The BumbleRide Era City Stroller works for families who live in the city but want to be able to go all-terrain without switching strollers. A few areas of the stroller still need a little work, however, it’s a fantastic stroller with high ratings and comparable specs to other city strollers on the market. If you are looking for a high-end stroller ready to go anywhere, this is a fantastic option ready to make your life easier.
Important Benefits of the Bumbleride Era
When you look at the Bumbleride Era City Stroller, you may assume its a typical stroller. However, it’s a normal stroller but an eco-friendly stroller with tons of thoughtful features designed to make your life easier. Let’s take a closer look at all of the features and find out if this stroller should go to the top of your list.
Infant Mode
When you open the stroller for the first time, you will probably find the seat facing outward like the average stroller. What you don’t see is a unique feature you will only find in the Bumbleride Era City Stroller – an infant seat. To use, you need to first take the seat off the base and reverse the direction, so the seat faces you instead of the world.
From there, unsnap a few built-n pieces of fabric and re-snap them to create a soft bassinet. Recline the seat, and the stroller is now ready to act like a bassinet for your newborn.
No other stroller offers the option to turn the seat into a bassinet. Moreover, when your baby outgrows this function, you can simply fold it back up into the original seat and voila you have a normal stroller configuration again.
Toddler Mode
When your baby no longer needs to use the built-in bassinet setting, simply choose to use the seat either in the front mode so your baby can face you. Furthermore, you can point the seat out toward the world, making this a versatile modular stroller.
While many strollers now have the option to reverse the direction of the seat, this stroller makes it very easy to change the seat direction by simply pushing down on buttons on the frame on both sides and taking the lightweight seat off by pulling up.
Compatibility
Another wonderful benefit of the Era stroller is you can take off the seat entirely and put in a car seat. Take a look at all of the compatible car seats:
Graco – Click Connect Sungride 30 or 35
Chicco – Keyfit 30 and Fit2
Peg Perego – Primo Viaggio 4-35 NIDO and 4-35 Standard
Clek – Liing
Cybex – Aton, Aton 2, and Aton Q
Maxi-Cosi – Mico Max 30, Mico, and Mico AP
Nuna – Pipa, Pipa Lite, and Pipa Lite LX
Mind you, all of the car seats above require an adapter. Also, as of right now, Bumbleride only makes strollers and has not branched out into making car seats or travel systems.
Another great addition that’s compatible with the Era stroller is the Speed Bassinet you can purchase separately when it’s in stock. Although, the infant mode built-in bassinet is always available.
Seat
The seat on the Era-City Stroller offers a large and roomy place for babies to sit. Moreover, it offers a large footrest with extra room for taller children. The whole seat is padded with easy to wash fabric. A bar in front of the car seat provides a place for baby’s hands, safety, and stability.
Of course, the seat includes a 5-point harness ready to keep your baby safe. For added comfort, the harness has padding around the crotch and the shoulders.
One of the most important features of any stroller is the ability to recline. Yes, this car seat does recline with a simple toggle switch in the back for a completely custom recline suited to your child. As it reclines completely, you can put a newborn in the seat.
Also, the footrest is adjustable in both directions and helps to grow with your baby.
Canopy
Another key feature in a stroller is a large canopy to block out the sun and harsh weather. The Era Stroller does not disappoint with a standard canopy and a pull-down extension canopy ready to almost completely block out the sun and help your baby sleep on the go.
Next, the stroller offers a peak-a-boo flap to check on your baby from the back of the stroller without disturbing the baby. Moreover, the flap is magnetic instead of velcro to make it quieter and easier to put back in place. Now that’s a thoughtful design.
It’s also rated for UPF 45+, and it’s waterproof to keep harsh weather from reaching your baby.
Tires and All-Wheel Suspension
The tires on the Bumbleride Era measure 8.5 inches in the front and 11.5 inches in the back. Although the best feature is the tires are air-filled for easy movement. Furthermore, the stroller includes all-wheel suspension meaning your baby can stay asleep on bumpy roads and strolling over potholes.
With 360 degrees swivel with the in-line lock option provides a stroller ready to go exactly where you want it to go. It can handle practically any terrain but doesn’t work as a jogging stroller. If you want a jogging stroller try out the Bumbleride Jogging Stroller.
