An almost perfect Jogging Stroller
April 12, 2020
This was our first Bob stroller, something we have wanted for a while but have not taken the plunge on until now. We are so thankful to Steller Review panel for letting us be a part of the review of this stroller, and providing us with this awesome stroller to test out.
Overall: LOVE IT!!!! It has made me want to start running again because it is just so easy to use and maneuver. My son is comfortable (18 months old) and it's very comfortable for the one who is doing the pushing. I finally see why they are such loved strollers. Down the road, when we hopefully have another child, we will definitely invest in a double bob stroller, no questions asked.
Here are our pros and cons; the cons are more of "suggestions" or ways to maybe improve, but not deal breakers.
Pros:
- Packaging was wonderful, no damage from shipping, easy to open and set up.
- The storage compartment is wonderful. Roomy and the addition of the zipper makes a world of difference. No concern with items falling out both while running or while transporting. Plenty of room for essentials during extended outings. Structured bottom is also a really nice feature.
- Tire pressure out of the box is a good all-terrain pressure. You may want to let some air out if doing more off roading (tried it out on some sand with our about 27 pound kid with no real issue). Paved surfaces and and gravel gave no me problems.
- Locking wheel gave some extra traction and ease while off roading (recommended in the user guide). Also, I had no issue 'turning" the stroller while in the locked position on a paved path. Could potentially see trouble with this as weight of child increases?
- Seat padding: our kid has never been more comfortable. He has napped multiple times while riding and actually gets excited to get in his stroller. The seat seems to hold him in a very comfortable position (no problems during 2 hour walks).
- The shade length and design is great. The adjustability has been nice while also providing extra SPF and rain protection.
- The handle bar adjustments are easy. The handle bar itself is very comfortable.
- If you need to "rest" while walking, you can raise the handle bar and lean a considerable amount of you weight on them. This probably wont be recommended by BOB, but it works!
- The mesh stretchy pockets inside the child seat are perfect for snacks and toys and can easily be accessed by both child and parent.
Cons:
- The sun shade slide lock on one side wasn't all the way up when sliding the shade off and it broke with ease. Not a big deal.
- Hand brake lever is pretty uncomfortable and very difficult to squeeze. The brake lever started to create "hot spots" on my hand not long after experimenting with it. Add a little sweat and hills and you're looking at blisters for sure. What I would really like to see is more of a mountain bike style brake lever made out of aluminum. The cable also really needs some grease due to it being very resistant.
- Another thing I noticed was when the stroller would lean more to the right (curb, hard turn or an uneven path), there was a noticeable grinding noise. Upon inspection I noticed it was coming from the parking brake rod on the right side making contact with the grooves on the inside of the wheel for the rod to go in and lock the wheel. Not a big deal, but it sounds like a big deal. Probably would shorten that parking brake rod; may do it myself.
- The seat back adjustment was a little difficult one handed and I had to stop and use both hands to lay my kid down. I also needed both hands to raise it back up. Not sure if there is a better way to design this feature, but it's definitely not a deal breaker. I also wish the straps would not hang and flop so much when the seat back is in full upright position; but they can be tucked in to the pockets fairly easily. Again, not that big of a deal.
- My kid gets very hot. It's spring time in NC and I've noticed that he is already very warm in the seat. I would love to see some mesh incorporated into the seat back for "breathability" so he was cooler. Another idea; if there was a strip of mesh where the seat base meets the seat back, you could easily brush sand and dirt right out the back of the seat.
- The back pockets on the seat back are nice but if you lay the seat down there is potential for items to fall out and you can't get to them.
- I do wish the stroller was a bit lighter to load in and out of my car, however I know that if you sacrifice weight, you lose ride quality.
- Lastly, I don't like that when you fold the stroller up, the handle bars are all over the ground. Again, not sure how to improve that, nor is it a deal breaker.
Thanks for an awesome stroller and keep making the best stroller out there!
This product review was collected by the manufacturer.