should I buy Kettler?

[jhrabosk]

If you can stand it...another Kettler question.

I'm looking at the top one...$200. I think I want the air tires (we're in an urban setting, sidewalks and such) and I definitely think the handlebar and locking wheels would be useful. The grandparents want to buy it for DD, so money's not an issue, but...$200? Really? Is it worth it? Are there less expensive alternatives?

I've got to make a decision and buy this kid a trike before she takes someone down at the playground. :)

[brittone2]

If you want air tires, that definitely narrows down your options. We love having air tires, as DS does ride on grass/gravel a bit.

We opted for the Kiddio Supertrike 4. I have a bunch of old posts in the archives about it, but we've been really, really happy with it. It is under $100, you get the dump bucket, the air tires, seatbelt, pushbar, etc. No autofreewheel or parent lockout, however. DS got his for his 2nd bday and we never missed having the parent lockout or autofreewheel (I wasn't sure how we'd feel about not having them, but we just popped the front wheel slightly off the ground using the parent pushbar when we needed control over the steering ). If he got it for his 1st bday, maybe I would have felt differently, but personally, I'm so glad we didn't hold back because of the lack of the parent lockout or autofreewheel features. Again, JMO...maybe those are necessities for you.

For us the Kiddio ST4 was a great balance between cost and quality. Kettler makes the Kiddios (our air tires say Kettler right on them in fact), but they do not take the additional add on features, and the warranty isn't as long. IMO the frame is of very nice quality. Ours will definitely last until DD starts using it. Some people have said the Kiddios are made in China. I know ours says "made in Germany" right on the back, although maybe that has changed more recently (DS got his about a year and a half ago).

So, I'm plugging the Kiddio for ya ;) A few other parents here have them and have given them good reviews as well. It is at least worth checking out.

Other options: if you don't need air tires, the One Step Ahead version of the Navigator is a little cheaper. I think the warranty isn't as long. Something to consider.

If the sidewalks are in very good condition and you don't see your DD off roading on gravel, grass, or riding the thing around on rougher pavement, you might be happy skipping the air tires and saving the $$. I've read mixed things from other people about whether they regretted not getting the air tires for sidewalk type of use. For us, they were needed IMO.

[momtojack]

I was all set to buy the Supertrike 4 after reading Beth's (and others) great reviews, but I waited too long it went out of stock at toyrus.com (the only place I could find it). Now I don't see it on their website at all. I ended up getting the Radio Flyer Deluxe Canopy Steering Trike: http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Flyer-Deluxe-Canopy-Steering/dp/B0008JILY0/ref=pd_sbs_t_3/002-2101341-1527242?ie=UTF8&qid=1182903979&sr=8-1. It has many of the features of the top end Kettlers - air tires, wheel lockout, push bar - for less than half the price and gets pretty good reviews. We have not received it yet, but I will post a review when we do. Good luck with your decision.

Shelly

[annmcnam]

We purchased a Air Navigator 2 years ago and use it all the time to go for walks. Love the navigator part. I've seen used Kettler's at a local children's resale store still sell for a bunch, so resale value is great. I recently signed up for the maukilo.com e-newsletter and they gave me a 10% discount without restrictions. Maybe you can use it A91H6X9.

[ellies mom]

We have the big fancy Kettler and I wish we had gone the Kiddio route. The reason we didn't was because shipping made it almost as expensive but now we have a local store that carries several Kiddio trikes along side the Kettlers.

It is convenient that you can lock the steering because DD tends to turn the wheel one way and look another so it does help while pushing it. But for the amount of money, I expected a little better steering from the parent's end. I do like that the pedals don't turn unless DD pedals.

I guess what kills me about the purchase is that it is comparatively heavy and DD still has a hard time pedaling it. She could pedal the super cheap radio flyer folding one just fine but almost a year later she still has a hard time with the Kettler. For the amount of money we spent she could have ridden several of the RFs into the ground. Our next kid had better love the thing.

So, if I bought a new one tomorrow, I'd probably buy a Kiddio. The quality is good and the price is more reasonable. But as much as it pains me to admit this, I might even consider buying a string of RF Fold n' Go's.

[anamika]

>
>I guess what kills me about the purchase is that it is
>comparatively heavy and DD still has a hard time pedaling it.
>She could pedal the super cheap radio flyer folding one just
>fine but almost a year later she still has a hard time with
>the Kettler. For the amount of money we spent she could have
>ridden several of the RFs into the ground. Our next kid had
>better love the thing.
But as
>much as it pains me to admit this, I might even consider
>buying a string of RF Fold n' Go's.

Everything she said. The Kettler is such a sore point in our house! We have some issues (still unresolved) with DD being able to twist the steering handle even when it's locked, quite apart from my tiny DD still not being able to pedal it.
If you do decide to buy it and have the option of buying locally, I would highly recommend it. We bought online to save ~$50 over our local store and boy, do we ever regret it. Can't get it fixed, can't send it back......

[Joolsplus2]

Beth, I had a Kiddie-0, just a 39 dollar one with rubber tires, and it held up to some pretty harsh treatment for 3 years (including huge neighbor kids!), and I have to say, yeah, it's a fine 'substitute' for Kettler (I'm drooling over a big air navigator now, of course, lol).

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[TahliasMom]

I have the Kiddio for my daughter, the one with air tires, dump bucket, seat belt and push bar. (got it for a little over $100 thanks to the BBB mama's). we have bumpy sidewalks so the air tires are a nice bonus for DD's butt. DD just turned 3 and able to peddle and steer by herself most of the time. From 2 to almost 3 i pushed her on the trike. hehe. there are older kids in her preschool that don't have enough coordination to do that and there are kids younger than her that have been able to peddle before 3. I have a feeling my DD is going to outgrow it pretty fast so I'm glad I went the cheaper route. I'm going to upgrade her to a trycicle probably next year. I rather put money towards that.

[JacksMommy]

We like our Kettler just fine (the Air Happy) but seeing the relatively short time it's going to live in our house, I wonder about the price/value.

I will say both my kids had trouble reaching the pedals before they were over 2. Also, the "push bar" is not really meant to be used as a steering device - you need to get the stroller bar if you plan to use the trike sort of like a stroller (going on and off curbs, etc). The pushbar is mainly meant as a safety device so you can control them from going out into the street. We found this out after the piece that holds the pushbar broke (it was promptly replaced for free). When I read the instructions for the new one, I noticed it mentioned that you were not to use it to take the trike on and off curbs. That's why ours broke.

HTH,

Laurel
Mama to Jack 6/02 and Maddy 12/04

Babywearing education in Napa, CA