UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo: What's The Difference? Single Edition

This fall there's a pretty big choice to be made! That's right, two great stroller companies, UppaBaby and Bugaboo have released brand new strollers, both of which can accommodate one or two children stacked in a tandem configuration. As such, it's time to face off UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo.

Both strollers have been highly anticipated and a lot of pregnant families are flummoxed over which to choose. In this article, we've tried to break down the similarities and differences between these strollers to help!

UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo: Similarities

First things first: The UppaBaby Vista V3 and Bugaboo Kangaroo are both great strollers that offer a lot of flexibility if you want to grow your family. They are both excellent choices as a single stroller for city living as they both offer great suspension and a light push, meaning the stroller is comfy for you and for your little one. 

With both the UppaBaby V3 and Bugaboo Kangaroo, the baby can face toward you and face out to the world. 

 

Both feature puncture proof never flat tires that are well sized and perfect for the city streets. For suspension of the UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo, these strollers are well matched. Although Bugaboo used to have an edge, the V3 has such a light push, we’d call it very comparable.

As for customer service, we’d also have to say that both of these companies are great, though UppaBaby has a bit of an edge for speediness. This being said we very rarely see problems with the strollers, and when a customer has an issues, it’s taken care of promptly and painlessly.

UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo: Differences

Although these strollers are substantially similar, there are some key differences that might tip the scale one direction of the other for families. Let's take a look!

Bassinet

With the UppaBaby V3, the bassinet is sold separately. The V3 bassinet ($200) has loads of ventilation and is even overnight sleep ready. Pair it with the Bassinet Stand, and you have a safe sleep solution if you’re at home or on the go. 

It even has a nifty pull out sunscreen!

If you get the bassinet, note it’s to be used for about 3-4 months. After that, it will need to be stored. This can be an issue for a New Yorker who is short on space.  UppaBaby, though, also offers an Infant Snug Seat, which is an alternative to the bassinet, that will make the stroller seat appropriate for a newborn and is very compact.

As for the Bugaboo Kangaroo, the bassinet is part of the purchase. Different from the V3, the Kangaroo bassinet is simply a piece of fabric that gets attached to the seat frame. There is a second piece of fabric that is the seat fabric which will swap out after 6 months. This makes for a very efficient and easy to store bassinet-seat solution!

It's efficient because both forms leverage the seat frame. First you'll store the seat fabric while using the bassinet fabric, then after the 6 months of use, you'll store the bassinet fabric and use the seat fabric. Both fabrics fit easily and conveniently in a drawer.

Similar to the V3, the Kangaroo bassinet features some nice ventilation panels. However, the Kangaroo does not have the built in sunshade. 

It is quite pretty with refined hardware and quilting and an all-season PureBreeze ™ mattress that’s dual sided, featuring antibacterial protection and extra breathable material. 

However, the Bugaboo bassinet, unlike the V3, is not certified as overnight sleep ready so cannot serve as your daily sleep solution. 

 

Seat

When looking at the UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo, you’ll see the seats are a bit different. The UppaBaby V3 offers a dual comfort seat that has an insert for the winter months which can be removed in the summer not only making the seat roomier but also allowing for greater airflow. 

It also has a magnetic buckle.

The UppaBaby V3 seat has a narrow sleeker look with lots of ventilation including the back panel.

The Kangaroo seat feels wider, giving the whole stroller a larger feel. 

The seat also has a breathable canopy that extends very far down giving lots of sun protection. 

The Kangaroo also features a traditional five point buckle.

Underseat Basket

Capacity of the underseat basket is pretty similar. The underseat basket of the Bugaboo Kangaroo can hold 28.6lbs, while the UppaBaby Vista V3 can hold 30lbs. Both baskets are roomy and well suited to hold your diaper bag, Whole Foods haul or little pup as needed!

Car Seat Compatibility

Comparing the UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo, there are different car seats that each stroller will be compatible with.

The UppaBaby Vista V3 is directly compatible to UppaBaby car seats — the Mesa V2 as well as the Aria. With the addition of an adapter it can work with various Maxi Cosi compatible infant car seats including the Cybex, Nuna and Clek. For the Clek seat we recommend the Clek for UppaBaby adapter.

As for the Bugaboo Kangaroo, it is compatible with the the Bugaboo x Nuna Turtle Air Shield, Cybex Cloud G Lux with Sensorsafe as well as other Cybex models, several Maxi Cosi and the Clek Liing. It is not compatible with any UppaBaby car seats. 

Double Configurations

Although the two strollers are very similar when configured as a single, when they’re a double, there are some meaningful differences. The UppaBaby Vista V3 offers 30 different configurations including 1, 2, 3 children. One thing it doesn’t offer though is when there are two, the bassinet can never be in the top position unless for twins (2 bassinets). 

The Bugaboo Kangaroo, with the newborn adapter, allows your littlest child to be close to you when you’re pushing it, in that top position. That’s a nice plus. Note though this configuration limits the options for your older child as they can’t recline when facing out to the world. They can however, face in and recline. 

The other big difference is that the UppaBaby V3 can be used for twins. The Bugaboo Kangaroo, however, only allows for one bassinet and therefore cannot be used with newborn twins. Bugaboo would point you to the Bugaboo Donkey as the preferred solutions if you have two identical or fraternal precious bundles of joy. 

Warranty

Although strollers usually show manufacturing defects right away, when comparing the UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo, the warranty is going to be a year longer with the Bugaboo stroller. Whereas the UppaBaby V3 warranty is 3 years with registration the Kangaroo offers a 4 year warranty with registration.

Who Should Buy The UppaBaby V3

We think the UppaBaby V3 is the perfect strollers if you:

• Love the UppaBaby aesthetic
• Are accommodating twins
• Want the flexibility to not choose the bassinet
• Want a slightly lower price point
• Don’t want to switch any fabrics
• Want an overnight sleep ready bassinet (when choosing the bassinet)

Who Should Buy The Bugaboo Kangaroo

 

As for the Bugaboo Kangaroo, choose this stroller if you:

• Love the Bugaboo aesthetic
• Want the bassinet in the upper position closer to you rather than down below
• Have no storage space for a whole bassinet 
• Don’t need it for twins
• Want a longer warranty

Stroll With Style

So there you have it, our assessment of the UppaBaby V3 vs. Bugaboo Kangaroo. But the best way to make your decision is to come in and push the strollers and see what you think! You can take them out on the road and pop the curbs and really see how they roll. 

And while you’re here at Babesta, you can check out our range of baby gear, clothing, toys and more in our Registry Loft. We have carriers to try out, infant car seats to lift and learn with, strollers to push, travel cribs to fold. You name it. We try to make it easy for you to make the best choice for you. 

We at Babesta have been in this business for over 20 years and have tested most everything on the market. We understand the city lifestyle and what’s important when making these big decisions. We’d be thrilled to help you with your selections. 

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