BOB Revolution SE Parent Review

My name is Jeanne. I`m a proud forces wife, and stay at home mum to my two gorgeous children. Joseph has just turned 5 and started `foundation class` at big school. Elise is 14 months old and keeps me very busy at home. She is always on the go, and into everything! My husband is in the Royal Navy and can be away a lot, which means a lot of the time, it`s just me and the kids. When he is home, we like to do fun things together as a family. We`ve just got a Springer Spaniel puppy, and enjoy taking him on long walks through the woods, country parks, and anywhere he can have a good run, and sometimes a swim! I`m really looking forward to being able to put the BOB stroller through its paces, and especially excited to be able to go out jogging with my little one - something which has been impossible for me to do when my husband is away.

Quick Summary: This pushchair has been an absolute delight to review. It has been well used, and loved! It's made our off road outings a pleasure, and my daughter really likes it. I would highly recommend to anyone who lives an "outdoor" lifestyle. My husband says it's the best pushchair we have ever had!

Whats good?

• Extremely easy to push and steer
• even with one hand
• Large seat
• hood gives great sun protection
• Amazing suspension for off-road

Whats not so good?

• The hood can rest on top of baby's head
• even when tied back correctly
• It's very large and can be difficult to manoeuvre when shopping
• Can be prone to flat tyres
• but this is the same for any pushchair with air filled tyres

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First Impressions

Today, my Bob Revolution SE was delivered. I was beyond excited! I couldn`t wait to open it and get it put together. The box it arrived in wasn`t too big, but it was a bit heavy.

Once opened, it was obvious that all that was needed was to attach the wheels. The back ones were pretty straight forward, the front one a bit more fiddly. Luckily my husband was home and he fitted that one for me (I have a natural aversion to reading user manuals)! I was delighted with the colour. I don`t see many of these strollers around, but any I have seen have been red, so I`m really pleased I chose something a bit brighter. Of course I had to read the manual to make sure I knew what all the features did, like how to lock the front wheel, and recline the seat etc. It was while I was reading that I realised this pushchair comes with no rain cover. A little disappointing when you want to get out and test it straight away! I have a multitude of rain covers here, so I`m going to see if one of those fits temporarily. It also comes with no pump, which I think is another absolute necessity. Luckily, I have one of those too 🙂 I put my daughter in her snow suit, and the whole family including dog, went for quite a long walk through the woods. I will update in full on that tomorrow, but for now I will say I am in love with this stroller! It handled like a dream and was so easy to push.

November the 13th 2013

As soon as I received the BOB, I was itching to take it out for a spin!

We`re lucky to have some lovely areas to walk, very close to the house. So we headed off to the woods to try it out.

As soon as we got to more bumpy ground, I switched the front wheel to “Off Road”. It`s so easy to do, just a little switch above the wheel..one click and it`s done. It really made a difference to the stability of the stroller, and walking over tree roots and leaves was so easy. The suspension (which can be adjusted), made the ride nice and sooth for my daughter too.

I did notice that the basket is very close to the back brake, and I think it`s liable to get a bit dirty if the person pushing has muddy shoes. But in the grand scheme of things, I don`t think that`s too much of a big deal. Speaking of the brake, I don`t think there`s much of a chance of it not clicking into place once pressed. It`s just one metal bar that you push down. It`s obvious when it`s on, and is nice and strong.

I have read a couple of independent reviews of this pushchair, that mentioned the hood being too low down for taller babies when fully retracted. I can see this as an issue. My baby is 14 months old and if you don`t kind of push it up and out of the way, it will touch her head.

I was considering buying the rain cover and other accessories, sooner rather than later, but received an email today saying a rain cover and footmuff will be delivered shortly. Wonderful news…and very generous of BOB to include them in our testing.

November the 17th 2013

The footmuff and rain cover arrived really quickly, just in time for the colder weather. Great quality and think it’s safe to say Elise was comfy, snuggly and warm!

November the 20th 2013

Today I got the chance to see the raincover in action for the first time! Not something I should be excited about, but sadly I was!