Finally, the stroller offers a foot brake you can use to lock the stroller into place. Also, you can lock the front wheels to keep them from moving if you don’t want that function at any time.
Folding
Folding a stroller should be easy, and it is easy with the Bumbleride Era. It’s a short process to fold up the stroller small enough to put in a closet, walkway, or the trunk of your car. Also, the stroller can stand on its own, so it takes up less space when folded.
To fold simply, make sure the front wheels are straight, and the seat is in the forward-facing position. Fold the seat until you hear it latch with two built-in levels. Then fold the seat over.
Pull the triggers on the bottom of the handlebars and fold it over until it clicks into place. Kick the smaller wheels out, and it will stand on its own.
The company also added a built-in handle on the back to make carrying it and storing it easier. Unfold it by pushing the lock off and pulling it up. Then pull out the seat, and you are done.
Size and Weight
Many strollers take up a lot of space when folded out, making it difficult to go down narrow spaces. With a low profile, this stroller is ready to go even in narrow aisles in a clothing store without knocking clothing displays over.
Here are the other important specifications of the stroller:
- Weight – 27 pounds
- Capacity – 55 pounds
- Measurements Standing – 32.5 x 24.5 x 40.5 inches
- Measurements Folded – 29.5 x 24.5 x 13 inches
Handlebars
The handlebars are made of non-toxic cork with a built-in safety strap. Cork creates a beautiful aesthetic, and it’s comfortable to hold too. Moreover, the cork resists water, bacteria, microbial, and more.
Lastly, the handle is height adjustable to fit any parent’s height. Choose from the lowest height of 26 inches or go up to the highest setting of 44.5 inches tall. This translates to no wrist pain or slouching for parents of any size.
Eco-Friendly Material
One of the best features of this stroller is it’s made of 100 percent PET, and is Oeko-Tex certified free from harmful chemicals. Also, you can fully remove the fabric and wash it in the washing machine. Now that’s handy, as babies are messy and have quite a few bodily functions, you are in charge of cleaning.
Furthermore, the PFC-free fabric is durable and ready to last for years. It even saves water thousands of water bottles in the process from entering landfills. The company uses eco-friendly processes to make the strollers, which saves on water and helps to reduce their carbon footprint.
The fabric is soft, beautiful, and easy to wash. It comes in some decent color options, too, including dark gray, black, dark blue, slate blue, and coral.
Last, the company avoids creepy ingredients your baby shouldn’t be around like PVC, BPA, PFC, and phthalates. Instead, they opt for quality fabrics made from recycled materials like sea nets and use an innovative dye process to make the fabric even better.
Storage
The newest Bumbleride stroller offers a large storage basket big enough for anything you need to bring with you while traveling. Put your diaper bag in the under the seat and even some shopping bags while out running errands or your purse. You can access the basket from the back or if you need it from the front by moving the footrest out of the way.
You will love the built-in zipper pocket on the inside of the stroller to hold your valuable, which is very helpful as a parent pouch does not exist on the handlebars.
Accessories
Bumbleride makes several helpful additons you can purchase separately to improve the functionality of your stroller. You can purchase a mini board for your toddler to ride on, a parent pack to hold your phone and drink, an infant insert, a travel bag, bassinet, car seat adapters, and rain covers.
Concerns About the Bumbleride Era
Storage
While the stroller comes with an under-seat basket, it doesn’t come with a built-in handlebar pocket for parents. You can purchase this separately, but why? Parent storage is a necessity, and at the luxury price, it’s something the stroller should include, not charge more for, as parents need storage too for their drink at the minimum.
Harness Adjustability
The harness only has one set of slots for the harness. This means you cannot adjust it for height. While it’s not a requirement, it’s a nice feature available in many competitive high-end strollers.
Infant Insert
Bumbleride markets their stroller as available from day one for infants, and yet the harness doesn’t adjust down for infants, and it doesn’t include an infant insert. You would need to purchase an infant insert adding to the final price tag.
Folding
A minor but frustrating issue with the stroller is you can only fold it up with the seat in the front-facing mode. If you are using it with the baby facing you, you will have to take the seat off, turn it around, put it back on, then fold it down. You could also take the seat off and fold each separately, but neither of these is a helpful or easy option.
