Ever wondered what ‘life without limit' looks like from a toddler's point of view? Then look no further than the unirider from the fun loving Mountain Buggy brand! We've put it through its paces, here's what we found.
Quick Summary: If you have a toddler that is bored of the constrictions that they feel a pushchair brings to their daily outings, then the unirider can add some fun and exhilaration to their travels.
Whats good?
- Great quality
- Easy to assemble
- Fun alternative way to travel
Whats not so good?
- Can take a little while to get to grips with
- Only one colour option available
- Needs two hands to push
Introduction
Always keen to excite and innovate, Mountain Buggy have already created the freerider ride on board which doubles up as a scooter. Now, a clever father from the UK has worked with Mountain Buggy to introduce us to possibly the most innovative ride on mode of transport ever created for toddlers. We’ve been putting smiles of freedom on our toddler’s faces by using the unirider with a 2 year old and a 3 year old.
Design
As a one of the kind, brand new product to the market, it is hard to compare the design of the unirider to anything else out there. One thing is for sure, the design is innovative and takes a huge great big stride outside the box. The unirider arrives in a compact, neat little box and takes approximately three minutes to assemble. We built the unirider with the ‘help’ of two very eager toddlers who were hankering after a turn on this incredible new mode of transport! The visual instructions are extremely easy to follow. The main body of the unirider consists of a 12″ air filled wheel, surrounded by a hard and durable bright yellow seat unit.
To assemble the unirider, the two parts of the handle bar slot together easily and are secured with a large screw bolt and a supplied allen key. The handle can then be slotted into the seat unit and bolted again using two large crew bolts. The bolts are easy to use and are large, so are not at all fiddly. It was easy to tighten the bolts really securely by hand without straining my hands (and I am certainly not the strongest person in town!). The unirider seat is now attached the handle and all that is left to do is slot the child handlebar into the slits in the seat unit until you hear it click into place. Voila! You are ready to roll!
It is undeniable that the overall design of the unirider is innovative and it is certainly pleasing to the eye and fun looking for the children. Coming in one colour option of yellow, the unirider will suit both boys and girls. The high quality materials feel tough and durable and not in the slightest bit flimsy. Like many of the other products that Mountain Buggy produce, the unirider is certainly built to withstand a tough life at the hands of our children and the most rugged of lifestyles.
Driveability & Rideability
So it’s definitely a case of practice makes perfect when it comes to the unirider. As we whizzed around the house (without any passengers on board!) we found a definite art to the steering and driving of the unirider. The unirider only has its one wheel to balance on and it was hard to get used to keeping balance in straight lines on this small surface area – not to mention when we tried to turn corners! We did find that a bit of speed and momentum helped with this though!
Getting the passengers on board was another practice, practice, practice situation. Before we started we popped helmets on the children, safety first, always.
The seat of the unirider seems quite small but when tested with a leggy, 17kg, nearly 5 year old, he was able to sit comfortably on the seat and pop his legs in position on the footrests.
When your dare-devil passenger first begins to learn to ride the unirider, like any such toy (balance bike, bicycle, scooter), it will take a few practices to achieve complete confidence and balance.
It is not to be sniffed at the fantastic positive attributes riding the unirider can give to your child’s physical development. Developing core muscles as a child attributes to greater control in gross and fine motor skills, in turn leading children being able to handle small tools such as paint brushes and pencils with greater accuracy and strength as they grow and develop further. Riding the unirider is the perfect core workout for your little person – but take it steady, even though your child is resting their legs whilst on a unirider, it’s quite a physical job for the passenger to keep their balance, especially if you are whizzing around at a jogging pace, your passenger might get tired!
Speaking of tiredness, the unirider is great for developing the driver’s fitness also. If you aren’t already used to giving your lungs, abs and arms a good workout then the unirider is a great way to do this! With a child of the highest weight limit taking a ride, the unirider can be quite a physical workout to push, especially if on grass or rough ground. Keeping the handlebar balanced takes some skill. We found the unirider fine to use in short bursts and even easier to use when a child at the lower end of the weight limit was riding.
Once your child has got the hang of riding the unirider, it turns into a fun filled bonding experience for parent and child if you dare to try new things together such as going over tiny bumps and over rougher terrain.
When tested with a younger passenger, at 2 years old, it was much easier to push although we did have to be careful around corners as the younger child did not seem to be able to find their balance quite so easily.
Of the children that tested the unirider out, it was a complete 50/50 split as to those who relished the thought of a ride and those who were nervous and rode with caution or did not ride at all. It is purely a matter of personality and personal preference but it might be worth popping down to your local stockist to check out a unirider in person before you splash out! One thing is for sure, all of the riders that hopped on to the unirider to save their little legs, got off again with a huge smile on their face.
Conclusion
The unirider is easy to assemble and store and made of fabulous quality materials that can definitely handle whatever you may throw at it. The 1:1 time spent pushing and riding the unirider is valuable bonding time for parent and child to enjoy great fun and make brilliant memories. It gives a great opportunity for your child to develop their core whilst helping parents to stay fit and active also.
If you have a toddler that is bored of the constrictions that they feel a pushchair brings to their daily outings, then the unirider can add some fun and exhilaration to their travels. Although it may take a bit of time and practice to get to grips with riding, once conquered, the unirider could be a great alternative to scooters and balance bikes on your days out – providing you have two hands to assist your little one with. This balance bike come unicycle hybrid is a one of a kind, unique product that could well become the next trending toy on the toddler market.
