I considered how easy each tricycle was to roll or lift out of the way if a parent has to push a child on it. Tricycles also teach important skills like steering and pedaling—both of which lay the foundation for eventually becoming a confident big-kid-bike rider. The Schwinn Meridian has a list of features that appeal to riders looking for a stable conveyance that can carry a considerable capacity. We’ll look at the features listed by the manufacturer and why they make this tricycle perfect for a heavier rider, riders who want to lose weight, and those that need extra balance. You might think that tricycles are just for kids who haven’t learned to ride a bike.
After considering more than 30 of today’s tricycles and test-driving 12 of them with a dozen kids, we think most people whose kids are still toddlers should get the Joovy TriCyCoo 4.1. This grow-with-me tricycle offers significantly more versatility than competitors. It works as a stroller alternative for smaller kids who are still learning to pedal on their own, and allows a smooth, fast, fun ride for bigger kids, too. We also like the Radio Flyer Deluxe Steer & Stroll as a less expensive (though also less versatile) option for older toddlers; the Schwinn Roadster for a stylish low ride; and the Angeles Midi for an upgrade pick to outlast them all.
At 10 inches, the front wheel is larger than that on many other convertible trikes, making it easier to roll over grass, gravel, and other rough surfaces. The Joovy’s performance was consistently smooth in our cornering tests. When a dozen kids were pedaling all our tester trikes around a track-shaped sidewalk in a local park, the Joovy was noticeably faster and smoother-looking than rival tricycles.
This took about two hours with my son (we had to take snack and water breaks because, man, trike riding is exhausting). Personally, I’m a science writer with more than a decade of experience interviewing experts in countless fields, including health, parenting, and child development. I’m also the mom of two small guys who were 1½ and 3½ when I was initially reporting and testing for this guide. I’ve pushed, pulled, rolled, and cajoled kids on tricycles for countless after-dinner strolls and park dashes over the past three years. The Joovy TriCyCoo works for a baby, converts quickly to a big-kid bike, and is easier and more fun for bigger kids to ride than most traditional tricycles.
The plastic seat that holds a baby in place is more slippery than the Joovy’s seat, and my 1-year-old was sliding all over the place, even when strapped in. Finally, the wheels are smaller than those on some of the other convertible trikes like the Joovy or even the same company’s Steer & Stroll, making getting over bumps in the sidewalk challenging. The 4-in-1 we tested is the newest model, replacing an older version that doesn’t have a footrest and has a slightly schwinn bicycles different infant ring and handle design. The Doona Liki Trike S5 has some great features, like the ability to fold down to a 12.5 inch by 24 inch by 9 inch rectangle for travel (it’s designed to fit in airplane overhead bins). Like the Joovy, it has a sunshade and converts to five different stages that take a kid from a pre-walker (10 months) all the way up to age 3. The sun shade is skimpy and the front wheel is smaller than Joovy’s, making for a bumpier ride.
For bigger kids, the Schwinn Roadster 12-inch Trike is a shiny, gorgeous tricycle that’s fast and fun to ride. It’s low to the ground, with more of a Big Wheel style than you typically see in a metal trike. The bike is rated to 50 pounds, 6 pounds more than the Joovy (many kids don’t hit 50 pounds until they’re 7 or 8 years old). We approached this guide with families in mind, focusing on tricycles that we think will get the most use over the longest time frame. Grow-with-me trikes that evolve with a child through several developmental stages obviously fit this bill well.
The Roadster’s size and weight makes it better balanced than our pick, even in fast turns. Its steel construction is durable, with pneumatic tires that support weight up to 50 pounds. The High Bounce Extra Tall Tricycle gets high marks from parents of long-legged tots. Made of aluminum, it’s lighter (11.9 pounds) and the seat is 2½ inches higher than the Joovy’s or the Radio Flyer Steer & Stroll’s. Like the seats on those bikes, the High Bounce’s seat moves forward and backward to accommodate growing kids. The handlebar grips felt rougher on young hands than the grips on other trikes.
If you’re shopping for tricycles for a daycare, this is clearly the best brand for you. The Midi, one of Angeles’s simpler and less expensive models, cost $160 when we first named it our upgrade pick, but has now more than doubled in price. The trike has a bell that was a hit with my then 3-year-old son (the Joovy comes bell-less) and like our pick it has a storage compartment in back. The Radio Flyer’s storage space is covered, which keeps precious items from flying out (the Joovy’s compartment is open).
The Deluxe Steer & Stroll weighs 14½ pounds, just a smidge more than the Joovy. The shiny, steel Radio Flyer Classic Red Tricycle is a well-made trike for age 2½ up to about 4 or a small 5. The design replicates that of tricycles from decades ago, though in fact Radio Flyer only started making trikes in 1999 (the company is best known for its red wagons). Nonetheless, this sturdy, metal tricycle has serious nostalgia appeal. We found that the controlled turning radius made this trike harder to tip than some of the others. But it lacks a back support, adjusts only a bit to accommodate taller riders, and is very heavy at 21¼ pounds.
As your toddler grows, you remove the shade, the safety ring, and the push-bar, and the trike transitions to a big-kid mode where, rated for use with 4-year-olds up to 44 pounds, it continues to excel against competitors. With an average weight and one of the most stable designs we tried, the Joovy was easier to start, pedal, and maneuver than any of the other 10 top trikes we tested. It’s one of the more expensive tricycles out there, and it doesn’t include a bell, but with such a wide age range it’s still a good value for the price. The Radio Flyer Deluxe Steer & Stroll isn’t as versatile as our pick for littler kids, because it doesn’t have a protective ring and straps to hold a baby in place and lacks a sunshade. We also found that it’s not quite as nimble to steer and easy to pedal as the TriCyCoo once kids are riding on their own.