Customer Reviews

Kettler Kettrike Oceana Tricycle

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is actually the second Kettler Trike we've bought (Have a 3.5 year old and twins that are 20 months). We have an Air Happy as well (see my review on that).

Pros - Very high quality, solid, looks great, rolls great, steers great, peddles great, very adjustable (seat & frame), steering lock, nice seat, parental push bar, etc. For those looking for a "basic" high quality tricycle that'll last forever without a lot of bells & whistles, this is it (although, speaking of bells, I highly recommend picking up the Kettler red bell... best $5 you'll ever spend!)

Cons - None. But a few things to consider on options that other Kettler models (more expensive) offer -

(1) If you want to take your kids on walks with this bike (& not have them peddling the whole time or dragging their feet while you push), it doesn't have auto freewheel. Amazon might say it has it - but it doesn't. If you want / need this, look at one of the other (more expensive) Kettler models. The flip side is the auto freewheel makes it more difficult to learn how to peddle when that time comes for your child (see my review on the Kettler Air Happy - which is the other model we own).

(2) Also, again if you want to take your kids on walks with it, it doesn't have the rear parental steering mechanism (that the "navigator" models have). But, I've pushed my kid around for miles on his Air Happy (which also doesn't have the rear steering) & never thought I needed this option. Just ask him to turn the trike, or lock the steering & you can easily turn it yourself by slightly pushing down on the pushbar & lifting the front wheel off the ground.

(3) Doesn't have air tires. We have these on our Air Happy.. and they are a little nicer - but the "max tread" tires on the Oceana are very nice as well - durable / high quality "rubber like" plastic w/ grip that roll along very well. If the trike is going to be used primarily on hard surfaces (concrete, wood, tile, etc)... the tires will be perfect.

In summary - If you just want a trike for your kid to learn how to peddle around on & enjoy for a few years - get this one. It's great for riding & will last forever. Paying more for other Kettler models may get you features you either don't need, or in some cases don't WANT. Our Air Happy is a great bike & the kids love it (once they master the auto free wheel peddling thing), but if I could only buy / pick one - I'd take the Oceana for $40 less (& throw the kid in a stroller or wagon if I wanted to take them for a walk)

This tricycle is first class all the way. I put it together very quickly and let me tell you this thing is built solid. It's German made and that clearly shows because this is built like a tank. Its like comparing a Mercedes/BMW to a US made car (unfortunately that's still the case). Nothing feels cheap on it. The frame is powder coated solid steel. Everything fits like it should and is solid. My 23 month old was hovering around me like a bumble bee waiting for me to install the seat once I did he got right on. He hasn't mastered the pedaling yet (it's been just a few days) but he loves it. Let me tell you one thing you can't beat Amazon's price for this. I bought the trike, the seat belt and the Kettler red bell that everyone raves about for far less (40%) than my local bike store wanted just for the bike.

As far as features are concerned you have a parent steering pole that clicks in behind the seat and allows you to essentially dictate where your child can go. You do this by locking the front wheel from turning by moving a the mechanism on the front of the frame that either allows the wheels to turn up to 45 degrees or locks it into a straight line. It's easy to change since you slide the switch up or down on the front of the frame. The seat is high back seat and you can adjust how close it is and you can also adjust the frame closer or further apart. The wheels are rubber like and wide which gives it very good stability and along with the 45 degree max turn radius you don't have to worry about your toddler toppling over. You can also buy a tandem seat as well which the frame is built to accommodate and allows to young ones to ride together. Finally for first time riders this does not have the feature that allows them to coast and the pedals won't move. Frankly you don't want that for a first time trike as this will definitely pro-long the child's understanding that pedaling is how you move it.

Bottome line- this is the best trike you can get and has all the features you would want for a first time rider. It's safe, its built like a tank and will last for years.

We purchased this trike for our son roughly around his one year birthday. He was starting to walk around that time and he enjoyed pushing the trike around the house on his own.

Now he's 16 months and the weather is finally warm so we have been using it outside. He still loves to push it around and he loves to ride on it.

We love that the seat has a back on it and the trike is very sturdy. We only push it with the wheels locked straight, but I can tell my son wants to try steering himself. The push bar is more than comfortable for myself and my husband (I'm 6' and he's 6'4") and it easily comes off for when our little guy wants to push the trike himself.

The only reason I didn't give this trike 5 stars is because there is no way to lock the pedals so they don't spin. My son usually lets his feet hang, but occasionally he'll try to put them on the pedal and sometimes he'll get his foot wedged between the pedal and the wheel. Once that happened when he didn't have shoes on and he screamed. When he has shoes on it doesn't seem to hurt him, but it still scares me a little. He's still learning what the pedals are for, so I'm sure this is just a temporary thing...

We have a Kettler Oceana and two different Radio Flyer trikes. We have twins. They fight over who gets the Kettler. So I'm going to buy a second one despite the fact that I already have three trikes for only two kids.

The Kettler is just built so much better, there is no comparison. One of our Radio Flyer's is the Deluxe Steer & Stroll. It's a bear to push, a bear to turn (for the parent using the push bar *or* the child using the handlebars), and is hard for my child (2.5 y.o.) to pedal. The construction quality is much poorer as well. We also have a smaller Radio Flyer. My daughter always tips that one over when she tries to turn, so I'm going to get rid of it -- it's a hazard!

