SmarTrike Wonder Max Stroller-Trike review: “My daughter would choose the trike over her pushchair every time”

Our verdict

“I absolutely love it! This wipes the floor with the other trike we have used,” says parent tester Nicola after four weeks with the SmarTrike Wonder Max.

While it’s more expensive than some toddler trikes, the Wonder Max’s smooth steering, lightweight frame and compact fold made it practical enough to use for everyday journeys rather than just occasional trips to the park.

“I have been using this most days since we received it and I know that as soon as the new school term starts, we will be using it every single day for the school run as it is much more convenient for me to get out and push than our pushchair. My daughter prefers to be in it over her pushchair.”

Its 360-degree front wheel and reverse mode are standout features, allowing Nicola to take control when her toddler didn’t want to pedal, while the wide parent handle made it genuinely easy to push one-handed. The reclining padded seat, footrest and five-point harness also meant her toddler was happy riding in it for longer days out.

There are a few compromises. Storage is limited to a small rear pocket, the canopy is quite thin and Nicola found the lightweight trike could tip slightly if her daughter put all her weight to one side. It also struggled on deeper gravel, although it handled most everyday surfaces well.

Compared with Nicola’s previous £65 Puggle 3-in-1 Trike, which broke after two months, the difference in quality was clear. “I would choose the SmarTrike Wonder Max every single time,” she says. “It feels strong and well-made.”

The SmarTrike Wonder Max is quick and easy to assemble

How we tested the SmarTrike Wonder Max

• Tested for four weeks with a two-and-a-half-year-old

• Used several times a week during the summer holidays

• Used for trips to the playground, local shops and family days out to National Trust properties

• Tested on pavements, grass, gravel, cobbles and bark chippings

Once testing was complete, Nicola scored the SmarTrike Wonder Max on the following criteria: performance, quality and durability, ease of use, value for money, safety and stability, comfort, adjustability and portability.

SmarTrike Wonder Max: what’s in the box?

Inside the box you’ll find:

• The SmarTrike Wonder Max frame and seat

• Three wheels

• Removable safety bar

• Three-stage canopy

• Instruction manual

• Travel passport

There are no tools or additional accessories included.

Is the SmarTrike Wonder Max easy to assemble?

Yes. Nicola had the SmarTrike Wonder Max ready to use within minutes. “The trike was super easy to set up. No tools needed,” she says. “Although it included the instruction manual, I found that I didn’t actually need it as it was very straightforward to put together in a few minutes.”

The wheels and safety bar simply click into place and unfolding it is equally straightforward. “You literally hold either end of the trike and it pops up like a pop-up tent,” Nicola says.

To fold it, Nicola pressed the button marked with a power symbol on the seat and folded the seat back, allowing the trike to collapse in on itself.

There wasn’t much waiting around before its first test either. “I clicked the wheels and safety bar on and popped it up - so easy to put up! - and my daughter parked herself on it instantly.”

How does the SmarTrike Wonder Max look?

Nicola tested the Deep Sage Wonder Max, which she describes as “stylish and on trend” with a frame that looks “expensive and robust.”

“It’s super streamlined, not at all bulky, and it looks nice and compact stored in our small hallway,” she says.

The fabric feels good quality and the seat has some padding for comfort, while the plastic wheels are practical to wipe clean.

Nicola particularly liked the design of the safety bar and parent handle. “They are solid and both easy to use, which gives me peace of mind that my daughter is safe.”

The parent handle was a big improvement on trikes she’d previously used. “A lot of other trikes have stick handle bars which are actually quite awkward to push and end up needing both hands to use. The SmarTrike has definitely been designed for parents to use over a buggy, as the bar is comfortable to hold and you only need one hand.”

The three-stage canopy is easy to pull up and down and has a viewing window for checking on your child, although Nicola felt the material was quite thin. The canopy also includes a mesh panel for extra airflow.

Nicola found the Wonder Max useful for everyday walks, with room for a small bag behind the seat.

How does the SmarTrike Wonder Max perform day to day?

“The trike is very easy to use and I have found that I have used it more than the pushchair,” says Nicola. “The only reason I choose the pushchair over the trike is for the storage basket on the pushchair, but the trike is a lot smoother to use.”

The removable safety bar can be released from either side, rather than having to be taken off completely, so Nicola’s toddler could climb into the seat independently. “I have to lift her into her pushchair but with the trike all I have to do is release the safety bar from one side and she climbs over the frame and gets in by herself,” Nicola says.

Nicola’s favourite feature was the 360-degree front wheel. “My daughter loves it when in the 360 mode - there is a patented white button on the front wheel that you can click on and off depending on if your child wants to use the pedals themselves or if you want to take full control over manoeuvring. This is genius to me as my daughter doesn’t always want to pedal, so it’s much easier for me to take control,” she says. “It is very much a stroller and a trike, and it is easy to change between the two.”

Steering is exceptionally light. Nicola’s six-year-old was even able to push his sister around: “It's so easy to push that my six-year-old could push the SmarTrike with no problem.”

The Wonder Max performed well on most surfaces too. “The front wheel has shock absorbers so it is superb on pavements. It works just as well on grass which has been a bonus on our family days out. It still moved well on cobbles and on bark chippings in the playground.”

It coped with lightly gravelled paths, but deeper gravel proved more challenging and Nicola sometimes needed to tilt the trike slightly to get through. “The only time she complained was when we tested the trike on the gravel and I had to tilt it backwards, but I think this was mainly because she likes to be in control!” Nicola says.

The mesh storage pocket held a water bottle and small essentials within easy reach.

