We invited Adrienne Jones of Baby Toolkit to test drive the Bumbleride Indie three-wheeled stroller with her two children to test its age range. What she found may surprise you - and prepare you to use the phrase "stroller physics" in conversation. Thanks, Adrienne!


The Bumbleride Indie is officially a "premium" stroller in my book at $460. But its good looks, the surprising number of accessories that come in the standard package, and variable front wheel (inline or free-rotating) help establish it as something of a pioneer, claiming a stylish middle ground between the expensive luxury brands and high-end traditional-design strollers.

We tested Bumbleride's Indie stroller with our three-year-old son and newborn daughter, challenging the Indie with a variety of settings and terrain including the zoo, local libraries, and a crowded street festival. Below, find out why we'd recommend it for kids up to age four, but advise against its use with an infant car carrier, making this stroller suitable for children through age four who can sit up independently.

Assembly

When Bumbleride's Indie appeared on my doorstep, I was surprised by the box's moderate dimensions. Even with assembly required, I had been expecting a much larger box.

The stroller seemed to have a lot parts, but it assembled easily in less than 20 minutes even with a huge pregnant belly while talking on the corded phone. No tools were required.

The manual was sparse in its instructions and images. I was left with two mystery straps after full assembly. One, the foot strap for a car carrier, was clearly identified later in the book. The other, which I currently believe to be a jogging safety leash, was never depicted in the manual.

Style

The Indie has nice lines and comes in great color schemes - Lava, Ruby, Seagrass, Spice and Vita. We went with Seagrass. This stroller attracted compliments and interest even from non-parents.

Maneuverability, Performance, and Portability

The stroller performs well on urban obstacles and rougher terrain. With the front wheel free or locked, the Indie had no problem climbing curbs and rolled easily over uneven concrete, grass, and gravel.

The mobile front wheel offers a short turning radius making it easy to maneuver in tight places like our public library stacks. The adjustable handlebar offer height options that will please most users and make maneuvering even easier.

The braking system is great. Its easy engagement and disengagement did not scratch my shoes or hurt my feet when wearing sandals. The long bar is easy to locate without looking, and the wheels lock firmly without requiring a lot of pressure.


The Bumbleride folds and has a quick release front wheel. Folded it can fit in my Honda station wagon, but it occupies much of the cargo area. It would probably be better suited for a family with larger vehicles or those who live in less automobile dependent regions.

The Indie's big miss: The car seat attachment

It is easy to admire the fact that the car seat adapter bar and safety belt come standard with the Indie rather than being an expensive add-on. Even better, the safety belt is easy to install - it snaps into a d-ring on the stroller's passenger harness. We were able to adjust it once, and have it retain the proper sizing from use to use.

Unfortunately, these elements are not without their design flaws. The adapter bar seemed smaller than necessary to get a tight fit with the Graco SnugRide car seat. Twice, I thought I had the seat snapped over the bar, but later found it was detached. In neither case was the seat fully dislodged (thanks to the safety belt), but the car seat's fit was looser than I like. (New instructions provide installation options that may reduce the looseness of your infant carrier.) Also, the three-wheeled design and free-rotating front wheel complicate the use of a rear-facing car carrier.

But then we started discovering what will be a dealbreaker for many parents. Testing the stroller with our SnugRide and the newest member of our family as its passenger, we noticed the stroller became prone to tipping when making turns or climbing curbs. The tipping was not dramatic, but required two-handed steering to control.

What's happening here involves some basic stroller physics. It's simple, and you can wow your friends with it later. It may also help you diagnose other stability issues in your baby's life, including other three-wheeled strollers designed to accept infant car carriers.

The center of gravity for a car seat carrier is very close to where the carrier's handles join to the carrier. The mass of the baby's weight rests approximately at the center of the car carrier. When the carrier faces backwards, the primary weight of the baby and carrier rests near the single front wheel rather than toward the twin rear wheels. This places the carrier's weight at one of the stroller's least stable points. With the car seat is raised above the seat level, the center of gravity is relatively high. These factors make the stroller more prone to tipping.

To illustrate, I've drawn straight lines from the point where each wheel contacts the ground (green or pink triangles). The majority of the stroller's weight must rest within this triangle to remain upright. From each side's midpoint, I drew a line through each opposing vertex (corner). The intersection point of these three lines (yellow x for locked front wheel, blue x for rear-pointing front wheel) shows the center of gravity where ideally the majority of the weight should rest.


Deviation from this center towards any side of the triangle creates instability. The closer the weight moves to any side of the triangle, the greater the instability. The higher up that center of gravity, the more the instability is magnified when the triangle is tilted.

Now let's add the chalk tub to represent the weight of the carrier.


The primary weight of the carrier rests above the stroller's center of gravity in the narrowest point of the triangle. This leaves little room for side-to-side tilting without resulting instability.

Another consideration in stability with car carrier use is the free rotating option on the front wheel. When the wheel is locked in an inline (jogging) position, the triangle is elongated, making it more stable. When the wheel is released to free rotation it tends to go under the seat closer to the axle. This position creates a smaller triangle than the jogging triangle and moves the center of gravity back approximately three additional inches.

When the wheel turns, it can be in any position represented by the orange circle. This creates an asymmetrical triangle and temporarily moves the center of gravity off the central axis (purple line). The car carrier remains over the centerline, creating temporary instability in turns.

We never tipped over, but the tippiness was a little unnerving, and it did require some extra muscle and coordination to keep it safely upright. For the precious cargo you're carrying, we'd advise you to select an alternative stroller if you need it to safely accommodate a car seat.

The manual makes no statement regarding whether the stroller could be used for jogging with the car carrier in place. I would not jog with the car carrier attached.

Note: The photo above shows an incorrect installation of the infant car carrier. See our update post for more details.

Notable "extras"

• Ample shade and weather protection are offered with both canopies in place. The coverage offered to a car carrier impresses me. The window atop the canopy offers a the ability for the stroller driver to see the occupant.


• The Indie also comes standard with a clear rain cover, a jogging strap (though it is unclear how to install it), an air pump (which we have never needed), and a padded bar which fits accross the seat and allows you to attach accessories like Bumbleride's snack pack.


• The cupholder expands enough to securely hold a large (BPA-free) Nalgene bottle. There is a zipper pocket on the removable canopy which is nice for keys, wallet, and cell phone. The under-seat basket is spacious with a fully open back that provides easy gear access.

Summary

We like the Indie's easy roll over a wide variety of terrain, and think it's a solid choice for use with toddlers and infants who can sit up independently. This stroller performs well indoors and outdoors - it has a nice turn radius for tight spaces, but its large wheels that roll well make the Indie my first choice to explore local parks or visit a hilly zoo.

But the loose fit of the infant car carrier and the tippiness with it in place, the Indie will not be my first choice for use with a car carrier. For an urban family, car carrier use might not be important, but for suburbanites who rely on auto travel, it's an important consideration in the first year.

Our abnormally tall son has outgrown the Indie lengthwise at 3.5 years old, but it would probably work through age 4 for most kids.

The Indie's recommended price is $459. You can purchase it directly from Bumbleride or on Amazon.com.