Beblum Navi Stroller Review
My one and only stroller I've been using so far for the past 2 months+ and without fail it has provided me with arm relief especially when we are out dining, at work or just enjoying the view outside.
After using properly i can finally pen down my thoughts about the stroller and hope it may benefit parents out there looking for an affordable stroller than can be used from newborn stage up till toddlerhood! But if you are looking for a comparison post for strollers, sorry to say that this isn't one of it. Nonetheless do read on, who knows you might be convinced to get this stroller instead! :-P
It all started when i finally decided to whip out the stroller to bring lil penguin out for a walk.
Autumn is seriously one of the best seasons of the year, the weather isn't too cold, might be a little chilly some days but bearable with warm clothing and hardly any downpours unlike unpredictable PMS summer. So we took advantage of it by bringing lil penguin out in what we like to call her little mobile bed lol, she sleeps like a log whenever we push her in the stroller but wakes up and show her disappointed face whenever we stop haha! Such a demanding baby sia, but i'm glad to know that it's comfortable for her with the extra padding that supports her head and body in the stroller (our padding is from Benbat).
Sleepy head
Expected Photo: Our mini family trip to Kyoto Aquarium
Reality Photo: She ended up sleeping in the stroller almost 70% of the aquarium trip lol
I personally find pushing the baby stroller quite therapeutic because there isn't any weight on my body for a change and enjoy the freedom of cling free baby session haha, even moms and dads needs a break sometimes because no matter how good your baby carrier is you'll eventually feel tired (your back area) especially if you are planning to be out the whole day. My age is definitely catching up with me as all the signs are showing up, body aching here and there.
It actually took me awhile to get use to the opening and folding part, i remember having to watch the tutorial video every time just to make sure i got it right lol. I'm pretty terrible with this kind of stuff but once i got a hang of it, it was easy to fold and snap open right away; barely taking up 20 seconds at all! Once I've mastered the speed of it i'll attempt to do it within 10 seconds haha.
For first timers, it's very normal to struggle at first because we aren't use to the design's mechanism, it's not a design flaw or anything. Some would immediately jump to conclusion that it's troublesome.. etc but give it a chance and practice daily, then you'll see that Beblum Navi strollers are actually less complicated then we assume it to be.
Imagine my frustration whenever i try to fold it but failed to haha, not shy to admit that i left it open by our "genkan" (inner house porch) for the 1st month which took up space. I repeat, not a design flaw it's just me that suck, that's why i'm no engineer, can't figure out heads or tails of mechanisms nor can i understand manual books lol. Seriously watch this well made tutorial I've linked in my previous blogpost entry
That's also one of the reasons why i avoided cafes/ restaurants during the 1st month because some allows strollers in but majority of them requires us to leave them by the counter due to limited space inside the cafe/ restaurants. Kena once i was struggling to collapse it for solid 10 minutes until the danna had to call me on my phone to ask where i was because i wasn't seated inside yet lol.
It was till the point i needed to use my oppai to push the handles downwards (omg) while trying to coordinate with other folded parts, seriously a funny sight.
Smooth Ride
Beblum Navi stroller uses narrow and single wheels when most strollers i've seen in the market usually have 2 broad wheels on each side making it a total of 8 wheels. Those definitely looks "sturdier" and it also contributes to the overall weight, explains why they are much bulkier & heavier compared to Beblum's.
Beblum Navi's wheels are also the smooth kind, unlike what we had in mind of those with patterns on it for gripping purposes.
It doesn't shake so badly until you have to check on your baby every second and your arms feel like they are gonna drop off (sounds like your normal supermarket trolley at the parking lot eh? lol)
For those who don't know what's the function of a suspension:
The danna enjoys pushing the stroller more than carrying it lol, because of its front swivel wheels which allows him to easily navigate the stroller with 1 arm. For my useless chicken arms, i need to use both because no strength if only 1 arm lol. Need to start training with weights again, except this time using baby instead.
