Up, UPPA, and Away

Why I’d Choose VISTA

If I had it to do over again, I’d buy the UPPABaby VISTA on Amazon – not because my Bugaboo hasn’t been so good to me, but because I think the UPPABaby has more versatility and a lower price point without sacrificing any features. When I went secondhand stroller shopping before my first child was born, I couldn’t find any VISTAs. They hadn’t been in production long at that point and no one had finished using theirs, much less tried to sell it to recoup some of the cost.

Like Bugaboo, UPPABaby sells a bassinet stand that can be used inside your house. That means even if you don’t use the bassinet on your stroller – say your first child is still riding in the stroller and your second gets carried in a car seat or carrier – you still get good use out of it. Even better, the same stand converts into a laundry bag holder for two laundry bags once you’re out of the baby business. So you get lots of extra utility with those extra accessories, well beyond your child’s stroller years. Bugaboo offers a bassinet stand now, but they didn’t when I first started using my Frog stroller.

The second huge advantage of the UPPABaby VISTA to me? You can add a second seat on it, and that second seat can take an infant car seat or be a seat for an older child. That’s super handy to have if you plan on more than one child. You can add a ride on board as well, so it offers a ton of options to expand the number of stroller occupants. You have to buy car seat adapters (just like Bugaboo) separately, as well as the extra seat or second bassinet. But that’s way cheaper than buying a new double stroller. With multiple configurations, the UPPABaby can handle twins no problem, which only the most expensive Bugaboo model can claim.

Another difference between the UPPABaby VISTA and the Cameleon (besides the lower price) is the wheels. Bugaboo has air-filled tires. UPPABaby sports foam-filled ones. Some people have distinct preferences for one over the other, but if you travel via airplane, the foam may work better for you. My tires always need to be topped off after getting off an airplane, I assume because the cold air in the cargo hold compresses the air. It’s not a great feeling to get off an airplane with tired cranky kids who can’t walk and have to push them through the airport on flat wheels. You can carry a small hand pump of course, but the last thing I want to do, even behind pushing a stroller on flat wheels, is pump up tires while trying to contain my kids who’ve been confined to seats for multiple hours.

The bigger VISTA stroller weighs more, which is how it offers the extra capacity. If weight matters to you, the Bugaboo Cameleon might be a better choice. The UPPABaby has a foot brake, while the Cameleon sports the usual Bugaboo hand brake. The VISTA folds in one piece, while the Cameleon folds into two. The Cameleon folds flatter as a result, though. On the UPPABaby VISTA, the lower portion of the seat for your baby’s legs and feets can adjust from almost flat to a ninety degree angle. The VISTA features an adjustable handle, while with the Cameleon, you’re stuck with the manufacturer’s chosen height. The VISTA also comes with a larger storage basket underneath the stroller, and that makes it easier to access.

None of these features are deal breakers for the Bugaboo Cameleon, but for the money, if you’re buying brand new, I’d rule out the VISTA before investing in a Cameleon.