Price
The price for the Bumbleride Era City Stroller is competitive with other market prices but still on the high side for the lack of important features. Once you add in these accessories, the price climbs even higher. Make sure to factor in the options you cannot live without before deciding if this is the right stroller for you.
The Bumbleride Era vs. Uppababy Cruz V2
The Bumbleride Era and the Uppavaby Cruz V2 look very similar but with some different features and prices.
First, the Cruz V2 has a few advantages over the Era as the canopy slides up to allow additional room for growing children. It also has a more effective canopy that zips out to completely block out the sun or bad weather. Furthermore, it’s narrower than the Era by about two inches, making it easier to push in tight spaces.
Both strollers offer all-wheel suspension, the ability to reverse the seat, a large storage basket, and multiple recline positions. You can add similar accessories, as you can add a boogie board or a bassinet. Both strollers also use adapters to work with a large list of similar car seats too.
The Bumbleride can support 55 pounds, whereas the Cruz V2 can only support 50 pounds giving it an advantage in weight. However, the Cruz V2 comes with a few accessories that are separate charges on the Era, such as a bug shield and rain shield.
Finally, both strollers can cost more with the additional accessories you may want, which can increase the total cost. Neither seat comes with built-in storage on the handlebars for parents, but both do offer large storage baskets with pockets and telescoping handlebars for parents. However, the Cruz V2 is for babies ages three and up unless you use the bassinet or a car seat, which isn’t necessary with the Era as it has built-in baby functions.
You can’t go with either stroller as both have plus and minuses, but the Cruz V2 offers more color options, leather handles, more accessories, and it’s narrower, making it a little stronger contender in our book.
The Bumbleride Era vs. BabyJogger City Tour 2
If you want a functional city stroller without the high cost of the Bumbleride Era or the Uppababy Cruz V2, you might want to check out the Baby Jogger City Tour 2. It has many of the same features of the Era. First, it’s infant friendly like the Era and compatible with car seats.
Next, the City Tour 2 folds up and has a built-in handle making it perfect for travel. However, the lower price only gets you rubber composite tires and locking front swivel wheels instead of the all-terrain air tires you get with the Era. Both have built-in suspension, but the Era wins with a landslide as it can handle any bump with ease.
The City Tour is significantly lighter at only 14.3 pounds but can only support up to 45 pounds while the Era can support up to 55 pounds, but it weighs more at 27 pounds. The City Tour 2 is also folds up dramatically thinner with less bulk making it a better choice for car rides where you need to pack a lot of items.
However, the Era wins with more recline options and a better storage basket. Neither of the strollers has built-in parent storage, though. Both do offer the option to use a bassinet or an infant car seat to accommodate different stages. Overall, the Bumbleride Era offers much better functionality but at a higher price.
FAQs About the BumbleRide City Stroller
Can I take the Bumbleride Era on an airplane?
Yes, like with other strollers, you will need to check this one at the gate as no strollers are allowed in the seating area of the plane. However, you can ride the stroller right up to the door of the airplane, which saves you a ton of back pain and lifting.
Is the Era a full-sized or lightweight stroller?
It’s a full-size stroller ready to travel anywhere. However, full-size strollers take up more space and are heavier. If you travel a lot and want to pack in more stuff in your trunk, you may want to consider a lightweight or umbrella stroller.
What if I have more than one child, will this stroller work for me?
The Bumbleride Era City Stroller can accommodate a baby and a toddler if you purchase the toddler board. Otherwise, you will want to get a double stroller to hold more children.
Conclusion
While the BumbleRide City Stroller offers a nice set of features, the Uppababy Cruz V2 offers more options. First, it offers a UPF 50+ canopy that extends farther than the Era, an extremely comfortable leather handle, it’s easier to fold and comes with more accessories. Furthermore, it is narrower, meaning it can go to more places.
If you want a stroller made of recycled materials and a company dedicated to earth-conscious practices, then the Bumbleride Era might be the right option for you. No matter which option you pick, you will end up paying more for accessories like parent storage on the handlebar and an infant bassinet.
