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My niece Kelsie is now 18 months old and she’s been eager to play alongside her brother Drew for a few months now. He turned 4 in August and is a really active little guy – he’s a pro on his bike and even does jumps on his 3-wheel scooter. Kelsie has shown an interest in Drew’s bike and scooter for quite a while now but offering her a toddler “feet to the floor” type ride wasn’t solving her desire for a bike. I didn’t think that pedal trikes for kids her age existed. Little Tikes has a line of 4-in-1 Trikes that grow with your baby from 9 months to 3 years. It has four different modes of use, with modes 2, and 4 allowing your child to pedal on their own if they can reach the pedals.
We were sent the Little Tikes 4-in-1 sports edition trike to test out.
Stage 1 can be used from 9+ months. The pedals can be locked so that they don’t propel the bike forward and the steering wheel can be prevented from turning the bike. The back of the bike has a stroller-like handle called the push-bar so that parents can push baby for entertainment or to use the bike like a stroller. Kelsie is not a fan of her stroller anymore so having a bike where she can feel as if she’s riding a bike instead of sitting in a stroller will definitely keep her happier longer. The back of the trike has a storage basket (and even has a water bottle holder) so you can bring your diaper bag or other must-haves along. There is also a storage bag called the handy pack that attaches to the push-handle and zips closed to protect more sensitive items like your phone or camera. In this mode you can use the plastic wrap-around waist bar so that your baby can hold onto any area instead of just reaching forward for the handles.
Stage 2 is for 12+ months. In this mode you can still leave the side-to-side steering to the parent while allowing your young toddler to practice pedaling. The waist bar is still in place so that your child has multiple locations to grasp.
Stage 3 is for 18+ months. At this stage you can remove the waist bar which gives you the freedom to move the seat back to the second or third slot as your child’s legs grow. In this mode you can also unlock the steering bar so that your child can both pedal and steer. In this stage you leave the push-bar attached so that the parent still has control of the bike if needed.
Stage 4 is for 36+ months. In this mode you can remove the push-bar which will turn the 4-in-1 trike into a more traditional bike. Even with the push-bar removed, the bike has a storage basket that can be used to store toys, bags, sippy cups and more.
Kelsie’s legs natural position when she’s seated on the trike.
Kelsie is exactly 18 months so she is just old enough for stage 3. She is on the shorter side for her age (she wears size 12 month jeans) and she is able to just barely reach the pedals when with the seat in the most forward position. While she can slightly reach the pedals when they are most near to her, her legs are too short to stay on the pedals as they cycle forward.
A great feature for Kelsie’s current developmental stage is the footrest. It gives her a place to rest her feet while an adult is pushing her with the push-bar. Once she is pedaling the trike at least part-time, the footrest can be folded back out-of-the-way while she is pedaling and then lowered back down into place if she gets tired. For kids who are only using the bike as a child-propelled trike, the footrest can be completely removed.
There is a detachable shade canopy that is super adjustable so it can be angled in whichever direction the sun is located.
So many of the gifts that I get for Kelsie have a really limited age range. It’s hard to find items that are ideal for 18 month olds that will be used for more than six months or a year later. I fully expect Kelsie to get a full year out of this trike at minimum considering she’s only currently on the first position the seat, and her knees are so far away from the handlebars that I can see her still using it at 3. I can’t say that about many of the other toys that she owns!
The bike includes a full harness that is very adjustable. There are five buckles in total (a strap comes up between the child’s legs that has two sets of buckles on it) and then a clip goes across the chest as well. Each strap has an adjustment so you can get the right fit. To prevent the straps from falling off Kelsie’s shoulders I was able to adjust the chest clip tighter. She was right in the middle for the adjustment on most of the straps so babies significantly smaller and toddlers significantly bigger could still fit in the harness.
Kelsie is really excited about her bike. It’s a great way to avoid using a stroller when taking her on the go (like to her brothers Preschool around the corner) but it also makes for a fun bike to play with at home. If blue isn’t your color, the Little Tikes 4-in-1 sports edition trike also comes in red and pink.
You can learn more about the 4 in 1 trike on the Little Tikes Website. If you love the Little Tikes brand, join Team Little Tikes, an online community where fans of Little Tikes get special access to the world of Little Tikes.
Do you have a Little Tikes Trike? What is your favorite feature?
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Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
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