Is the SmarTrike Wonder Max comfortable and safe?

“My daughter looks and seems very comfortable in the trike,” says Nicola. “She usually prefers to walk but I have found that she has been asking a lot to go on her trike when we’re out.”

The roomy, padded seat gives toddlers plenty of space to sit comfortably on longer outings. It reclines to 140 degrees and there’s a footrest for children who don’t want to use the pedals. The child handlebars can also be adjusted.

“On one day out, my daughter spent most of the time in the trike rather than walking, so I take this as a clear sign that it is comfortable enough for her.”

Nicola also liked the five-point harness and sturdy brake. “The brake is super easy to apply and feels like it will endure a lot of use. Press down with your foot to put it on and lift under the bar with the top of your foot to release. This works perfectly.” The one-touch rear brake locks both back wheels at once.

There is one stability issue to be aware of. “When I took control and my daughter leaned to one side, it did tip slightly,” Nicola says. She still felt fully in control and her toddler remained secured by the five-point harness, but it’s something to bear in mind with particularly wriggly toddlers.

Nicola testing the SmarTrike Wonder Max with her child on a local walk.

What age range does the SmarTrike Wonder Max suit?

Designed for children from six months to three years, the Wonder Max is intended to adapt as they become more independent.

The reclining seat and footrest allow younger children to sit back while their parent controls the trike, while the adjustable child handlebars and pedals come into play as they get older.

As children become more confident, the large pedals can be fitted for independent riding, while the footrest is useful when they’d rather be pushed. “The child’s handlebar is adjustable which means it can be used from a younger age and, because it has the footrest as well as the pedals, it is a great investment from six months old all the way to three years,” Nicola says.

Nicola also liked that the adjustment points are picked out with white buttons against the black frame, making them easy to spot when you want to change the setup.

The parent handle isn’t adjustable, although this didn’t cause Nicola any issues. “I have used it along with my husband and six-year-old with no complaints.”

Its compact fold made the Wonder Max easy to carry and store in a hallway.

Can the SmarTrike Wonder Max be stored away easily?

Yes. This is one of its strongest features. “The easiest piece of equipment I have had to store and to clean,” says Nicola.

It folds down quickly into a compact package and has a carry handle, making it easy to transport. “I have used it by carrying it to the park as it has a handle and it is light. It does not take up much space in my boot and it definitely takes up less space than both our previous trike and our pushchair.” Nicola also found it compact enough to fit in the rear footwell if the car boot was full.

The Wonder Max is cabin-approved, which could make it useful for family holidays. As cabin-baggage restrictions vary between airlines, we’d recommend checking its folded dimensions against your airline’s allowance before travelling.

Its small folded footprint has also been particularly useful at home. “I have previously had to store other pushchairs in my car boot or the shed as we are limited on space inside the house. However, with this trike I always leave it in our hallway as it’s not in the way.”

Folded down, the Wonder Max fitted easily into Nicola’s car boot with plenty of space left over.

Does the SmarTrike Wonder Max come with accessories?

No additional accessories were included with Nicola’s Wonder Max. The main thing she missed was extra storage. There’s a slim pocket on the back of the trike, but no substantial basket or bag clip. “There is a small thin pocket on the back which one day I managed to squeeze two bottles of juice in.”

Nicola tested the Wonder Max during a particularly dry four-week period, so wasn’t able to assess how it would cope with wet weather. “The trike doesn’t come with a rain cover and the canopy is very thin, so I’m unsure how well it will fare in a wetter climate,” she says. “This is something to consider for the winter months.”

Is the SmarTrike Wonder Max easy to clean?

Yes. The seat fabric proved easy to wipe clean throughout Nicola’s four weeks of testing, despite plenty of toddler snacks and drinks.

“The seat cover is of high quality, it has been easy to wipe down and not stain while my daughter has had snacks and drinks, so I think it will continue to look good.”

The plastic wheels are similarly straightforward to clean and don’t have particularly deep tread for mud to become trapped in. Nicola found this especially useful because she could easily wipe down muddy wheels before storing the Wonder Max in her hallway.

Is the SmarTrike Wonder Max good value for money?

With an RRP of £250, the SmarTrike Wonder Max is pricey, but Nicola thought the build quality, versatility and amount of use her family got from it made the higher price worthwhile.

“The initial RRP might seem off-putting, but the patented design is 100% worth it,” she says. “The quality is easy to see by the overall design and how easy it is to manoeuvre.”

That’s particularly noticeable compared with her previous Puggle 3-in-1. “Our previous trike broke within two months, as the parent handle bar snapped off! It was also difficult for my daughter to pedal compared to the SmarTrike and it had no brake, so it didn’t feel safe to use near roads on the school run.”

In contrast, Nicola describes the Wonder Max as “the best equipment I have used for manoeuvring as it is so smooth”.

For families who’ll only use a trike occasionally, the price may be harder to justify. But if, like Nicola, you find yourself regularly choosing it instead of your regular pushchair, the Wonder Max offers much better value. Its parent-controlled and child-led modes should also help it remain useful as your child becomes more independent.

“It being lightweight and compact for transportation and storage and the child’s handlebars and seat being adjustable all make it completely worth the money.”

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head Editorial Content at Mumsnet.

With more than 10 years' experience as a full-time editor, including eight years spent writing, commissioning and editing product reviews and round-ups, Laura has developed particular expertise in buggies, car seats and baby gear. She has a keen eye for what parents genuinely value and is passionate about delivering honest, practical reviews that help make parents' lives that little bit easier.

In addition to her work as a writer and editor, she has also appeared in a number of product review videos for Mumsnet's YouTube channel.