Size & Weight (conclusion)
Finally the last part of the stroller i would like to give a feedback on is the size & weight, there's nothing wrong with it as its actually light enough to be carried around with one hand in it's folded position but not for long hours as the weight might get to you like a 5kg bag of rice which starts off as bearable and over time it feels like a tonne on your arms. I really need to consider getting their storage bag as well so that we can pack it in and carry it like a bagpack on our shoulders. Seriously didn't think of it when we got the stroller, it's okay our life as parents is all about learning and working things out because life doesn't come with a manual book.
With the storage bag, think that would solve our problems in storing and transporting our stroller around.
Since we are still at the topic of weight i also noticed that it's considered quite well distributed that i can hook on my diaper bag on the handle without worrying the weight of my paranoid packing will overturn the stroller whenever we take the baby out! Okay, very impressed by this because i'm sure every parent can related when it comes to packing diaper bags, there's set of clothes, wipes, face towels, changing mat, blanket..etc, it's not JUST diapers; so it can sometimes weigh up to 2-3kg!
I found the stroller size just right once it's folded in, it looks like a small suitcase and doesn't take up much storage space in the house and fits in well at the small corner of our "genkan" without looking like an eyesore (i'm partial OCD depending on my mood cycle lol) that makes you want to chuck it out like how #KonMari teaches you about her "spark joy" method 😂
Sakit mata definitely doesn't spark any joy especially when your house is already cramp to begin with.
Improvements:
This part is actually a subjective matter, i felt that i would be great if Beblum could come up with their very own rain cover that works as an extended bonnet cover for sunny days.
When the baby's seat is reclined down flat, the current bonnet doesn't shade the baby's face from direct sunlight, it only shades if the seat is in an upright position. So i noticed poor lil penguin squinting and trying to shade her eyes with her hands, and that resorted us to tying a blanket cover on the handles to shade her face.
We bought a supposedly "universal" rain cover and it is transparent, but doesn't seem to fit well as Beblum's stroller's width is longer, for tropical countries like Malaysia and Singapore definitely rain covers like this would fare well because you'll never know when you'll be caught in a downpour and not everyone drives.
But other than these 2 improvements, i don't have any other complaints.
For those interested to get the Navi model, you can order it directly from their website: www.beblum.com.my
Don't be fooled by this smiley face, inside my head i was still trying to master my stroller folding skills lol.
A Tale of Terrible Folding Skills (please don't laugh lol)
My sad case confession that i was contemplating to share or not haha.
It actually took me awhile to get use to the opening and folding part, i remember having to watch the tutorial video every time just to make sure i got it right lol. I'm pretty terrible with this kind of stuff but once i got a hang of it, it was easy to fold and snap open right away; barely taking up 20 seconds at all! Once I've mastered the speed of it i'll attempt to do it within 10 seconds haha.
For first timers, it's very normal to struggle at first because we aren't use to the design's mechanism, it's not a design flaw or anything. Some would immediately jump to conclusion that it's troublesome.. etc but give it a chance and practice daily, then you'll see that Beblum Navi strollers are actually less complicated then we assume it to be.
Imagine my frustration whenever i try to fold it but failed to haha, not shy to admit that i left it open by our "genkan" (inner house porch) for the 1st month which took up space. I repeat, not a design flaw it's just me that suck, that's why i'm no engineer, can't figure out heads or tails of mechanisms nor can i understand manual books lol. Seriously watch this well made tutorial I've linked in my previous blogpost entry
That's also one of the reasons why i avoided cafes/ restaurants during the 1st month because some allows strollers in but majority of them requires us to leave them by the counter due to limited space inside the cafe/ restaurants. Kena once i was struggling to collapse it for solid 10 minutes until the danna had to call me on my phone to ask where i was because i wasn't seated inside yet lol.
It was till the point i needed to use my oppai to push the handles downwards (omg) while trying to coordinate with other folded parts, seriously a funny sight.
