Everything you need to know about picking the best tricycle for your kid.
Picking the right set of ‘wheels’ for your little sunshine can actually be not as easy task as you may think. Parents who are in the process of buying their kid his/her very first tricycle can be quickly overwhelmed by the huge number of different tricycles, their features and variations. It would not be considered wise if you were to pick the first trike that your kid cheerfully runs towards to, or the one with ‘flashy looks’. The following guide has been devised specifically for parents, and covers all of the nuances of the buying process in order to make it easy, helpful and informative along the way.
Things to consider
Your child’s age is an important factor to consider, since each trike has its own recommendations as far as age goes. Up until 12 months, children are better off learning balancing in order to prepare them for more �[http://Wordpress.org/search/%98serious �serious] toys’. A good idea would be to pick an indoor toy, and let them practice a bit: you may introduce them to a trike when they are 2 years old. Here’s a popular path of progression that you may put to practice:
1 year: Indoor toy
2 years: Tricycle
4 years: 12" bike with training wheels
5 years: 16" bike with training wheels
6 years: 16" bike with training wheels removed
When your child is old enough to be sitting upright on a trike and placing their feet on pedals, it is worthwhile to select a set of wheels that are both comfortable and durable. A tricycle with a metal frame and low-center of gravity will be an excellent choice, especially if it has an adjustable seat, a removable parental push bar and good steering parameters. It will be easier for your kid to get better at steering and develop necessary cycling skills to ‘migrate’ into the bikes category, if you will be able to guide them on their way. The single important thing to keep in mind is your child’s height and weight, so as to ensure the greatest comfort. Moreover, try to pick a trike that has a reasonable wheel turning radius, so as to prevent your child from tipping over. Here are some of the features that you should be looking at more closely:
Construction. A sturdy construction is recommended, as it is always a better, practical choice over the plastic constructions. However, make sure it is not too heavy for your little guy/gal. Furthermore, wheels are the second most important factor after the frame, so make sure they are not made out of groggy material.
Assembly. Trikes come completely, or partially assembled. While assembling a trike does not require any superior skills, some require additional attention to details, extra tools, or come with not-so-clear instructions. You may of course always ask a specialist to do the assembly for you.
Steering. Make sure the handlebar is well-placed, and not too far from the seat. Trikes with low-center of gravity are an excellent choice, because your kid will seat in a well-balanced position, will be less likely to tip-over, and have a better control over the trike. Removable push bars are a great option for extra control and safety. Moreover, see if a trike has a reasonable wheel turning radius: your kid’s experience and safety will also depend on this.
Age/height/weight requirements. Some trike manufactures include this in the description, however most often than not, these recommendations are not included, or are completely erroneous. If you want to buy a gift for your child, and for the sake of a surprise you wouldn’t want to have him/her around to test the trike, then a sound advice here would be to check the experiences of other buyers. On a number of occasions a trike allegedly recommended for 40lb+ and 32-35 inch toddlers was not a top fit for kids that met these requirements. Buyers’ reviews will give you a better idea about the suitable height, weight and age requirements for a particular trike.
On an end note, we recommend you to keep in mind one thing: not everything that glitters is gold. The same applies to picking a tricycle for your kid: you should not only focus on the design, but also take into the account other features that are as much, or even more important. Nevertheless, we are confident that the above mentioned tips will allow you to make an informed, reasonable choice; one which will keep your kid happy for years to come.
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