MBUS vs. BOB Revolution

[Sweetpea972]

Trying to decide which one of these to get. I have heard so many awesome things about the MBUS. Right now I have a P3 which I love and use for errands. Now that my daughter is 6 months old, I would like a stroller I could jog, walk (mostly) and maybe do errands with. I know I want a swivel wheel. I'm not sure if I need one that reclines all the way like MBUS, it might be nice to have though(I know that the BOB doesn't recline too far back). When I asked Marilyn at a runningstroller.com and a customer service rep at joggingstroller.com which one to get, they both recommended the BOB. I kinda had my heart set on the MBUS, but now I'm not sure since everybody has been rec the BOB. I'm not sure which to get. Was curious to see what you all think. What do you like about your BOB Revolution stroller. What do you use it for? And are you happy with it? Any advice woulld be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!!!

[MarisaSF]

I love my Rev. I chose it over the MBUS because I wanted the larger rear wheels for jogging. You can see my LONG review at joggingstroller.com. For your needs, either would work well. The MBUS is nice for little babies because it has the optional bassinet and better recline, but the Rev is great once babe is a bit bigger (my DD at 9 months is sleeping in the Rev right now -- we just got back from a workout). I take, and I've seen others take, the Rev shopping/on errands.
In person, I think the Rev seems sturdier. I think it would be a good complement to your P3.
Happy shopping!

[Susann]

I agree with Marisa. Especially since you already have a "real" errand stroller (the P3), the BOB is a better choice.
I had an MBUS that I traded for a BOB. I liked the small size of the MBUS but the seat is really small. At age 3.5 yrs my DD was too big for it, mainly in the leg and butt area. She had a feeling that she's sliding out b/c the seat is so short and she was sitting with her knees in her face. But she has long legs.
And most of all: when I call BOB, someone picks up immediatly. MB's customer service is the worst and all the parts are sickening expensive.


Susann

[Cloth4Baby]

I looked at both these strollers as well. I love the BOB for jogging. I bought it, and it was very smooth. The sun canopy is amazing. I had to return it because it was too large, with the 16" wheels, to store. The wheels come off, for smaller storage, but I live in a condo and need to fold my stroller and store it all the time. I wish I had a garage! I would probably have many strollers:) My little guy falls asleep alot during strolling and jogging, so I wanted a better recline. I know a lot of babies fall asleep in the BOB with no problem, but I wanted a full recline. My other complaint about the BOB is that it doesn't have a kid bar. Again, this may not be important to you. I love the MB also. I ended up buying a Valco runabout because it had a lot of extras included. You have to buy the these for the MB. Overall, the BOB is much better for jogging, but they are all great for strolling.

Good Luck!

[loveofmylife]

I recommend the BOB Revolution althougth I don't own one, I actually own a 2003 BOB SUS and a 2005 MBUS. I now have the MBUS up for sale because I can't justify having two joggers. I may also sell the BOB SUS and get a BOB Revolution because the one thing I will miss on the MBUS is the option to have swivel wheels. I needed a jogger that I can use for jogging and also at the zoo, errands, neighborhood walking and I thought that the MBUS could do it all and I would sell the BOB SUS but I was wrong. I do think that the MBUS is a great stroller but in my opinion it's terrible to jog with, I did it one time and neither my ds or I had a great time. It is not great on really rougth terrain either. However, for the zoo, walking around the neighborhood, errands and even at the mall I was very happy with it. Other set backs of the MBUS: I also was not thrilled with the way the fabric on the seat bundles up, and the canopy on the MBUS is pretty skimpy compared to the BOB, also the seat on the BOB SUS is wider and seems more comfortable for my 28lb, 34+ inches 19 month old, thus the BOB seems like it would have more longevity. The MBUS is slightly smaller than the BOB but to me not a significant difference, basically the 16in wheels take up more space, but for the comfort of your baby it's worth it. It does take time getting used to a bigger stroller though.

Don't get me wrong, I do think that the MBUS is a wonderful stroller but I won't recommend any jogging with it, just too bumpy of a ride when jogging, just my opinion.

[suzhatch1]

It sounds like I may be going against the grain here, but I personally prefer the MBUS over the BOB Rev. I did a lot of research & testing beforehand, drove several times to stores (an hour away) to try both of them out & got lots of advice on this board. I do think it is really a personal decision & for those with the BOB stroller, it is really awesome, but here are the reasons I chose the MBUS & maybe you can see if any of them weigh into your decision:

1) First, our #1 deciding factor was that the MBUS won over for us because it had the full recline seat & we wanted to start using it with our DD when she was very young. The BOB Rev does not recline very far back at all.

2) The MBUS has 12" wheels both in front & back, which after test driving several times around the store, I found to be more agile in manuevering around & less bulky when stored. The BOBS 16" rear wheel is bigger than I expected, but it is geared more towards running. Plus the BOB has the extra shock support - but since I figure we primarily would be using this 80% for street walking, stores & errands and probably only 20% for trail walking or all-terrain (not heavy running) - then the 12" wheels are fine for us.

