My twins just turned 3, and after seeing some kids at the park riding around on Spiderman and Radio Flyer 3-wheel scooters, the constant refrain from both of them was, "let's get a scooter!!" I researched a TON and was leaning toward the Razor Jr., but after reading the reviews that it was just too slow for some kids, and that all the child could do was push push push, I decided not to take a chance on it. Then I saw this scooter and it sounded great. I called the company, Kickboard USA to clarify the weight issue, and was told that it goes up to about 60 lbs. Okay, great. I also asked if they thought my son, who is a little behind in motor skills, would be able to manage this scooter, and after much discussion (great customer service!), I decided to buy two of these and give them a whirl. I bought blue for my son, and I knew my daughter would want pink. Also ordered two Bell helmets. Amazon shipped both right away.
Needless to say, the morning of their birthday when they opened the back door and saw two new scooters with helmets dangling from the handlebars, they were GIDDY! They both jumped on and it was slow-going and a bit awkward at first. These scooters can go fast the kids seemed to intuitively know this, though, and took things cautiously. They didn't understand the steering concept yet. But after an hour or so, they felt more confident and were pushing along. They'd raise their foot up for a second and then put it back on the ground and push some more. They were having a great time.
This scooter is lower to the ground than any I've seen, which makes it easy for the kids to ride. The two wheels in front make for great stability and maneuvering. Fast forward to about 2 weeks into using these scooters and both kids enjoy them a lot, but especially my son. He's a scooter fanatic! He has gotten so good at riding it and the steering just came naturally when he realized that as he leaned, it would gently turn in the direction of the lean. The brake is a great feature, but so far my kids don't really get the concept of it. They just put their foot down or sort of "hop off." I imagine as they get older and more proficient, they'll get the groove of the brake. My son now zips around with all the bigger kids at the park. The Razor Jr. and Spiderman scooter kids are envious and slower. I imagine it won't be long until they're bored with their scooters and want to graduate onto something better. I don't have that worry with these scooters. They look cool, which the kids love; they aren't "baby looking" at all. I was also so happy not to have to buy something with a television character on it!
These scooters are built to last from what I can tell. They come with some cool stickers, too. I cannot tell you HOW MANY parents have seen my kids on their scooters and sidled up to us to ask about them. Yes, they are more expensive, but for the longevity my kids will get out of them, and the peace of mind I have that they're probably the safest scooters out there for preschoolers, it was WELL worth the cost. Neither of my kids has had anything other than a minor tumble on them so far, but you know, I expect that. Kids are gonna fall. They always wear their helmets it's a non-negotiable rule and so far they actually think their helmets are cool (got two of the Bell Bellino Toddler helmets love them!).
Caution: I would advise parents, however, not to let your kids ride these scooters on sidewalks or other areas where they might get away from you and risk danger. Also stay away from paved paths with inclines and dips. As I said above, these scooters can get going, even with the kids just pushing off with the foot and not fully "riding" it, and I have to hustle to keep up with my kids. We only let them ride these scooters in enclosed parks with paved paths or the cement area of our back yard.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a scooter your preschooler will LOVE, will last a good long time, and something sturdy and safe, this is the scooter. :-)
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We recently purchased this scooter new online from Microstore USA, and could not be happier. Microstore shipped it quickly, the shipping was free, and it was as exactly described. We also paid less for it than the $ price listed by the sponsored vendor on Amazon.
As others have noted, this is NOT made by Huffy, but by Micro, a Swiss company. We actually purchased this scooter to replace our Huffy one which we had had for about 3 years. At the time we purchased the Huffy one, we had no idea that it was a knock off of one made by Micro. Our Huffy one was fine, but the plastic did chip off in quite a few places and the brake tore off a while ago.
While it remains to be seen whether our new Micro brand is more durable, I have to say from the outset that it handles much better than the Huffy one ever did. Just by putting my weight on it and leaning from side to side, I can see that the turning properties are far superior to the Huffy one. If you are unfamiliar with the scooter's design, what makes it so fabulous is that it has two wheels in front and one in the back and by leaning one way or the other, your child can easily maneuver and turn and sway. I found it interesting in viewing the Microstore website that Micro also makes other 3 wheel scooters for bigger kids models with more bells and whistles lest you think that three-wheeled scooters are only for preschoolers.
One thing I was surprised and a bit disappointed about when I received the scooter is that, on the outside of the box, it says the scooter IS made in China. While it may have originally be designed and built in Switzerland, if the packaging is correct, it is now manufactured in China, just as the Huffy knockoff was. This is not to suggest that the quality is poor, but I think it should be known that it is NOT made in Switzerland.
Regardless, my son loves it, it was worth the $, we were happy with Microstore USA, and so far it appears to be a superior product to the Huffy model, not to mention, in my opinion, the best 3-wheeled scooter on the market.
UPDATE May 2008 The scooter is still going strong, no chips, hardly any wear, and my now-5 year old still loves it as much as he did on day one!
2nd UPDATE JUNE 2009 Still going strong, BUT...my son broke the brake on the end off. It is not difficult to do, and is why we bought this new scooter in the first place. If your child pushed the brake up, rather than down toward the tire, the metal can bend and break off and it is not repairable. I wish I had told my son this, as it happened with the last one we had, but I hadn't. It is still usable, but with care since there is no brake to stop the scooter. I would advise you child NOT to push the brake up, but down only!
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I'm not even quite sure what my son is saying about the scooter, but hopefully you can see he likes it alot and has a bunch of fun with it!
Honest reviews on Mini Micro Scooter with T-bar Handle (Children's)
This scooter is simply the best one out there because the 2 wheels are in the front, they don't get in the way of the kids trying kicking off with their feet. And because to turn, they have to lean vs steer, I feel it is safer as it tends to just go straight. As the kids improve, they figure out how to turn, but that's what's so good, they do it at their own pace. Even though this scooter says it's for age 3, we bought it for my son's 2nd birthday because he tried someone else's and shocked us by being able to ride it well. He had tried those other 3-wheeled scooters with the 2 wheels in the back and couldn't really ride them the design of this one is just so superior. He absolutely LOVES LOVES LOVES it and just about every day, people ask how old he is and they are shocked, they say they can't believe how well a 2-year-old can ride a scooter. But it's not him, it's this scooter! Don't waste your money on the cheap "cartoony" scooters, just get one of these, your kids will be zipping around in minutes!
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I was considering purchasing this for my 5 year girl but when I saw the weight restriction of 44 lbs, I was hesitant thinking she would outgrow it within the next year.
However, after checking out the manufacturers website, I found this when has now made me decide to purchase this safer looking scooter than others for my little girl:
"* The mini scooter is designed with a weight recommendation of 70lbs. Please note that the bottom of the scooter shows a weight limit of 20kg, which is 44 lbs. The reason for the discrepancy is that European standards dictate that weights are displayed only in increments of 20, 50 and 100kg."
