Thinking about buying a Bugaboo Chameleon or already have one? Here is a quick review of the various accessories available.
Cup Holder – This is a must have accessory and personally I think it should be included with the stroller. At $25.00 is seems kind of pricey but having a place to put a hot cup of coffee or an ice cold drink is worth it. It easily clips onto the handlebar of the stroller and securely holds most drink sizes.
Parasol – $39.00 – We have one of these and have probably used it once. It does not fit onto the frame of the stroller easily and adjusting it to block the sun was a bit of a chore. While it looks cool on the website, in real life it’s a bit dorky. I would give it a miss if we had to do it over again.
Transport Bag – $159.00 – While expensive I feel this is worth it if you plan on traveling a lot. My wife is from New Zealand so we make the long journey back there on a regular basis so the transport bag has gotten a lot of use. It is large enough to hold the Bugaboo and all its accessories and still leaves a bit of room for other things. It is well padded and completely protects the stroller. The wheels make it easy to cruise through the airport. We have found it best to pack the Bugaboo and use a cheap umbrella stroller in the airport to gate check.
Bugaboo Diaper Bag – $85.00 – We bought this because I am a stay at home Dad and it was a bit less girlish then most diaper bags. While it looks good, and fits well over the handlebars of the stroller, the functionality of it is limited. I found it to be too small and the compartments not at all easy to find or use. The insulated bottle holders were nice but a bit snug on some of the larger bottles we used. All in all this was a huge waste of money; we have probably used it twice. My advice would be to buy a cheaper, larger diaper bag.
Foot muff – $129.00 – This is another accessory that I wish came with the stroller as it is indispensable. It is super warm, and super comfortable. When this is zipped on the stroller turns into a rolling bed that looked so nice I often wanted to climb in myself. It is easy to attach and just as easy to remove and clean. I would highly recommend it unless you live in a very warm climate.
Breezy Canopy – $39.00 – Auckland is hot and humid during the summer so this was the main canopy that we used. It is easy to put on and provides a bit more ventilation then the standard one. If is starts to rain the full rain cover fits right on top of this to keep your little one dry. If your hometown has a more moderate climate during the summer then this is probably not necessary.
Sunshade – $25.00 – The sunshade claims to reflect 65% of harmful UV rays. It is pretty easy to fit on but does tend to slip down as it gets older. It does help keep out the sunlight which made it easier for our daughter to fall asleep on our walks. In New Zealand part of the ozone layer is missing so this was a must for us, but again if you live in mild climate it is probably not necessary.
Tailored Fabric – $99.00 – This is a great way to customize the colors of your stroller. We never did this because we liked the color we picked and felt 99.00 was a bit too much.
Wheeled Board – $79.99 – This board attaches to the Bugaboo to allow a toddler to stand on it and ride along when taking the younger sibling for a stroll. We only have one child so I have no experience with this accessory but the reviews I have read have not been generous. It sounds like it makes it hard to walk behind the stroller. My advice would be to try it before you buy it if possible.
Adapters for Car seats – Bugaboo offers a number of adapters for various brands of car seats. Again I have no experience with any of these as they did not make one for any brands of car seat that were available in New Zealand. A quick check of reviews shows most of them positive with a few complaints about having a hard time getting them installed.
Well that is it for the most common of accessories for the Bugaboo chameleon, I hope this was helpful and enjoy your Bugaboo, it should provide years of happy strolling.
