Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition

September 28, 2011

Tenille

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if you’ve found a product from a brand that you love for your baby, that you rave about to your mom friends, consider that same brand when looking for other items as well. It’s funny, as much as I try not to be brand-focused (why put all your loyalty into one when there are so many options out there?) it turns out that there’s something to this theory. When a company gets it right, they truly get it. Companies that understand what parents need, understand babies needs, and understand design are true winners and typically their products will all showcase this.

The Bumbleride Flite stroller, at a weight of just 13 lbs, is a lightweight umbrella-style stroller that has features comparable to the bells-and-whistles strollers, as I call them. Bumbleride took the style, comfort and safety features of their popular and much loved other models (the Indie is a favorite here) and brought them into a lighter, smaller, stroller.

The Flite folds down in to a tiny, compact size allowing this stroller to go with you easily in vehicles other than the standard family van. At 13lbs, it is considerably lighter than it’s larger Bumbleride relatives too.

When I received a Bumbleride Flite to review, I was surprised to see that it comes with a car seat adapter as a standard accessory. A lightweight umbrella stroller that comes with a car seat adapter? Unheard of! I always thought that not being able to use it with a carseat was one of those things you gave up when using an umbrella stroller so kudos to Bumbleride for changing the game here.

Another unique component of this stroller, more typically found in full size strollers, is the fabric selection. The Bumbleride Flite is available as part of the company’s Natural Edition line. We received the Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition in Walnut – a rich, warm, brown color perfect for both boys and girls. The exterior fabric is made with 50% recycled material and the seating surfaces are made using 50% bamboo fiber which, when you think about it, is brilliant! Among other features, bamboo is known for it’s ability to help regulate temperature (bamboo blankets, for example, are excellent because of this attribute). It’s also highly absorbent – again helping to keep baby at the perfect temperature. Bamboo is also natural antibacterial – yes, that’s right, this is a stroller with antibacterial material in the seating surface. Genius!

So how does the Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition ride? We took it out for a walk to the park to try it out for the first time. Generally, umbrella strollers are not going to be as smooth a ride as the larger style. I think it all comes down to the wheels and suspension in the larger stroller models but that doesn’t mean that you should give up comfort and a smooth ride when using an umbrella stroller. This particular model has dual suspension on both the front and back wheels making for a smoother ride all around. No, it’s not the same smooth ride you’d get from a larger model stroller, but it’s certainly not what you’d expect from a lightweight stroller either.

It didn’t feel, for lack of a better term – rickety – when pushing it. The stroller feels secure, solid. The reclining seat is another great perk and we were able to adjust it perfectly for Everleigh who was happy as could be in her new ride. I particularly liked the adjustable foot rest that I could move so that her feet didn’t hang off the edge of the seat when she was reclined. I’d have liked to have a bigger storage basket in the bottom of this stroller, but again this is something that I’m used to in larger models. I was happy to have a cup holder come standard, however, so that outweighed my annoyance with the small basket.

If you’re looking for a lightweight stroller, consider checking out the Bumbleride Flite. The Natural Edition versions of this stroller is available in walnut and ocean, as seen above. Use the Dealer Locator button to find a Bumbleride dealer near you in both Canada and the US. You can also find Bumbleride products online. I saw the Bumbleride Flite at Toys R Us ($249.99) and Strollers.com ($219.99), to name just a few. Having children sure adds to the family budget but if you’re smart with your purchases and buy products that are of good quality and will last, next year when you’re filling out your online tax tool software you may have more positive surprises if you shop smart now!