Bugaboo Fox 5 review

The Bugaboo Fox 5 is a top-of-the-line, all-terrain stroller, that Bugaboo says is its most comfortable and maneuverable stroller yet. It looks beautiful, and it’s one of the lightest all-terrain strollers on the market, plus, you can fold it up using just one hand — handy! It’s highly adjustable and sturdy and will last you from newborn to approximately age four.

But how does it compare to some of the other all-terrain strollers on the market like the iCandy Peach 7 and those that made it onto our best strollers list? To find out more, we put the Bugaboo Fox 5 through several different tests to look at the build quality and maneuverability on different terrains. I wanted to see how easy it was to get the stroller in and out of my car boot, on and off the bus, and around a muddy dog walk. Read my Bugaboo Fox 5 review below to find out more. 

Bugaboo Fox 5 review: Price and availability

The Bugaboo Fox 5 is the updated version of the Bugaboo Fox 3 travel system. Launched in March 2023, the newer stroller has some key features to make it worth the upgrade — the newer stroller can be folded and adjusted using just one hand, has an extendable footrest and sun canopy, better steering, and a larger unseat basket for stowing all your essentials. 

The Fox 5 comes in a large number of colors to suit every style. If you buy from Bugaboo directly, you can mix and match your sun canopy and seat color, but if you buy from a third-party retailer like Amazon, you’ll have to choose between the five core colors — black, blue, taupe, forest green, and grey. 

There’s no doubt about it, this is a luxury stroller and doesn’t come cheap. While there are different bundles on offer, the bassinet and seat stroller cost $1299/£1115. However, unlike some of the other strollers on the market, the Fox 5 comes with a 100-day trial and a four-year warranty.

Bugaboo Fox 5 review: Design and key features 

Build 

I’ll start with how easy it was to physically get the Bugaboo Fox 5 up and running, as it’s a job you’ll inevitably have to do when you’re pregnant. The Fox 5 arrived in one large cardboard box, which was pretty heavy. The main chassis of the stroller is already built — all you need to do is clip the front and back wheels on, and you’re good to unfold it. 

Next up, is the seat or bassinet, which uses the same frame, so you’ll have to choose which to build first — for most people, this will be the bassinet, as it’s what you’ll use until your baby is around 4-6 months old. The stroller came with a scannable QR code, where you can watch a step-by-step video on how to put the Fox 5 together. I found it pretty self-intuitive, especially compared to the frustrating build of the iCandy Peach 7. The only fiddly bit was attaching the stabilizing parts at the head and feet end of the bassinet — you have to use a lot of force to clip these in place.

After a few walks, I switched from the bassinet to the seat for further testing. My brother has the Bugaboo Fox 2, and I’d heard horror stories about how difficult it was to change the stroller over, but I was pleasantly surprised. Switching from the bassinet to the seat took around 20 minutes, and you’d normally only have to do this once. 

Key design features 

Before I get onto the performance of the stroller, it seems important to point out a few key design features that impressed me. A stroller is something you have to live with for at least four years, so you want to be sure it’s right for you and your lifestyle. I’ll start with the bassinet —  the bassinet on the Fox 5 is approved for overnight sleeping when used with the compatible bassinet stand (although you’ll need to purchase this separately), and comes with a hard base and mattress. It has panels that allow air to flow around your baby and handy pouches for extra storage. 

When you do come to switch to the seat, there’s an easy-to-use five-point harness to keep your tot safely secured. Your baby can sit facing in or facing out, and there are three different levels when it comes to reclining the seat. With the Fox 5, the footrest and sun canopy can be extended, to extend the life of the pushchair as your child grows.

Finally, a huge deciding factor when it comes to choosing a stroller is how easy it is to push. The Fox 5 handled extremely well on concrete sidewalks in the city, but and added extra for good traction off-road was the lockable front wheels. Along with the suspension, the locked wheels helped keep the pushchair steady on bumpy, rocky terrain. 

Bugaboo Fox 5 review: Performance 

From my first few walks with the Fox 5, I was impressed by how easy it was to steer on different terrains. From getting up and down sidewalks, to muddier, wet paths, the pushchair handled well, even when pushing with just one hand. I tested all of the strollers in our best stroller test using different weights to test maneuverability as your child grows, as well as with my 21-pound nephew. I set up cones and went to various locations to test the Fox 5 on hills, mud, and gravel. 

I found the Bugaboo Fox 5 to be extremely well-designed. It was easy to clip the bassinet and seat on and off the stroller, and the one-handed fold was excellent, once I’d mastered it. The pushchair fit in the boot of my Kia Sportage with both the bassinet and seat attached, however, if I needed room for the dog or shopping, I found I needed to detach the bassinet and fold the chassis flat. Like most of the all-terrain strollers on the market, this isn’t the smallest stroller to cart around, however, you can easily unclip the back wheels to reduce the size of the frame even more for long-distance journeys. Plus, this is one of the lightest frames on test — it was extremely easy to lift in and out of the car. 

My main gripe from a performance perspective was that without the chassis or seat attached, the Fox 5 was a little tricky to stand up when folded. There is a knack to it, but I wish it had a clip like the iCandy 7 that allows it to stand freely. Of course, this isn’t an issue most of the time, but if you’re short on space at home and want to fold your stroller in the hallway, it is a little annoying. 

Finally, if you’re in the UK you’ll need to buy car seat adaptors to attach your car seat to the Fox 5 as a travel system, although this is the case for most strollers. In the US, the Fox 5 comes with Nuna adaptors for the Turtle One and Turtle Air car seats. 

Bugaboo Fox 5 review: Verdict 

I was really impressed with the Bugaboo Fox 5 — it’s made from high-quality materials, it felt luxurious, and it was a pleasure to push around. For me, the lack of self-standing balance is negated by the fact that the pushchair is one of the lightest all-terrain strollers on the market, and folded up pretty small in the boot of my car. I also loved the extra-large sun canopy, which extends much further than most others on the market, with a cute peekaboo window that allows you to check on your sleeping tot on the move. 

Of course, there are some downsides — the Fox 5 cannot be converted into a double-buggy, so if you’re expecting twins, or planning to add to your brood in the next year or so, you’ll want to look at the Bugaboo Donkey 5, or at a stroller that can easily switch. It’s also worth noting that compared to running and outdoor buggies, like the Thule Urban Glide 2, it doesn’t handle quite as well in the mud, however, the Fox 5 isn’t designed to go running with you, and I found it was much easier to move around (the Thule Urban Glide 2 didn’t fit through my front door). 

Overall, this is a solid choice if you’re looking for a stroller that’ll cope with moving around the city, the park, and going off-road at the weekend. 

If you're looking for a more affordable all-terrain stroller, read our Nuna MIXX next review here.