3) When I test drove both strollers with my 45lb older DD, the MBUS seemed smoother to push. Just IMO.

4) The MBUS can hold up to 100lbs & the BOB can hold 70lbs. Not that I foresee the need to ever be carrying a single child up to 100lbs, but I did consider that occassionally I watch a friend's toddler & if she were to ride in the seat & our older child were to ride on a buggy-board, then together they could reach 70lbs. And I liked knowing that I'd be well below the 100lb max with the MBUS.

5) And finally, color & design. I just liked the way the MBUS looks over the BOB. We really wanted red & although BOB makes the Rev Stroller Stride in red, it is covered with logos & print decals and just didn't really appeal to me. Totally personal opinion, LOL!

When our MBUS finally arrived (we ordered online) - it was like opening a birthday present! It is really a fantastic stroller!

[loveofmylife]

I do prefer the look of the MBUS over the BOB as well. I hate logos too and had to remove some of the logos on my BOB SUS. I have the black MBUS and have gotten so many compliments. I agree that the MBUS is more suitable for a newborn, I would not recommend the BOB for a baby under 6 months. However, I had a very difficult time jogging with the MBUS and would not recommend it for any type of jogging. Also, on rougth terrains, just too bumpy. For serious runners I would recommend 16in wheels all around but for the occasional joggers, like myself, I think that the BOB Revolution would be more ideal. Just my opinion. They are both great strollers, it's a matter of what features are most important to you.

[strollerqueen]

Well technically, you are not supposed to run with any swivel wheels. Although if you did, I wouold think the bigger wheels would be better. I think Susann has jogged with her BOB Revolution. Maybe she will chime in, and compare it to running with a real, fixed wheel jogger?

[MarisaSF]

I *know* I'm not supposed to run with the swivel wheel, but it's just SO much easier. :)
DH just got back from a 6-mile run with DD. He kept the stroller in swivel mode most of the time. Although he said the ride is a little smoother with the fixed wheel, he runs on pretty curvy paths and he hated steering our old fixed wheel jogger.
For bumpy terrain, I'd fix the wheel, but for smooth paths, I think the swivel is safe.

[stcelia]

I'm looking for an all terrain type stroller for my 2 mo. old son and I. I don't actually run (knees), but I'd like to be able to go for a jog/brisk walk over broken and uneven side walks, and take it out on trails as well. I have a Pliko I use for everyday mall type stuff, but I need something more outdoorsy. I don't want to spend a ton, since I'm not a marathon runner. My other condition is size - I live in a very small house and have very little storage (the pliko lives in my trunk) so I need something that will fold as compactly as possible.

I have not looked into the valco much yet, but it sounds like a good possibility. Mostly we've been checking out Bob's (kinda pricey for us, but I'm open to a used one) and MBUS. Any other thoughts, suggestions, advice for me?

Thanks,
jenn

[Susann]

Yes, I ran with my BOB Rev. and the front wheel started going nuts like on a shoppingcart. The reason why it's not very easy to steer when fixed wheel, is that the weight is too much on the front wheel. Even the BOBs with fixed wheel are that way. And I think that people who hate fixed wheel joggers, are the ones who chose to buy one that has the same problem (often the cheaper joggers).

Kool Stop, Baby Jogger and the newest version of Dreamer Designs are designed so that most of the weight is on the backwheels. Macs are easy to steer for the very same reason. Anyway, if you try to run with one of the above named joggers, you'll realize that you have to do pretty much nothing to be able to steer it. I usually run pretty much next to the stroller and steer with one hand without even thinking about it and even when one of my bigger DDs (47 and 48 lbs) are riding.

Thanks for listening :-)

Susann

[MarisaSF]

Thanks, Susann, for the explanation! Cool to know stroller physics!

Our old (borrowed) jogger was a Baby Jogger. DH is just annoyed easily, I've come to think! I found it fine myself. I like the Kelty I borrowed too.

To OP: basically, I still think the BOB Rev would work well for you. Unless you're planning long runs.

I might look into getting one of those huge-wheeled Kool Stops for long beach runs if we
decide to stay in So Cal --- ahhhhhh.

[Sweetpea972]

Thank you all for your input! I really appreciate reading about your experiences with these different strollers. Anyway, I ended up with the BOB Rev. I just got it from Marilyn and used it twice and so far I really like it. I am not much of a runner and will be using it mostly for walks and maybe occasional jogs. It's really impossible to find one stroller that does it all. Now I can see why some people have multiple strollers. It does start to get addictive after a while too...... :)
Thank you again so much!!!

[Susann]

Congrats on your new stroller. I bet you're going to be very happy with it. I love mine.

Susann

[dules]

I don't think the MBUS is recommended for jogging.

Best,
Mary