It was easy enough to put on, even with the wind blowing a gale. I`m not sure I fitted it correctly at the back – there are 2 straps with Velcro on the end and I wasn`t 100% sure where they were meant to attach. I ended up attaching it to the flap that kind of hangs down from the hood and it seemed to do the job. The raincover is a nice snug fit, and doesn`t flap about or let any wind in. It goes over the “toe” of the pushchair, and has 2 elasticated straps at the sides, which I found perfect to go over the adjustable suspension knobs. Another plus was that is didn`t steam up at all. The front of the cover has a large window, perfect for Elise to see the world go by. The rest is grey material. It looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. It should be noted that the raincover is an item that has to be purchased on top on the cost of the stroller, however Britax were kind enough to send one to be reviewed also.

I took the BOB out on another walk, to see how it handled sand. We went to a small beach on the mouth of an estuary. It glided through the compact sand with no problem (I had switched the front wheel to lock position). I decided to try it out on loose sand, because every other pushchair I`ve owned has had to be pulled backwards. No such problem with the BOB. It was a little more hard work to push, but it handled the terrain brilliantly. I was able to push it around in any direction I wanted to go. Amazed!

My final observation for today is about the problem I had seen with the hood being too low when fully retracted. I had a mess about with it yesterday and discovered a bit of a trick – which I think BOB should make people aware of, as I have seen other people complain about this issue. The hood itself is extremely large and perfect for keeping sun and wind off baby…but there are 2 straps next to the viewing window (which is also nice and large!). You can pull them to make the hood smaller, and there is no excess plastic to sit on top of the baby`s head. Elise is a lot happier now 🙂

Next time I`ll tell you all about the footmuff:)

November the 21st 2013

Took a quick walk to the shops after the school run. It’s freezing today, but very sunny. Look how large the hood is, really good at protecting little eyes from the brightness.

December the 2nd 2013

I haven`t been out and about much this past week, preferring to stay indoors where it`s nice and warm!

I did take a couple of trips to the shops, and that’s partly what I`m going to talk about today.

Firstly, we have a Hyundai i30, and the BOB fits in the boot nicely. Of course you wouldn`t be able to fit much more in there with it. We’re going away around Easter time and would probably need to get a Cargo Carrier for the roof if we wanted to take that pushchair with us.

The BOB is not made for shopping. There, I said it! I went into quite a few small, high street chain stores and it was a bit of a nightmare – the back end of the pushchair is quite wide. The isles were so small, and the way the clothes racks were positioned made it impossible to get through – I had to do several 3 point turns while my daughter had to endure clothes being draped across her face! I went into a card shop, turned around and came straight back out. There was no way I could manoeuvre around, especially as it was full of people. It is definitely a pushchair for the great outdoors, which suits us perfectly.

Anyone who knows my daughter, knows that she does not like being strapped in… anywhere. She cannot stand being in the car seat, and before I got the BOB would scream non stop in the pushchair. Not so with the BOB. I`m amazed! Don`t get me wrong, she still has her moments, but this is the happiest I have seen her being pushed around and our walks aren`t a stressful as they used to be. Thumbs up to BOB for pushchair naps and happy babies:-)

December the 6th 2013

Another dog walk through the woods.. BOB is a beast! Handles the fallen leaves, mud & twigs brilliantly. So easy to push one handed-great when u have a 5yr old & dog to handle as we’ll 🙂

December the 17th 2013

Last minute shopping. As you can see, not much room to get the pushchair around the shop, and lots of nice clothes to grab onto!

December the 18th 2013

After a quick trip to the post office, she’s been fast asleep for over an hour so far. Obviously comfy and warm in there!

The footmuff on the BOB is one of the best I have ever used. It’s very thick, lined with fluffy sheepskin material and has a water proof outer. It stays in place in the pushchair too, I’ve had no issues with it sliding down. My favourite thing though, is that it zips down on both sides, so there’s no fighting to get Elise’s legs out And I think it definitely helps with keeping it firmly in place. Elise was a bit obsessed with the lining when we first used it. She kept picking at it and putting the fluff in her mouth – I thought it was going to be bald by the end of winter! But she seems to have got over that obsession now, thank goodness!

The basket is a fair size, u can fit quite a lot in it, but it is quite difficult to access from the back of the pushchair. I usually put things in/take them out from the sides. The rain cover is small when folded so doesn’t take up much room if stored in the basket, but I usually store it in the huge mesh pocket on the back of the seat, for easy access.

January the 3rd 2014

Another muddy walk, before the 2nd round of storms hit! Walking through the mud is no problem for this pushchair!

