The BOB has released two new jogging strollers Revolution Flex and Revolution Pro that were an upgrade to the beloved Revolution SE.
So, I was a little surprised to see changes this year. I mean, why not wait till your product is ready instead of releasing it and then upgrading it a few months later?
Anyways, the updates included: a more upright seat, larger basket, better brake (still not flip-flop-friendly), higher weight limit of 75 lbs, redesigned frame, updated quick-release of the front and the rear wheels, and simpler recline. All these upgrades pushed the weight of the Pro to 30.5 lbs. Heavy!
I am sure parents are pretty confused about the changes and the models. To make it easier for you, the Flex and Pro are almost identical except for the different colors, stroller weight, and the hand brake on the Pro model. That’s it! Everything else is the same.
Both models also feature huge canopies, roomy seats, large baskets, amazing suspension systems, large air-filled tires, easy fold, and an adjustable 5-point harness.
The large basket underneath the seat is not the only storage. It also has two mesh pockets inside of the seat for your child to store his toys and a large mesh pocket in the back for parents to store their essentials.
The seat can accommodate a child from 6 months and up to 75 lbs. If you want to use it from birth you can turn it into a travel system by purchasing a car seat adapter. It works with the most popular car seats.
Having a hard time deciding between Pro and Flex models? If you think you will be going off-road and running up and down the hills a lot, then you should get a Pro model.
The attached hand brake will give you the ability to slow down quickly. If you prefer jogging in the park at an even pace, then I would get a Flex model to avoid having a hand brake getting in the way.
OVERALL
Just like Flex, the Pro model got 5 out of 5 stars from me despite the increased weight because it’s simply the best jogging stroller on today’s market.
One of the things I would change would be adding an automatic lock and a standing fold. Other than that it’s an AMAZING stroller. You can get this model for around $550.
Buy BOB Revolution Pro Stroller »
Features
CANOPY
The canopy is a great size. It goes down all the way to where the bumper bar would be providing plenty of shade. The large peekaboo window is made out of clear plastic and comes with a Velcro closure. Of course, I would like to see a magnetic closure instead.
HANDLEBAR
Just like the Flex model, the Pro has an adjustable handlebar with 9 different positions. It goes from 34″ all the way up to 48″ from the ground. Great for shorter and taller parents.
It has a runaway strap attached to the handlebar that you can use as extra security to prevent your stroller from running away from you. This strap doubles as a lock when the stroller is folded. Yep, there is no automatic lock.
BRAKE
The hand-activated rear drum brakes are great for when you are jogging down the hills & inclines. This is why the Pro model weighs 2 lbs more than the Flex.
SEAT
The seat is very roomy and can accommodate a child from 6 months and up to 70 lbs. What I really like about ALL of the Revolution models is how durable and well-padded the seat is.
It’s made out of high-quality material with water-repellent coating which makes it very easy to clean. On BOB’s site, it says that you can put a child into the seat starting at 8 weeks.
I would recommend using an infant car seat till your baby is 6 months old because the seat will not provide needed support for a baby. Or, you can put your child right into the seat with an infant insert.
For this year the recline has been updated. Now it’s a one-hand recline system instead of two-hand reclines in the previous model. You will still need both hands to bring the seat back up, but it’s a huge improvement from the previous model.
Another great update is a more upright seat in the most upright position. Now your child has more support to sit up straight and look around.
There is a lot of storage on the Pro model. There is a large mesh pocket in the back of the seat where parents can store their essentials and two mesh pockets inside of the seat where your child can store his stuff. My daughter likes to keep her sippy cup in one of the pockets.
HARNESS
It has an adjustable padded 5-point harness with a center release buckle. I really like how thick and padded the shoulder straps are.
BASKET
The basket just got 15% larger! It also sits a little lower so you can fit a lot more stuff in it. BTW, you can easily access your stuff from the sides or the back.
WHEELS
When it comes to Pro, it’s all about the wheels! It rolls on large air-filled high-impact polymer composite wheels with pneumatic tires that can handle ANY terrain while providing your child with a VERY smooth ride.
The rear wheels are 16″ while the front wheel is 12.5″. The front wheel is swivel with the ability to lock straight. For this year they updated the quick-release function of the tires. It’s still very easy, but is safer.
The state-of-the-art suspension system adjusts to two positions depending on the weight of your little passenger and the terrain. I’ve tested a lot of joggers and BOB Revolution has the BEST suspension system hands down.
BRAKE
The parking brake has been updated and is now a little more flip-flop-friendlier, but not quite there yet. LOL. I hope it gets there after the next upgrade. It used to be red color, but now it’s grey.
FOLD/UNFOLD
It’s not a one-hand fold, but is easy to do. Unfortunately, it does not have an automatic lock and there is no standing fold. To lock the stroller after folding, you need to put it on the ground and use a strap with a clip attached to the handlebar.
Bending down to the ground to lock it is very annoying. Especially if you like me have back pain. As with any jogger, this package is very bulky. The folded dimensions are 39″L x 25.5″W x 16″H.
Cons
-Bulky. Like most joggers the Pro is bulky. You can remove the rear wheels to make it more compact.
-Heavy. The SE model wasn’t heavy at 25 lbs which is an average weight for a jogger. With all the 2016 upgrades Pro weighs now 30.5 lbs which is heavy!
-No automatic lock. You will need to bend down to the ground and use an attached strap with a clip to lock it manually.
–No bumper bar. I wish there was a bumper bar available for purchase. On the bright side, you can get a snack tray that your child can use as a bumper bar.
Video Review
Here is an overview of the Revolution Flex which is almost identical to the Pro model.
Here is a comparison video of Flex vs Pro by BabyGizmo.
Specs
Stroller weight: 30.5 lbs
Weight limit: 75 lbs
Folded dimensions: 39″L x 25.5″W x 16″H
Overall Length: Swivel mode 46″ / Jogging mode 51.5″
Overall Width: 25.5″
Handlebar height: 34″ – 48″
Seat to canopy height: 23″
Recent Updates
Here are the updates that were made:
- Higher weight limit of 75 lbs. The weight limit used to be 70 lbs, but now it’s 75 lbs. This should last you till college. Haha!
- Larger basket. The basket is sitting a little lower now and is 15% larger than before.
- Quick release of the front wheel. The release is a two-step now instead of one step before.
- More upright seat. A slightly angled seat position in the most upright position was one of the complaints from parents. As you know, kids like to sit up straight and look around.
- Simpler recline. The recline is still operated by a strap system, but now it requires only one hand to recline the seat instead of both hands. This is a very typical recline that is used on most strollers. I am not sure why BOB had a two-hand strap recline on the original SE model.
- Frame redesign. The frame has more plastic instead of metal.
- Higher weight of 30.5 lbs. All these great updates increased the weight of the stroller from 28.5 lbs to 30.5 lbs.
- New colors. As always there are new colors.
Warranty
BOB has a 5-year limited warranty on the frame and 1 year on small parts and fabric.
Available colors
It comes in 2 colors: green and black.
Where to buy it
You can get the BOB Revolution Pro model in one of the three beautiful colors for around $550.