like the angle (even at the most upright setting.) He’s always pulling on the bar to sit up more. He seems to prefer my parents crappy Evenflo because of the almost vertical seatback position. It seems like every 3-wheeler has that issue as a matter of design.
I wasn’t as impressed with any of the Bublerides, but I am glad they have worked for you. I love my BOB and use it for EVERYTHING, from infant with the car seat to now on our daily 3-4 mile jogs and even in stores. I’d say strollers are all about finding the perfect fit FOR YOU.
Can you put a car seat in the Flite? My sister has an Indie and it’s great now, but you can’t have the baby facing you, and she was always checking on him when he was a newborn.
Yes, you can use any carseat in the Flite!
SHUT UP!!!! Just registered for the Indie Bumbleride in Spice! Did you read that on my registry post? If not, it just goes to show great minds truly think alike.
Love you dahling and can’t wait to hear all about your weekend. (I sent you a text I was so freakin excited for you.)
Mwah!
Amy
Did you ever use the infant car seat with it? If so, when did you switch?
Just bought our Bumbleride on Friday. I freaking love this thing.