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Bumbleride Flyer Review

For some time I have been lusting after a Bumbleride Flyer. The Bumbleride Flyer is not currently available in the UK, but Bumbleride is a big name in the US. So it was a real treat when the opportunity arose to try the Flyer out. The only downside was that the Flyer was only available in the very lovely Vita colour which turned out to be a hot pink and grey! Mr BB quickly swallowed his manly pride and embraced his son’s new pink pushchair with excitement, as he realised how nifty the Bumbleride Flyer was at switching easily from forward to reverse facing, and back!!

Reversible Handle:

The reversible handle feature was my main reason for being interested in the Bumbleride Flyer. The Flyer is quite a rare pushchair because it is a one piece pushchair ie the seat does not detach, so it folds as one, with a flip over handle, so that the child can easily either be facing the parent or facing forwards. I absolutely love how at the squeeze of two sliding buttons, you can flip the handle of the Flyer right over the top of your child so that it ends up in front of them instead of behind or vice versa. The rear wheels then need locking into place, whilst the now front wheels need unlocking. This is very easy to do by flicking a bar on and off.

Styling & Quality:

One of the big draws of Bumbleride pushchairs, is that the quality of the fabrics, the styling etc all looks fresh and modern. There is just something about the styling that gives Bumbleride the edge. The two Bumbleride pushchairs I have owned – the Flyer and the Indie, have both been sturdy and secure feeling. They feel good quality. I like the attention to detail.

Child Comfort and Seat Recline:

The Bumbleride Flyer offers a lot for the child, whatever their age. The backrest has 4 recline positions in total including a lie flat position which makes the seat unit suitable from birth, and a very upright position which is great for a curious toddler. The recline is fairly rudimentary to look at – a simple squeeze bar – but it works well.

The Bumberide Flyer has surprised us by having a huge seat and tall hood! There is so much space for an older toddler in the seat unit, even when laid down. The 5 position calf / footrest is a good length and depth for longer legs and bigger feet. I like the way the footrest lifts right up making the seat unit even more enclosed for a newborn. Our 22 month old can easily have his feet up and look comfortable when sleeping or simply riding. The footrest will just ratchet up by pulling it, but to lower it requires both hands underneath the leg rest to press in two buttons before lowering. Its not hard, but not the most convenient either. Due to the handle flipping over, the Flyer is a rare pushchair because it has a footrest for the child when both parent and forward facing. This is great especially with an older child.

The seats are well padded. There is a chunky padded bumper bar with a zip off cover for washing. The Flyer bumper bar can be left on when folded.

Hood and Harness:

The Bumbleride Flyer hood is a generous size. It is easy to adjust and folds back well when not in use. There is a mesh covered peekaboo window in the top, with a toggle to hold the flap open. However this is probably more useful for ventilation than for seeing your child. The rear of the hood zips off completely allowing all round ventilation in summer. This allows the hood to then move forwards to offer shade if necessary. There is a useful zip pocket in the rear of the hood which was perfect for dropping my car keys into.

The Flyer harness has an easy to use buckle; good strap length and is easy to adjust. It was no problem to swap the children around and adjust the harness. There were good harness and crotch pads. A head hugger is included for a newborn baby. We love that Bumbleride have added on two fabric loops at the rear of the seat so that the harness can be restricted further for a newborn baby.  Having a close fitting harness for a newborn is an essential for me. Bumbleride have also added D rings for an additional harness should it be necessary.

Handlebar and Basket:

The handlebar is foam covered. It is a pivot handle which means it suits both a tall and shorter parent. I was worried that the handlebar, given it has two pivot points, would feel soft or loose to use. However the Flyer feels sturdy to push and my worries are unfounded.

There is a large basket which is easily accessible whichever direction you are pushing simply because it is the handlebar that moves, not the seat unit. We got plenty of items into the basket easily and there is good access from 3 sides.

Wheels, Handling and Brake:

There is 4 wheel independent suspension on the Flyer which should give a small passenger a smooth ride. All 4 double wheels operate independently so in effect, you have 4 wheel drive. However in reality you don’t go anywhere fast!! Each set of wheels – front and back – have a bar which drops down and locks the wheels into place. Therefore to go forwards you unlock the wheels at the front, but the rear wheels then need locking. When the handle is reversed, then the wheels need locking and unlocking as appropriate.

Each wheel on the Bumbleride Flyer has an individual brake (which is one of the reasons why the Flyer will not currently pass UK safety tests). It is really important to lock both brakes when you park. It was easy to depress these brakes and flick them off to go again.

I have found the Flyer comfortable to push. It is not the most nifty pushchair ever, but it was no problem to manoeuvre, take into small spaces, do turns etc with.

Fold:

Folding the Flyer is easy but does take a few adjustments. The handle needs to be so the child is forward facing. The seat back needs reclining and ideally the footrest needs raising (but to be honest this comes up when folding). Then at the front there are two grab handles with a button underneath. The buttons release the fold and pulling the grab handles makes the pushchair fold. There are storage locks on both sides of the Flyer. They are fairly rudimentary (we have noticed that the latest photos have a different storage lock) but they feel secure and are easy to pop on and off.

The Flyer is easy to open. Undo the storage locks and flick the Flyer open. The footrest and back rest do then need adjusting to suit which may become tiresome.

Car Seat and Accessories:

There is also a universal car seat adaptor bar and safety bar included in the box. However the list of compatible car seats are US brands and the car seat adaptor, and indeed the pushchair, are not safety tested for use in the UK. Bumbleride include a cup holder that just fits onto a rivet on either side of the pushchair, and also a raincover.

In Conclusion:

The Bumbleride Flyer was exactly what I expected but better. The flip over handle is really easy to use. I liked that we could in any given outing, easily swap direction of the child, for example, when we were sat in a cafe, we could simply move the handle out of the way to easily include our son at the table. Or if our son was in the sun, we could simply turn the handle and reset the wheels to give him shade. To be honest, once you have had a pushchair with a flip handle, you do always miss it.

All round we really like the Bumbleride Flyer. It is a well thought out pushchair that will easily accommodate a newborn or a 3 year old and give them both a comfortable ride. We would certainly recommend the Bumbleride Flyer, although sadly although our eldest loves her pink pushchair, we are not entirely sure it suits our son who is the main user! Hopefully one day we can get a Flyer in a different colour :)

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