But now after I've mastered the art and skill of folding it's easy for me to just fold it by pressing and pushing down the handle which allows the stroller to collapse down in a jiffy. And without using my Oppai 🙆Lesson learnt, practice at home first until you are good before bringing it out, save yourself the embarrassment, really didn't know where to hide my face liao 😂
Smooth Ride
Beblum Navi stroller uses narrow and single wheels when most strollers i've seen in the market usually have 2 broad wheels on each side making it a total of 8 wheels. Those definitely looks "sturdier" and it also contributes to the overall weight, explains why they are much bulkier & heavier compared to Beblum's.
Beblum Navi's wheels are also the smooth kind, unlike what we had in mind of those with patterns on it for gripping purposes.
If you are worried about why the wheels are "botak" don't worry, the grip works just fine like normal patterned wheels :) To me it's good because no dirt gets stuck on the wheels and brought back home.Definitely not your usual kind of stroller design but despite lacking in "certain additional parts" it makes up with an improved 4 wheel suspension which carries the stroller impeccably (to me at least). We tested by pushing it on different kinds of surfaces like tiles, walkways, roads, grass and soil, and noticed it does have quite a decent resistance for bumpy surfaces.
It doesn't shake so badly until you have to check on your baby every second and your arms feel like they are gonna drop off (sounds like your normal supermarket trolley at the parking lot eh? lol)
For those who don't know what's the function of a suspension:
The primary functions of the suspension system include maximizing the contact between the tires and the road surface, providing steering stability and good handling, evenly supporting the weight of the vehicle (including the frame, engine, and body), and ensuring the comfort of passengers by absorbing and dampening shock. Your vehicle's suspension system works hard to withstand a considerable amount of stress compared to other major vehicle systems.- Bluestar.comI personally had to google and read about it because i wasn't too sure how it actually works though i've heard this term countless of times from my mechanic and mom when it comes to servicing my car lol. Simplified explanation: Suspension exists as long anything has wheels.
He'll gladly volunteer to push it any time
The danna enjoys pushing the stroller more than carrying it lol, because of its front swivel wheels which allows him to easily navigate the stroller with 1 arm. For my useless chicken arms, i need to use both because no strength if only 1 arm lol. Need to start training with weights again, except this time using baby instead.
Mobile Baby Bed
My maternity leave eventually has to come to an end, unlike some European countries that have extended maternity leave up to 1 year; (how awesome is that, I also want it!) so it's not all just family trips outside, but it includes trips to the office as well.
My maternity leave eventually has to come to an end, unlike some European countries that have extended maternity leave up to 1 year; (how awesome is that, I also want it!) so it's not all just family trips outside, but it includes trips to the office as well.
And since it's still early for us to dump ..i mean enroll her at the nursery school yet, i have to bring her to my work place. We initially thought of using the portable bed (those that looks like a huge box) that was given to us by the danna's sister but it was seriously too bulky and there isn't a large clean surface to place it down on and she doesn't like sleeping in it too. So that solution is out of the window.
Then i thought why not just bring the stroller to work instead since she's already sleeping in it whenever we go for walks, stationary for 5-6 hours a day should be ok as long we make it comfortable (paddings & blanket) for her.
True enough, our usual joke of the stroller being her (bat)mobile bed; it became an ACTUAL one lol. If it wasn't for the stroller's awesome reclining function i'll probably still be trying to figure out ways to put my baby down while i get work done around the office. Looking at her syiok sleeping face in the stroller makes me wish it also came in adult size haha!
She sleeps so well and snugly in it, and when she's awake we'll just adjust the seat to 145 degrees so she can see her surroundings better. Nice to know that her neck is getting stronger daily that she can even lift her neck without support at 3 months old, and the stroller recline function accommodates according to her growth.
You look at her sleep, you also don't want to work dy..don't know what sorcery this is.
