2020 BOB Gear Alterrain Pro Review
Let me preface this review by saying I only run if something is chasing me and that something has to be pretty horrible. The irony of me giving my opinion on a jogging stroller isn’t lost on me but I AM a hot mess right now and my children act like animals so at least my thoughts on its durability will be pretty solid, right?
Let’s start with the basics. The BOB Alterrain Pro is the premium stroller in the new BOB lineup, with the regular, more budget-friendly Alterrain model coming sometime this summer. BOB is known for its hardcore jogging strollers and the new Alterrain Pro doesn’t disappoint. It is much sleeker than its predecessors and has improved shocks and a one-handed fold.
From top to bottom, let’s talk about what makes this stroller a beast, yet pretty.
The handlebar is foam coated and adjustable. I’m not sure how I feel about foam vs rubber since I would think foam would absorb hand sweat and whatnot but I can see rubber being slick and uncomfortable so I guess it’s really a matter of preference. I feel like foam has a higher tendency to tear but that hasn’t happened in the few months I’ve used the stroller so that may be a non-issue as well. There are buttons on either side to adjust the bar height up and down and I feel like it would accommodate both very tall and very short people. There is a wrist strap to prevent runaway babies while on hills (in case you missed the memo – it’s totally frowned upon to let babies free coast down hills), and there is also a hand brake. I appreciate the handbrake on deeply sloping hills so the stroller doesn’t pull me down. I did find it hard to squeeze and slightly too big for my hand but maybe I have weird hands. Wouldn’t surprise me.
The canopy and seat are amazingly generous. The canopy is fully extendable and is both UPF 50+ and waterproof (and it truly is waterproof, we’ve walked through several downpours). The seat is 20” tall and accommodates children up to 75 lbs and 44” although I will say my 46” 6-year-old fit in it comfortably (begrudgingly, but comfortably). The seat is super padded with what they call Compression Comfort and has this awesome hip hugger pillow attached to the seat that gives babies extra support so they aren’t sliding around. I love the adjustable harness as well. Typically I struggle with changing the height of the harness on strollers but this one is easy.
The canopy extends out far enough to cover the child’s legs and protect from rain
Non-rethread adjustable harness height
The Alterrain Pro reclines to a near flat position and is appropriate for babies around 8 weeks if you’re just walking and from 8+ months for jogging. BOB Gear does not recommend jogging with babies who are less than 8 months old.
Fully Reclined Alterrain Pro
The leg rest panel flips up to reveal the folding mechanism. There’s a twisty gripper bar thing with a yellow button. You simply press the yellow button while twisting the bar and the stroller folds. It can also stand on its own while folded. Technically it’s a one-handed fold but the sucker weighs just over 32 pounds (we will get to that) so I definitely needed more than one hand to do it. It is easy though!
Fold mechanism
Folded – stands up on its own
The basket underneath is totally awesome. It’s huge and the best part is it has a zip cover to protect all belongings from splashes and dirt. There are multiple storage pockets inside for all your stuff although there is also a cell phone pocket up near the handlebar as well.
cell phone pocket
The frame is much sleeker than the previous BOB strollers and while it is aluminum, the stroller still is a hefty 32 pounds as mentioned before. This isn’t a lightweight jogger that you want to be taking in and out of your trunk frequently. The shocks are new and improved, dubbed SmoothShox, and they definitely are the star of the stroller. It has the smoothest ride and push and really minimizes the transfer of bumps and jerks to the rider. Now, I won’t go into details of exactly why this happened (because remember my children act like animals), but my 8-year-old was in this stroller and he went full force into a tree and barely felt it when he went airborne over the brick edging so you know, there’s the beast part.
Side by side with a Mountain Buggy Urban Jungle. BOB is on the left.
The air-filled tires are sized at 12” in the front and 16” in the back. They have reflective strips on the wheel portion for extra visibility. The front wheel is lockable and all wheels are easily removable if they’re extra muddy and you want to put the stroller in your car. The footbrake is easy to use and comfortable on your foot.
The Alterrain Pro retails for $599 and comes in two versions of black, blue, and olive. You can see the olive in some of my photos since I had both black and olive skins. The olive color is a true olive green. In summer 2020 there will be infant seat adaptors available for the BOB infant seats, Britax, Chicco, and Peg Perego. In Fall 2020 the adaptors for Graco, Cybex/Maxi-Cosi/Nuna, and UppaBaby will be available. Coming soon is a console, sun shield, and weather shield and in the summer they will have a snack tray, travel bag, and fitness kit available.
All in all, the BOB Alterrain Pro is a premium jogging stroller that ticks all the boxes and should be durable enough to last through multiple kids. The retail price is on the high end at $599 but you’re getting a lot for your money and it should last for years. A less expensive version, the BOB Alterrain (minus the Pro), will be released later this year. This version will utilize the same base but will omit the handbrake, zipper cover on the basket, reflective strips, and waterproofing. The regular Alterrain model will come in different colors as well, featuring black, teal, gray, and lilac. The Alterrain sounds more appropriate for Pretty in the Park while the “Pro” model covers the Beast of Burden part. Honestly, either version would complement the active family well. We definitely use the heck out of our Alterrain Pro and think you will too!
I received no compensation from Britax for this review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Still no snack tray available for this. Beyond Frustrating!
Agreed! July 2021 and still they don’t have one
It’s now February of 2022 and STILL no snack tray. We’ve had this stroller for 2 years now. The ONLY thing I don’t like about it.
I have to ask. How are your tires holding up? Mine went flat after about a month of use and I e replaced all tubes and yet flat again. Tell me what is wrong?
I’ve had mine since April 2020, and used it at least a couple times a week throughout the fall and finally now again in the Spring. I’ve never had an issue with my tires. In fact, I’ve only filled them initially and they’ve never lost any air so never had to refill at all.
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