Bumbleride Flyer Stroller Review

Bumbleride Flyer stroller is so popular because of its reversible handle bar that gives your child ability to face you or the world. Weighing 19 lb, this stroller is somewhere in between an umbrella stroller and a regular stroller.

The problem I have with it, is that there is a not enough storage and the wheels are too small for a regular stroller. At the same time, it is too heavy (19 lbs) and too big for an umbrella stroller. You really can’t carry it over the shoulder like you normally would with an umbrella stroller.

Flyer is designed for flat surfaces like mall, sidewalks, doctor’s office or airport. It is very difficult to push over uneven terrain like grass, gravel or mulch. This is definitely NOT all-terrain stroller.

It does have a lot of great features like large canopy, adjustable foot rest, roomy seat, and easy fold. But the main reason why people buy is the REVERSIBLE handle bar. For some people facing their child is the most important feature in the stroller. It’s a HUGE selling point, and they are willing to overlook the weight and small wheels. If you want a lighter stroller with a lot of features, I would suggest City Mini or Britax B-Agile since tehy weigh only 16 lbs. Bumbleride Indie is another great option. It weighs almost the same at 20 lbs, but is a jogging stroller that will go through anything no matter how rough the terrain gets.

The lowest price I was able to find for 2012/2013 model was $289.99 on Amazon (free shipping/free returns and no sales tax). You can get a 2011 model for about $249. Keep in mind, the price does very depending on the color. The good news is that accessories like bumper bar, rain cover, cup holder, and car seat adapter are INCLUDED! So, it is not such a bad deal after all.

Buy Bumbleride Flyer Stroller »

Pros

-Fabulous canopy! I am in love with this canopy. It is huge and it folds all the way down to the bumper bar providing FULL coverage. It is a two panel canopy with a dark mesh peekaboo window. The closure on the window is noisy velcro (I wish it was magnetic). I really like that the back of the canopy can be unzipped for more air circulation.

-Adjustable handle bar. It has a solid adjustable handle bar that goes from 28″ up to 43″. Great for shorter and taller parents.

-Reversible handle bar. The main feature of Flyer is its REVERSIBLE handle bar. To reverse it, all you need to do is pull two handles on both sides and flip the handle bar to the other side. Voila! Now, your child is facing you :) Love it!  It is much easier and quicker to change a handle position than to reverse the seat. To reverse the seat you need to take your baby out and do it with one hand I guess (if your baby can’t walk yet).

-Cup holder. Removable cup holder can be attached to either side of the stroller. It fits a regular bottle of water or a coffee mug.

-Roomy seat. It is 11″ wide and 26″ high from the bottom of the seat to the top of the canopy. It can be used from birth up to 45 lbs. It has 5-positions one-hand recline. You just pull the bar in the back of the seat and adjust the seat to the needed position. It does recline to a flat position making it suitable for a newborn. You can  bring the seat back with just ONE hand, even with the child in the seat. Easy! It pretty upright seat too in case your little one likes to seat upright and look around (like my baby Sophia).

-5 point harness. It has an adjustable padded 5 point harness with a center release button. The button used to be very easy to unlock, but not anymore. Now, the button requires more pressure and the toddler would not be able to do it.

-Storage pocket. There is a small zipper pocket on the back of the seat that you can use to store small items like keys, cell phone or sunglasses.

-Bumper bar. INCLUDED! It is nice to have a bumper or a child tray for extra safety keeping a child in the seat. It does NOT work as a car seat adapter like in other strollers, but this is not a big deal because car seat adapter is also included.

-Adjustable foot rest. Foot rest can be easily adjusted by pressing two buttons inside of the frame.

-Medium basket. The basket is not huge. It is medium to large, but is very easy to access even with the seat fully reclined. For me, easy access is much more important than a large size.

-Wheels. It rolls on four small double 6.5″ rubber wheels. All wheels are swivel, but can be locked straight separately. This is very convenient when you reverse the handle bar. You should ALWAYS lock the wheels that are closer to you for better maneuverability. In previous 2009 model, some parents reported having a problem with the wheels when going in reverse. This problem has been fixed.

-Parking brakes. Each four wheels have their own parking brake. Always lock the wheels closer to you.

-Car seat adapter. INCLUDED! Now, you can transform your stroller into a travel system. It’s an universal adapter that works with Graco, Peg Perego, Baby Trend, Chicco, Combi and Britax car seats. Here is a full list. I think it’s more comfortable and safer for a newborn to be in the car seat than the stroller’s seat.

-Easy fold. You will need to use both hand, but it’s easy. To fold Flyer, push two buttons located on both sides of the frame near the bumper, pull them up and the stroller will fold. It does NOT stand on its on, but does have an automatic lock. You will still need to put it on the ground to fold engage the lock. Folded dimensions are 35″L x 21″W x 12″H.

-Rain cover. INCLUDED!

Cons

-Weight. For such small wheels, I think this stroller could be lighter.

-Two-hand fold. I would prefer to see an easy fold like City Mini has.

-Does not stand on its own. Maybe I want too much, but I wish it would stand on its own so I didn’t have to bend to lift it up.

-Small basket. For 19 lbs stroller, the basket could be larger.

Updates for 2010 – 2013

-Handle bar adjusters. Now they are inside of the handle bar so it is more convenient to adjust the bar with your thumbs.

-Peekaboo window. It got updated to a dark mesh that provides more sun shade.

-Not many accessories. There is not many additional accessories available for purchase. There is no parent console, no bassinet, no travel bag.

Video Review

Baby Gizmo has a nice review of Flyer model. Take a look.

Specs

Stroller weight: 19 lbs
Weight limit: 45 lbs
Folded dimensions:  35″L x 21″W x 12″H
Handle bar height: 28″- 43″
Seat to canopy height: 26″
Wheels: 6.5″
Overall length: 30″
Overall width: 21″

Warranty

Bumbleride provides 1-year warranty from the original date of purchase. Here is more information on the warranty.

Available colors

For 2013 Bumbleride Flyer is available in four colors: seagrass, lava, ruby and aqua. All Flite strollers come with a silver frame. BTW, I like seagrass color the most.

Comparison Chart

If you want to see how Bumbleride Flyer compares to other Bumbleride strollers take a look at this comparison chart.

Accessories

Flyer doesn’t have many accessories. Rain cover, car seat adapter, cup holder, and bumper bar are included so you don’t need to buy those, but you can purchase snack pack ($44) and footmuff and liner ($60) separately. There is no child tray nor parent console available. You can purchase one of the universal parent consoles from a different company. There used to be a carrycot/bassinet that you could purchase separately, but it has been discontinued for some reason. I guess, it wasn’t that popular.

Where to buy it

My favorite place to buy strollers and a lot of other baby items is Amazon. It usually has the lowest prices, free shipping, free returns and no sales tax. How great is that? You can get Bumbleride Flyer in one of the six beautiful colors for around $289.99 on Amazon (free shipping/free return and no sales tax).

Buy Bumbleride Flyer Stroller »

~Susan Brian

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