January the 4th 2014

Time for the BOB to get its first proper clean! I certainly put it through its paces!

January the 6th 2014

m about 5′ 7″ tall, and the handle height of this pushchair is perfect for me. It’s a good job really as it’s not adjustable, which may be a bit of a problem for people who are quite a bit shorter than me. My cousin was visiting and tried pushing it around.. She’s 5’2″ and said for it to be really comfortable, the handle could do with being a bit lower. However, she said she’d make it work anyway as all the other features she loved! She did make a good point about not being able to see the front of the pushchair as you’re going along, and this is something I have noticed. The front wheel sticks out beyond the end of the pushchair itself, and it’s very easy to ram into poor unsuspecting shoppers if you’re not careful! As you can see from the picture, my 5 year old has no problems pushing, he finds it incredibly easy-just need him to practice with the steering now!

I had a little go at a run with Bob the other day. I didn’t go to far and didn’t take any photos on that occasion, but I will say it was a nice smooth run (for me). Next time I will take photos!

January the 13th 2014

We got caught in another terrible hailstorm today. I had to get the rain cover on ASAP, but it seems little madam has learned how to kick it off, despite it being zipped up! The rain cover went on super fast though 🙂

January the 14th 2014

Poor Elise is suffering with cutting her teeth today. She’s been up all night and non stop crying. Had to do the school run this morning, think it was the only time she was quiet (it didn’t last long though!). I wrapped her up and she looked so snug on this frosty morning. It was extremely slippy in places, but the Bob had no such problem. The grip on the tyres is brilliant- I think it actually helped me stay upright:). There is a strap on the handle bars that you can wrap around your wrist. I think it’s meant to be used for jogging, but it came in very handy in the frost too!

I noticed today that the tyres need pumping up. It’s the first time since I got the pushchair, so I don’t think that’s too bad, especially as we use the pushchair “off road” so much. A tyre pump is an extra that has to be purchased on top of the price of the pushchair, but luckily we already have one. It’s not portable though so let’s hope I don’t get a puncture while I’m out and about!!

January 16th 2014

The wrist strap on the BOB. Apparently it used to be attached to the bottom of the pushchair on earlier models, I think that is a better way than being attached to the handle. If you do fall on your bum while walking, you’re more likely to tip the pram with you, as the strap is short.

January the 19th 2014

A very muddy walk, but on a beautiful SW coastal path. My Husband gave the BOB the biggest compliment. He said he would recommend it to anyone who lives an outdoor lifestyle. Cannot beat it 🙂

January the 20th 2014

Reading in comfort on a walk to the shops!

January the 22nd 2014

This past weekend, we decided to go on one of our family walks with the dog. We didn’t anticipate the path we took to be such a challenge! This was the biggest test for the pushchair yet, and I have to say, it passed with flying colours. I was honestly so impressed.

It was the muddiest path I have ever seen, with large puddles of water, potholes, and very uneven tracks that any usual stroller would not have been able to get through. Even other walkers were impressed with how easy the BOB made it look. I had no problems pushing it along, and even when there were deeps ridges that made me have to push with one back wheel higher than the other, it was pretty easy. I have mentioned before about how close the break is to the basket, and the back of the basket did get really muddy. But that’s such a small niggle compared to the overall performance of the pushchair. Very impressed!

February the 1st 2014

You may have guessed by now that we like to go for lots of walks, he he. Today was a quick hour out with the dog, before the stormy weather hit. The wind was just starting to pick up as we were leaving, and it’s rather cold today!

Today was honestly the first time I noticed that the footmuff Can be pulled tighter around baby’s head area, and the front part comes up higher across the body. I can’t believe I didn’t realise this before!! To be fair, Elise is usually kicking her legs so much that it takes me all my time to get the toggles done up:). Still, now I’ve noticed it, it’s a very nice feature 🙂 x

February the 12th 2014

There has been a distinct lack of updates from me this past week. I blame the weather! I live in the south west and the storms we’ve had have been terrible. The only place I’ve been is to the school and back. I did go to a play group with Elise this morning and got caught in another horrendous downpour. I was worried at one point.. We were getting blown all over the place, so I slipped the wrist strap on, just in case!

