BOB
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BOB Gear was founded in 1994 by two New Zealanders whose first product was a bike trailer rugged enough to handle gravel trails:
Back in 1994, Roger Malinowski, a bicycle industry maven, met Philip Novotny, an airline mechanic. Together, they brought an innovative bike trailer to the masses. When Roger and Philip began to start families, they were inspired to design and build a jogging stroller that held the same high standards as their trailers. The result was the Sport Utility Stroller. “We wanted the best of a bunch of worlds,” says Roger. “A lightweight, high-quality stroller that you could still take running, hiking or off-road and fold up easily and compactly.[1]
The name BOB is short for Beast of Burden—this was not taken from the Rolling Stones song, but instead as a moniker to signal the brands' outdoor suitability. The stroller featured knobby tires designed to roll over rough surfaces. The first BOB stroller was released in 1998, following the success of the BOB YAK bike trailer. Founder Roger Malinowski explained the inspiration for the stroller in an interview with the San Luis Obispo Tribune:
Our wives were bringing home strollers, and Phil and I decided we weren't sure we wanted to be seen pushing something with flowers and polka dots—not exactly guy material. Someone suggested a suspension stroller to us one day. The more we looked at it, the more we liked the idea. We never intended to be involved in strollers.[2]
The original BOB Sport Utility Stroller had a fixed front wheel, which limited its maneuverability. To appeal to a wider market, BOB debuted a new version of the stroller in 2005 with a turnable front wheel—this model, the Revolution, remains BOB's best-selling stroller to date.
In 2011, BOB Gear was acquired by Britax for an undisclosed price. Britax operates BOB as a stand-alone brand, although they are both headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina. BOB Gear strollers are made in China. BOB divides its strollers into single strollers, duallies, travel systems and wagons.
Flagship Model: BOB Gear Revolution Flex 3.0 Jogging Stroller
The BOB Revolution Flex jogging stroller (28.5 lbs., see price on Amazon) is a tri-wheel stroller with a lockable swivel front wheel and all-wheel suspension. Other features include:
- Air filled tires with adjustable front wheel tracking.
- Canopy with peekaboo window and magnetic closure.
- 6 storage pockets plus an easy access basket.
- Adjustable foam enhanced handlebar.
- Upright seating that adjusts to near flat with just one hand.
- Compression padding in seat.
- Seat back ventilation.
- Easy to remove rear wheels for more compact fold.
- Infant car seat compatible (BOB, Britax, Chicco, Graco, Maxi Cosi, Nuna; adapters sold separately).
- Water resistant fabric with reflective accents.
- Flip flop friendly brake.
- High weight capacity of 75 lbs.
- Wrist strap on handlebar.
As for negatives, the BOB Gear Revolution Flex is overall a notch or two below their main competitor, the Thule Urban Glide, in terms of quality, ease of use and assembly. For example, the Thule Urban Glide comes nearly fully assembled (you just pop on the wheels), while the BOB Revolution requires some assembly (a screw needs to be added to the front wheel, for example). All tools are included for the BOB, however.
Also: some users prefer the hand brake on the Thule versus the foot brake on the BOB. And the fold on the Thule is simpler than the BOB. That said, the BOB Revolution sells for about $100 less than the Thule.
First released in 2005, the BOB Revolution has undergone minor changes over the years, with the notable addition of a height-adjustable handle bar in 2014 (these models were dubbed the Revolution Flex). The most current model is called the BOB Revolution Flex 3.0.
A double version of the Revolution, dubbed the BOB Revolution Duallie (33.1 lbs, see price on Amazon), is also available.
Other BOB models: Wayfinder, Alterrain, Alterrain Pro, Rambler
BOB offers several other models that have similar features to the Revolution, but with a smaller seat (the Wayfinder), smaller wheels (the Rambler) or with upscaled fabrics (the Alterrain).
