Doona Liki vs Globber Explorer for a Bigger Baby – Which One Would You Choose?

[LittleDoveMama]

Hi moms! I need some advice 😊
My daughter is turning one soon, and we’re thinking of getting her a parent-controlled trike as a first birthday gift. I’m currently torn between the Doona Liki Trike and the Globber Explorer.
She’s 11 months old and a little bigger/chubbier than average for her age, so seat space and comfort are really important to me. I’d also like something she can use for as long as possible as she grows.
For those who have tried either (or both):

• Which one feels roomier and more comfortable for a bigger baby?
• Which one has better steering and parent control?
• Which one did your child use for longer?
• Is Doona’s compact fold worth choosing it over Globber?
• If you could buy again, which one would you choose?

I’d also love to hear what you got your baby for their first birthday and which gifts actually ended up being useful long-term. Thank you! 🤍

If she still fits in the pram, I'd hold off. She doesn't know its her birthday so won't care, but she'll change enormously in the next 6 months, going from a baby to a child. My 16 month old is already getting excited by other children's scooters and balance bikes at the playground and would find a trike-pram boring already. Plus th trikes encourage sitting rather than activity because the pedals aren't practical so they're really no better than a pram.

First reply nails it. First birthday gift was a small play set for the garden. A slide I could lift them onto to begin with, a few steps to the platform when they could manage, a steering wheel to turn, a climbing wall with about four holds and space underneath to make a secret den. Got used for years

Yours did better than mine! He got a small football and cake to share at nursery while mummy and daddy went to the spa in his honour to celebrate that we'd all survived his first year. I'll probably buy him a scooter when he's 18m though to make up for it.

My MIL was a dreadful overbuyer, had to work quite hard to think of something different. She had already bought a little push along trike, far less sophisticated than the two linked above. Barely used because no basket to stash change bag, no sunshade etc

Thank you, this is actually a really good point! I hadn’t thought about how much she’ll change over the next six months. I was considering a trike mainly because she’s turning one and I wanted to get her something she could enjoy now but also use for a while. She’s quite active already, so maybe waiting and getting her a balance bike or scooter when she’s a little older would make more sense. 😊

That actually sounds like such a lovely first birthday gift, especially since they could grow into it and use it in different ways at each stage. I hadn’t even considered a little garden play set, but I’m definitely going to look into one now. Thank you for the idea! 😊

The whole idea of getting her a trike actually came from seeing how excited she gets whenever she sees parent-controlled trikes like the Doona, Globber or Micro — she literally starts clapping! 😂 So I thought, if I’m going to get her one anyway, why not make it her first birthday present? But it honestly never occurred to me that it might discourage her from being active and make her more inclined to just sit and be pushed around. That’s definitely given me something to think about!

The whole trike idea actually came from how excited she gets when she sees Doona, Globber or Micro trikes — she literally claps! 😂 So I thought, why not make it her first birthday present? I was leaning towards a Globber or Micro since they can grow with her, but I honestly hadn’t considered that it might discourage her from being active. Maybe waiting a little and seeing how she develops makes more sense!

Hahaha you’re right, we’re the ones who deserve a present! 😂 What a year… I honestly feel like I’ve been through a war. A whole year has gone by and I genuinely have no idea how! 😂