Get the Kettler -- it's sturdy, rides and steers smoothly, and is very easy for me to push. I don't miss the parent navigation feature at all, I am able to turn it fine by "popping a wheelie" as a prior reviewer put it, and turning the trike in the direction I want. Assembly was not 100% intuitive, but we managed.

I ordered this trike to go along with the Kettler Tandem Insert for Kettler Tricycles. You can read my full review of the tandem seat at that product but suffice to say that they work wonderfully together. Our 4 year old steers and pedals fine so the lack of a parent navigation system hasn't been problematic at all. However, if you are considering getting this with the intention of using it with the tandem seat, I would only do so if one child is old enough to pedal and steer. If not, I'd spring for more expensive model with the parent navigation system because it is very difficult for the parent to control turning with the tandem seat in. As I said, my 4 yr old usually steers but the few times that I have had to make a turn, I do it by actually lifting the rear seat as I could see the push bar getting bent in a second if I tried to use it to "pop a wheelie" and turn like I do if I have just the single seat in.

As for the trike itself, it is well made. Assembly was pretty easy even if the instructions came only in pictoral form (no text to help). The adjustable seat is great as it adjusts in seconds so we can slide it back for the 4 yr old and then all the way forward for the toddler (and the adjustments still work with the tandem insert). It also comes apart quickly (front half splits from back half at adjustment point) which makes it easy to pop into the rear of the minivan (wouldn't fit if left whole). Overall we are very happy with this purchase.

The only major issue I have with this trike is that it took some serious doing for me to put it together. It wasn't because the instructions weren't clear (they are pictures, not written, but they were fine). But you're supposed to put it all together by hand-tightening the screws, etc, and then go back at the end and tighten all the screws completely. You have to be a little magical elf with nimble, thin, little fingers to get to the area under the seat to tighten it. It drove me near insanity; I was extremely frustrated. However, it got done. All-in-all, I'd say it took me over an hour, maybe an hour and a half to assemble it. I'll leave that nonsense to my husband next time. Some parts, like the long handle in the back, I had to re-assemble because I initially put in together in such a way that the handle (brand name on the handle) would've been facing down instead of up. Anyway...

My daughter is almost 2 and loves it. She is pretty able to keep her feet on the moving pedals, though I try to push slowly so she can keep them on well enough. It is a sturdy trike as well. I spent a lot of time going over the pros and cons of all the different trikes available, and, so far, I'm glad I chose this one. I think it's a good value for the cost. Though I should mention that we've only had it a week, so I can't speak to it's quality long-term. I'm hoping that it will hold up enough for the second child to use it when big enough.

We bought this for our two year old's birthday and he loves it. We use it several times a week instead of a stroller to go to the park or grocery store. The parent handle is a lifesaver, for when my kiddo gets tired, I just push for a while. We rarely lock the steering and just ask him to turn the wheel. If he resists we tip him back a little bit and then we can adjust the direction of his front wheel. This usually solves the steering problem. This does not have free-wheel, (where the peddles stay still when the parent pushes), which we are happy about because he has an easier time pedaling. I heard the freewheeling often causes an initial slippage when the kiddo starts to pedal, (often confusing them), and it was a much more affordable purchase without this feature. It is very well built and feels like it will last 20 years. I do wish it had a basket on the back, but for the price, I am thrilled!!

I purchased this trike for my son's 2nd birthday. It assembled easily, came with easy to read instructions. We appreciate how the seat adjusts forward or backward. Perfect for our kiddo whose legs were pretty short for most toddler tricycles. The wheels are have a non-skid coating on them, kind of weird, but it works well. It rides pretty smoothly. The handle is very handy. The only downside is that the wheel "locking" mechanism, (that allows you to keep the front wheel locked in the "non-swivel/turning" position), doesn't seem to work very well. But when we're pushing him, we just tilt him back a bit so the wheel is just a little off the ground. Also, the piece that attaches the handle bar tends to come loose and then the handle bars swing a little too freely. I just tighten it occasionally. The trike might require a little bit of maintenance, but don't most bikes? Overall, our son enjoys it, and so do we. It's very sturdy, made of metal, and quite durable. We've had it for 6 months and it's holding up quite nicely.

We've had this bike for an entire year now, and we love it. It was simple to put together, and it is sturdy. I wondered if we'd miss the locking feature where you can lock the pedals and push the child when they become tired, but the bikes with that feature were so much more expensive. We don't miss that feature. Tricyles are used only for short distances anyway - so the kids don't often tire before arriving home. When they have tired the handle is sturdy and the bike stable enough so that you can push down on the handle to raise the front tire and keep on pushing. The most valuable feature is the sturdy handle - I've watched while other moms push tricycles with a whimpy handles or no handle at all, and it seems like a ton of work.

It's nice very sturdy and doesn't kill my back! My 19 month old daughter loves it!! She can almost reach where if she wanted to petal she could. She's certainly happy to be pushed though! Great buy!!!