Pushchair reviews, pram reviews and buggy reviews
£405.00
Jeanne Reid 'Living With' the BOB Revolution SE
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.
Living With Review
Jump to a Month: First Impressions | November 2013 | December 2013 | January 2014
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.
***********************
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.
.jpg)
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
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.
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
I'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!
