The Joovy’s parent push handle is adjustable, extending more than 5 inches from its lowest setting to its highest. The Joovy’s UPF 50 fabric sunshade has one more panel than the sunshade in the similar Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ‘N Trike, which makes it easier to keep both arms and legs protected when you’re using the trike in baby mode. The trike has an adjustable, padded seat with a tall seat back and an optional footrest for kids who haven’t yet learned to pedal. The Roadster features a shiny red and silver metal body, black tassels on the handlebars, a bell, and a wooden deck in back—a platform where a friend can hitch a ride. The molded plastic seat slides back on a track to be adjustable for bigger kids. It took a little longer for my son to get moving on this trike than on the Joovy, but the ride was smooth once he got up to speed.
Unlike some of the other convertible trikes we tested, converting the TriCyCoo from baby to big kid is a snap—it takes less than 15 seconds to remove or add the baby ring and push-bar handle. With the Radio Flyer Deluxe Steer & Stroll, our runner-up, this process was also short, though it’s because there is only a handlebar to remove. With the Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ‘N Trike, the process of converting from baby to big-kid mode took two minutes or more. To test the trikes, I timed the two-person assembly of each of the 11 tricycles, noting any particular difficulties or frustrations, as well as if extra tools were needed.
The Radio Flyer Big Flyer is a better version of the big-wheel-style trike, and is meant for kids ages 3 to 7. Older kids will likely enjoy the speed and easy turns of a lightweight, low-slung trike, but my 3-year-old son had some trouble getting the 16-inch front wheel to move. When it comes to a low-rider-style trike, overall we think the Schwinn Roadster provides a better ride. The Joovy TriCyCoo 4.1 is a versatile, stable, easy-to-use tricycle with the ability to safely and comfortably hold babies as young as 9 months and sturdily ferry big kids up to 4 years (or 44 pounds). My 3-year-old gave the trike high marks for its ease of starting and turning.
This trike lacks a restraint system and sunshade for small kids, and it’s not as easy to ride as our pick, but it usually costs less. The manufacturer warns riders that the cargo area is not for pets, children, or other passengers. Even if they are under 50 lbs., the cargo basket is not a safe riding space. Both models of the Schwinn Meridian have a low sweeping step-thru frame.
Just about every kid will eventually learn to ride a tricycle, and have fun riding. But many modern tricycles also serve as a tool to transport toddlers too young to ride independently around the neighborhood—to the park, a friend’s house, or a local restaurant. These schwinn mountain bike trikes come with a push bar and often a sunshade and security straps and/or belt as well. As a kid grows, these little-kid extras are stripped away, leaving a more typical trike. You can buy a brand-new tricycle that looks exactly like one you rode as a kid.
We tested the Roadster side by side with two other Big Wheel-style tricycles, the Original Big Wheel and the Radio Flyer Big Flyer, which are both made of plastic. We preferred the Schwinn’s grippy tire to the Original Big Wheel’s plastic wheel, which felt not-that-durable and slipped all over the place—which, yes, is sort of the idea. The Schwinn schwinn mountain bike Roadster was easier to ride uphill than the Radio Flyer Big Flyer, and the Schwinn clearly outperformed the rest of the low-rider pack when it comes to durability and rideability. The tricycle does not come with a bell, but for less than $10 you can add a perfectly fun one like the Incredibell that kids as young as age 1 can enjoy.
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 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.