Bumbleride Indie Twin vs. Bugaboo Donkey Width

If you're looking into double strollers, you know that width is important.  Sure, most of the double strollers on the market say they'll fit through a standard 32 inch doorway, but in the real world, it doesn't always work out so neatly.  For instance, I have a 36 inch wide front door, but it's functionally only 33 inches wide when opened because you lose at least an inch for the door jamb and a couple more if the door doesn't swing out of the way completely.

The Bumbleride Indie Twin is listed at a slim 29 inches wide, as is the Bugaboo Donkey.  I measured the Indie Twin as 29.5 inches at the widest protrusion (the latch that holds it closed when it's folded).   The Donkey frame itself measures just a smidgen over 29 inches, but the canopy clamps tilt to the side just enough to make it closer to 32 inches wide

Let's see how this works out:

The door from my house to my garage is 32 inches wide, but functionally only 29.5 inches wide when open.

Bumbleride Indie Twin

The indie twin squeaks through, but just barely and it does scrape a little on the sides.

Bugaboo Donkey

The Donkey almost makes it through, but hangs up on the canopy clamps

Once I pull the canopy clips inward, the Donkey slides through as well

So now you're asking yourself, "does the difference really matter?"  It really depends upon where you plan to use your stroller and the accessibility of doors and building where you live.  Newer buildings, designed with ADA regulations in mind, tend to be very stroller friendly.  On the other hand, if you plan to do a lot of shopping in a historic district, using a double stroller may be more challenging.

The Bugaboo Donkey does have the added bonus of being able to switch into mono mode, making it under 24 inches wide

In mono mode, it will fit easily through any doorway and you have the handy side basket for shopping

Converting it back and forth, however, is not something I would want to do every day.  There is no place to store the second seat, so while it's relatively simple to switch it into mono mode, it's not something you want to do on the fly when you can't get through a doorway.

Bugaboo Universal Footmuff vs Bee Footmuff on the Bee Plus

Bugaboo makes a universal footmuff to fit all their strollers.  However, pre-2010 they made a foot muff specifically for the Bee Minus, so I decided to compare the fit to the universal footmuff  on my 2010 Bugaboo Bee.

 Bee Footmuff in Royal Blue                                        Universal Footmuff in Charcoal

There are several key differences between the footmuffs:


The seat back on the bee footmuff is 1 inch shorter than the universal, which doesn't make a big difference when the stroller seat back is fully extended, but when the seat is in its lowest position, the universal model does bunch  more.

The seat to foot length of the bee footmuff is almost 2 inches shorter, as well as a bit more structured, so the length meets the bee footrest nearly perfectly, regardless of whether the seat bottom is extended, while the universal one falls below the footrest.

The bee footmuff attaches to the seat back with buttonholes and the universal footmuff with two elastic loops.  Because the bee footmuff was designed for the bee minus and this is the bee plus, not all of the buttonholes match up, but it still works fine.









The Bee footmuff has slots for the harness, so if you need to adjust the harness height, the straps have to be re-threaded.  The universal footmuff has velcro opening for the harness, so there's no need to re-thread the harness when you put the footmuff on or adjust the seatback height.

Finally, the Bee footmuff is slightly thinner and less bulky than the universal footmuff and weighs about 6 ounces less.

So which footmuff is better for the bee?

It depends upon your needs.

• The bee footmuff is a better fit, and may be the better choice if you plan to use it with only one child and only on the bee.  
• If you expect to take the footmuff on and off frequently, need to adjust the harness for multiple children, or want to use the footmuff on other strollers, the universal footmuff is probably a better choice.

Bumbleride Indie Twin vs Bugaboo Donkey Duo

In my ongoing search for the perfect double stroller, I have settled on two full-size double strollers that I really like--the Bugaboo Donkey and the Bumbleride Indie Twin. 

  

I have an infant and a toddler, so I am comparing these strollers with a toddler seat facing outward and a bassinet.  The Donkey base stroller comes with a bassinet, but requires the purchase of an extension kit to be used in duo mode as shown.  The Indie Twin bassinet is also a separate purchase.

On the left: My Bugaboo Donkey is a 2013 model in black, with electric blue and jade green canopies (purchased separately), as well as a homemade seat liner.  The cup holder and seatback organizer are also accessories purchased separately.

On the right: My Bumbleride Indie Twin is a 2012 model in Fog, with a Skip Hop seat liner in "platinum"

Handlebars

Both strollers have handles that adjust to a similar height, but the Donkey handle pulls out, whereas the Indie Twin handle pivots.  Because of this, the Donkey has better clearance for tall parents or the use of a rider board.

 Storage

The Indie Twin has by far the better basket. It's deeper, wider, longer, and more accessible from all sides than the Donkey's basket

 The Donkey basket (left) is virtually inaccessible from the side, whereas the Indie Twin basket (right) has very good access.

Toddler Seats

The Indie Twin seat is significantly wider than the Donkey seat

The Donkey Seat has a lever at the top of the seat to adjust the recline angle and the Indie Twin has a drawstring style recline.  The Donkey's recline lever makes it easy to adjust the seat up and down quickly to several different positions.  The Indie Twin's drawstring recline is slightly mare difficult to adjust up, particularly with a child in the seat; however it does allow you to recline the seat to any position between nearly flat for a newborn to fairly upright.

 You can see here that the seat-backs are a similar height, but the canopy clearance is significantly higher on the Indie Twin, making it a better choice for taller children.

The Indie Twin also has a higher weight limit at 90 pounds total (45 pounds per seat), than the Donkey's at 37.5 pounds per seat

Overall, the Bugaboo Donkey and Bumbleride Indie Twin are very comparable strollers.  They both have air-filled tires, are easy to push, and are great for a variety of surfaces and activities.

The key advantages of the Bugaboo Donkey are:

• Reversible seats
• Ability to convert from mono to duo mode
• Variety of canopy and accessory options
• Great ride-on-board option for older children. 

The key advantages of the Indie Twin are:

• Superior canopies
• Higher weight limit
• Taller, wider seats
• More affordable price