Bob Revolution Flex Stroller Review

When we first had our child finding a safe jogging stroller was a top priority! We had to wait 8 weeks before we could really start running with Thomas which gave us plenty of time to research the market. It quickly became clear that the BOB stroller brand was one of the best on the market for high end Jogging Strollers. In this Bob Revolution Flex Stroller Review we will look in detail a the new Bob Revolution Flex stroller. We were drawn to this one vs the Revolution SE due to it having a great adjustable handle bar. I am nearly 6′ tall and my partner is only 5’4″ so its important that we are able to both run comfortably with the Revolution Flex.

Hopefully my review will leave no stone unturned!

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Full review of the Bob revolution Flex Stroller:

The first thing to know about the Bob Revolution is that its really just the Revolution SE, while there are many cosmetic differences – colour etc. The real difference is the Handle bar. On the Revolution SE the handlebar is fixed, with the Revolution Flex you can adjust the handlebar through over 8 positions. This gives change in handle height spanning 11 inches from 34″ to 45″ from the ground. The Revolution SE is still on the market, and is a great jogging stroller, however for the extra versatility that the adjustable handle gives we think its worthwhile the small, $20, premium. The other cosmetic difference is that the Flex is available with a black frame, with the SE you are limited to a grey frame.

Overall the Bob Revolution scores highly, thanks to the great build quality, some fantastic colours. As to the comfort of the child, well we have yet to have any complaints, our boy seems to sleep in anything that moves. As he grows then hopefully he will appreciate more some of the comfort features built into this stroller such as: Air Filled Tyres, Spring Suspension, Large Wheels and a spacious seat. If you need more there are a few accessories available from the BOB website, we haven’t needed them but they include sun screens and snack trays. Weight wise this stroller comes in at just under 25lbs, not bad considering its size.

Key Features of the Bob Revolution

Ajustable Handlebar

As mentioned the handlebar is now adjustable through nine different positions. I found this makes a huge difference to my comfort when running, getting the right height means that I can tilt the stroller much more easily with the right amount of pressure to just bring the front wheel up to corner smoothly.  If you end up owning the stroller for a number of years you can find that the handle bar can wear.  A great feature is that you can easily replace it as its attached with screws.  Many strollers use cheaper rivets to secure the handlebars, this makes replacing much harder.

The handle bar also has the main break for the stroller, the location of this can be adjusted so you can use it with your preferred hand, left or right.

Safety Wrist Strap

Like nearly all Jogging strollers the Bob Revolution is fitted with a runaway strap.  Whether you are off road or on road this is essential, a moments distraction while at traffic lights can see the stroller rolling down to the road.  Fortunately this strap is easy to fit and wear.  The length is comfortable and long enough to feel you remain in control of the Stroller, without feeling overly attached.

The strap also doubles as the strap to keep the stroller folded up.  This means that its less likely to become lost in storage.

Passenger Comfort and Safety

Bob have not only thought about the seat from the childs perspective, but also the parents. For example the material are machine washable, there are loads of times coming in from a muddy run, or having seen the contents of a childs snack cover a stroller that I have been wanting to wash it!

In terms of space, this is one of the largest stroller seats on the market.  The seat looks incredibly comfortable, able to lie flat for small children which makes it incredibly versatile and usable from a six months old up to late school age.  This is really the only stroller you will need to span the needs of any child.  If you want to run with a new born, this can be accommodated by adding an adapter that will work with most of the leading brands of child seats.  Below is a chart of which baby seats the Stroller is compatible with.  According to my tape measure there is 23″ head room, and just over 14″ width.  This should be adequate for any child and will let them find  a comfortable position to sit in.

The only issue with the seat is that to recline it is a little fiddly.  There are two straps that need to be pulled to release the movement, this can be tricky until you get used to it.  I can see this as being a safety feature as its impossible for a child to be able to change the seat themselves!

To secure your child there is a comfortable and well padded 5 point harness that has nice wide straps that wont cut into the skin of the child.  There were no problems with them getting tangled and the lock gave a good positive indication that all the straps were secure.

Canopy

Before I had my child I had no idea how important the canopy was for the comfort of the child and the peace of mind of the parent.  The Revolution Flex canopy has been well designed, and offers some great features to such as an 85 sq in viewing window in the top of the canopy.

The canopy itself has three positions that it can sit in, fully retracted, half cover and full cover.  Each position gives more protection to from the elements.  If you plan on never letting the weather get in the way of your run then a full length rain cover is available as an extra.  There is also a full length sun screen available to protect your child from harmful rays.

Overall the canopy is great for keeping the sun out of the face, if you child is anything like mine they won’t sleep with the bright sun in their eyes.  Plus its great to keep an eye on them while running!

Storage Options

To be honest we don’t really take anything out on our stroller when running, the risk of dropping things is to great.  However if you want to use this stroller as more of an every day stroller this is quite easy.

Beneath the seat there is a good size basket that is easily big enough for the biggest changing bags and even a few layers of running clothes.  Behind the seat there is a smaller zip storage area that is useful for sunglasses and suncream, or a hat and gloves depending on where you run!  With the zip its good to have a secure area for car keys, which I hate to carry in my shorts when running!

