Bugaboo Chameleon vs. Baby Jogger City Mini

[virgo]

I have a wonderful friend who really wants to get DH and I a great stroller as a shower gift for our first baby. We went to look at strollers and I was in love with how easy the Bugaboo Chameleon is to push but it is a little more complex to fold up than some other strollers. The other stroller I liked a lot was the Baby Jogger City Mini as it seems really well made and so easy to fold but it seems a bit heavier.

Does anyone have either of these who could provide some insight?

TIA

[cileag]

We have the Citymini and really like the slimness, the super easy folding, the enormous sunshade/cover. BUT the storage basket has a bar right in an annoying place so you can't put a large bag or item in it---the storage basket itself is big enough but the access to it is poorly designed. So bring your diaper bag and try to put it in first.

[tzs]

there's pluses and minuses to both...you just have to decide which is more important.

the city mini is great because of its easy portability.....light, easy to fold, easy to carry. but it has those timy wheels so it's not as great over terrain.

the buggaboo has the bigger all terrain wheels so it can go more places easier but it's more of a pain to tote around.

both portability and being all-terrain are biggies so it kind of sucks to have to choose one over the other. i went with a jogger (not the bugaboo but with the all-terrain wheels) and i love that i can take it to the dog park, over dirt trails, basically anywhere. and strollers with those tiny wheels so even make regular sidewalk walking more difficult.

buuuut, my stroller (and the bugaboo) is such a PITA to transport in and out of the car, from the car to the house...anywhere.

basically when i;m out and about i am so glad to have my big wheels but in the meantime i'm wishing for something mor eportable.

i dunno.

[cristeen]

I have a bugaboo (gecko), and it's great, so long as i don't need to put it in the car. Ilove it for being able to negotiate our broken sidewalks, take long walks, even do small grocery shopping trips. And he slept in it every night for months. But it takes up the entire trunk of the car. So at this point it doesnt go anywhere we're not walking. I have carriers if we need to drive somewhere.

[MamaKickyPants]

I LOVE our city mini. I'm not sure what you mean about heavier - it's definitely quite a bit lighter than the bugaboo. It is so easy to fold, and has great features. I love the sunshade. And the weather cover. And the folding mechanism. And the size. Etc. I find the basket access a little awkward, but I manage to stuff it pretty full, not problem. If you have a big diaper bag you can always get the clips to attach it to the handle. The only thing I would change is bigger and air-filled wheels, but Baby Jogger has other models - I believe their next model up is a bit bigger with bigger tires but still all the good features and the wonderful easy folding action. We live in a small apartment, so we fold the stroller EVERY time we come in and we store it in the front hall.

I don't have experience with the bugaboo, though, except that I see them everywhere in my neighbourhood but they are definitely bigger.

[virgo]

Thank you everyone for the responses.

I recently saw the Baby Jogger City Select and that "might" be the best of both worlds.. It seems easier to fold than the Bugaboo but it also seems to have great wheels. Does anyone have any experience with the City Select?

[ellairiesmom]

i pushed my city mini double up some crazy terrain at a winery today...1 dd was being worn, other was in stroller. had 2 camping chairs on top, my diaper bag hanging from front, another bag stuffed in extra seat & neat sheet stuffed below with bag of sunscreen & such...

it was tough terrain but i did it & it wasn't too bad...love everything else about it. basket underneath is tough to get to but i dont try & stuff a diaper bag there...i hang it from handlebar & select other items for under...it holds alot-just needs to be the right stuff.

stroller fits wonderfully in our tiny prius & allows for lots to be piled on top...

[JudiAU]

We have the chameleon. It is wonderful in some ways. Super great to push, lovely bassinet for the first months, stylish, and the BEST feature is that the baby faces you. It actually holds a lot more than you'd think. Butnit is really a hassle if you need to get it out of the car a lot and assemble. Most nannies won't touch them. And it has a pretty low Weight limit. And you cant travel with it We used it a lot with our first, far less with our second. We bought a double maclaren and have used it no joke twice in the last year. If you want it, seriously, buy it used and get a new set of fabric.

If someone wanted to get me a good gift I would ask for an organic mattress in a larger size for momma and baby and then pretty much skip the first year and get some beautiful good quality open ended toys. Otherwise you get like 400 hand carved rattles that the baby won't use or worse, organic clothes that last for three washings.
If someone was looking for anise gift for

[Pippi L.]

I don't have experience with either but my friend got the bugaboo and sold it after a year. Once her daughter was bigger she wanted a Maclaren because it was easier for her to get in and out by herself as she got bigger. I know a lot of people use them longer, though.

[Kikelet]

I absolutely love our city mini. It has trudged through heaps of mud at the Renn Faire without much effort and just needed a good hosing when we got home. Yes, the basket is not easily accessible if you have a large diaper bag, but I like my diaper bag near the handles for easy access. I stuff an extra blankie, baby carrier, a few diapers, and a toy or two down there. DD has been using the stroller since she was two months old and she is very happy in it. It fits really well in our car and the folding mechanism is so handy.