BOB Motion Review

The BOB Motion is an all-terrain stroller with an aluminum alloy frame. It has four pneumatic tires mounted on high impact polymer composite wheels with semi-slick tires. Each wheel has coil spring and elastomer core shock absorbers and sealed cartridge ball bearings, and front swivel wheels that easily locked. This stroller has linked brakes on both rear wheels that is foot activated. The Motion has an adjustable 5 point harness, an under seat storage basket with a 10 pound weight capacity, and a 1 pound storage pocket. It has a one hand quick fold with an automatic frame lock, and a large multi-position canopy with a ventilation peek-a-boo window. The seat has a recline with infinite positions, works for children up to 65 pounds or 44 inches, and is hand washable. It also has an adjustable padded handlebar and can create a travel system with the BOB B-Safe or any Britax infant seat with the Click & Go system. It is also compatible with other major brands seats with the car seat adapter frame (sold separately).

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

With a 6 of 10 it is better than average for ease of use, but it isn't as impressive as some of the competition. The high for this metric is an 8 shared by the UPPAbaby Vista and the UPPAbaby Cruz. The low is 3 belonging to the Quinny Buzz Xtra and the 4moms Origami.

Storage

The Motion has a medium storage bin under the seat. We were able to fit our medium diaper bag inside with access from the back and two sides. It has the same access problem as the City Minis and the Britax B-Agile 3 with a bar across the back that curves up and limits what you can fit in the bin. Side access is better than the access from the back. The maximum weight limit for this bin is 10 pounds. Some strollers offer more with 20-30 pound limits, but several had limited capacity closer to 5 pounds, making the bin virtually useless no matter how big it is. The Motion also has a small storage pocket on the back of seat with a 1 pound limit; this pocket is too small for much of anything but perhaps a tube of chapstick.

Sunshade

The Motion has a large sunshade with no SPF or UV rating listed. It has a large peek-a-boo window made of mesh that offers additional ventilation to help with air flow to keep baby cool. We prefer the mesh variety of window to vinyl for this reason and it still offers protection from the sun where vinyl does not. The mesh will not prevent rain from falling on baby however, so it can be a trade off depending on how you use the stroller.

Convenience

This stroller has no additional storage or cup holders for baby or parents. It is relatively bare bones in this capacity and parents will need to buy accessories if they want to make the stroller easier to use.

The Motion does not have an adjustable leg rest, but it is padded. It has a wide footrest that is covered in a durable material that looks easy to clean. It does offer an adjustable reclining seat back. It is a one hand to lower operation, but we found it is easier to use two hands whether moving it up or down. The recline operation is similar to most of the other two strap options in the review. We liked the button push reclines for their ease of use, but this one is average in difficulty and performance. The recline angle adjusts between 53.8 and 15.7 degrees from flat.

The photos above show the Motion with the canopy closed and seat back upright, compared to the canopy open and the seat fully reclined.

The stroller comes standard with the Britax Click and Go car seat adapters. This stroller is made by Britax so it makes sense that their car seats would be compatible with this stroller.

Maneuverability

The Motion also earned an average score for maneuverability with a 6 of 10. We kind of expected more from a BOB product, but this stroller has more in common with the Britax products than the traditional BOB strollers that are known for their maneuverability and easy to push strollers.

For ease of pushing and turning we were surprised that it isn't as nimble as the Baby Joggers in this review. It has a softer frame and more rolling resistance that make it sluggish compared to the similar strollers in this review. We were able to push it with one hand, but it is more of a chore than the competition. It did make it around tight corners fairly easily and it handled bumps and carpets with ease.

For turning and pushing off pavement on rougher terrain it proved to be harder than the City Mini options. The Motion struggled with a 1-inch curb and had more resistance in the grass, but it wasn't the worst we tested. On stairs and regular curbs we experienced a lot of flex in the frame and handlebar which made the Motion a little hard to control on the descent.

Quality

The Motion continued its average performance in the quality metric with 6 of 10. This is lower than the other BOB products we have reviewed and more on par with the Britax products, like the Britax B-Agile 3 that earned a 5. T

The fabric on the Motion seat and canopy are a mix of softer canvas and slick shiny reflective canvas, and the canopy has a full reflective edge. The peek-a-boo window is made of a loose mesh that we could not snag in our tests. The fabric on the footrest feels like plastic and is easy to clean. The storage basket is a combination of all the fabrics minus the reflective material. Overall the fabrics feel durable and don't snag.

The frame is simple and sturdy without a lot of flair. It is made of an aluminum alloy which probably helps give this stroller it's lower than average weight, but we didn't like it as much as the frame on the City Mini options. The overall fit and finish isn't the best in the group with fabric that is somewhat wrinkled and sloppy on the frame and more flex in the frame than we prefer.

The wheels are pneumatic rubber on high impact polymer composite wheels, and while they are the type we like they are not up to the BOB standard in our opinion. The do however offer all around coil spring and elastomer core shock absorbers and sealed cartridge ball bearings.

This stroller has an adjustable height handlebar with a range of 32.5 to 43.3 inches from the ground. The range is good and with the bar all the way up we didn't kick the back of the stroller. It has a good feel for comfort and the curve is somewhat ergonomic.

The comfort factor for the stroller is about average. It does offer 4 wheel shocks and rubber tires that make the ride a little smoother over bumps and rougher terrain. The ride would be more comfortable if the sling seat had more padding.

Safety

The Motion earned a 7 of 10 for safety which is one point below the high of 8 earned by the Baby Jogger City Select. The low is the Baby Jogger City Mini GT with a 4.

