Bugaboo Cameleon Seat & Carry cot
I don’t know about your household, but in mine it’s my husband who is the “instruction reader”. I like to think I’m more “intuitive” but in reality that translates as “lazy” when it comes to reading instructions on how to use new products. As a result shiny, new toys can like smart phones and iPads lie around in my possession for months before my husband shows me how to use them “properly”. So when we got the new Bugaboo Cameleon before the birth of our first child I was sure my husband would be the first to read the instructions and then translate it into a simple demonstration for me.
I had heard that the Bugaboo Cameleon was the pram of choice for first mothers mostly because of its dizzying array of options (hence the name). I couldn’t imagine being in a situation where I would use all the settings! But the first time I got my hands on the pram and started putting it through its paces I found in fact it was very “intuitive” – the perfect pram for lazy instruction readers!
The real key to mastering the Cameleon are the two oblong shaped buttons on the side and the large circular buttons– these really are why it’s so easy to use. The carrycot and the seat just clip in and out. And turning the whole thing around to be front or back facing is super simple. Once you see how easy these are to manipulate – its plain sailing. Not wanting to make a fool of myself I spent a little time getting to know the pram before I even had the baby – and I’m so glad I did it. When I watched the video demo there were so many things you could do I thought I’d never remember them all – but when I actually did them myself they were MUCH easier.
Carrycot
I’ll start with the carrycot – because lets face it – for the first couple of months this is where young mothers will have it set. A friend had complained to me about the Mountain Buggy Terrain because she found it difficult to reconfigure from front to back, and she couldn’t get the backwards view with the carry cot. This is why I was recommended the Bugaboo Cameleon. And it was perfect – so easy to move from front to back depending on whether you want the baby facing you or not. And what is more so easy to move from city to all terrain (big pneumatic wheels forward to take the bumps). The city version is great for the shopping aisle whereas my husband who sets out on longer walks in the park with the dog prefers the all terrain. The only downside to the carrycot is that it’s hard to get access to the storage bag – but this gets much easier when you move to the seat. The real beauty of the carry cot – besides being roomy and soft – is the hood. When you don’t want it - the fold is really efficient. It doesn’t stick up at all. And when you do need it the hood simply springs back into place and is easy to drape sunshades and rain sheets over. Because it’s so easy to clip out of the pram mechanism we hardly ever woke our baby when we got home or to our destination.
Seat
Once you’ve changed the seat from the carrycot (this requires reading the instructions) this is the best part of the Cameleon. So easy to go from forwards to backwards and with loads of tilting options its always possible to keep your baby comfortable.
Storage
The under seat basket is a little difficult to access from the carry cot position, but super easy once the seat is on. Again friends warned me about storage that does not close up, or sags. With a fixed curve very little falls out – but the narrow openings can make it hard to access. That being said I have heard horror stories of favourite toys falling out during trips, so perhaps the safe nature of the Cameleon makes it all worthwhile.
Suspension
This is where the husbands really love the Cameleon. As another new mum who owns the Cameleon said “my partner liked the Bugaboo Cameleon the best of all the strollers he tried mainly because it was as beautifully made as an automobile (it has suspension and big wheels) and its fit to travel over rough terrain”. This pretty much says it all – the pneumatic wheels (they come with a fitting so can use a bicycle pump to inflate them) and the suspension make this a very comfortable ride - even over uneven terrain. While this may not be the ultimate jogging pram, it is certainly up there as a walking pram.
Manoeuvrability
Again the European design and attention to detail on the Cameleon make this a highlight. The turning circle is really impressive – great not only for shopping centres and the supermarket, but also great for getting in and out of the hallway at home.
Folding
There is the drawback of having to detach the seat before you can fold it up. Also the Cameleon is quite heavy which makes lifting it into the car a bit of a mission. I’m not sure I’d want to be trying to get it on and off a bus anytime soon. But the actual mechanism to fold it up is dead easy, and it compacts down pretty well. It disappears In the back of our 4 wheel drive and the dog (or should I say mini-horse) manages to squeeze in also.
Shade Canopy/ Rain Canopy
As I mentioned before the hood on the carrycot is awesome, and it’s great on the seat too. One thing to note – this is a European product where their sun is not as blazing as ours. You’ll still need the muslin cloth to drape over just in case. The rain canopy is just as easy to get on and off – light and useful.
Value for money
There is no doubt the Bugaboo Cameleon is at the pricey end of the market. It doesn’t help that Gwyneth Paltrow and SJP were regularly snapped pushing them round the streets of Manhattan. But as friends who have finished using theirs have pointed out – well taken care of prams from non-smoking, non-pet homes are selling on eBay for upwards of $950. So with that kind of resale they represent great value for money – especially for new mothers who don’t really know yet which of the options (city, all terrain, beach), backwards, forwards etc they are going to use. We bought it mainly because we didn’t know – and have been really pleasantly surprised!
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