Both my 1-year-old and 3-year-old like cruising in the SmarTrike. It’s such a great alternative to the stroller and allows the little ones to feel ‘behind the wheel’. There are many models, and we have the Spark Touch Steering 4-in-1 trike, which sells for around $100. We used it in push mode for our 1-year-old and our 3-year-old powered it himself.
What I loved:
- Design: It’s just so darn cute. We have the blue one and it makes me smile every time I see my kids on it.
- Assembly: Assembly is literally a snap. Most parts easily snap in place and as an un-mechanical person, I was able to put the trike together in about 30 minutes.
- Simplicity: Your tot is in charge of steering so you need to help out with the direction. It’s super simple. Older kids hop on and you can get the baby suited up in a minute.
- Adaptability: The age-adjustable design is so well thought out. We loved the harness, sun shade, and straps for our 1-year-old and used it as a standard trike for our 3-year-old.
- Storage: Both boys were really into the bucket in the back to store toys while we cruise. My one con was that the back bucket is removable (it snaps on), which I personally would prefer to be more firmly fixed so my 3-year-old couldn’t fiddle with it.
What I’d change:
- Cup holder: The cup holder is for the kids. It’s a sippy cup holder that goes on the front, so you can’t drink your coffee and push.
- Everyday use: Comparing the Smart Trike with our other kiddie transport, we tend to use our stroller for errands and use the SmarTrike for trips to the park. There is a bag attachment that you could fill up for trips to the store, we just haven’t really used it.
In summary, I was really impressed with the quality, design, and function of the trike. It consistently wins over our kids with the fun factor so no more fights to get into the stroller.