4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for car-free shopping, September 3, 2011
This review is from: BOB Revolution Cargo Carrier in Navy (Baby Product)
I love it. I don't drive, and it makes a car-free life *sooo* much easier. I've been using it most days for about 2 weeks now. I use it to walk to work (I carry work clothes, shoes, towel & soap & toiletries, lunch, fruit, purse, mp3 player, water). It's a heap more convenient than riding a bike to work (smaller, no need for a bicycle helmet). And I've found that I can drop by the shops and do a small or big shop *whenever* I feel like it, as I'm not worried about the discomfort of carrying heavy bags on a long walk home. Yesterday I used it to pick up a fragile birthday cake, along with some other groceries. The bottom of the cargo bag has a stiff floor, so it's quite flat and reasonably rigid - perfect for fragile things like cakes. It's *fantastic* for grocery shopping, as it's just slightly smaller than a (Coles, Australia) shopping trolley, and fits easily through the checkout aisle. Shopping goes straight into the trolley, no need to transfer in and out of the car/bike. I just literally walk it right home and park it next to the fridge to unpack it.
The build seems pretty light and nimble, but still incredibly solid-looking. It's got cool-looking suspension which seems to do it's job (I don't really hammer it though).
It's fantastically maneuverable. I can generally steer with one hand. I often take it over grass or gravel, and it's fine. The parking brake is very handy in all sorts of situations. Handles gutters easily (I just tip it slightly to raise the front wheel to get up gutters.
The carrying capacity is fantastic, I think I could probably get a family's groceries into it (but I've never tried). I've put some reasonably heavy bags of fruit in it, and it really doesn't seem to change the handling at all. I've yet to try it with very heavy loads.
Only a couple of things I'd change:
It looks like a pram! This can get you some pretty weird looks, when people realise you're not carrying a baby. I'm thinking of ways to modify the appearance to make it clear that it's not a pram. Still - it's not that common to carry a hand-cart around, so it will probably always be something for the more eccentric person!
The only other thing I'd change is the handle. It's a standard pram handle, but sometimes I feel like my feet might bump the wheels. I'm thinking of investigating a pram handlebar extension.
I don't drive, so it's not an issue for me, but I wouldn't like to attempt to get it into a car boot. It folds, but it's still reasonably large (unless you take the wheels off). I suppose this is more generally an issue with all prams of this style.
But it's absolutely perfect for the car-free lifestyle. I couldn't have predicted how practical I would find it.
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