Neve is fast approaching her first birthday (sob) and as such, is getting to the point where she is wanting to explore a lot more of the world. Whilst we love going out for walks in the pushchair, for a now 11 month old, a practical pushchair is …. well…. just a little bit boring. Queue stiff arms, fighting legs and a slight annoyance at being restrained.

We were recently given the opportunity to review the SmarTrike 5-in-1 infinity trike which is suitable from 10 months until 3 years of age. Having had a trike with Erin and bought her one just before her 1st birthday (which feels like yesterday!) we were confident the trike would be an immediate hit, and I couldn’t wait to introduce Neve to the concept.

SmarTrike has matured somewhat in the four years since we last took one out for a spin – with the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity including  new features such as a compressible sun canopy and the amazing recliner option- I couldn’t wait to take her out for a spin!

About the Product

SmarTrike’s 5-in-1 Infinity reclining purple Tricycle is suitable for babies from 10 months to 3 years of age, adjusting and growing with your child.

With the lightest touch and smart patented Touch Steering Technology, the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity trike manoeuvres like a stroller, and is easy to steer one handed by the parent until the child is old enough to navigate themselves. Using a unique button on the mudguard. the trike can easily switch from parent Touch Steering to child ride-control.

The seat is washable and padded seat cover is stylishly coordinated with the extendable canopy, the parent bag and the large, multi- purpose storage bag.

Stage 1: Sleep mode – High back seat reclines, baby rests in comfort and security.

Stage 2: At 10 months baby safely uses foot rest & sits comfortably in padded seat.

Stage 3: At 18 months baby can sit upright independently, remove the safety bar. Parents continue to push and control the trike. Baby enjoys the ride while developing confidence, balance and motor skills.

Stage 4: At 24 months it becomes a training trike where kids learn to pedal.

Stage 5: At 30 months you can remove the parent handle, close the safety clutch and it becomes an independent trike that kids pedal by themselves.

Our Experience

The SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity comes requiring assembly, and with most DIY jobs in our house, I tend to leave them to someone else!  Thankfully, the two handy men in my life came to the rescue, and Grandad (my Dad!) kindly popped round to put it together. The whole process was very quick and easy, with the whole thing taking just 25 minutes to construct, from removing the box to us popping Neve in for her first ride!

My first impressions were that it looks fantastic! Having had a SmarTrike a number of years ago I was really impressed with the new features, whilst it had kept some of the original elements which Erin had loved.

You can see the trike in action on our video below!

Key Features

Sun Canopy – The style of the canopy has changed since our original trike, and definitely for the better. The retractable sun canopy is now consortia style. This is lower to Neve’s head than the old style twisting flat canopy and as such, created a lot more protection against the sun. It has come away from the frame a couple of times when using it, but is relatively straightforward to click back into place.

Recliner

Oh my goodness this is excellent! The amount of times I had taken Erin out in the trike for her to get tired walking back from the park and the cursed myself for not having taken the pushchair. Previously this would have resulted in a screaming baby whilst I rushed home as fast as possible – not anymore!

Using the two buttons either side of the seat, the back rest can be reclined slightly into a more relaxed seating position, meaning that Neve was able to rest back in her seat and drift off to sleep on our way home.

She was so comfortable in fact (and napping is such a rarity in this house!) that I wheeled her into the garden and left her snoozing for a little while (in sight!) whilst I watched Neighours – happy days 🙂

Multi Purpose Storage Bag

The small parent bag at the top of the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity is really useful for popping in smaller items that you need to access quickly, such as your keys, purse or baby wipes. However, there are times when a small space just doesn’t cut it, and carrying a changing bag isn’t a fun option. The large multi purpose storage bag is FANTASTIC, and I was able to fit a fair amount of items inside – we popped to the shop and I was able to take my camera, my changing mat and nappies, and still had room to pop in a book from a charity shop and a few groceries in with room to spare.

Phone

The phone accessory on the SmarTrike 5-in-1  Infinity is lots of fun for Neve to play with and at the perfect height. It is so handy to have something at easy reach for them to play with which cannot be dropped or discarded. The phone makes subtle music and sounds – but they are not at all overbearing. Neve found the little ariel perfect for chewing on – extra handy when you have some teeth coming through!

Steering & Ease of Movement

From a parents point of view, the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity is really easy to steer. I was able to do so one handed with ease, and found it very easy to manoeuvre round corners or to avoid other children running past us in the park! The Trike has it’s own easy to apply break, which can be flicked on and off with one foot.

As a Mum of two, being able to steer one handed whilst still holding the hand of my eldest makes this the perfect way to get out and about in the park. Erin also loves helping push her sister along, with the adjustable handlebar just at the right height for her! 🙂

Overall we absolutely LOVE the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity, and I am looking forward to transitioning the trike to the other stages as Neve grows in size and confidence. The only real con of the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity has to be storing it, as it is obviously rather on the large side. We don’t have a porch, so have to pop ours into the shed at night,but I would rather not leave it outside as it could get wet / sun damaged. That said, the handlebar does slot down to a smaller size and as such, I was able to easily pop into the boot when required.

You can learn more about the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity Recliner on the SmarTrike website.

*Disclosure – we were sent the SmarTrike 5-in-1 Infinity Recliner free of charge for the purpose of this review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own*