Size & Weight (conclusion)
Finally the last part of the stroller i would like to give a feedback on is the size & weight, there's nothing wrong with it as its actually light enough to be carried around with one hand in it's folded position but not for long hours as the weight might get to you like a 5kg bag of rice which starts off as bearable and over time it feels like a tonne on your arms. I really need to consider getting their storage bag as well so that we can pack it in and carry it like a bagpack on our shoulders. Seriously didn't think of it when we got the stroller, it's okay our life as parents is all about learning and working things out because life doesn't come with a manual book.
With the storage bag, think that would solve our problems in storing and transporting our stroller around.
My SkipHop Diaper bag sits well on the stroller's sturdy leatherette handle
The bottom part of the stroller, we use it to put our rubbish bag to bring home. It's normal to bring home our own trash in Japan because there aren't much rubbish bins in sight but the thought of putting the soiled diapers into our bag doesn't seem hygienic even if it's a plastic bag, so storing it at the bottom of our stroller made more sense.
The bottom part of the stroller, we use it to put our rubbish bag to bring home. It's normal to bring home our own trash in Japan because there aren't much rubbish bins in sight but the thought of putting the soiled diapers into our bag doesn't seem hygienic even if it's a plastic bag, so storing it at the bottom of our stroller made more sense.
Since we are still at the topic of weight i also noticed that it's considered quite well distributed that i can hook on my diaper bag on the handle without worrying the weight of my paranoid packing will overturn the stroller whenever we take the baby out! Okay, very impressed by this because i'm sure every parent can related when it comes to packing diaper bags, there's set of clothes, wipes, face towels, changing mat, blanket..etc, it's not JUST diapers; so it can sometimes weigh up to 2-3kg!
I found the stroller size just right once it's folded in, it looks like a small suitcase and doesn't take up much storage space in the house and fits in well at the small corner of our "genkan" without looking like an eyesore (i'm partial OCD depending on my mood cycle lol) that makes you want to chuck it out like how #KonMari teaches you about her "spark joy" method 😂
Sakit mata definitely doesn't spark any joy especially when your house is already cramp to begin with.
Improvements:
This part is actually a subjective matter, i felt that i would be great if Beblum could come up with their very own rain cover that works as an extended bonnet cover for sunny days.
When the baby's seat is reclined down flat, the current bonnet doesn't shade the baby's face from direct sunlight, it only shades if the seat is in an upright position. So i noticed poor lil penguin squinting and trying to shade her eyes with her hands, and that resorted us to tying a blanket cover on the handles to shade her face.
We bought a supposedly "universal" rain cover and it is transparent, but doesn't seem to fit well as Beblum's stroller's width is longer, for tropical countries like Malaysia and Singapore definitely rain covers like this would fare well because you'll never know when you'll be caught in a downpour and not everyone drives.
But other than these 2 improvements, i don't have any other complaints.
Look at that cheeky smirk!
The danna and i agree that this is one of the best and most useful product to have around for a baby that doesn't leave a scar in your bank account unlike so many baby products out there that literally costs an arm & leg each time (welcome to Parenthood, perpetually saying ouch), we just hope that our lil penguin can enjoy this stroller until she's ready to retire it. I'm definitely considering to get the micro model as well for travelling purposes as we are planning a few family trips for later this year around Malaysia and other parts of Japan but first to get the Navi Travel bag to store and carry my current stroller!
Extra Usage Hack
There were a few occasions when i had to run some errands on my own with the baby and with the baby strap to my chest in the carrier, i could dump my parcels and groceries into the stroller and push it back home. See your very own personal trolley lol!
Extra Usage Hack
There were a few occasions when i had to run some errands on my own with the baby and with the baby strap to my chest in the carrier, i could dump my parcels and groceries into the stroller and push it back home. See your very own personal trolley lol!
For those interested to get the Navi model, you can order it directly from their website: www.beblum.com.my
Next stop is Malaysia for Chinese New Year!
Need to start packing for it, so excited to be back home :D
Yours Truly,
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