The BOB Wayfinder (31.6 lbs., see price on Amazon) has a smaller seat that the Revolution (it is 5" short in height, 1.5" in depth and 2.5" in width). As a result, it folds up in a more compact manner than the Revolution but only holds a child up to 65b lbs. Other differences: the Wayfinder has a zip-top cover for the storage basket, yet lacks the reflective accents seen on the Revolution.
The BOB Alterrain (31.3 lbs., see price on Amazon) and Alterrain Pro (32.3 lbs, see price on Amazon) are an upscaled version of the Revolution. The Alterrain features a new oversized canopy, beefed up suspension and a quick one-hand fold. The Alterrain Pro adds a hand brake, waterproof fabric (the regular version is water resistant), wheel reflectors, zip enclosed basket and a vented canopy.
The BOB Rambler (25.2 lbs., see price on Amazon) is a scaled down version of the Revolution, with smaller wheels (12" rear wheels in back versus 16" for the Revolution). It also lacks the adjustable handlebar and standing fold of the Revolution as well as the reflective accents. On the plus side, the Rambler has the lowest weight of all BOB strollers—and it is the least expensive.
Comparison Chart
Renegade Wagon
Bob's first entry in the stroller wagon category is the Renegade (40 lbs., see price on Amazon), a uniquely configured wagon that seats up to three kids. The wagon has one seat on the side with the handle and two seats opposite. Also unique to the Renegade is SafeAssist, BOB's soft open, one-hand fold.
The Renegade has all-terrain wheels and front wheel suspension, larger rear wheels, a push or pull handle (with SteerSteady technology), child snack tray and two parent cup holders, four storage pockets inside the wagon, a one-step brake, foot well and water resistant fabrics.
The wagon is not for newborns, instead it can only be used for babies who have head control and can sit up unassisted. The seats have harnesses and each hold up to 55 lbs.; total carry capacity is 165 lbs.
The Renegade is also available bundled with two canopies or the canopies can be purchased separately.
Introduced in 2023, there aren't many reviews of the Renegade yet (as of this writing). So far, parents say it's a bit cramped, especially for older children ,although the foot well helps. Storage is limited as well and suspension (only on the front wheels) is disappointing.
BOB Stroller Controversy
In 2019, the Washington Post reported that the Consumer Product Safety Commission had investigated 200 reports of the front wheel falling off BOB strollers made from 1997 to 2015:
Nearly 100 adults and children were injured, according to the commission. The agency’s staff members investigated for months before deciding in 2017 that one of the most popular jogging strollers on the market was unsafe and needed to be recalled.
“The danger that was there was just so obvious,” said Marietta Robinson, a former Democratic commissioner who was still at the agency when the injury reports surfaced. “It was appalling.”
But BOB’s maker, Britax Child Safety, refused the agency’s request in 2017 for a voluntary recall of nearly 500,000 strollers. The company said the strollers were safe when used as instructed and met industry standards for safety.
The agency didn’t back down. It sued to force a recall in February 2018. Britax kept fighting. That was unusual. Companies normally want to avoid public clashes with safety regulators, according to past and current agency staff members.[3]
A full discussion of the controversy is here. The CPSC suit against BOB was settled in 2018 (see report).[4]
Safety Recalls
In 2019, BOB recalled 200 strollers because "the modified thru-bolt on the front wheel can fracture, allowing the wheel to detach from the stroller, posing fall and injury hazards to children in the stroller and adults operating the stroller."[5]
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- ↑ https://www.bobgear.com/our-story
- ↑ https://account.sanluisobispo.com/paywall/subscriber-only?resume=39467034&intcid=ab_archive
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-hundreds-of-crashes-this-britax-jogging-stroller-faced-recall-then-trump-appointees-stepped-in/2019/04/02/faf23c20-4c06-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html?noredirect=on&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
- ↑ https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2019/cpsc-britax-settle-lawsuit-involving-bob-jogging-strollers
- ↑ https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2019/Britax-Recalls-Modified-Thru-Bolt-Axles-for-Use-with-BOB-Jogging-Strollers-Distributed-Through-the-BOB-Information-Campaign-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards-Recall-Alert