The baby days are getting farther and farther from me now with my baby soon to be five, but I have some lovely friends who are embracing the first addition to their family. To keep young ones safe and happy, equipment can be overwhelming. smarTrike has created an easy to use product that puts many features of a stroller and a tricycle all in one so it can grow with your child.
The trike grows with the child in 4 stages:
Stage 1 – Parent-controlled trike: At 10 months, the baby is comfortably seated in the high back padded seat. At this stage the parent fully controls the trike.
Stage 2 – Guided trike: Once the baby has grown (+18M), the high back support is removed, while safety bar protects the child. Parents fully control the trike.
Stage 3 – Training trike: At 24 months, fold in the footrest and let your child learn how to pedal.
Stage 4 – Classic trike: At 36 months, remove the parent handle, rotate the navigator button and transform the trike from stroller mode to classic trike.
Your child now rides independently!
Features of the smarTrike:
smarTrike is recommended for children ages 10 months to roughly 3 years. It is easy to set up and steer. I used one Allen key (hex key) that was included for assembly of the smarTrike and no additional tools were needed.
There is a compartment with a lid in the back for storage. When my son was using a tricycle, he loved to transport his toy cars and rocks in the compartment he had on his trike. 😉 It’s a nice spot for additional diapers and wipes, toys, and more.
There is a bottle holder in the front of the handle bar.
A clutch is built into the front wheel assembly and off to one side. Pulling it out gives the parent control of the steering and then simply push in when your child is old enough to learn how to pedal.
The red navigator button in this image gives your child control of steering when he/she is older.
There is a huge storage bag on the back that simply slips over a post on the handle.
The UV canopy goes over the child and can also be easily removed as the child gets older.
Upon initial assembly, the lower portion of the three-point harness is kept in place by fastening down the seat. The strap can be removed as the child gets older. There are two different holes for placement of the seat from the handle bar and pedals.
Here is the optional enclosure for around the child that is removed at around 24 months of age.
The nicely padded seat cover is easy remove. Simply slip up and over the back of the chair for removal. It goes down and over the back of the chair and then the lower strap of the three-point harness is ran through an elastic strap on the seat cover. There are two hooks on the back of the plastic seat for the seat cover to be secured in place. A pin makes it a cinch to apply and remove the parent handle in the back too.
The smarTrike has a few more features, like Touch Steering® patented technology for smooth and safe maneuvering, rubber wheels and shock absorbers for a gentle ride, plus a parent bag near the top of the handle in back for storing small items.
After assembly, it is pretty much a tug or a pull and then an audible click to transition parts of this product to accommodate more independence of the child. I like how smarTrike is multi-functional, easy to use, and easy to put together.
smarTrike products begin at $99.99 and can be shipped all over the world. To shop smarTrikes, visit their website: https://smartrike.com/ or your local Target and Toys ’R Us. Each smarTrike comes in a variety of designs and colors tailored to fit your personal taste and your child’s needs.
Disclosure: I received a product sample for this review. No other compensation was received. The thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.
