Bugaboo Bee

We are still in Oslo, in case you're wondering about the lack of updates. Because our visas (Aqil & I) are delayed, we didn't go back to Malaysia last month as we planned. We don't know how long we're going to stay here though but technically H's (training) contract is going to end in April but he has been (verbally) asked to stay til September. Problem is, his contract hasn't been renewed so we're pretty much left hanging.

Since there might be a possibility returning home sooner than we thought, H and I decided to sell our Brio pram. We loved it and it has been nothing but wonderful (esp. on snow) to use but let's face it, it's not exactly the kind of pram what would fit into a small sized cars we own back home. So with mixed feelings and heavy heart, he advertised it on Finn.no, a Norwegian trading website similar to Mudah.my.

We thought that it would take some time for us to get a buyer but a day later, 2 potential buyers were interested and wanna see it right away! We were quite surprised when a buyer wanted to buy it right away. We didn't even buy a replacement stroller yet! After negotiating, the buyer agreed to hold the purchase until the weekend.

We've been eyeing for few strollers for quite some time and one that struck the most to us is the ever stylish Bugaboo Bee. H likes it so much that he cannot stop thinking about it since he first saw it. Hehe. This time around, we want a stroller that:

• lightweight and compact when fold
• the seat can face forward and back (the main criteria that I look for!)
• fully reclinable
• easy to maneuver

Bugaboo Bee has all that except the seat cannot be 180 degree reclinable. Another cons is that, the wheels are small and it can be quite a hassle in (thick) snow but it's now March and most of the snow (in Oslo) is melting by now and we're living in a city so snow isn't as thick as it is in outskirt areas.

We were in awe with Bugaboo Bee Neon limited edition with its black frame, neon green wheels and navy blue canvas with neon green trimming but the price is JUST SO RIDICULOUS! We're cheapo so we stick to the normal edition.

So we tested and paid. And before we know it, ta-da ada budak kecik dah rasmi. Kehkeh.

And the verdict? As much as I miss the Brio (the large storage compartment actually) when it comes to handling, nothing beats this one. It's super easy to steer (I've been to off-road walks with my friends from moms group and trust me, it handles rough terrain quite well), small in size and lightweight. It might not be as sturdy as Brio but that mainly due to its small size. We were in a bus one day and it can swerve to one side if the bus driver is driving roughly but that's small issue because you're not supposed to leave the stroller and your baby unattended anyway.

Out of 5 stars, I'd give this stroller a 4.5. Half because the storage compartment isn't big and you have to access it from front.

Susah nak sumbat barang shopping, tau?

And The Winner Is..

If you refer to my entry here, you'll know that we've narrowed down our choices to Brio Go, Teutonia Cosmo and Hartan Lite. We were in Germany last week to visit our family friend and since everything in Oslo is expensive compared to rest of the world, our another agenda was of course, to do some shopping. It's like killing two birds with one stone, except no birds are harmed. Ok, I digress.

We arrived in Stuttgart on Friday at noon, had our friend picked us up at the airport and he brought us to his home since we were staying there. We had only one whole day of Saturday to do our shopping so I've done the research months prior to this trip, surveying and comparing prices for few items namely breastpump, sterilizer, stroller, bottle/food warmer and others that I think worth buying. I've compared prices in Norwegian Krone (NOK), Ringgit Malaysia (RM) and Euro just to see which one is the cheapest option. Yes, I'm cheapskate like that. I only buy stuff if I think it's worth the money.


Come Saturday we didn't waste much time and went straight ahead to the shops. I've saved the address, the phone number as well as the items' models in my phone to keep us on track. We went to one of the shops and were disappointed to find out that the one of the strollers of our choice, Hartan Lite is not available at the shop and only available via booking. Another choice, Teutonia Cosmo was available but the colours and designs are limited and none of them we found attractive. We then said our words and told them that we would come back again after we had our lunch. After much Google-ing we found there's another baby shop nearby, albeit a bit on the high end side. Decided that it might worth checking out, went in and then I saw another stroller of our choice, Brio Go next to Bugaboo Chameleon, on display. Unknown to me, H was actually in favour of Brio Go all these while. Sadly colours were limited to teal (carry cot) and black (seat). Thinking that we didn't have much time and after much deliberation, we decided to buy it.




