BOB Revolution Flex Stroller Review: It’s Great!

flex01BOB Strollers are among my favorite on the market right now when it comes to jogging options; they look good, they handle well, and they’re built to last. We’ve been a fan of our SE Duallie for a number of years and wrote a BOB SE Duallie review, and figured it was about time to review the Revolution Flex we’ve had around the house for a while. The Revolution Flex is an update of the Revolution SE, which has been around for a while. The primary difference between the two strollers is that the Revolution Flex has an adjustable handlebar, while the Revolution SE does not. That’s really the only difference between the two! However, let’s look at the details of the Revolution Flex together; it’s my goal to make this the most detailed BOB Revolution Flex review on the Internet.

Quick Review of the BOB Revolution Flex Single Stroller

flex02The  handlebar in the Revolution Flex, which is the primary difference between it and the Revolution SE, can be adjusted in 9 positions and ranges in height from 34″ to 45.”

To be honest, I’m rather surprised that BOB changed the name simply because they changed the handlebar. They’ve already got a number of similar strollers such as the Strides Fitness, the CE, and the SE, and a number of parents have emailed or spoken to me for advice in the past about how to choose between them. At any rate, there are also color changes present: Black, Lagoon, Orange, and Wilderness, and the frame comes in silver and in black.

The Revolution Flex also comes with a large canopy, a roomy seat, an easy fold capability, a large basket, and a 5 point harness. All of these features are nice, but as a jogging parent, what I mot like are the excellent suspension system to deliver a smooth ride and the large, rubber, air-filled tires. You can get through any type of terrain with these tires, which is why BOB makes the best jogging strollers on the market. It comes in at 25 pounds on my scale, which is rather typical for a single jogging stroller.

On my 1 to 5 stroller rating scale, I award the Bob Revolution Flex 5 out of 5 stars, simply because it does everything the Revolution SE does, but adds a bit more functionality due to the adjustable handlebar. The only feature I can think of that I’d really like to have in addition would be some kind of automatic braking system. However, I’m definitely a fan of the bright, sporty colors, and the ability to choose my frame color. You can buy it for free shipping, without sales tax, and with free returns from Amazon here.

Buy the BOB Revolution Flex Stroller on Sale at Amazon.

Pros of the BOB Revolution Flex

flex03Expanded canopy. The Revolution Flex has a wide, expanded, oversized canopy, which makes it just like its SE model twin. There are a pair of panels that can be folded downward to provide an excellent amount of shade and coverage from the sun, wind, and other elements. There is a peekaboo window present above the canopy that provides a great view of little ones through the clear plastic material. To close the canopy, however, you still need to deal with the rather noisy Velcro, which BOB would do well to replace with some kind of magnetic or button snap closure system when next they update it. However, this still remains one of the top jogging stroller canopies currently available.

flex04Adjustable handlebar. This is another huge pro of the Revolution Flex, and it’s good to see BOB took parent feedback and the feedback I sent them regarding the SE.

There are 9 adjustable positions to the handlebar and the handlebar clicks smoothly through each of them. You can use them to adjust the height between 34″ and 45,” which is short and tall enough to make both shorter and taller parents and couples happy. I’m also pleased to find the nice foam padding on the handlebar.

Wrist strap. The wrist strap, which is known as a runaway strap, is a safety feature. You attach it to the handlebar on one end and to your wrist on the other to keep the stroller from rolling away from you while you’re on the go. I’ll readily admit that this feature has kept my BOB from getting away from me once or twice in the past.

flex05Comfortable and roomy seat. Your kids get a lot of room in the Revolution Flex. I measure the seat as 23″ high from the canopy top to the seat bottom and 14.5″ wide end to end. There’s a good amount of padding in the seat that’s also stain-resistant, and I like how you can recline the seat to an almost completely flat position. I’m not a fan of the strap recline system, as there are a pair of straps, with one on the left side and the other on the right, which you’re going to need to adjust at the same time in order to recline the seat. With a number of other strollers, you can operate the recline with one hand since there’s only one strap, but that’s not the case here. Hopefully BOB brings either a one hand strap or a one hand lever soon. You can use it with children who are 6 months and older, and there’s a 70 pound weight limit, which will last most kids until at least the elementary school years. The materials used to make the seat are high-visibility, high-durability, and machine-washable.

