Bugaboo Fox 3 review: Still the Rolls-Royce of pushchairs?

The iconic Bugaboo Fox has long been regarded as the Rolls-Royce of the pushchair world, and its latest update promises the same modern design in a more lightweight form. I’d used the original Bugaboo Fox 1 for more than a year with my first child, so I was well aware about what was good and not so good with regards to its predecessor. As such, I was interested to see how the new and improved Fox 3 fared in comparison.

I tested the pushchair when my son was eight months old, using it scenarios from shopping trips, car journeys, and woodland walks. It’s immediately clear that the design team at Bugaboo has spent time looking at its previous models, upgrading many of its ergonomic features. The new model now includes a high-performance aerated mattress, improved quick-click harness and an ergonomic padded seat with extra backrest support.

While the all-terrain wheels still make the Fox 3 quite a chunky pram that can be difficult to ferry around, it’s super light in use with great suspension and a sleek modern design that any parent would be proud to push.

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Bugaboo Fox 3 review: What you need to know

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is designed to be used from birth and comes with a lightweight carrycot and interchangeable ergonomic seat for when baby can sit up comfortably, from around six months. Bugaboo’s main aims for this pram were to improve the push, feel and overall quality, while adding optimum resistance so that it can tackle a range of terrains with ease. The main downside to the Fox 3 is that at over £1,000, it remains one of the most expensive prams on the market.

Bugaboo Fox 3 review: Price and competition

The Bugaboo Fox 3 sits in the top tier of premium pushchairs and travel systems, making it a serious investment at between £1,045 and £1,115. It’s in good company with other premium yet eye-wateringly expensive pushchairs including the UPPAbaby Vista V2, egg2 and iCandy Peach 7.

While these models remain some of the most popular and sought-after prams, there are more affordable contenders that are also worth considering. The Nuna Triv, for instance, is one of my favourites and can be bought as part of a bundle with a carrycot and car seat for under £1,000, while the Nuna Mixx Next has all-terrain wheels and is priced below £600.

If your budget won’t stretch to these top-end options, the Joie Chrome DLX is a good solid option, as is the KinderKraft XMoov 3-in-1 Travel System. Both pushchairs cost just over £300.

The Bugaboo Fox 3’s sleek, contemporary design and premium fabrics are hard to beat; but the new iCandy Peach 7 is perhaps its closest contender.

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Bugaboo Fox 3 Review: Design & Key Features

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is made for all terrains, so it comes with large puncture-proof wheels (measuring 12in on the rear and 8.5in on the front) and a central-joint suspension. This helps the pram absorb any bumps on roads and paths while feeling featherlight and agile on curbs and steps. It’s also made from durable yet water-repellent materials with a metal frame that give the pushchair a premium feel and a weight of just 9.5kg.

The carrycot is super-lightweight, too, with a breathable panel that provides optimal ventilation and an aerated mattress. At 90cm long, it should accommodate most babies until they’re six months old, when you can then swap to the main ergonomic seat. The seat features a new and improved quick-click harness (It’s one of the easiest I’ve ever tested), soft-touch water-repellent fabrics and an extendable sun canopy.

The metal frame is self-standing so folds down compactly and can also be collapsed with the carrycot or main seat attached. It also has a few different configurations, so baby can be sat forward facing or towards you.

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Bugaboo Fox 3 Review: Performance

In a nutshell, everything works well on this pram. There are no irritating straps that are awkward to fasten or sticky latches on the handles. It’s clear that the design team at Bugaboo has spent a lot of time ironing out the irritations of the Fox 1 and 2.

The pushchair is noticeably lightweight to push and is pleasurable to use on a day-to-day basis – whether that’s on the pavement or in a park. When it comes to folding it down and putting it in the car, however, things become a bit trickier as a result of its size. While the Fox 3 is designed with a one-piece fold, I found that I still had to separate the stroller seat to fit it into the boot of my car. Swapping from the carrycot to the seat is also quite time-consuming.

Suffice to say, this isn’t a pram for those looking for a super-compact option that they’ll be putting up and down multiple times throughout the day. But if your main requirement is a buggy for use on long walks on a mixture of terrains, it’s just about faultless.

That is, apart from the mesh under-seat basket at the base. While adequate, it isn’t as big as I’d like. It will easily fit a bag, jacket and baby carrier, but not much else. I did struggle to squeeze in larger bags of shopping. In comparison, the Nuna Triv is a smaller pram but has a deeper basket.

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Bugaboo Fox 3 Review: Verdict

There’s no denying that the Fox 3 is a stylish, lightweight pram that feels great to manoeuvre around, its sleek design making you feel proud to do so. Its high price tag means it’s best purchased before the birth of your baby so you can utilise both the accompanying carrycot and stroller seat and really get your money’s worth from it. You should also really think about how you’ll be using your pram on a day-to-day basis before purchasing – while lightweight, the Fox 3 definitely isn’t a micro city pram. There are less expensive alternatives, if that’s what you’re looking for.

However, for walks outside, shopping trips and the like, this is a premium-quality, thoughtfully designed pushchair that will take you from those new-born days to toddlerhood with ease.