Saturday, 14 September 2013

Britax Bob - A Man's Perspective

As well as testing the Britax Bob Sport Utility Stroller myself, I asked a male friend to help me out with this review.  Despite my best intentions of getting fit, I know I still have a fair way to go so our friend Nick has been helping out.  I think with a pushchair like this it is helpful to have more than one opinion too and as men are quite often taller and faster, their experience will be different.



Nick has been taking his 2.5 year old son out with the stroller and here is what he had to say:

My initial scepticism, upon taking this buggy out for the first time, was soon replaced with a level of respect for the design and quality of build. This has clearly been designed and built for running. It is light and rolls forward with minimal resistance. The lack of friction results in the runner requiring very little effort to keep the forward momentum going on the buggy. From the runners point of view the ride of the buggy is smooth and fills you with confidence. The buggy’s suspension and tyres handle minor bumps, potholes, low kerbs and grassland without a fuss.


The fixed wheel at the front works well despite my initial concerns. Cornering and sudden changes of direction are able to be accomplished intuitively and without too much disruption to the run. The handlebars sit at just the right height and allow for regular shifting of hand position. The hood is the best I have come across – it actually keeps the sun off the little cherubs face when the sun is directly in front. Everything about this buggy suggests utility and quality.


I have also taken this buggy shopping into a busy town centre. Whilst the lightness and ease of movement made for an easy trip from the house to town, once in the shops it was easy to forget the length of the buggy. This resulted in a few apologies to other shoppers after they received a bump from the front tyre. Having said that it was extremely manoeuvrable even on the shiny floors of a supermarket and made for an easy, uphill walk home when laden with shopping.


I would compare this buggy to a good quality hybrid bike. For example, running uphill with it is uncannily similar to riding up a hill - leaning on the handlebars as your legs feel the burn. Running along with this buggy genuinely evokes the feeling of cycling.


Taking this buggy out for a run changes the very nature of that run. The real danger that this buggy could encumber and annoy the runner has been ameliorated by excellent design and superb build quality. This is refreshing and I am genuinely pleased that I had the opportunity to use this buggy.

So it sounds like this is a stroller that can take the pace, and is suitable for dads as well as mums for running with.


Disclaimer:  I was sent the stroller for the purpose of a review 
but all thoughts and opinions are my own (and Nick's)

4 comments:

  1. I've never had a 3-wheeler pushchair. Are they easy to manouevre compared with the 4-wheelers@

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one has a static front wheel so it isn't as easy for using around town but generally I find 3 wheelers very nippy but not quite as sturdy.

      Delete
  2. Yes, Alana, I too am intrigued? I always thought they looked more difficult to manouver?

    ReplyDelete
  3. This too looks really good. I haven't used a 3-wheeler myself either.

    ReplyDelete

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