Customer Reviews:
 Great Multi-Purpose Stroller March 28, 2008
Like the other reviewers, I did lots of research and test-driving before settling on a stroller. I wanted one stroller that would meet all of my needs: able to navigate uneven pavement smoothly, small and light enough to keep in the back of my truck, maneuverability for shopping at the mall, and compact enough to travel with. The Indie meets all of these needs, and several wants, too. The price was right, especially since Bumbleride includes several accessories that many other companies charge extra for. I love that they include the foot muff and car seat bar. I also love that the car seat bar accommodates the Graco Safe Seat, which many others do not.
Though this stroller is great, and the best one for my needs, I have a couple of small complaints. First, I had to lubricate the front swivel wheel before I even used the stroller, as it was very stiff. Once I put the WD-40 on it, it worked great. But I think a brand new product should not need oil. Also, the canopy clicks loudly when I put it in certain positions. The saleswoman said it was normal, but it sounds like something isn't right. I put a call in to Bumbleride, and left a message, and haven't heard back yet. I will say the fold is a bit cumbersome, but I like that it folds in thirds, so I can fit other things in my cargo space besides the stroller! I would also liked to have seen "windows" on the sides of the canopy so my baby can see out when I have to have the canopy over her.
Besides those small complaints, I am completely satisfied with my purchase. I deliberated for quite some time before settling on the Indie, and am really glad I did.
I love it more everyday! February 23, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
We have the Indie in RED... we love this stroller for many reasons. Like the other reviewers I did A LOT of research. The highlights of this stroller are:
1. The large canopy and the fabric it is lined with (it is black and white and my 3-month old LOVES staring at it).
2. It is really easy to push with one hand while navigating sidewalks and holding a dog leash.
3. The wheel locks are well made.
4. The company has WONDERFUL customer service
5. It folds up easy... I will say that the instruction booklet was confusing, but when I ditched the book and fiddled with it myself it was easy. The booklet in general was confusing, but the customer service people are so dang nice that calling them is no problem.
6. The storage basket fits more than expected
7. I get compliments ALL the time on it.
8. I DO think the seat reclines all the way down. It was great for those early newborn phase.
I can't wait to review this stroller on other sites so more people will buy it.
Indie vs. Rocket vs. Phil&Ted September 1, 2007
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
I love the Indie! I researched many strollers before my wife and I purchased the Bumbleride Indie. I wanted something that was durable, fashionable and functional for my son and me. We live in the suburbs and have lots of bumpy streets and sometimes no sidewalks. We also walk to the beach a lot and wanted something that could handle soft sand. And we only wanted to buy ONE stroller and use it for all our purposes (meaning it needed to be light enough to get into and out of our trunk). I originally purchased the Rocket prior to the Indie. I loved everything about the Rocket except for its size and weight(very long and heavy). The Rocket has a slight advantage when it comes to being able to fully recline. But it has a big disadvantage when it comes to size. My wife complained about how difficult it was to lift it into the trunk of our Subaru Outback. There really are no good places to grab and hold onto the Rocket whereas the Indie is much easier to grip and lift. Plus, the Indie is much lighter. Both the Rocket and Indie have REALLY smooth rides and turn on a dime. My wife took the Indie to Whole Foods at peak time and was able to hold a basket of groceries in one arm and single handedly steer the stroller all around the supermarket, all while fellow customers were looking at the stroller. She did mention that it was much easier to steer the Indie than the Rocket because of its shorter length. She was able to get through tight quarters easily and came home thrilled about our decision to get the Indie.
Here are some features/advantages of the Indie:
1) Size matters. The Indie is much shorter in length and compact in size. It makes whole lot of difference when strolling through store aisles. Plus, it's lighter and easier to lift into the trunk of the car.
2) The front wheel swivel lock now stays locked unlike the Rocket which would snap into a locked position all by itself.
3) The sun canopy comes all the way down from the handle bar area to the bumper bar and practically covers the entire stroller! Our infant car seat carrier didn't even have this much coverage!
4) The adjustable footrest is awesome!
5) I know I'm getting picky now, but I love the angle of the bumper bar on the Indie. It gives my son a sense of security and a place to rest his feet, yet it is out of the way and doesn't obstruct his view.
6) The Indie has two clips that lock the stroller in the folded position. Plus it has a carry handle.
7) Although it doesn't fully recline, it comes pretty close to a flat recline. We will still be able to change diapers in the stroller which is very important to my wife.
8) Once you get the hang of folding the Indie, it's really not that hard. In order to fold, you must do two steps. First, pull up on the triggers that are located on the handlebars. Second, lift the back seat lever. It collaspes easily.
We were thinking about getting the Phil&Ted Sport but decided against it because it is not as smooth as the Indie and has absolutely no back support. For some reason, the Phil&Ted seemed to jerk around when turning corners. The Indie has an actual back board that holds the fabric and is so easy to recline whereas with the Phil&Ted you need to unzip and unclip for the recline. It's impossible when you're strolling and want to recline at the same time. The Indie comes as close to perfect as a stroller is going to get. I highly recommend it to people who want a smooth and comfortable ride for both you and your kid. Also, I must mention that Bumbleride has EXCELLENT customer service which is very rare these days.
 Indie vs Rocket August 23, 2007
3 out of 12 found this review helpful
The Bumbleride Indie is a 2007 upgrade to the Bumbleride Rocket (which is apparently being discontinued). Unfortunately for those who liked many of the design features of the Rocket, the Indie includes many "downgrades" from the Rocket.
After surveying a lot of strollers, we really liked the Rocket for a variety of features. It had an elegant design, was spacious, quite easy to fold down and the reclined seat seemed quite comfortable for the baby. Since Indie was being released at about the same time, we talked to bumbleride and were told that if anything, the Indie was more compact and easy to steer - while retaining many of the features of the Rocket that we'd liked. Wrong !!
The biggest dissappointment we had with the Indie was the recline of the seat. While the Rocket goes down completely flat, the Indie at its most reclined position still keeps the baby at a fair incline... which doesnt seem very comfortable for an all-terrain, "jogger-like" stroller.
Secondly, the "improved" folding mechanism that is supposed to make the Rocket more compact than the Indie, is a pain to operate. Bumbleride's solution is to replace the old (comfortable) pulling and folding mechanism with a series of steps which are (a) quite strenuos and (b) very poorly described in their user guide. This would easily be the stroller that you would see someone struggle with as they go through airport security, to fold... Once you do get it folded down it does become more compact than the rocket. But its a hazzle !
The Indie of course does retain many other features of the rocket and has some improvements in locking the wheels etc. But in general it was a dissappointing buy. So, we are returning the Indie. And hoping that Bumbleride does fix some of these issues. Coz we really did like the Rocket to start with!!!
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