Bugaboo Donkey (All Black Edition) Review!

I used to roll my eyes at the sight of a Bugaboo Donkey, I'm not going to lie. My first thoughts were- too big, seats too small, and too expensive. But I stand corrected, (except for the expensive part).

My son will be 2 next month, and is in the 97th percentile for height and weight. He weights 30 pounds, so I never even thought of trying to put him in the Donkey seat. When I found out I was expecting baby number 2, things changed. My son is still a stroller rider, which makes going out with him really easy, and I'm not ready to let go of that just yet! So I really need a GREAT double stroller.

When the Donkey came, I put my son in the seat, and I was pleasantly surprised. 

He had a ton of room above his head, and fit great in the seat. I think I can definitely get another year (at least) out of this seat! And the part I love the most about it, is when my son decides he no longer wants to be a stroller rider, I can easily convert the Donkey into Mono Mode for the baby! 

Let me get into the things I LOVE about the Donkey..

First of all- in MONO mode, it is just as wide as the Cameleon! (2 inches less than the Uppababy Vista!) So no, it's not a huge single stroller. When it is in Duo Mode I can still get through standard sized doorways easily.

I love how upright the seat is. My son LOVES it. He likes to sit in it in the house while he drinks his milk, he loves to go for walks around the neighborhood. He just loves it. 

I attempted to recline the seat just for the sake of the review, and he hated that. But that's not the strollers fault, it's personal preference, and he hates being reclined.

I love the sleekness of the stroller. It's really beautiful, which is pretty rare when it comes to a double stroller. 

The colors are vibrant and gorgeous, I love the limited edition Jade Green, especially with the all black frame- which I LOVE as well!

My son loves to have his sister in the bassinet beside him. He reaches in and grabs her hand, which is so adorable, but can also be quite dangerous at times. So if you don't want the older child sneaking their hands in, you can pull up both canopies, and the problem is taken care of.

The stroller DOES NOT come with a mosquito net- which it really should, since the stroller is super expensive. I did get one separately, and it's a must buy if you have a newborn. It covers the stroller perfectly and protects baby from mosquitos and bugs. 

(Other accessories which are sold separately are the cup holder, parent organizer and child snack tray- all great, all should pretty much be included though.)

Something that I love about the Donkey seats, which you don't appreciate until you've owned a lot of strollers, is that the seat stands on its own. It's great for when you're loading the stroller into the car without the seats attached, and instead of putting the material of the seat down on the wet or dirty ground, it stands up- so it doesn't get dirty. Love, love, love that.

The seats are also SUPER easy to remove one handedly. Just click a left button (it stays clicked in), then click the right button, and remove the seat/bassinet. So great for when you have the baby in your hand, and you want to switch which way their facing quickly and easily.

The tires are air filled, and the stroller comes with a small pump. I just leave it in the bottom basket in case I ever need to fill up- but I haven't had to do so yet. They can handle grass and mulch with the push of one hand EASILY. I stroll the stroller on grass instead of cement simply because I CAN!

(The two front tires lock straight, making it easier to handle the tougher terrain.)

In Mono Mode, the Bugaboo Donkey has a side basket that attaches. My son likes to keep his blankets, cups and toys in there. It's his own little toy box, and he loves it. Sometimes he'll even let me put my purse in there too. Only sometimes though. 

The bottom basket is pretty roomy. Big enough to stuff my huge baby bag in.

The handle bars move up and down, low enough for my son to push, and high enough for any 6 foot something mom or dad to push.

And no matter how tall you are, or how long your stride is- you will NOT kick the bottom of the stroller. 

The brake is great, and very flip flop friendly, one of my favorites.

Now the things I have some issues with...

I wish there was a pop out visor or an extendable canopy. Bugaboo added this with their new Bugaboo Buffalo- and I hope that they make those canopies for the Cameleon, Bee and Donkey as well. My newborn daughter gets fussy in the bassinet, because the sun is beaming down on her, no matter how high or low I place her in there. And I personally can't throw a blanket over it without my son grabbing it away. I guess I could do that in Mono Mode when it's just us two..but that's still not good enough for me.

There is also no peek-a-boo window. Why? No idea. But Bugaboo just doesn't like them I guess.

The footrest is not adjustable, which most people don't mind, but I really like when they're adjustable.

THE FOLDING SITUATION....

Okay so..

The Donkey is huge in Duo Mode. It does technically fold with both seats attached, with a standing fold which is fine to just put it in the corner of a room. But it's nearly impossible to LIFT and PUT into the car that way. So you're most probably going to be taking both seats off. (Shown with the frame in Duo Mode, seat and bassinet collapsed)

This is the frame in DUO Mode folded in the trunk. 

In Mono Mode, the Donkey is pretty compact! I still like to remove the seat when putting it into the car, it's much easier to get in that way.

The Bugaboo Donkey has a standing fold, (lock the front wheels so it doesn't slip).

The frame itself in Mono Mode is pretty compact compared to others on the market

In Mono Mode with one seat, I have lots of room for anything I need to store in there. I'll probably be keeping it this way for a while, and just snap the infant car seat in for quick errands. My son will be in playgroup, so if I have my baby, I can either use the car seat or the seat, and if I have them both I'd use the seat for my toddler and car seat for the baby. 

My Final Thoughts:

I'm very impressed with the Donkey. It is a great option for a mom like me, since I'm not sure how long my son will be a stroller rider for, but for now it's a necessity. I don't have to worry about storing a huge bulky double stroller when he's done with it. Just click 3 buttons and in under 30 seconds I have a single stroller. I can click in my Cybex Aton car seat with my Maxi-Cosi adapters easily as well. I can also add the Bugaboo wheelie board when he's old enough- and too cool to sit in the seat. The fold with both seats on in Duo Mode is overwhelming to say the least, but I honestly don't mind removing both seats, or even switching it to Mono Mode quickly to have more space in my trunk. If you have no patience for that, DO NOT even bother looking into the Donkey! If your a city mom with two under two, or twins, and walk A LOT, and don't use cars- it's pretty awesome. BUT it is very, very expensive. The most expensive stroller on the market right now. So it really depends on what you need, and how much you are willing to spend.

P.S- After searching for days for a door the Donkey can't fit in, I finally found one...in my house. Yep! The donkey doesn't fit in Duo Mode through my back door. I had to put into single mode to get through it. But its a tiny door that doesn't really open all the way- so I'll let it slide. 

Some More Pictures:

The snack tray is a great buy. It's great for cups and snacks. And to hold soccer balls- duh.

The parent organizer is very convenient. I like to store my wallet, keys and phone in there. Perfect amount of room. You can also keep a water bottle, or baby bottle in the side pocket.

Watch out- your kids CAN get into the side basket easily. So don't keep anything in there that you'd rather them NOT get to. Like cookies. Trust me.

LOTS of storage. Especially in Mono Mode.

The bassinet is great, (besides the lack of a extendable canopy). It nice and roomy, and can be flattened down for compact storage.



Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this review, everything written above is unbiased, and my own personal opinion on this stroller.