BOB Revolution SE Single Stroller, Navy

CUSTOMER REVIEW



My grandchild is one year old and I bought this stroller for jogging and hiking on dirt trails in our local parks. It does a superb job for each. However this is not a stroller that I would buy for everyday use, especially if you live in the suburbs rather than a big city, where people walk most places and don't need to constantly take a stroller in and out of a car trunk. Let me describe the stroller, which I bought at my local REI store since it came fully assembled and because they have a lifetime return policy in case I run into any problems.



1. The construction is first rate, the fabric used is high quality, and it takes literally seconds to open and close, which is very simple. Just pull a red handle to lift the stroller into the open position. To close, just push two levers on the top forward and the stroller collapses (I disagree with the leading negative review that this is at all difficult). There is a wrist strap on the handle to be used when jogging that can be buckled to keep the stroller closed when it is folded. I NEVER use the wrist strap while jogging. I know that its purpose is to prevent the stroller from getting away from you if you lose your grip, but I think it is dangerous to use. If I tripped while jogging and had the wrist strap on, not only could I break my wrist from the force of the stroller with a child in it, but the odds are that I would flip the stroller too. If I felt myself going down I would rather just hold onto the handlebar and try to slow the stroller down. Just my opinion.



2. The stroller has two modes--walk (the front wheel swivels) and jog (the front wheel is locked into position and stays straight). There is a simple red knob on the front wheel that allows you to easily switch between the two positions, and it literally takes just two seconds to switch.



Note: If you are ONLY going to jog, and don't mind having the front wheel permanently locked, then you can buy a less expensive BOB stroller known as the Sport Utility model, on which the front wheel does not swivel at all. Yes you can turn the stroller with a locked front wheel--but you have to lift the front of the stroller to do so. I did not want to be so limited, especially hiking on trails, which is why I bought the Revoution SE instead.



3. This rides very smooth for jogging, and handles off road surface well when walking. The reason is that this is a very heavy stroller (24 pounds--I weighed it on my luggage scale, which makes it heavier than any of the other strollers that my grandchild has, which I discuss below) and has very large wheels--again larger than on her other strollers. Unlike other strollers, these wheels are inflatable just like bicycle tires. They need to be kept at 30psi for best performance. Of course jogging with a seriously under inflated wheel could be dangerous; ordinary walking would just be more difficult. You don't have to check tire pressure all the time, but ask yourself if you want to bother having to check it at all if you are considering this as an everyday stroller. You might not want to have to deal with an unexpected flat tire just when you need to use the stroller.



This takes up a lot of space in a trunk, and is heavy to put in and take out. Yes, each of the wheels has a quick release lever (just like bicycle wheels), so you can take them all off to save trunk space. This might make sense on a long trip, but I can tell you from experience that this is not something you would want to do on a regular basis, especially with a cranky young child or in inclement weather. Plus, using quick release wheels takes some getting used to. As the directions point out, if the "quick release lever does not leave a visible imprint in the palm of your hand" after you put the wheel back on, then you have not done it right.



4. I do agree with the leading negative review that there is no soft padding on the seat, though I disagree that the crotch strap is too short (it is adjustable) or that buckling your child in is any more difficult than on any other stroller. When the canopy is fully extended, there is a "window" on top that lets you see your child. There is also ample storage underneath. You can adjust the seat to a reclining position using two straps, though for jogging you need to keep it fully upright (the further back it is, the less stability you have).



However I would not use this as an everyday stroller. My grandchild (who lives in Manhattan) started out with the Bubaboo Cameleon stroller for local neighborhood walking (which I have reviewed on Amazon), and then at about nine months also started using the Maclaren Quest Sport stroller (which I have reviewed on Amazon) for traveling in cabs and subways, as well as day trips out of the city (like visiting me and my wife) since it is more light weight, easier to fold and close, and easier to carry with a carrying strap. And at my house she sometimes used the Graco Infant Car Seat stroller frame (which I have reviewed on Amazon).