And here is the actual stroller that we bought and err, please excuse the mess. We pushed it all around Stuttgart and I think, people did think we were cuckoo pushing stroller full with stuff like this. Took it home via train and flight to Oslo and glad that we made the right decision. It's easy to fold, "lightweight" and yet not easily stumble like what I witness with other strollers and most importantly can be pushed on cobble stone and pavement with ease.

H was so ecstatic that he said he can't wait to push the baby in it come November. Aik, nampak gaya macam mak baby takde can nak tolak je ni?

Stroller

Or buggy or pram. Whatever you want to call it.

When we first found out that I was pregnant, we were excited because we finally have the reason to buy Stokke Xplory stroller. It was love at the first sight. I love the stylish and sleek look and let's face it, any mommies will look hot with a Stokke and I secretly wanna be that hot mommy.

Then we learned and read more about the practicality, usage and the technical part of a stroller that the idea of owning a Stokke becoming more and more distant. Before we even begin to look for a stroller we listed out our (living) conditions & needs:

Must be durable in rough terrain & snow
We don't own a car here so most of the time, it's either walking or using public transportation. Winter in Norway is long and harsh and can easily reach up to -20C (even during daytime). In addition to that for 6 months of the year Norway is covered in snow so finding a stroller that can be manoeuvred in thick snow and can withstand rough terrain such as cobblestone or pavement is IMPORTANT.

Yet must be compact to fit in a car boot
Having said that, although we do not have a car, we would like to bring back the stroller to Malaysia later so it must be able to fit in our car boots.

These are the 2 criteria that we're looking for. Simple yet hard to fulfil because most of the strollers build for criteria #1 are bulky. Those that have criteria #2 are simply not suitable for usage during winter.

Emmaljunga, a Swedish brand is one of the strollers that is popular here. It's sturdy, stable and has a good wheel suspensions for rough terrain and for rocking baby to sleep in their bassinet. Yes, you'll find a lot of mother rocking their baby in their strollers here. But, we're not keen on its bulky design and it's not practical for usage in Malaysia later.

Emmaljunga Mondial 3 in 1 with carry cot & seat unit

After countless trips to various baby stores, feedbacks from respective sales persons & friends, countless hours spend on reading, surveying and YouTube-ing, we finally narrow down our search to Brio, Hartan and Teutonia. Brio is a Swedish brand while Hartan and Teutonia are German brands.

We are eyeing on the following models: 

Teutonia Cosmo

Brio Go

Hartan Lite XL

It might be odd to you but stroller here (or what they called duovogn or duo wagen) comes in 2 - a carry cot (for usage from 0-6 months) and a seat unit (from 6 months or when the baby is able to seat - 3 years). Carry cot is very cosy during winter as well as summer because the material is breathable. During winter, you can add foot muff or sheep rug for that extra warmth and comfort.  

We haven't decide on which one we like best but we have seen and tried them all but as for me, Brio Go and Teutonia Cosmo are definitely on my top list. They're both light (I used the term light here loosely, please don't compare it to other strollers such as Combi or MacLaren), compact when folding and most importantly, it's suitable on rough terrain and snow. The front wheels can also be locked which is important especially when you're pushing in snow. 

One important note that we learned is that, there is no such thing as THE PERFECT STROLLER out there but there is one that's perfect for you. Everyone has their own criteria and needs so learn and understand your own needs before you go and purchase brand XY or XX stroller just because it's in trend or every one seems to have one. 

A good stroller can last years and is an investment so make sure that you choose wisely.