Bugaboo Fox 5 Review

The new Bugaboo Fox 5 is the ultimate all-terrain pushchair. Improved on the Fox 3, the Fox 5 boasts a single-handed fold, new colourways, a larger basket, a more oversized sun canopy and adjustable seat & canopy height to last longer as your child grows.

Complete with a bassinet and child seat that interchangeably use the same seat frame; this new release is lightweight, easy to manoeuvre and comfortable. The Bugaboo Fox 5 is suitable from birth until approximately four years old (22kg). Buy the Bugaboo Turtle by Nuna car seat for a fully compatible travel system!

Pros & Cons

Features

Specifications, Weights & Dimensions

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What's in the box

• Chassis
• Sun Canopy
• Bassinet fabrics and stiffeners
• Rain cover
• Child seat fabrics and stiffeners
• 4-year warranty
• 4x Air-filled wheels
• Bumper Bar
• Seat/carrycot frame
• Mattress
• Basket
• Manual

Colour Options

The sun canopy comes in: Midnight Black, Grey Mélange, Forest Green, Stormy Blue, Astro Purple, Sunrise Red, Misty White and Morning Pink, available to mix and match on a Black or Graphite Chassis with midnight black or grey melange fabrics.

Accessories Available

• Bugaboo footmuff & winter footmuff
• Bugaboo rain cover
• Bugaboo cup holder
• Bugaboo wheeled board
• Bugaboo Fox 5 breezy sun canopy
• Bugaboo parasol
• Bugaboo seat liner (duo comfort & wool)
• Bugaboo changing bag
• Bugaboo organiser
• Bugaboo newborn inlay
• Bugaboo mosquito net
• Bugaboo comfort transport bag
• Bugaboo smartphone holder and Bugaboo tray         

The Parent Test

Jasmine is a first-time mum to 17-month-old Theo. She lives in a large rural town in Bedfordshire, meaning she'll be subject to a range of terrains - cobblestones, pavements, fields and dirt-track paths with the buggy, and like most parents, she wants something robust and long-lasting, with lots of space for her storing things from trips to the shops. Having tested quite a few prams and with a now toddler in tow, she knows what she's looking for when looking at prams. She put the Bugaboo Fox 5 to the test, and here are her thoughts:

First Impressions

It was easy to assemble, even without the instructions. However, I missed the footrest attachment as I didn't see it until I was chucking out the box, which is why it doesn't appear in my images - sorry! The frame feels sturdy and has a nice counterweight, so it didn't easily tip over when bags were attached to the handle. The new one-handed fold feature is a great improvement from the Fox 3 and the Bugaboo Fox Cub, and it is much easier to adjust the handle height now, only needing one hand. It felt very light and easy to push around.

I like how Bugaboo prams keep the same frame for the baby bassinet and the child seat, meaning there's less to store once your child goes beyond 6m. The fabric feels high quality, is water resistant and easy-wipe. The child seat frame is also extendable, and the sun canopy can be moved further up (a new feature), meaning extended use to 4 years or possibly beyond if you have a smaller child. You can also easily buy a buggy board to use the pram for subsequent babies. Compared to the Fox 3, you can recline the seat with one hand, the basket is much bigger, and the hood extends to a huge canopy.

Manoeuvrability

The chassis of the new Fox was surprisingly lightweight for its size, and I liked that you could now extend the height of the handlebar with just one hand. The front wheels can lock into place for off-roading, which is always a good feature on all-terrain prams. With the child seat or bassinet attached, it is rather awkward to lift in and out of the car, so I did remove the child seat and lifted them separately. The pram was easy to steer; it almost felt weightless, even with my son sitting in it. The large puncture-proof air-filled wheels and advanced suspension made it a smooth ride going down the park over uneven ground. On pavement, it just seemed to glide!         

Folding, Unfolding, Storage & Lifting

It collapsed pretty easily once I worked out how, and the seat/cot was simple to interchange on the frame. As mentioned, I missed the footrest but did not see it in the box in my excitement to unpack it!

To collapse the pram, push the handlebar to its lowest setting and push in a bit further to cover the arrows, moving the handle towards the floor. Once the handle is down, you can pick the chassis up by the centre bar, and the wheel legs will collapse together.

After trying several prams before Theo was born, I only used a large travel system (the Cybex PRIAM) for six months while he was a baby. Once he was big enough for the child seat, I got a travel pram to replace it, as I live in a small townhouse with nowhere to store such a pram. The main pram, therefore, lives in my boot, and I keep a lightweight cabin-sized travel pram in the house for those quick runs to the shop and nursery drop-offs.

This pram is similar in that I couldn't store it indoors, but if I had to, whilst they're a baby and need the bassinet, it would fit in the downstairs cupboard or under the stairs. When folded, it's under a meter in length with the seat/cot attachment, so those with a smaller boot would struggle to put it in all attached, so you'd probably need to remove the seat/carrycot before putting them separately in the boot. I also couldn't work out how to stand it upright without the seat/cot attached, but it did say on their website it was able to stand up with the seat attached.

The chassis of this new Fox weighs less than 10kg, so it's not heavy to be slinging in and out of the boot. With the seat attachment, it's still just a few more kilos; the shape and size made it awkward to lift it as one piece.

If you were looking for a lighter version, the Bugaboo Fox Cub could be a pram to look at for your baby.

Compatibility & Car Seats

Changing from bassinet to child seat fabric onto the one shared frame is simple but requires some figuring out/referral to the instructions. As both use the same frame, you must detach and unclip the bassinet, which comes preassembled in the box, and then attach the back of the seat, followed by the fabric and push the harness through. This attachment frame is easy to remove from the chassis by pressing the two white buttons at the side inwards and then lifting off.

