BOB
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 Strollers had a fixed front wheel, which limited its maneuverability. To appeal to a wider market, BOB debuted a new version of the stroller 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
Rugged and reliable is the moniker for the BOB Revolution Flex jogging stroller (28.5 lbs., see price on Amazon). A staple in the BOB line for many years, the Revolution 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 peekabo 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 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.
A double version of the Revolution, dubbed the BOB Dualie, 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 smaller wheels (in the case of the Rambler) or with upscaled fabrics (the Alterrain).
The BOB Wayfinder (31.6 lbs. see price on Amazon) has smaller
The newest BOB stroller is a scaled down version of the Revolution that debuted in 2017: the Rambler ($360, right). The Rambler swaps the 16″ rear wheels for 12″ wheels—and the handle bar isn’t adjustable. As a result, the Rambler is about $90 less than the Revolution.
So when would the Rambler make sense compared to the Revolution? Well, the bigger wheels are better for running . . . so if you don’t plan to job with a BOB stroller, than the Rambler would probably be just fine. And if your partner and you are of similar height and find the fixed handlebar of the Rambler comfortable, then that would be another plus saving some bucks.
