Customer Reviews

Jumbo Kettler Tricycle - Free Shipping

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We were concerned about getter her a trike because she is very small for her age. But, when we adjusted this trike to it's smallest size, she can sit all the way back AND reach the pedals! She's not quite strong enough to pedal on her own, but she keeps her feet on the pedals while I push her (with the optional push bar). She loves the dump-bucket on the back and carries many toys around in it. The optional push bar was difficult to install (because the dump-bucket is in the way) but was well worth the time. I can easily push her around the neighborhood. The trike itself was very easy to put together.

The grandparents bought this durable but expensive trike when our son was 2. Sure it rides and pushes smoothly, is sturdy and can tolerate the elements, BUT there's something drastically wrong with the sizing- especially the distance from the seat to the pedals. He has found it very hard to ride (or even be pushed in) until recently and he's nearly 4. A small child must be able to sit snugly back in the seat and easily reach and push the pedals or he will lose interest-- and confidence-- fast. A friend bought the same trike and concurred there was just something wrong about how her daughter fits on it, though she has no trouble riding the more compact tricycles at school with no assistance. Maybe the manufacturer's mistake is in recommending it for toddlers.

I was torn between getting this trike, the Kettler Air Navigator, or the Kiddio 4 (I'll get to the later). I liked that the Navigator is supposedly easier to steer, has an S frame, and I really liked the air tires. But the Navigator doesn't have a hand brake (not sure how important that is) and costs about fifty percent more...

Well as it turns out my neighbor still had her kid's Kettler. So I was able to get the trike from her and buy a new pushbar (she threw hers away) for about 1/3 the cost of the jumbo + pushbar new (hmmmm, on a different site - I don't think they include the bar in the price here on Amazon)

OK. It's a nice trike. It's definatelt sturdy - I set it to the biggest adjustment and was peddling around our back patio trying to show my kid (he's 20 months) just how to do it. My husband said I looked ridiculous but the trike had no "complaints" from bearing my weight. No creaks or groans or anything.

It is a sturdy trike. It is a cute trike. It will certainly last one child a long time because it is so adjustable. My neighbor's boy is 4 1/2 and he can still ride it but he prefers a bike now. It will certainly last through several children because it is so well made (it's already been through one and looks almost new). They have a great re-sale value - I have been trying to buy a used one w/ pushbar for a while now and they go like hot cakes out of the classified at pretty high prices - I just couldn't snag one, and I feel silly for even looking without first realizing the very one I wanted is right under my nose. But for all that, I am not sure it is worth the cost. If I had paid full price for this thing, I really don't think I would be very impressed. Like someone else said, for the cost, they should *all* come with air tires. They should also all include seat belts, not make you pay extra. Your child may or may not use it but if your kid is young enough to need a push bar, your kid is young enough to need a seat belt, too, in my way of thinking. I certainly wouldn't want to push my kid any length without having him strapped on somehow. (Neighbor's trike has one - she paid the extra)

Now back to the Kiddio and that S frame thing. My line of thinking was, I wanted air tires AND I wanted the S frame. There are two shapes of frames for Kettlers. You can only use the tandem insert with the S frame and the only air tire trike currently available with the S frame is the Air Navigator which is also the most expensive and has no brake. Again, I am not sure how big a deal this is... my neighbor said her kid used it but I know my little red trike as a kid didn't have one and I guess I didn't mind... PLUS I can see with the insert, the kid in front peddles and the kid in back has access to the brake so if he is too young to understand or in an ornery mood, he could keep braking the trike and annoying the kid in front...

I guess the thing is, you can't have it all no matter what you do.

So the third trike in my mental list of options was the Kiddio 4 you can buy from Toys R Us. It has air tires and a brake and it's under a hundred bucks- and it includes a seat belt, which the Kettlers do not. But it doesn't have an S frame.

I wasn't sure the Kiddio was as high quality as the Kettler branded Kettlers. They're made by the same company but given different names, just like Carters makes Carters and Tykes/Child o Mine.... and you know how the Tykes/Child o Mine just isn't QUITE as nice as Carters? I worried it might be something like that. But we checked out the Kiddio in the store and from what I could tell, that did seem like a very nice, sturdy trike. And for the most part, the reveiws are positive.

I think that, had this not been available to me so cheaply, that would have been the better way to go or even, if I just couldn't get over having to have the Kettler name, one of the other Kettler Air models. Just not the Navigator. I have tried the Navigator and I don't find the turning technology *all* that helpful. I really don't have a hard time pushing my kid on the Jumbo at all. You just push down to turn and it works fine.

