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The Ruk-Bug Migration at the Harrogate Nursery Fair 2015

One of the highlights of the Harrogate Nursery Fair was seeing the Ruk-Bug Migration in its more finished prototype.

We first saw the Ruk-Bug Migration at Harrogate back in 2012, and the transformation from then, to now, has been amazing. It is almost unrecognisable!
The pushchair looked beautiful. Unusual, but very well finished. There is a good quality feel to it.
The chassis looked great. We love the curve that leads up from the rear wheel towards the centre of the pushchair, and onwards and upwards to the handlebar.

There were three chunky wheels with a sturdy brake. We were really pleased to see ‘go anywhere’ wheels on such a small pushchair, because we can see the Ruk-Bug Migration really working well in a variety of different circumstances. Good wheels are always a bonus! There was also a good footrest.

The seat sits upright or can be reclined. The hood was a good size, and the rear of the seat was enclosed when the seat was reclined. The harness is fully adjustable, and it has a revolutionary buckle which was really amazing.

The buckle is worthy of a paragraph on it’s own, because it was magnetic!! A slider button releases the magnets, but then the magnets were really easy to drop back into position. To be honest, you only needed to put the magnets nearby, for them to drop into the correct hole themselves! The buckle magnets only fitted into one side each, so that there was no issue with them fixing in the wrong hole accidentally. We have never seen anything quite like it. Totally awesome and so easy to use! We asked 6 year old Little Miss BB if she could open the buckle and she couldn’t do it immediately. She did work it out eventually, but she convinced me that the buckle and slider system were strong enough for a young child to be unable to release.

The Ruk-Bug Migration is a pushchair which is designed to go anywhere, but importantly be easy to fold and carry e.g. for public transport or a plane flight or simply if your toddler fancies a wander beside you.
The Ruk-Bug Migration is a one handed fold with attached shoulder straps, so that it can be slung over one shoulder, or carried like a rucksack on your back. The original concept had a rucksack to place the pushchair into, however research showed that parents, especially women, did not want to be seen with a rucksack on their back, so the team decided to simply add straps.

The Ruk-Bug Migration itself has a comfortable handle, which at 110cms tall, was a perfect height for me. It certainly was not low which is what we usually expect to find on a small folding pushchair.

There is a small basket at the rear. This has the rucksack straps attached on either side. The small basket is positioned to make the Ruk-Bug completely practical to walk up to say a bus, and fold the buggy instantly without any faff. Anything in this small basket can be left in situ without needing emptying out. We know as a parents, this is one feature we can see makes perfect sense! I hate having to empty a basket out to get onto a bus or a ride on something. There is a basket available to go underneath the Ruk-Bug Migration, however, the team feel it compromises the fluidity of movement they want for someone to simply transform the pushchair from having a toddler in the seat, to folding one handed, and continuing with your journey. Having to stop and empty the basket defeats the ease of use. However, for the traveller, it is essential to have a basket for all your beach gear, or a picnic, so we are pleased that an underseat basket will be on offer.

There is a halo piece above the hood of the Ruk-Bug Migration. This is more than simply a design feature – it is functional. The seat of the Ruk-Bug Migration is much further forwards than a typical pushchair to keep the stability. Thus there is no way to hang the seat fabric. The halo allows the seat fabric to be attached. It also houses the fold mechanism. Unfortunately the demo models were fixed in an upright open position. There was however a video showing how fluent the fold was. The last photo in the set above shows how the fold will look. The Ruk-Bug Migration is designed to fold, freestand and be easy to carry onto a bus or train.

What impressed us was how environmentally friendly Ruk-Bug as a company are. They have taken a lot of time to look at the environmental impact of their product, and how it can be reused and recycled. Ruk-Bug have developed a rivet removal system, so that at the end of its lifespan – whether for one child, or when completely worn out – the Ruk-Bug Migration can be either reused, or broken down and recycled. We liked the ethics of the company all round, as well as the fact it is a British company, creating British jobs.

We don’t know when exactly the first Ruk-Bug Migration pushchairs will roll off the production line, however we look forward to seeing the finished pushchair on the market. This really is a pushchair to keep your eye on! Go and ‘like’ the Facebook page, and watch what happens next! We are certainly intrigued!

Just to add, the team were extremely lovely and friendly, especially towards our youngsters who were kept entertained with colouring and chat. It was great to meet such genuinely enthusiastic people. Good luck!

See the latest update on from Ruk-Bug here.

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