If you have a child, you’ve no doubt shopped at some point for a stroller. There are seemingly an endless amount of options on the market but some are just a cut above the rest.

You’ve likely heard of Bumbleride, the stylish all terrain strollers that are popular with the families in your neighborhood and in the trendiest pockets of big cities. While the look and design of Bumbleride strollers makes them eye catching, it’s the quality and materials that really make these strollers shine. As a dad who wants to pay for something only once, making the choice to purchase our Bumbleride stroller came down to friends recommendations and ‘kicking the tires’ a bit before buying. Even after a year and a half - with lots heavy use - our Indie stroller is still gliding along and in perfect shape!

With this site, our goal is to bring you not only reviews and information about products and services for parents and kids, but also a look at some of the people who create products for some of your favorite companies. We recently had the chance to interview Matt Reichardt, CEO and Co-Founder of Bumbleride. Just over ten years ago, he was a new dad and not pleased with the stroller options on the market, so he and his wife Emily set out to create their own. And did they ever!

Related: HGTV Star Shares Joys of Becoming A Father

This husband, father, surfer, craftsman, and entrepreneur runs a successful business while working to maintain a work-life balance. As someone who has shaped their own surfboard, for Matt finding balance is important in just about everything he does in life.

Below is a our chat with Matt (and a giveaway entry!) on how he’s grown Bumbleride from a simple idea into a full time successful company with extremely popular products and how he still stays connected with his family at home.

As a dad, what inspired you to develop Bumbleride?
I have always loved gear whether it be surf, ski, bike, skate etc. So when my wife was pregnant the stuff I wanted to check out were the strollers and back pack carriers. I was impressed by how many more high quality options for strollers there were at the time in Europe. We decided that the US market needed high quality, modern designed strollers.

Did you have a background in design or did you learn on the fly?
No, I didn’t have any formal background in design but I have always liked working with my hands making surfboards, wood working and tinkering. Emily had a background in fashion so between my tinkering and her fashion we worked with a boutique manufacturer to come up with our initial designs.

Where did the name Bumbleride come from?
We had been brainstorming ideas on notepads. I wanted something with “ride” in it because I thought the association worked well with strollers and had a current sound and feel to it. Emily wanted to make sure it didn’t sound too much like a surf/skate company. We were at the kitchen table and started down the “b” list Bubbleride and then Bumbleride and it stuck it captured the fun kid friendly mood but grounded in the idea of well-built gear.

As a dad, launching and selling a product in a space more traditionally influenced by moms, what obstacles did you have to overcome to be successful?
I don’t really remember too many obstacles I have found that moms tend to appreciate dads that understand and can explain gear. Sometimes the technical details can be overwhelming and trying to simplify is always of value. Emily definitely connected more on the mom and baby story level though.

Related: Check Out Our Review the Bumbleride Indie

How did those experiences help shape your approach to fatherhood?
I think fatherhood was more shaped by the experiences I wanted my kids to experience and share with them. That is why we have always viewed our business of manufacturing strollers as a vehicle to allow parents to keep doing the things they love and exposing their kids to them.

Since starting Bumbleride in 2004, how have you seen fathers become more engaged as parents and more involved in selecting baby products for their children?
I think you see more and more dads having the kids on their own not just with mom which has opened up new product opportunities focused on fathers. I also think there are way more cool product options for dads that weren’t around back in 2004. It was a lot of stripes, plaids and bear prints.

Dads play a prominent role in your photos and advertising, why do you feel its important to include them in your imagery?
As we know most of the product decisions for baby are made by mom but choosing gear and particularly strollers is different. I think dad’s like to be involved in that decision and finding the best ride for them and their baby.

As a father and founder/CEO of a business how do you manage your business requirements while still maintaining quality time with your family?
The pressures and demands at work can be tough but ultimately family comes first. We love to travel, spend time at the beach, the mountains and just relaxing. We build our products and our brand to promote an active, mindful lifestyle and we try to live that.

What’s next for Bumbleride?
We have some exciting new product launches for 2016. We are particularly focused on not just the quality of the products we make but how we can be more mindful and responsible about the materials we use and the way we manufacture them.

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