BOB Gear - Revolution SE

It's going to depend so much on how and where you plan to use the stroller, and whether you want something that can eventually be used for a second baby. I don't drive and we knew we wanted 2 kids, so I needed strollers that really worked well and had okay storage capacity. I went through a few different strollers to accommodate different activities and different life stages. All of them were used in conjunction with babywearing because sometimes in the city a stroller just doesn't work at all. I got a City Select first because I wanted something I could convert when we had a second, and the versatility was nice, but all the front to back strollers are so unwieldy to push. Having a tiny baby facing me (preferably not in a car seat) was important to me, and it was a good choice for that, but once both kids were bigger I sold it. I also had a not-quite-umbrella stroller, the Zoe that isn't the super tiny travel size, for those days I wanted to keep it light and only needed it for one kid, but they're really only well suited to smooth floors, like museums, so I only used it if I really needed something small and easy to fold. My second set of strollers, once I knew we weren't gonna have anymore newborns, were a City Mini GT and a Mountain Buggy Duet. The GT is a really solid choice as long as your kid is old enough that you feel comfortable not having eyes on them at all times. Sturdy, handles well, basket is not amazing but it's good enough, folds quickly, and they're popular enough that it's easy to find one used - I think mine was $20 on craigslist and all I had to do was stuff a little piece of cardboard into a spot where the front wheel liked to stick. The Mountain Buggy Duet is relatively unknown but my absolute favorite for when I needed both kids in a stroller. Rugged as hell, smooth to push even with one hand, amazingly shockingly astoundingly narrow for a side by side - I think there's less than an inch difference between it and the City Select single. You can fit this thing on a CTA bus without folding it or blocking the aisle (I did avoid crowded buses with strollers but I surprised a lot of people when they saw it squeeze in). You can take one seat off and attach a shopping basket if you've got one in preschool all day and the other at home with you running errands then put the second seat back in for a weekend zoo trip. It was a pain to fold but I rarely needed to fold it. It's not the best stroller for big kids since it's so narrow, but my oldest was a shrimpy toddler. God, I miss that stroller. If I knew then what I know now I probably would have gotten it and just used it with the basket when my first was born. I also borrowed a Bob double to get the kids to and from school when we were avoiding the bus during covid and it snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed one winter. It did well in the snow but it's so so big, I couldn't even get it in my garage without folding it. If you plan to do a lot of trail walking off road kinds of stuff, a single Bob would be a great choice once baby is big enough, but I wouldn't bother for just city walking.

Yes to the good stroller! I got. City select thinking I would like the single to double on marketplace but didn’t realize how hard it would be to push once I had two kids in it. I still have it but only use it for one and bought a double bob and then a single bob.

Get something second hand. If your kid is really tall for age, we had good luck with a BOB single stroller. My kid fit that till 4.5yrs (not that we used it regularly but great for when he was sick and I needed to get out). Used it for international travel till age 4. It’s not the lightest or smallest option but man does it take a beating with barely a scratch.

We have a snap n go stroller frame, a lightweight single stroller for travel, a Mockingbird, single Bob, double Bob, and a Nuna Mixx (grandma’s house.) They all have their advantages and disadvantages. I will ride or die for our Bobs but they’re heavy, so they live assembled in our garage and we don’t take them anywhere but walking around our neighborhood trails because I can’t lift them easily. The Mockingbird was great as a single but is hard to steer as a double. The lightweight stroller is great for the car or airports, but is fairly cheaply constructed and I wouldn’t go for a long walk with it outside of an airport or mall. All this to say, test drive some strollers but don’t assume any stroller is forever or for every situation. (Also don’t worry right now about future kids and converting to a double when shopping. I got the Mockingbird thinking it was going to be the greatest stroller of all time and we’d never need another one, only to discover it’s not great with 2. The UppaBaby is similar from what I’ve heard.) Side by side doubles are a million times easier to steer if two stroller aged kids are in your future.

We had the single BOB to start but then ended up getting a double BOB (both bought used for around $100 each). Didn’t end up getting rid of the single and I do still use it when the older kids are at school and I’ve only got 1 (our gaps are 4 yrs between 1 & 2, 20 months between 2 & 3, and soon to be 2.5 yrs between 3 & 4). My 4 year old learned to ride a bike without training wheels this summer, so with 3 or 4 years difference, it could change your requirements but I still know she gets tired and needs a ride sometimes, so the double gets used at about the same amount as the single. In my many years experience, I’ve realized there is no “perfect stroller” that does it all. I have another stroller too that’s not a jogger as well as a Thule chariot. They all have their purposes and they all get used although I do prefer jogging with the double BOB over jogging with the Thule chariot jogging adapter better. It handles nicer imo.

