Bugadoo Donkey Strollers $1,200 base price, $1,500 as tested

For once, all the nosy parents at the park are going to grill you about your Bugaboo Donkey stroller instead of the kids riding inside it.

With its movable, modular parts and expanding frame, the Bugaboo Donkey can shape-shift into a variety of modes. Depending on how you set it up, it’s suitable for a single child, twins or two children of different ages. It’s a real-life Transformer.

The basic idea of the Donkey is that it can be configured to suit your growing family. The base model features everything you need for one child. As your family grows, you can buy an additional seat, or purchase two seats and bassinets for twins. It will also fit two infant car seats at once.

In single-child mode, you can attach a seat or bassinet (it ships with both) to a detachable frame that hooks onto the body of the stroller. The detachable bassinet comes off easily, and makes for a great portable bed for an infant. The seat can face forward or backward, and it angles to recline in five different positions, including prone when rear-facing. A lever on the top of the seat back makes adjusting the seat angle super easy — you can even do it one-handed, which is a nice touch.

At its most upright, your child will be sitting as if in a chair. One of our two test subjects, a 16-month-old toddler, really dug the Donkey’s upright elevated ride, which let him look around.

But the major magic happens when you extend the stroller. Flip three levers, push a button in the center, and the frame extends so you can attach a second seat or bassinet. It’s also handy if you want to haul something alongside your child, as the cargo basket also extends completely beneath the base to give you a little more storage room. (This is in addition to the detachable shopping basket that fits next to the seat in single-child mode.)

Best of all, it’s nearly effortless to adjust. It never took me more than about 20 seconds to go from single to dual mode or back again.

For a two-kid stroller, it’s surprisingly svelte. In the wide setting, it’s 28.5 inches across. While not exactly slim, it’s only two inches wider than some of the more popular, high-end single-child strollers. And the front side wheels, which can turn in any direction (or lock in place for jogging) let the stroller pivot like a Heisman-winning running back, making it pretty easy to navigate despite the width.

I never had an issue getting it through doorways. One negative, however, is how bulky it is even when collapsed. While it’s easily broken down, I had trouble fitting it in the back seat of my Honda Civic.

And then there’s the ride quality. The Donkey rolls smoothly, with the air-filled tires negotiating ruts and bumps in the pavement like a four-wheel drive vehicle. Although I felt some bumps on the jogging path, it’s quite a smooth ride overall.

Aesthetically, this is one good-looking stroller. On a trip to the San Francisco Zoo, we were stopped no fewer than four times by people wanting to know more about it. Some of that curiosity was due to the press the stroller has received due to its high price tag. But two of the queries were purely in the form of, “That’s a great looking stroller — what is it?”

Finally, in what may be the most important assessment, both of the children we used as test subjects loved it. Our 2-month-old went in easy and stayed happy once inside, while the 16-month-old dug his new ride.

Yes, this is a very expensive stroller. But if you have the dough and a growing family, it’s tough to top.

WIRED : Parts swap out with about as much ease as a Mr. Potato Head. Pivoting wheels turn like a dervish. Pretty light at 28.6 pounds in base mode. Detachable shopping basket. One-handed seat angle adjustment lets you keep kids comfy without straining your back. Optional adapters work with many popular car seats (Britax, Maxi Cosi, Graco, Chicco).

Author: Mathew Honan, Wired.com - Photos: Jon Snyder, Wired.com