At a glance:
We were overwhelmed by the number of different configurations on offer with the Bugaboo, whilst still being on the slim side for a double buggy. It’s quite bulky when folded, so check the dimensions of your car boot first.
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What they say:
“Going out with your first child & second child can often present a dilemma. That's where the Bugaboo Donkey comes in and makes it all so easy. The convertible pushchair can adapt to your requirements at any given moment of the day. In just three simple clicks it can convert from a duo pushchair to a mono pushchair.Reversing the seats make it possible to put children into any desired position - facing you, the world or each other. In fact, there are 17 different configurations – thanks to its interchangeable seats and carrycots, and flexible luggage options – which don't compromise on comfort or functionality. Its width – just 5,4 inches wider than mono-configuration – means you can go in and out of entrances with ease.”
Tested by mum Heather Moore for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would yes, I liked the hood which came all the way down keeping the sun out and making naps on the move easier. The Bugaboo Donkey was easy to push and the colour choices are lovely. The seat reclined easily and the handles can be adjusted which is a good feature and both myself and my partner are tall. The pram was also large enough for my two-year-old and she seemed to be comfortable.
How has this product made your life easier?
I liked the side compartment which could hold a lot of items and prevented me from having to bend all the way down to the floor each time. I also loved that the Bugaboo pushchair had a cover for bad weather which would prevent the pushchair from getting ruined.
Would you choose this product to win?
I don't think this pram should win, whilst it looked very nice, the side compartment made it quite wide and made it difficult to get through tight spaces easily. As a double, I felt that the storage underneath was quite limited too.
What changes would you make to this product?
I do not feel that the storage underneath the pram is large enough for a double pram. Without the additional side storage, there is not enough room to store all of the items required for a trip out with two children. A larger underneath storage area would make this score higher in my book.
Tested by mum Rebecca Roskell-Thomas for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
The Bugaboo Donkey is a really well-built pram. It looks durable and has a really lovely design. It is very easy to push and goes up and down kerbs easily. My little girl seemed very happy in the pram and it certainly looks comfortable. The handle is extendable, which is great as it makes the buggy comfortable to push no matter how tall you are.
How has this product made your life easier?
The Bugaboo Donkey is a great pram. It is easy to manoeuvre and despite its size, it feels light when pushing. The biggest bonus for me was the size of the basket, both underneath and the one you can add next to the seat. I managed to do a full shop using the Bugaboo Donkey which is great when you don't want to take the car.
Would you choose this product to win?
Unfortunately, I wouldn't choose the Bugaboo Donkey to win this category. For its price, I don't think it is worth it. It is too big when folded down and folding it up and down isn't exactly easy, and when you have two children, this is something that I think is needed in a pram. If you've got room in your house to keep it up then it would be great but this isn't something I have.
What changes would you make to this product?
If I could change one thing about the Bugaboo Donkey it would be the foldability. I have a terraced house, so the most important thing to me is storage. This pram takes up way too much room. The frame doesn't fold down much and then you have the seat and the basket as well – I couldn’t have this pram purely because of the size of it.
Tested by mum Katie McMahon for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
The Bugaboo donkey converts widthways from a single pushchair to a double pushchair and whilst as a single pushchair I found it quite bulky, as a double pushchair it is very slim for a side by side. Both positions are suitable from birth and can accommodate a carrycot, seat unit or car seat making it suitable for either twins or a baby and toddler. The Bugaboo donkey looks very stylish and pushes very well with a good-sized shopping basket and hood. The seat unit however seemed quite small for my 22-month-old and whilst she seemed perfectly comfy in it, I am not convinced how long it would last her. I found the Bugaboo very bulky when folded and you would need a good-sized car to fit it in.
How has this product made your life easier?
The Bugaboo donkey is fantastic for being able to switch from a single to a double whilst keeping the possibility of different seat positions and configurations, making it great for a family that doesn’t always need a double pushchair. The Donkey is extremely easy to push for a double pushchair with a good size shopping basket and hood. It can be folded with the seats attached in a forward-facing position and the seats can be easily removed using one hand.
Would you choose this product to win?
The stand out feature of the Bugaboo Donkey is how slim it is for a double side by side pushchair and that it is easily converted from a single to a double, whilst keeping the possibility of different seat positions and configurations. The Donkey is a very stylish pushchair and is lovely to push around with a good size shopping basket, especially if it is being used as a single pushchair as it has the extra storage basket on the side. The Donkey does however come with a pretty hefty price tag which I’m not sure I could bring myself to pay!
What changes would you make to this product?
The Bugaboo Donkey can be folded with the seats attached, but it is very bulky when folded and takes up a lot of space, even when being used as a single pushchair. Also, when folded there does not appear to be a lock to keep the wheels folded under in place (if there was I didn’t manage to find it!) making it very difficult to transport around. Also as mentioned above, the seats seam small and although my 22-month-old daughter seemed perfectly comfortable, I think she would outgrow it before too long.
Tested by mum Annie Knight for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I don't think I would recommend this double pram to a fellow mum who had twins, however I would suggest it to a mum who had a slightly older child and a newborn. The chassis is not big enough for both seats to recline fully world facing. I found collapsing the pram awkward at times, as I found the bar with the front wheels on still moved whilst trying to collapse the hand bar. The Bugaboo Donkey is generally an okay pram, but I don't think it is worth the price tag – it is really expensive for an average piece of equipment.
How has this product made your life easier?
The Bugaboo Donkey made my life easier because the size of the basket was big enough to hold my shopping when I took it out to test. It is lightweight, and didn't require much strength to push even when there were two toddlers inside.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would not choose the Bugaboo Donkey over other double prams on the market, simply because it is too big and you cannot have both seats lying flat at the same time. I do however, really like the other aesthetics of the pram, it looks gorgeous and the seats are made from a lovely material.
What changes would you make to this product?
If I could change one thing about the Bugaboo Donkey it would be the setup, as having the seats side by side makes the overall size of the pram really big and awkward to get around with. It is more ideal for a mother who has a baby and a slightly older child, as it doesn't seem to fit the seats together very well.
Tested by mum Joanne Fisher for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would and I wouldn’t; if they wanted a designer pram and have the storage space not to have it collapsed, then yes. However, the pram is very bulky, not easily stored and over-priced for the quality of it. It is also extremely heavy when folded, which is mainly down to the solid rubber wheels and as such is difficult to get in and out of the car. That said, being able to change the seat positions is simple and useful.
How has this product made your life easier?
The flexibility of being able to make the pram a single buggy is very good, however it is still much wider than a standard pram when set in this mode. The basket facility is handy and means there is plenty of useful storage. However, the clips for making this a single pram are not very user friendly as they are not robust. As a parent, time is always a factor and for me, the time it would take to collapse and put this pushchair up would be an issue. It is however light when manoeuvring and pushes like a dream.
Would you choose this product to win?
The only way that I would choose the Bugaboo Donkey is if I didn't have to collapse it and lift it into the car. If it were bought to be used as a 'solid pram' it would be amazing. It has the potential to be a great system, however there are still many things that need to be addressed - price, build quality, weight, and safety.
What changes would you make to this product?
There are several; the wheels would be rubber with air filled tyres for weight and comfort. The buckle to unfasten the child would be more robust and less easy to open, with the shoulder straps staying clipped to the side straps. The seat would be wider and longer with a narrower frame, as at the moment there is a lot of wasted space between the two components. Finally, the brake would be in the middle of the pram rather than to the left.
Product Information
The Bugaboo Donkey Double Pushchair