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Where it all began: celebrating 20 years of Bugaboo

Where it all began: celebrating 20 years of Bugaboo

This year marks 20 years since we saw the first Bugaboo strollers rolling along in the Netherlands. Our own journey has taken us far beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Here’s where our story began….

Max has an idea

It all began when Max Barenbrug had to come up with a graduation project to complete his education at the Academy of Industrial Design in Eindhoven (now Design Academy Eindhoven). The stroller he made laid the foundation for a product that would be coveted around the world, eventually becoming ubiquitous on the streets.

Where it all began | Blog

Max and his business partner saw the potential in the product immediately because it was revolutionary to combine so many functions and, at the same time, to fully integrate form and function into the design. It was the perfect all-in-one: a stroller that’s flexible enough to go anywhere and everywhere. At the time, there simply wasn’t anything like that out there. Together they applied for the patent right away.

“What initially led to the invention of the first Bugaboo stroller was my surprise at the types of strollers I’d see on the street. Everywhere I went, I would see people struggling to fold and even use their strollers. And they all looked old fashioned and similar with infantile colors, cumbersome white wheels… There was nothing desirable about these products at all.” — Max Barenbrug, Co-founder and Chief Design Officer.

1999, the first appearance of Bugaboo

The next chapter started in an attic room on the Rechtboomssloot in Amsterdam. A small team worked fanatically yet confidently on the very first Bugaboo product, changing the graduation project into a stroller ready to meet the needs of parents everywhere.

Where it all began | Blog

This was the start of a turbulent period and then in 1999 the moment finally arrived. Max Barenburg was sitting in a café in Amsterdam, he looked outside and there it was — his stroller being used on the streets.

Where it all began | Blog

This first Bugaboo stroller went on to provide the blueprint for the Bugaboo Cameleon which launched in 2005. Since its conception, technical details have been tweaked and improved countless times, but the shape, silhouette and essential design is still the same.

Where it all began | Blog

That was just the beginning and we’ll be sharing more of our #20yearsofbugaboo stories throughout the year. Follow along on  and thanks for being a part of our journey so far.