Storage pockets in the seats. There are a pair of mesh pockets within the seat that you can use for just about anything. We use ours to keep snacks, a sippy cup, toys, or small articles of clothing like hats and mittens.

Five point harness. Nearly every stroller on the market today comes with an adjustable 5-point harness, and the Revolution Flex is no exception. It’s a no-rethread harness, which means that you don’t need to remove the harness and re-hook it through the seat in order to adjust it for height, which is quite convenient. However, I’d like it more if the center release buckle were more difficult to unlock.

flex06Behind the seat storage. I’m not the most organized parent out there, and if you’re anything like me, you appreciate every inch of storage you can find for everything your babies need. I sometimes feel like we’re going camping whenever we’re heading out with our stroller to the mall or to the zoo, and it’s really nice to have a good amount of storage behind the seat. There’s a zipper pocket that lets you put small things there.

Buy the BOB Revolution Flex Stroller on Sale at Amazon.

flex07Generous basket beneath the seat. The basket is where you’ll want to go to store the big things. The funny thing is that so many jogger strollers have small baskets for some reason; perhaps the manufacturers think people who are jogging are minimal parents, but in my case, I need a diaper bag and a few other things in there on each trip, and it’s great to have a good-sized basket for storage. You can also get to it easily from behind the seat and from the sides, which I like.

flex08Large, air-filled wheels. When you’re buying a jogging stroller, you’re buying it for the wheels, and the Revolution Flex delivers them in spades. These are amazing wheels! They’re filled with air, as wheels should be with jogging strollers, and the wheels are 12″ in diameter in the front and 16″ in diameter in the back. The tires are made of rubber and the wheels are high-impact polymer, or fancy plastic. We took ours off-road onto the local trails and didn’t have any issues; they’d also work quite well in snowy streets, in the beach, or in the grass. You can either set the front wheel to swivel or to lock for difficult terrain.

Adjustable suspension system. You also benefit from an adjustable suspension system when you buy the Revolution Flex, and it’s the kind of system that makes you glad you bought a BOB instead of just any jogger. It’s adjustable and hydraulic-based to increase ride smoothness.

Foot-activated parking brake. You also get a foot-based parking brake between the rear wheels. It’s capable of locking and holding both of your rear wheels for safety. However, it’s not designed to adjust easily, so you’ll need to put some force into it with your shoe.

Folds easily. As I noted earlier, you need to fold the Revolution Flex with two hands, but it’s an easy process. However, there isn’t an automatic lock in place, which means you’ll need to apply a clip so the stroller stays in place once it’s been folded. You also can’t stand the stroller by itself once you’ve folded. The folded dimensions are 16″ in height, 25.5″ in width, and 39″ in length, so it’s a decent-sized stroller. If you can’t easily fit it in the trunk of your car, at least you can remove the rear wheels without much trouble.

Cons of the BOB Revolution Flex

No automatic braking system or lock. The main cons of the Flex involve the lack of an automatic braking system, which I believe every stroller should have for safety, and the lack of an automatic lock. Hopefully both are present the next time the Revolution is refreshed.

Specifications of the BOB Revolution Flex

The Flex weights 25 pounds and has a 70 pound weight limit. Its folded dimensions are 16″ in height, 25.5″ in width, and 39″ in length. It’s 48″ long in swivel mode and 53″ long in jogging mode, while it has a 25.5″ overall width. The handlebar ranges from 34″ to 45″ and has a seat height of 23.”

Warranty on the BOB Revolution Flex

There is a 5 year limited warranty included with the BOB Revolution Flex when it comes to the frame and a 1 year warranty involving the fabric and small parts in the stroller. Given the reliability of BOB strollers, you’re unlikely to need it, but it’s nice to know it’s there.

Where to buy the BOB Revolution Flex

I prefer buying my strollers and similar baby items from Amazon, since they often have the lowest prices, free returns and shipping, and don’t charge sales tax. I completely recommend the BOB Revolution Flex. You can buy it here in Lagoon, Wilderness, Orange, or Black.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.