BOB Review

For the past few weeks, I have been investigating running strollers, and after reading plenty of reviews and hearing what the sales people have to say, I decided that the only two brands to consider were the Baby Jogger or the BOB Revolution. So, on Saturday, I went to the baby stores and tested a few models out, and after those tests, I made my decision: The BOB.

The Baby Jogger is also an excellent product, but it is a little taller, and I am a munchkin, so the BOB just made better sense for a shorty like myself. But, also? I like the chocolate/pink color combo available for the BOB, and I know it's a superficial reason to base a purchase such as this on, but what can I say? I really, really liked that color combo.

So, I checked Craigslist and eBay to see if I could score a deal on a used one, but the pickins were slim, and even the used ones were going for nearly $300 on eBay (new, the BOB retails for $389). Today, I hemmed and hawed most of the morning about just going and buying a new one when, finally, Jerry said, "Oh good god, just go get the one you want!" Gladly, I drove across the street to Baby Love and made my purchase.

Jerry put it together for me: And, he asjusted all the straps for Norah and got her belted in:

And then we were ready for our first test run:

We went for a 3 miler, and I didn't take anything else with me: No Garmin or iPod. I figured the fewer the distractions, the better. (Oh, but I did take my cell phone because Jerry was nervous about the maiden voyage and he wanted me to call if "a wheel fell off or something" -- classic Jer-Bear the worrier.)

It was tough to get used to not swinging my arms, and it was certainly a harder run pushing the extra weight (the BOB is 22 lbs and Norah probably weighs somewhere between 15-16 lbs), but it felt great. It turned on a dime, and it was smooth and light, and the big wheels went over the divets and bumps in the sidewalks easily and didn't jostle Norah.

I loved the run and felt like the stroller was money well spent. I know I'll use it enough to justify the cost; plus, what it gives me is worth way more than $400:

1.) It gives me freedom! With this, I can go running whenever I want; I don't have to rely on Jerry being home. I mean, I'm still gonna run on my own (especially for long runs) and I'm sure I'll still have to fit in runs in the early morning or late evening, but having this provides me with more way more options and flexibility, and that makes it invaluable to me.

And, 2.)

No more explanation needed, right?