As I was walking to play group, I noticed part of the pushchair has gone rusty already. I was quite surprised by that to be honest. I would have thought any rust would appear more around the wheels, as that’s the part of the pushchair that takes the biggest battering. But it’s not, it’s on the sides where the suspension control is. I’m going to try and clean it up later and see if it makes any difference.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get out a bit more at the weekend, even if it’s only to take the dog for a quick walk!

February the 16th 2014

Today was the first really nice day we’ve had for about a month.. I’m not even joking! My son asked if we could take the dog for a walk, so we did. We were out for about 2 hours. Once again through mud, tree branches that had been blown down in the storms, and just general uneven surfaces. As you can see, we still have a happy baby after bouncing along through All of that.

I still haven’t had to adjust the suspension which is a plus, and the steering has stayed on track 100% so far, the pushchair hasn’t veered off in any one direction.

As it’s half term, I have some activities planned for my son, which don’t involve the woods, and mud etc!
This pushchair is BIG… It gets in the way in small shops ( as mentioned previously) and I think I might try and focus on how the pushchair handles in a more “urban” environment 🙂

February the 23rd 2014

Even though I know this pushchair is not the best to go shopping, I’m using it as though it is the only pushchair I have. So this morning we’ve been to our local shopping centre:)

We kind of got stuck a few times, within minimal space to do a u-turn etc, and that front wheel sticking out makes it doubly hard as you can’t see it! But it’s so easy to push and my baby girl is so comfortable, it makes it well worth it.

I’m looking forward to sunnier days, when I can take the footmuff off. There are mesh pockets on the inside of the seat unit- one on either side- which will be perfect to store her drinks beakers, and some toys. Right now they’re not accessible because the footmuff covers them.

Anyway, half way home, my little girl fell asleep. I reclined the seat unit and now we’re inside I’ve undone the footmuff so she doesn’t get too got. She’s currently fast asleep in the hall and we are all tip toeing around, trying not to wake her up!

February the 26th 2014

Oh no! My beloved pushchair has a puncture! I went shopping after the school run, and not far from home I noticed it was Lind of veering to one side, and seemed heavier to push. Sure enough, the right back tyre is as fly as a pancake:(

When I first got this pushchair, someone advised me to get “slime”, which goes into the inner tube and apparently stops this from happening… I never quite got around to it. Wish I had now!
I’ve tried to pump it up, but within 2 seconds it was down again – I don’t have a puncture repair kit and my husband is away for the day!

My baby girl is poorly with a cough, cold and conjunctivitis, so she need to be snuggled up warm and not carried everywhere, so looks like I’ll be digging out my old pushchair to pick up my son this afternoon.
It’s quite funny that we’ve been on so many off road walks, through mud, twigs, stones, sand and God knows what else, but I get a puncture walking home from my local shops!

Moral of the story is.. If you’re going to get one of these pushchairs (or any like it).. fill the wheels with slime, and always have a puncture repair kit close by!

March the 8th 2014

We went for a walk today to get out of the house. First bit of sunshine, and the legs were out! (See photo)!

After trying to fix the puncture in my back tyre several times- and I think creating another puncture each time- I finally gave in and took the whole back tyre to the local bike shop. They were brilliant, charged me £10 for a new inner tube, to fit it and pump it up (obviously)!

Glad to have the pushchair back, I really missed it!

March the 10th 2014

It’s been beautiful weather today, so finally managed to get the footmuff off! I’d forgotten just how roomy and spacious the seat until is on this pushchair. Elise was loving the freedom and even used the pockets on the sides to store her almond milk!

March the 20th 2014

I haven’t been out much for the past week or so. My daughter and I have both been poorly. But today I decided it was time to get out in the fresh air and blow some cobwebs away!

We took the dog (coco) out for a walk, and ended up being out for an hour an a half. I wish I hadn’t taken the footmuff off because it was quite chilly in the woods and Elise refuses a blanket or anything. But she was still nice and comfy in her big seat 🙂

March the 26th 2014

My daughter doesn’t tolerate the sun in her eyes at all. She has a massive over reaction!

The pushchair’s hood is so big, it does a really good job at shading her from the sun. I still like to be able to keep an eye on her though, and the window in the top of the hood allows this very well. It’s a big viewing window, (we like to play peek a Boo as were walking along)! and has a mesh pocket -for rolling up the flap of material and storing it neatly out of the way.

