BOBgear 2016 Revolution PRO

As parents-to-be in the Pacific Northwest, all our friends with kids agreed the biggest must-have was a BOBgear all-terrain stroller. Fast-forward a few months later to when we had our baby in our arms and were offered the opportunity to review the BOBgear 2016 Revolution PRO, and you can bet we jumped at the chance. We couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about.

Like any good reviewers, we started by reading through the product manual. The mechanism descriptions and stroller operation section were clear and easily understandable, and I appreciated the relatively concise 16-page length as well. I thought it was neat to discover that there’s a knob that allows you to fine-tune the tracking—something I likely wouldn’t have noticed without reading the manual.

Assembly was a breeze and took less than 10 minutes. (No additional tools required!) Aesthetically, it is appealing. It does take up quite a bit of space in the house, but it is reasonably compact when folded. Folding the stroller is a two-step process. Once folded, it fits into the trunk of our mid-size SUV, as well as our full-size sedan. Not much else fits in the car trunk along with it, though, so if you’re not working with lots of vehicle cargo space, more planning is required. When folded, the stroller has a strap (the wrist strap you can use while jogging for added safety) that snaps to keep it from opening back up during transport.

We started using the Revolution PRO when our son was 8 weeks old, so we paired it with the infant car seat and adaptor to ensure our little guy stayed safe and supported. (Britax recommends that the stroller be used with the car seat for children from 4-35 pounds and that parents limit the use of stroller to walking activities for children less than 8 months old. From 0 to 8 weeks, they encourage the use of an infant car seat and adapter. Children are unique and develop at different rates, however most don’t have neck strength for jogging motion until 8 months.)

Our son seems to be comfortable in the Britax B-Safe 35 car seat, and the car seat is easy to install, with audible clicks confirming placement. The harness was easy to adjust, and there are plenty of slots that allow for adjustment as our special little guy continues to grow. We also noted that there are several different car seat adapters available that allow you to utilize several different brands of car seat.

Without the car seat attached, the roomy child seat is padded and well-ventilated. It allows our tiny gentleman to sit upright or lie back with the one-hand recline.

One of our favorite features of the stroller is the large UPF 50+ canopy. We experienced light rain and seamlessly extended the canopy for total coverage. There’s even a slick peek-a-boo window that allows for visualization of cargo. Another important observation was that components of the stroller adjust and move without much sound. Three (quiet) cheers for not waking the baby!

There’s plenty of storage space in the undercarriage basket and there are several pockets for smaller essentials like snacks and drinks. We often jog to the park for a mini picnic and had always found room for a blanket, refreshments and sunscreen.

The air-filled tires are made of rubber. (We also purchased the pump that attaches to the cargo-tray/drink holder for quick fixes as needed.) The front wheel can lock in place or swivel, depending on your preference. The easily identifiable locking mechanism makes it easy to lock the front wheel for more fluid ride when you pick up to a running pace. Again, it’s very quiet ride—even while running. The suspension system is adjustable, too.

Prior to the trial, I thought the Revolution PRO’s size and function might be overkill for our needs, but it took only one quick stroll for us to realize the benefits of the wheels and its multi-surface capabilities. The ride was very smooth through sand, gravel, dirt and grass. This model also handles curbs with ease. During operation, the stroller remains very light and efficient. We’re very pleased.

The handlebar drops down to adjust for different forearm positions and operator heights—nine different positions in total! This was particularly accommodating for us because my husband is at least a full foot taller than me. He was able to operate the stroller without striking the wheels or axel with his feet—and not every stroller passes this test for us.

The footbrake is intuitively located and appear well-equipped for the task at hand. The locking mechanism is easy to engage with your foot as well. There’s also a handbrake that comes in handy for slowing your roll downhill.

The Revolution PRO weighs in at 30.5 pounds and can handle up to 75 pounds of cargo (including passenger and luggage). It is available in several different colors, including the all-black model we received. The rugged, durable fabric should be easy to clean, and the components wipe down with no problem.

Price: $560
To buy: bobgear.com