Oh good lord, we have 4 plus a wagon 🫣 we have a single BOB jogger, a double BOB jogger, a city select with 2 seats but can be adjusted for single, a charriot 2 seater that has the jogger, the stroller, the bike trailer and the ski options. Yes, it’s overkill but honestly they all have their place. We keep the city select one in another province so we can avoid travelling with a stroller when visiting my family. Both BOBs are in rotation in seasons that aren’t winter since where we live experiences -40 degree temperatures. And the chariot is mostly used for its ability to be a trailer and a ski pulk. The wagon comes out for the pool and hauling kids and all their accessories. IMO there isn’t a one and done stroller option.

For sure the bob. We got a used double (because I could never accept a stroller would be worth that cost) when we had third kid so I could have two in the stroller and one on a buggy board. A few months later, we also got a (also used) single because it was that good. And also so we could go running without one person pushing three kids and the other pushing none. They have infant car seat adapters, but I can't really comment on them since we used convertibles since day 1. I know a lot of people with the infant car seats in a bob. It looks like just a click in type of deal. It doesn't recline 100%, but it does go pretty far down. Far enough that I was comfortable putting newborn in one. Still using both, although mostly the single now (hold on to that single - you'll use it again when the older kids outgrow the stroller). Three year old easily fits, and 6 year old can fit if needed. Super easy to push, even one handed. But get it used for like $1-200

Second the ergo-baby carrier. But, if you do a lot of walking you might want a stroller. Depending on where you live, it might be too hot to baby wear in the summer. I thought I’d wear my June baby and push the older one in the stroller, but caved two weeks in because baby was too hot. I got a used stroller and bought a car seat attachment. Originally, I had a single BOB that I used a ton because we love to walk and our city has old sidewalks so the rubber wheels were amazing (there are cheaper strollers with rubber wheels but BOBs are really sturdy so great secondhand). It was also awesome for easier trails in the woods (I was pleasantly surprised) and for traversing across grass, gravel and other surfaces which we do frequently. When we had our second, we got a used double BOB off of Facebook and, except from Dec-March, we use it about 2-3 times a day. I walk babies to and from childcare in it, babysitter uses it, and we walk to the library, playground and restaurants with it.

Bob single jogging stroller. That suspension. Was my 100% all the time stroller except for travel.

I have a 4 year old and a 9 month old! It was so stressful finding a double that made sense with the age gap. If you’re not ready to make a big buy before your trip, I’d rent a double Bob to try it out. We’d have gotten one when baby was born if it were newborn compatible- we love our single Bob and our older will still be comfy in it for a few years. If I were on the market for a double now with my 9 month old, I’d be scoping Bobs out. We bought a secondhand uppababy and immediately sold it to someone else on Marketplace- it was just too small for the wide age gap. My average-sized older daughter’s legs were dangling comically out of the toddler seat. Other moms I know with an age gap wider than 2 years also ditched their uppababy. We’ve loved our Zoe single for our older and will probably get a double eventually when we need it for travel. If you’re flying in, it’s a great, lightweight travel stroller! Only issue is storage, but we hack our way around it with big carabiners and side saddle storage attachments. I ended up purchasing the Austlen Entourage for our big family stroller during a Prime Day. The sit/stand option, the ability to shorten it with one hand if big sister isn’t using it, and the storage are what sold me. It has a bassinet mode for newborns, which I also wanted in case we have a 3rd. Let me know if you have questions about this one! It’s not the easiest to handle as an inline double, but it fits right through every door!

Will depend on your method to the parks! If you're staying onsite and taking Disney's buses, then the Vista will be a pain to fold, unfold, and keep near you during the bus rides. If you plan to drive into the parks, then it's not really a factor and you will appreciate the extra storage that the Vista has over a travel stroller. We love our Zoe travel stroller, though my 4 year old isn't quite as tall as your son. Otherwise it's lightweight, folds down small, and fits in the overhead compartment while flying. My only gripe is storage (it's limited) so we hang bags from a big carabiner on the handle, and have purchased their extra side-saddle bags. Check their website and see if their measurements would work for your guy! As far as comfort goes I agree with the recommendation of renting a Bob jogging stroller. We have one at home and my girl lounges with plenty of room to spare. We had a Bob on our last family trip and my 9yo nephew curled in there for a nap during a lunch break. Renting 3rd party once you're there is super easy and reasonably priced. Will save you the stroller wrestling in the airport if you're flying! And no, I don't think packing a travel stroller into a backpack is worth your time. If you have something distinct for your stroller you won't have a hard time with stroller parking- throw a colorful swaddle blanket on top, a bright ribbon on the handle, a balloon, etc. Unpacking your items from under the stroller, folding it down, and then having a bulky backpack cramping your style on every ride sounds like much more of a pain than stopping at stroller parking.

If bulk truly doesn’t matter, BOB is the winner for us. Great storage, easy handling, super comfy for the rider with higher weight and height limits. My nearly 5 year old will still cruise and nap in a BOB if given the opportunity.

I love a double BOB for big kids and so easy to push, however it is heavy to snap closed for buses and skyliner (can stay open on ferry and monorail). If you're staying at a skyliner resort i would do a single BOB for the 5yo and your home stroller for the little one