The other thing I’d like to mention, is that the tyres have quite a deep tread. Excellent for gripping the road etc, but not so great if you happen to run over poop that some inconsiderate dog owners have left lying around!

Twice last week I ran over said poop, and it is not pleasant trying to get it out!! Baby wipes, a bottle of water and any random twigs lying around is what is needed to get it clean!

Not the nicest of subjects, but something I thought I should mention, as wheels without tread aren’t nearly as difficult to clean 🙂

March the 31st 2014

We went to an Easter egg hunt at my son’s school at the weekend. The weather was hot, then cold – and has been that way for the past week. So this is how we wear the footmuff now: half on, half off 🙂

April the 14th 2014

I haven’t updated for a while! That’s because I haven’t used the pushchair at all. We went away for a week and weren’t able to take the BOB with us. It is just too big to put in the boot of the car, with all the luggage and everything else that 2 children need. I was gutted! We borrowed a stroller- and I could really see and feel the difference. I’m used to a roomy seat, and being able to push with one hand.. The thing I noticed the most was lack of suspension. The BOB is so easy to manoeuvre and handles bumps and kerbs with no problem at all. I felt like the stroller was going to snap in two!

If you’re planning a trip away and want to take the BOB with you, you’ll need a really big boot:)

But we’re back home now and will be off on some of our walks through the woods and along the coast.

Happy mommy here 🙂

April the 15th 2014

Finally some sun and a fab walk! Elise was fast asleep, nicely shaded from the sun 🙂

May the 7th 2014

I took my regular 4 wheel pushchair to the local shops last week, to compare how it handles etc.
I think I have been spoiled by the BOB. Seriously. For a clumpy looking pushchair it is so easy to push and steer one handed. And believe it or not, it feels lighter than the stroller. I had a hard time going round corners with the stroller and felt like the frame was about to snap every time I went up and down the kerb.

The BOB’s suspension is excellent, it’s a nice smooth journey for mum and baby 🙂

May the 8th 2014

Since the footmuff has been off (thank goodness!), my daughter has discovered the side pockets, and the many different things they can hold. Usually I put a drink in there for her, but today, this is what I found when we got back from the school run. Every girl needs to carry a hairbrush with her, right?! 🙂

May the 19th 2014

This weekend, the weather has been glorious. It makes such a difference, and makes you want to get outside and enjoy time with your family!

We didn’t go too far, but we don’t need to.. These photo’s are all walking distance:)

Elise has taken to pushing the hood back with her feet when it’s fully extended- well it is HUGE! So we only put it half the way forward. It still did a better job than my stroller’s hood though!

The ground was hard and bumpy through the woods- this makes it easier to get through than mud, but makes for a bumpier, harder to steer ride. I locked the front wheel into place, and it makes a real difference. It’s so much easier to handle, and when it’s back onto solid ground, it’s just one click and it’s back to swivel wheel. Very, very easy.

I get lots of questions about this pushchair, usually about where it’s from, but a lot of the time,about the features. I can talk about it all day!

May the 30th 2014

I seriously don’t know what I would do without this pushchair! Given the area in which we live, and the type of lifestyle we lead, I’d be lost without it!

Today saw us out on another walk which consisted of partially muddy paths, complete with small stones embedded, and larger ones to make “stepping stones” ( see photo’s).

We had the dog with us again- as usual, and it’s really important to be be able to control both pushchair and dog at the same time. Being able to push and steer with one hand makes the difference between a nice walk, or a stressful one.

I’ve noticed a little bit more rust appearing near the suspension control, but apart from that and needing a new tyre, the pushchair is in good working order. I have no gripes or complaints about things going wrong or not working as they should.

Can’t can’t fault it!

June the 2nd 2014

I had a bit of a scare with the pushchair this morning. It had been folded down, so I popped it back up and put my daughter in it. We have a couple of steps outside the house, and as we were going down, the pushchair started to collapse and fold down. It took quite a bit of strength to get it back to the right position and I was a bit shocked. I thought it had snapped into place when I put it up, but maybe not? Just something to be aware of…

Final Summary

This pushchair has been an absolute delight to review. It has been well used, and loved!
It’s made our off road outings a pleasure, and my daughter really likes it. I would highly recommend to anyone who lives an “outdoor” lifestyle. My husband says it’s he best pushchair we have ever had!