Brakes

The brakes on the Motion are rather impressive. They are single action brakes that are very easy to set and release. They have limited sliding resistance compared to the competition, and the play in the brakes once set is very good with measurements less than 0.5 inches. The brakes are sandal and barefoot friendly.

Cup Holders

There is no cup holder and no cup holder associated safety concern for the Motion.

Harness

This stroller has a 5 point harness that is harder to use than a lot of the competition. It scored below average for putting the harness on and taking it off. It does have adjustable shoulder height options and crotch strap, that are easier to adjust than the harness itself. The buckle is stiff to press and unbuckle and you have to remove each side individually to release them.

Tipping

For tipping tendencies the stroller performed better than much of the competition. It side tips at 22.7 degrees, which is above average. It tips backwards with over 35 pounds on the handlebar; this is far better than average and almost the most amount of weight required in the group. It is certainly more weight that the average diaper bag, even fully loaded, so parents that forget the safety rule that says don't hang items off the handlebar, will probably not end up with the stroller falling backwards.

Weight and Folded Size

The Motion has the smallest folded size in the group measuring 21.9"W x 10.1"H x 26.3"L and 5,817 cubic inches. The largest in the group, the Orbit Baby O2 is over 19,000 cubic inches to put it in perspective exactly how small the Motion is. It isn't the lightest in the group however at 23.1 pounds; the lightest is 17.5 shared by the Britax B-Agile 3 and the Baby Jogger City Mini. The heaviest is once again the Orbit at 37.2 pounds.

The Motion has a unique design that folds into a very small package that is easy to carry and fit into smaller trunks. It can be taken on public transportation easily whether you leave it open (it conforms to the 2x4 rule for some public transportation) or fold it and stand it. The Motion has a very easy one hand fold that takes 2 steps and auto-locks, self-stands, and has a nice carry strap. The self-stand is pretty stable, and is best with the handlebar in the highest position (though this makes the base wider). The unfold takes two hands, but is also easy; it only has two steps and one of those is releasing the lock.

The Motion earned a nice commuting score, with its ability to fold small and fit just about everywhere. It isn't the easiest in the group to take to a cafe, because the seat is the lowest in the group and won't get baby to the top of the table. However, it is shorter than the competition, so it won't take up as much space as the competition.

Ease of Setup

The Motion is easy to set up and it took us about 6 minutes and 45 seconds to put together. The documentation is good and putting the stroller together is somewhat intuitive. The directions are thorough and clear with corresponding pictures for each step. Each language is separated into different sections of the manual which makes it easier to read and follow than the manuals where all of the languages are located on the same page.

Car Seat Compatibility

The Motion works with the Britax Click and Go car seats using adaptors that come with the stroller. This is a click in process that we we prefer over click and strap connections. The Britax is easy to align and connect, but it does take more pressure on the infant seat than some of the competition. It is easy to remove, and stable once installed. We did have difficulty installing it correctly each time during testing, and occasionally thought it was fully connected when it wasn't. The combination of the stroller and the adapter weighs 21 pounds 9 ounces, which is far too heavy to work as a frame stroller alternative.

The photos above show two different kinds of car seat adapters including side click in adapters (left) and a frame bar option (right).

BOB offers other adapters for purchase to use with the Motion. These car seat adapters include: An adaptor frame that works with the Chicco KeyFit, Chicco KeyFit 30, Graco Snugride 32 Classic Connect, Graco Snugride 35 Classic Connect, and Peg Perego Primo Viaggio (excluding Primo Viaggio 4-35). This adapter is also a click in procedure with a frame that clicks onto the stroller and provides a place for the seat to connect. The stroller seat stays on the stroller as well with this adapter and the combination of the two weighs 23 pounds 14 ounces. The Chicco is easy to install and remove, but we did have some difficulty thinking it was correctly installed when it wasn't and we encourage parents to double check this connection before strolling. It does not feel stable when installed compared to the Britax or some of the other competition.

The Chicco Keyfit 30 won an Editors' Choice award in our infant car seat review, but it seems to be a poor fit with the Motion and requires more attention to detail on the parent's part to ensure it is correctly installed each and every time.

Best Applications

Many parents who love BOB products will be drawn to this simpler stroller that is not a jogging product. This is a category that BOB has not even attempted to fulfill in the past. We think the primary reason it exists now is the marrying of BOB with the Britax companies. This stroller is very similar to the Britax B-Agile 4 with a few differences like fabric and wheels. However, no matter what the reason is for its existence, the Motion is a good fit for parents that like the Britax brand, but want the BOB name for a cheaper price.

Value

This stroller is a pretty good value for this group. It is a very compact stroller when folded, and it is lighter than most of the competition. It scored well in the safety metric, has a nice large canopy and a useful peek-a-boo window. This stroller has a list price of around $350 making it a below average option in the review, with one of the highest scores in the group. It isn't as inexpensive as the B-Agile 3, but it did earn more points overall making it a good value compared to the majority of strollers in the review that are significantly more expensive.

Conclusion

The BOB Motion earned a relatively high overall score in our tests. With 67 points, only 3 strollers in the group had higher marks. This means it is a nice little stroller with a lot to offer. The Motion is the most compact stroller in the group, has a nice canopy, and quality all around shocks. It isn't as easy to maneuver as some of the competition, but it is lighter than much of the competition with comparable scores. We liked this stroller, and it won fourth place fairly. Most parents will be pleased with the Motion, despite what it might be lacking, it is a Best Value award winner and sports most of the features parents will be looking for like all around shocks, rubber no-flat wheels, and an adjustable handlebar all for a reasonable price compared to strollers that cost significantly more than this little guy.

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