Little Tikes 4-in-1 Trike Sports Edition Review
4-in-1 Trike
Sports Edition
Reviewed by Sarah Bowyer
When the postman delivered the Little Tikes Trike, we received the 4-in-1 Sports Edition, I was quite surprised at the size of the box. I was expecting something quite big but it was actually quite small. I was a little concerned at first but when I went to pick the box up and felt the weight I knew that there was going to be something substantial in it.
My son was having a nap so I excitedly opened the box to find that the trike needed to be assembled. This wasn’t a problem as I don’t mind doing a little bit of DIY.
However, I got the instructions out and started putting the first few bits together and realised that it wasn’t going to be as simple as I had thought and it was going to take me a fair while to do it. There were a lot of bits to put together. So it all went back in to the box for my partner to help me with later on.
Later on that evening and once my son had gone back to bed my partner and I got all the parts of the trike out and began the task of putting it all together. It was quite overwhelming to start with. The instruction manual was in several different languages so the writing had to be quite small. It wasn’t a huge problem as there were two of us putting it all together but I can imagine if you had to do it on your own then it might make things a bit more difficult.
To put the trike together you need an Allen key (which is included in the box) and a cross head screwdriver. You start off putting the back wheels onto an axle. We found doing this the most awkward bit because you have to fit the break on to one side. There are two plastic wheel nuts but these are different sizes. After a bit of a struggle we realised which wheel nut went where and managed to get the back wheels sorted.
The instructions have all the parts of the trike numbered and I think it would be handy if the actual parts were numbered also. I sometimes found it a little bit tricky to work out which parts were which and the way they attached to the trike.
After the back wheels were fitted we put the middle body and the front wheel on. Then the handlebars and seat followed, then the steering handle, safety straps and a little storage box. My son loves the storage box. Teddies and drinks have to go in to it before we go for a ride.
The seat and back rest are made out of solid plastic but have a padded cover that you have to slip on. These were a little bit fiddly because the safety clasps were a tight fit through the holes.
The back steering handle is fitted with a pin and was simple to assemble. It is extendable and has two handles with a little fabric pouch in the middle to store small bits and pieces. These handles are for an adult to push the trike along and steer. This handle can easily be removed so when your child is old enough they can ride the trike by themselves rather than being pushed along.
On the front of the trike below the handlebars there is a little switch that locks the steering. You can either have the steering locked so the child can turn the handlebar and steer, or it can be unlocked so the handlebars are free.
If you are pushing the trike then you can unlock the pedals so that they can’t be used, but once the child is big enough to ride alone you can lock the pedals so that they control the front wheel. If your child isn’t big enough to reach the pedals there is a foot plate which is below the seat. The foot plate can be tilted back out of the way once your child can use the pedals.
The trike has great safety features. It has a five point safety harness and a brace that fits around the seat so the child can’t fall off or if the trike happens to fall over, it gives extra protection. These can be easily removed so the child can get on and off the trike themselves.
Another good feature is the sun canopy that is fitted at the back of the seat. It has a flexible pole so you can adjust it to where the sun is. Not that that will be necessary with the fabulous British summers we have. This is also removable and can be stored flat.
Putting the trike together was a bit of a pain. We ended up with pretty sore fingers by the end of it. All in all it took a good half an hour to get it all together. The Allen key that is provided was very small and you need to screw the bolts on quite tight so it was hard work. A few of the connections are push buttons like you might find on crutches. It was a bit fiddly, but it was worth it.
When we brought our son down in the morning his face lit up. He was so excited to see the trike. He ran straight over to it and climbed on, almost like he had done it a million times before.
That afternoon we headed out to the park to have a play. It was easy to fit the trike in the car. The steering handle came off and it went straight into the boot and then once we were there it was easy to just clip back in to place.
My son absolutely loved it. It was quite a nice day so it was better for him to be on the trike rather than sat in his pushchair.
Both my partner and I took it in turns pushing the trike around using the steering handle at back. The two handles made it easy to control. At first it felt a bit strange as I was used to pushing the pushchair which is quite light, but after a while it was easy. There is a wheel lock at the back which is easy to use by just pushing it down with your foot.
The trike feels really robust and safe. My only concern is the lack of brakes when the child is able to ride the trike themselves. I don’t think a child would be able to ride the trike so fast, but I think a break would give me more peace of mind. However this isn’t a concern of mine at the moment.
Overall I would give the trike a 4 out of 5. It was a bit difficult to put together and there is no break, but it is robust, easy to steer and best of all, my son absolutely loves it.
Key Features:
4 stages to grow with your child:
– Guided – 9 months+
– Learning – 12 months+
– Developing – 18 months+
– Independent – 30 months+
Adjustable-height, removable steering handle for parents is ergonomically designed
Easy access extra large zippered parent pouch
Seat adjusts to 4 positions
Durable, quiet-ride tires
5-point seat belt & safety bar
Extra large storage bucket
Removable & adjustable canopy
Padded child seat
Convenient beverage holder
Foot brake for safety
Available in a variety of colours
Rating: 4/5
Suitable age: 9 months to 3 years
RRP: £99.99 (currently selling for £79.99, saving 20%)
Available to but from Little Tikes here.
