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B.O.B. Revolution PRO Review by Best Buggy

The B.O.B. Revolution PRO is the only front swivel wheel pushchair in the UK which has been given the TÜV seal of approval for running and skating with. The Revolution PRO also has a hand operated drum brake which is very unusual to find on a pushchair. B.O.B. pushchairs have amazing suspension and a fantastic reputation for use over all terrain. Thus, these impressive features all add up to make the B.O.B. Revolution PRO a great pushchair for off road walking, running or skating.

First Impressions

The B.O.B. pushchairs all feel very large, and the Revolution PRO is no exception. This is a substantial pushchair. However, as with the other B.O.B. pushchairs, it is incredibly light and bouncy to push, and the fold is remarkably quick to do. Even with a larger toddler on board, the push is effortless. We love the adjustable suspension, tracking and wheel locking mechanism. The drum brake is awesome for running down hill with. We liked that the brake did not hinder the removal of the wheels – they popped off easily, making it simple to keep the car boot clean when we had finished.
We love the new black chassis! It looks very smart.

Child Comfort

The B.O.B. Revolution PRO seat suitable from 6 months of age. The seat is huge and well padded. We love that this large seat is matched with good leg length and foot room for an older child. For a newborn baby, there is a carrycot which fits the chassis. There are also  car seat adaptors which fit the Britax Baby-Safe infant carriers. Please note that young babies should not be taken running or skating until at least 6 months old.
The hammock style seat reclines using via a strap system. There is a strap on either side of the rear of the seat to do this. These straps are easy to release and the seat can be positioned anywhere between upright and fully reclined. The full recline is not a lie flat recline, but it is pretty deep. Master BB certainly could nap comfortably. You do need two hands ideally to pull the child up after being reclined, although it is possible to do one side at a time, with a bit of a push from an arm or shoulder. There is a fabric piece behind the child’s head which makes the seat feel secure for a sleeping child. Master BB was at the maximum height (96cms) for being reclined as his head was bulging the fabric.
The fabric is very strong and should last years. However, the fabric is screwed to the frame which means it is very difficult to clean the seat. It is worth investing in a liner to protect the seat, especially if potty training! The large triangular shaped fabric footrest is likely to end up dirty across time.

The hood on the B.O.B. Revolution PRO is absolutely huge. It will protect any child well from any weather. At the rear of the seat there is a gap. This allows you to see your child and to be able to communicate with them. It also provides ventilation. There is a storm flap which can be brought over the the gap and secured. When not in use the storm flap can be secured up onto the hood with velcro.
There is a very large clear peekaboo window on top of the hood. This has a covering flap which can be rolled up and then tucked away neatly into a pocket. Either side of the window are two straps. These when pulled, will pull the hood up towards you. This means you do not have to reach over when the hood to open up the hood. Useful!
One downside of the hood on the Revolution Pro is that the hood fabric hangs down in front of the child’s face when the hood is pushed back. The seat can not be pulled any more upright, nor can the hood fabric be tucked away behind the seat. One of the children we had hoped to use as a tester for this pushchair refused to stay in the seat because he didn’t like the hood fabric in his face. Using the straps either side of the window does help with this, as do the velcro tabs, but it is all a bit faffy when you are in a hurry. Opening the hood a fold does alleviate this problem.

Harness

The B.O.B. Revolution PRO has an excellent harness. We love the lumbar support which brings the harness around the back of the child at the correct angle whether the child is small or large. The clips fit easily into the buckle, one at a time. The red rings on the harness can be used to pull the harness tight really easily. There are adjustable clips on the shoulder harness, and the straps can be lifted easily up straps on the rear of the pushchair. There are velcro tabs half way up to hold the harness up high for a taller child. This makes it really easy to change the use of the pushchair between two children. The red crotch strap makes it easy to find when putting a child in the seat! There are shoulder pads, however, there is no pad on the crotch strap / buckle.

Handlebar

The adjustable handlebar is one of the best features on the B.O.B. Revolution PRO. This could well be a good reason for choosing a PRO over the other B.O.B. pushchairs. We found the fixed height handlebar of the Revolution CE to be too low for Mr BB, but having a 9 position adjustable handlebar means that the Revolution PRO is comfortable for everyone to use. The handlebar is foam covered and is comfortable to use.