Anyway the point is, I think the air tires are a nicer option than the S frame. For the difference in price, just buy each kid his own trike. (The insert puts you out another fair chunk of change, anyway... nearly as much as a Kiddio.) The exception would be if you have twins and want to use this when they are still very small, a trike for 2 with pushbar might be the best way to go, with or without air tires.

Having gotten this trike so cheaply, I am happy with it. If you are still searchiing for a trike, look into finding one of these used or seriously consider the Kiddio. You're not getting a bad trike here by any means - it's a great trike. But most of us don't have money trees in our backyard, and every bit you can save - maybe even if you do have such a tree - helps.

Oh, I also wanted to mention that with regard to the size of this thing... someone mentioned it is HUGE. Ot's hard to tell for sure since my guy can't peddle on his own yet, but I think once he gets the hang of this, he's going to be using it now on the very smallest setting. And he's a pretty big 20 month old... he's in 90th percentile for height, 75th for weight. So it might be big if you have a small child.

This review is written to explain how the adjustable frame works to the people who say their kids don't fit right on the trike. The frame of this trike is fully adjustable with a turn knob so that the distance from the seat to the pedals works for each individual child's size. Other trikes are on a one size fits all standard which doesn't work very long with the way kids grow! It's also great that you can adjust these for your child to grow with the Trike, because Kettler trikes are guaranteed to last as long as your child can ride it!! Read the instructions people!

What a great looking tricycle. My son is two and this is his second trike. We bought the Radio Flyer first and that was a big mistake. It was very dangerous the way the handle bar swung 360 degrees and it tilted over as a result. The kettler is very safe and stable. I also like that my son can use till he's five years old.

Our 18-month-old daughter loves this tricycle. Although, she is not quite sitting all the way back in the seat, adjusting the frame allowed her to have her feet comfortably on the pedals. After speaking with friends whose children outgrew their first tricycles in less than a year, this is a great choice because the seat and frame adjustments will allow our daughter to use it for at least a year. Plus, the bucket in back is super-handy when we go to the Farmer's Market or take toys along on the ride!

We got this trike for our 2 1/2 year-old son who had had a Radio Flyer Steer & Stroll trike before. The Radio Flyer just wasn't cutting it - it tipped too easily, the seat had no back to it, and the plastic tires were just plain loud. Plus, the lack of a freewheel feature meant my son couldn't pedal backward or let his feet rest. So, we researched trikes, and despite the hefty price tag on the Kettler Jumbo, decided it was worth it. The seat is generous and tall, the frame is extremely sturdy, and best of all, I like the brake and steering features. Another bonus is how easily dismantled it is, making transporting it in our tiny trunk possible. It is compatible with the tandem insert, which we bought so my 11-month-old son could ride along, and we're impressed with the value the trike and tandem provide together. My biggest gripe is that I think for the price Kettler should make rubber air tires standard. The rubberized-plastic ones the Jumbo comes with are quieter than regular blastic tires, but I'm not impressed with the performance (they don't seem to grip the road or sidewalk as tightly as I'd like). But I wasn't about (...) more just for the privilege of rubber tires. If you can afford the Air Jumbo, that might be the better route to go.

I did a TON of research on tricycles before my son's 2nd birthday. After researching and looking at several Radio Flyer and Kettler models, we finally decided on the Jumbo for our son. We like the s-frame, which makes it easier for him to get on and off the seat. It's very easy to adjust and we LOVE the pushbar feature. We're both tall parents, and the handle length is great. My only complaint is that it can be difficult to push in a straight line. The handles lock, but not in a perfect line, so it tends to go to the left or right. I imagine this would happen with any bike, so I'm not that upset about it. I talked to several parents who bought a Radio Flyer, only to turn around and buy a Kettler within a six months. We decided to save the money by benefiting by their experience. We were fortunate to find the trike at a local toystore for the same price and they assembled it for free! Kettler is awesome and I expect this bike to last a really long time. Plus, our son loves it!!

Our 20 month old twin sons just got these as a gift from my mother. They are just adorable and one of the best in the kettrike line. We just bought the tandem insert (it works on this one) and the parents handle. Our boys love riding them around the house and outside. It fits many shapes and sizes, our boys are in the 27th percentile and they fit, but with a quick adjustment my friends 3 year old 94th percentile daughter fits fine. This particular model has free wheeling, so the pedals dont turn when you push it. It comes with a basket in the back, my sons love that. But we also bought the seat belts (they dont use them) to foot rests, which are great, the tandem insert which alwows two kids to ride one kettrike, the parents steering bar, and a basket for the fronts which they also enjoy using sometimes. The colors are cute, primary and they are deffinatly trikes to last. Dont go for the cheaper ones, because thats just what you will get, a cheap hunk of junk!