To re-attach, line it up and push it down, waiting for the two connectors to click. The bassinet can be used floor-standing with its plastic feet and paired with a bassinet stand for naps when travelling.

The Bugaboo Fox 5 is compatible with the Turtle by Nuna car seat. With adapters, there are many other seats from leading brands such as Maxi Cosi, Britax Römer, Cybex, BeSafe, Axkid and Kiddy.

Comfort & Ease of Use

The handlebar was very smooth, made with vegan leather, with no annoying stitching where your hands would hold that could rub. The wrist strap is also soft, and the seat/bassinet fabrics are super soft too. My son looked very comfortable in the seat, and the harness was well-padded, so nothing dug in or laid uncomfortably against him. In a lay-flat position, he looked at ease, and the sun canopy was the perfect size to shield him from the sun and wind and surround him in darkness for nap times out and about. There's a big mesh panel around the head of the bassinet and within the sun canopy for ventilation; the fabric itself seemed breathable. You can also buy a breezy canopy that keeps them shaded from the sun and cool with lots of mesh panels to allow airflow.

The handlebar was very smooth, made with vegan leather, with no annoying stitching where your hands would hold that could rub. The wrist strap is also soft, and the seat/bassinet fabrics are super soft too. My son looked very comfortable in the seat, and the harness was well-padded, so nothing dug in or laid uncomfortably against him. In a lay-flat position, he looked at ease, and the sun canopy was the perfect size to shield him from the sun and wind and surround him in darkness for nap times out and about. There's a big mesh panel around the head of the bassinet and within the sun canopy for ventilation; the fabric itself seemed breathable. You can also buy a breezy canopy that keeps them shaded from the sun and cool with lots of mesh panels to allow airflow.

The bassinet mattress looked well-padded and breathable. The bassinet also had ventilation mesh around the head, which can be covered up during winter to keep the baby snug and warm, with the apron cover zipped up.

Concerning my comfort, I liked that the seat unit/bassinet sat quite high, so I didn't need to bend down to put him in or make any adjustments to the seat, and I liked that you could have it either parent or world-facing. It also comes with a rain cover that fits even when the child seat is extended, regardless of which way the seat is facing, and is of lovely thick quality to keep the rain and wind out. I liked that you don't need a separate cover for the bassinet and the child seat like other prams. The basket is accessible from the front and back, the whole unit folds down with just one hand, and the seat can be taken off easily too. The bumper bar can easily be removed or unclipped and rotated on both sides with one hand to make strapping in your child easier. The 5-point harness is very easy to use with two shoulder straps, two hip straps and a groin anchor point with a round button to release. Each strap must be clicked individually, but you can rest assured your child cannot wriggle or slip out.

It's always great when prams come with the essentials like a rain cover and bumper as standard and that it is suitable from birth with the bassinet, as some prams require you to buy everything separately. This all comes in one box!

Safety

Regarding safety features on the new Fox, I felt the brake pedal was small despite the website saying it's flip-flop-proof. I had to press it twice for it to engage (I didn't press hard enough the first time), but with daily use, like learning a new car's clutch biting point, you'd get used to the amount of pressure needed. On a positive note, it felt sturdy and reliable, and I could park it on a slope without moving. With the addition of the wrist strap, I felt safe walking downhill, knowing the Fox wouldn't roll out of my grasp.

It features a five-point fully adjustable harness, meaning there was no wriggling out or slipping in his seat, so I'm pleased more and more prams are including this feature as standard. The shoulder straps can be moved up and down simply by rotating the top connection and moving up or down. Make sure this is rotated back before use.

I didn't notice any reflective panels, which makes me think that this wouldn't be as safe as it could be on night strolls to get your baby to sleep, so I would invest in some cheap pram reflectors you can buy online to ensure your pram is seen by vehicles in the dark. If you hook any heavy changing bag to the handle and put the seat in recline, you can still take your child out of the seat without causing the pram to topple over, so the centre of gravity is excellent too!

Basket

The basket on the Fox is easy to access from both the front and the back and has a large 10kg capacity with extendable flaps to make it even bigger and prevent things from falling out. I like that it's deep rather than just wide as it means you can fit so much more in - a changing bag, handbag, shopping, etc! The bassinet also has more storage, perfect for your phone and wallet. A pocket inside the basket is great for storing the rain cover with the pram.

Price

At £1,115, the Bugaboo Fox5 is at the higher end of pram prices, but compared to other prams on the market, you are paying for quality and longevity here. I like that you get both the bassinet and the child seat in the same box, as it makes it so much better value than having to buy the bassinet separately. The price is about what you'd expect to pay for a pram like this, but it wouldn't suit those looking for a budget-friendly option.

Final Thoughts

Having tested a few of the higher-end prams and the previous fox model from bugaboo, I'm really happy with the new features. It makes the pram last longer as your child grows, so you don't need to buy another pram (unless you want a compact, lightweight one for travel). The pram is compatible with most 0+ group car seats with the right adapter and could likely fit in most cars either lying flat or propped on its side. It's a delight to push around due to the style and ease of steering. My son looked comfortable and safe and enjoyed playing peekaboo through the sun canopy mesh! One improvement on this fox model would be the ability to fold the child seat into a more compact fold, but it's unnecessary if you've got the boot/storage space. A couple of my friends are pregnant at the moment, so I'm going to recommend the Fox 5 to them!

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