Wheels, Handling, Suspension and Brake

The B.O.B. Revolution PRO has two huge 16″ rear air tyres, and one front 12.5″ air tyre. These mean that the B.O.B. should be able to go anywhere you want to take it. The front wheel is a lockable swivel one. When locked the front wheel points forwards which gives increased stability. There is a small red pin above the front wheel which says ‘City’ or ‘Sport’ in order to make this adjustment. The wheels have sealed cartridge ball bearings for a smooth ride. There is also tracking on the the Revolution PRO which will keep the pushchair running in a straight line.
The rear wheels can all be released easily which is great for helping to keep the car boot clean. The front wheel can also be released – it just takes a little more care.

It was really great to be able to head off road or to run with a swivel wheel. There was no need to jiggle the pushchair in the right direction – the pushchair went smoothly in exactly the direction you pointed it in. The swivel wheel also makes the Revolution PRO easy to push about town. One pushchair will do it all.

There are two brakes on the Revolution Pro – there is a hand operated drum brake, and there is also a flick on and off foot parking brake. At first it felt most odd to be using my right hand to operate the handbrake. However, it makes sense when you realise that your dominant hand needs to hold the handlebar and also have the strength to steer. The hand brake is best accessed from one of the middle handlebar positions. The footbrake is easy to locate with a small red marker tab in the centre of it. It is a little rudimentary but it works well. There is also a wrist tether strap which is sensible to wear when running or off road.

The suspension on the Revolution PRO is superb. The shock absorbers are situated either side of the seat rather than on the front wheel. This gives the child great cushioning from bumps in the pathway. These shock absorbers can be visibly seen and are easily adjusted by simply moving the pin up or down. The Revolution PRO is a lovely bouncy pushchair to use.

Storage, Raincover and Accessories

The BOB has a reasonable sized basket. I could fit my medium sized handbag inside. Just be careful because the rear of the basket is not quite as deep as the front. There is also a large mesh pocket on the rear of the seat. This is really handy when the child is upright, but it is unusable if the child is reclined. There are two really useful mesh pockets inside the pushchair itself: one on either side of the child. These are fab for storing a drink or a favourite toy.

On each side of the pushchair are blanked off accessory sockets. When the plugs are removed a snack tray or car seat / carrycot adaptor can be fitted. There is no bumper bar available.

Fold

As with the other B.O.B. pushchairs, the fold is super easy. This is always surprising for such a large pushchair. The fold can literally be done in seconds. Simply squeeze the two buttons – one on each side of the upper chassis; push the handlebar forwards and the B.O.B. folds in half. Then grab the red pull handle from under the seat. The wheels neatly glide together into a folded position. There is a manual storage lock situated on the wrist strap, which needs adding to complete the fold. The Revolution PRO is a fairly big chunk when folded. The chassis is built from aluminum. Although the B.O.B. is lighter than you think to lift and carry, it is still heavy for a single pushchair.

To unfold the Revolution PRO, simply undo the storage lock; flick the front wheel out forwards until the lower half of the pushchair is open. Then lift the handlebar / upper half of the seat upwards until the chassis clicks into position.

In Conclusion

The B.O.B. Revolution PRO is an amazing all terrain and jogging pushchair. The lockable / swivel front wheel, huge air tyres, suspension, tracking, hand operated drum brake and adjustable handle, make the PRO the ultimate off road / running choice.  We would have preferred the seat to be a little more upright, but for running this is probably the best position for the child. We would also like the hood to not hang down in front of an older child’s face, but there is a solution to this. The Revolution PRO is a big pushchair and it is bulky when folded. However, if you need an excellent off road, running or skating pushchair, then all of these are compromises you will probably be willing to make.
The Revolution PRO looks great, feels fabulous to push, is a good price and even has a 5 year warranty. Overall, the B.O.B. Revolution PRO is excellent! We have given the B.O.B. Revolution PRO 5 Best Buggy gold stars.

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