Storage pockets in the seats. There are a pair of mesh pockets within the seat that you can use for just about anything. We use ours to keep snacks, a sippy cup, toys, or small articles of clothing like hats and mittens.

Ride Quality

 

From the ground up there are some great features built into the Revolution Flex that are nods to the thought put into its design.

First of all are the oversized air filled wheels.  The rear wheels are 16″ and the front 12″.  The advantages of the big size is that they will roll over even big rocks and bumps without trying to fly up into the air.  Along with the air in the tyres this makes the ride incredibly smooth!  Over rocks and gravel you have great traction and control from the polymer tyres that grip well.  We have not been able to test them in the snow, other users have and have no issues.  Any larger bumps are taken care of via the hydraulic suspension, like you find on mountain bikes.

As you increase speed you will want to lock out the front wheel to aid stability, one feature we like is being able to allow a small bit of tracking in the front wheel to make it a little easier to steer and negotiate sharp turns.  Off road this is a dream to control.  With its weight of just 25lbs its quite fast to accelerate and stop.

flex08Large, air-filled wheels. When you’re buying a jogging stroller, you’re buying it for the wheels, and the Revolution Flex delivers them in spades. These are amazing wheels! They’re filled with air, as wheels should be with jogging strollers, and the wheels are 12″ in diameter in the front and 16″ in diameter in the back. The tires are made of rubber and the wheels are high-impact polymer, or fancy plastic. We took ours off-road onto the local trails and didn’t have any issues; they’d also work quite well in snowy streets, in the beach, or in the grass. You can either set the front wheel to swivel or to lock for difficult terrain.

One thing I always look out for on the wheels is the drop outs. This is where the wheel connects to the frame. On the Revolution Flex these look very strong, being forged from steel, rather than pressed as on cheap strollers.  I have seen some tales of cheap pressed dropout snapping.  I have never experienced forged dropouts giving way.

Storage

This is quite a bulky stroller, and getting it into the back of a car may be a challenge.  However to make this more convenient the rear wheels a can easily be removed, this gives a much flatter profile and should fit most cars.

When you fold it you will need both hands, the wrist strap then doubles as a securing device keeping everything together, allowing it to be put away or stored upright.

Foot-activated parking brake. You also get a foot-based parking brake between the rear wheels. It’s capable of locking and holding both of your rear wheels for safety. However, it’s not designed to adjust easily, so you’ll need to put some force into it with your shoe.

Folds easily. As I noted earlier, you need to fold the Revolution Flex with two hands, but it’s an easy process. However, there isn’t an automatic lock in place, which means you’ll need to apply a clip so the stroller stays in place once it’s been folded. You also can’t stand the stroller by itself once you’ve folded. The folded dimensions are 16″ in height, 25.5″ in width, and 39″ in length, so it’s a decent-sized stroller. If you can’t easily fit it in the trunk of your car, at least you can remove the rear wheels without much trouble.

Dimensions:

(From the bob website http://www.bobgear.com/)

A – Wheel Base: Swivel mode 25.5 in (64 cm) / Jogging mode 30.5 in (78 cm)

B – Overall Length: Swivel mode 48 in (121.9 cm) / Jogging mode 53.0 in (134.6 cm)

C – Handle Bar Height: 33.5 – 45.8 in (85 – 116 cm)

 

D – Overall Width: 25.4 in (64.5 cm)

E – Interior Seat Width: 14.7 in (37.3 cm)

 

F – Folded Length, wheels on: Swivel mode 39 in (100 cm) / Jogging mode 43 in (109 cm)

G – Folded Height, wheels on: Swivel mode 16 in (41 cm) / Jogging mode 16 in (41 cm)

 

H – Folded Length, wheels off: Swivel mode 33 in (94 cm) / Jogging mode 37 in (94 cm)

I – Folded Height, wheels off: Swivel mode 12 in (30 cm) / Jogging mode 10.5 in (27 cm)

Warranty

The frame comes with a good 5 year warranty, however the parts and fabric only have a 1 year warranty.  This is fairly typical for this type of stroller.

Pros and Cons of the Bob Revolution Flex Jogging Stroller

Pros

We really like the build quality of the Bob Revolution, it feels solid yet retains its light weight

Comfortable seating for its passenger, and able to take children from birth with the child seat

Ride quality, the oversized air tyres are perfect for everything from city running to off road adventures.

The choice of colours is great, I like the green option!

Cons

The accessories can be expensive

We could really use a rain cover as standard

Summary of the Bob Revolution Flex Stroller

Despite the similarities between this and the Revolution SE, the Revolution Flex is our choice.  The adjustable handlebar may not sound much but it makes a huge difference to comfort while running.  It allows us both the have the perfect posture while maintaining full control of the stroller.

If you are wondering where to buy the Stroller, BOB themselves recommend Amazon.  There you can find the full range of stroller accessories, including the car seat adaptors needed for babys and all the rain and sun covers.  We also found during our research that Amazon had not only the best prices but also the highest stock availability for the full range of colours.