in this BOB Wayfinder review I explain the key features, pros and cons of this all-terrain jogging stroller.
As with any quality stroller, including those featured on our best jogging strollers buyer’s guide, $580 plus accessories is a lot to spend (albeit on a stroller you will hopefully get regular use out of for many years), and by the end of this review you’ll know what you need to, to decide whether or not this one’s for you.
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About BOB Jogging Strollers
BOB strollers are some of the most popular jogging strollers in North America.
The Wayfinder is one of their newer models, designed to be an all-terrain jogging stroller that’s compact enough to use as an everyday stroller, and so you should expect it to last for years, with a high child weight capacity and a robust build quality, including suspension, a handbrake, all-terrain tires and plenty of storage.
The key specifications of the BOB Wayfinder Stroller
- Price: $580 (currently discounted by 20% at Amazon and directly from BOB)
- Key features: 5-point harness, single, lockable front wheel, suspension, and a handbrake as well as the usual footbrake
- Other notable features: Child seat recline, one-handed fold, adjustable-height handlebar with a bike-style handbrake
- Storage included: Large zippered storage basket underneath the seat, mesh pockets in seat
- Weight: 31.1lb
- Weight capacity: 65lb child plus 10lb storage
- Folded dimensions: 32.5 x 22 x 16.5 inches
- Designed for: to be an all-round stroller you can use to safely jog with your baby, toddler or young child, as well as a regular stroller for everyday.
The features of the BOB Wayfinder that I love
A major plus for this stroller and why it’s been so popular since its launch is that the Wayfinder is not just for jogging with. It’s also intended to be used as an everyday stroller if you need the handbrake and suspension, or want to run with your child AND want to use that same stroller for everyday activities, too, so you don’t have to own two.
The Wayfinder is relatively compact for a jogging stroller, it folds down smaller than other jogging strollers, including the BOB Allterrain Pro, their other all-terrain jogging stroller option.
The more compact fold makes it easier to store and fit in the trunk of your vehicle, so will appeal to those with a smaller car, or where you simply want to minimize the space your baby’s ‘stuff’ occupies when you head out on the road.
Another great appeal of this stroller is that you can fold it with one hand – one of the ways its differentiated from the comparably-priced BOB Revolution Flex 3.0, by the way.
If you have a smaller child, in particular, it’s a relief to be able to hold them with one arm and easily collapse the stroller with the other without having to put them down.
The other major way this stroller is different from the BOB Revolution Flex 3.0, and many will find appealing, is that the Wayfinder has a handbrake. A handbrake is necessity for safety and controls when on uneven terrain and hills, and useful in other situations, too, especially with a heavier passenger and more momentum when you run.
Even if you don’t plan to run with your stroller, if you live or expect to regularly walk your child in a stroller on hills or uneven terrain then I’d always recommend you choose an all-terrain stroller that can make the ride as safe and comfortable for them (and you) as possible.
These strollers feature the brakes, suspension and ability to lock the front wheel in place to avoid hills veering your stroller off to the side. They also feature a 5-point harness for the child.
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Out of the box, it’s clearly well-built, and was very easy to put together.
It’s fairly easy to access the zippered cargo basket underneath the seat from the back of the stroller, although you have to crouch down to avoid the handlebar.
I particularly like that you can also stash things in it by lifting a flap under the seating area when the stroller is unoccupied or your child lifts their legs out the way. This is actually easier than crouching and reaching into the cargo basket from behind and you can see a picture of this in the image gallery at the end of this review.
The handlebar has an adjustable height that you can raise or lower by pressing the buttons on either side in and rotating the height up or down. As someone who’s 5ft 4, I do still find the handlebars are a little high for me, but it doesn’t bother me particularly, or cause a problem when running.
The cover for the mesh window (that you can use to see your child while walking or running with them) can easily be clipped open with a toggle and loop. This is a really small detail but so useful, especially on a windy day when windows on other strollers I’ve tested have frequently blown closed!
Let’s talk weight capacity, which is another way in which this stroller shines.
The BOB Wayfinder can accomodate a child up to 65lb (or 44 inches tall, whichever they reach first), plus up to 10lb in the cargo basket. The 65lb weight limit is notably more than the comparable Thule Urban Glide 2, for example, which has a 49lb child weight limit.
If you want a versatile stroller for everyday that you can use from birth, you can also buy the Wayfinder bundled as a ‘Wayfinder Pack’, which includes a Britax infant car seat that’s designed to work together with it.
There is also an infant carseat adaptor available for other car seat models so you can use it for walking with a baby from birth, before they’re able to sit in the stroller seat directly.
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Features that I feel could be improved on the BOB Wayfinder jogging stroller
The biggest disadvantage of the Wayfinder is that the handlebar is narrow relative to the stroller width and it is relatively hard to turn when the front wheel is locked in place (necessary for jogging mode). This makes jogging with it a little less enjoyable than the Thule Urban Glide 2 stroller, for example, which turns more easily even when the wheel is locked.
However, it’s worth noting that it turns very easily when the front wheel is unlocked, i.e. when you’re walking with it, so if you only plan to jog with it occasionally, or on very straight paths, then this may not be a big deal for you.
Although a cup holder is included, there is no mesh pocket or other space on the back of the stroller to put small essentials such as your phone, for quicker access than the basket underneath, and that’s something I miss. You can see in the photos throughout this review (and in the gallery at the end) that I am wearing leggings with pockets so I can stash my phone and key safely somewhere else I can have quick access to them.
If you crave that sort of storage on your stroller, it’s worth knowing that you can buy a separate parent organizer from BOB for around $50 that will give you a place to put small items.
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With a stroller weight of 31.1lb, this isn’t the lightest jogging stroller on the market. Again, for occasional runs, especially of shorter distances or slower speeds, this isn’t a dealbreaker.
However, if you plan to run fast or far, and want a jogging stroller that will help you do that comfortably, one of the other options on our jogging strollers buyer’s guide may be a better choice for you, especially if you’re ok with getting a dedicated jogging stroller and having another one for walking with.
BOB Wayfinder Stroller – Review Summary
This stroller is a great do-everything option when you want an all-terrain stroller to walk or run with, that can handle surfaces other than pavement, and gradients where you’d value having the support of a handbrake to control descents.
If you want to start or return to running with your baby in tow (once they are physically ready to ride in a jogging stroller) then this stroller will be an admirable companion on those runs, and easily flips back to being an everyday stroller by switching the front wheel from locked to swivel mode.
If you’re a more serious runner and want to get many runs and many miles in, you may prefer a lighter jogging stroller that can be turned more easily, rather than looking for one that can ‘do it all’.
Where to buy the BOB Wayfinder
The BOB Wayfinder is available directly from BOB Gear and at Amazon, and at the time of publishing this review is discounted by 20% to $464 from its regular price of $579.99:
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