I mention these different strollers because all of these provide more comfortable seating, and are lighter and more compact (except maybe the heavier and bulkier Bugaboo) than the Revolution SE, which for me is a special purpose stroller for jogging and off road use. Yes, it can be used as an everyday stroller, but its strength lies not in lots of comfortable padding or a light weight compact size when folded, but rather in great stability while jogging or walking off road.



For walking only the recommended age range is 8 weeks-8months; for jogging/off-road use it is 8 months-5 years. The stroller can accommodate a child up to 70 pounds.



5. This stroller comes with a very clear and well illustrated manual that explains everything. Among the advanced features is a simple form of wheel alignment in case the stroller does not roll in a straight line (which could occur after off road use, the same as when a car goes over lots of bumps), and a shock absorber setting.



Bottom line: This is a special use stroller that works great for jogging and off road use. For everyday use I would get something else whether you live in the city or the suburbs.



Update February 23, 2012: This past weekend I went jogging with my 13 month old granddaughter in Manhattan and really appreciated how this stroller performed on lots of different surfaces and terrain-- smooth paved roads, uneven asphalt surfaces, sidewalks with bumps, street curbs, and some moderately steep uphill and downhill paths. It was a breeze using this stroller and more importantly my granddaughter enjoyed every minute of it. Since it is critical to keep the front wheel in a locked position while running, anytime that I needed to make a turn (like at a street corner after we left Central Park), I easily just pulled back on the handlebars to lift the front wheel up and move it into the new position. Very easy to do and no big deal.



Update June 10, 2012: The instruction manual contains the following warning in bold letters: " Never jog with the stroller in walk mode. Doing so could result in loss of control and serious injury." Nevertheless my daughter and son-in-law went running with my granddaughter in Central Park in Manhattan with the stroller in walk mode. My daughter said it worked fine, and made the stroller much easier to maneuver going back and forth to the Park and running inside the Park. I am not recommending this, but am simply pointing out someone else's experience.



Update June 2, 2013: Still in perfect condition and working great.



Update September 22, 2013: This stroller is easy enough to use one handed. Let me explain. My 2 year 8 month old granddaughter wanted to go to the playground in her Little Tikes Princess Cozy Coupe Ride-On. I wanted to bring my 5 month old grandson in the Bob stroller, but grandma was not available to wheel the stroller. No problem. I wheeled the stroller with my left hand (my weaker one) and my granddaughter's toy car right behind it with my right hand. The Bob was so easy to use that it was effortless even with just my left hand (and I am not a lefty) to navigate broken and uneven sidewalks while pushing my granddaughter at the same time.



Update October 20, 2013: I took my 6 month old grandson for a walk on a beautiful sunny fall day. Even walking with the sun directly ahead of us, he was shaded down to his shoulders by my extending the canopy all the way. I was also able to see and talk to him through the opening between the canopy and handlebars, and to see his entire body by pulling back a flap on the top of the canopy that reveals a clear plastic shield. I mention these features because I think they are important.



Update February 11, 2014: If you live in the suburbs and have an SUV, then transporting this stroller might not be a problem. On a recent weekend morning the family went out to breakfast and afterwards walked around a suburban downtown. I knew there would be patches of snow and ice on the sidewalks (the storms in my area this winter seem never ending) and packed the BOB for my 10 month old grandson. It fit easily into the back of my SUV, though there was no room for anything else. This stroller worked just as well on snow and ice as it does on grass and dirt.



Update February 25, 2014: Because of all the snow this winter, sometimes the path that my neighbors have shoveled on the sidewalks is just too narrow for the BOB to make it through without at least one of the rear wheels having to cut through the snow. No problem. I just went walking down the sidewalk with my 10 month old grandson as if I were driving an SUV--and I did it using only one hand because I was pulling my 3 year old granddaughter behind me in a wagon with my other hand. This really is an all terrain stroller.



Update March 13, 2014: I received the Thule Chinook 2, which I would never have bought on my own because it's so expensive. But since the Bob Revolution SE accommodates only one child, I now use the Thule for running with my 3 year 2 month old granddaughter and 11 month old grandson. However, had I not received the Thule, I would have purchased the Bob Revolution Duallie--which costs 2 1/2 times less.