The Koala Mom contributor CH recently had a chance to try out a McLaren scooter with her children. Here’s her thoughts on adding a scooter to their outdoor toy selection, and how this scooter is a great option for kids and their parents too.
When Bonnie asked if we wanted to try out a Mclaren scooter, I knew right away the resounding answer from my kids would be yes!
My kids are definitely outdoor kids. I am not sure if they got this way by choice, or because my husband and I have always kicked them outside to play year round. Regardless of how it started, they can easily spend two to three hours outside without batting an eye. Another outdoor activity is always welcome at our house.
CH received a complimentary scooter for this review; all opinions expressed remain her own.
The kids learn valuable skills outside playing with their siblings. Sharing, a pretty obvious but still vitally important skill, is regularly put to the test. One scooter, 4 kids old enough to ride it. Simple math shows that it would not be available whenever each child desired it. So far so good.
There has been no serious fighting, but I don’t think that is a reflection of how much they liked the scooter. More, it is a reflection of how this social experiment of freedoms and privileges was tied to their abilities to self govern. I also have made it pretty clear that I wouldn’t share if there was fighting; after all, the scooter was delivered to the door with my name on it.
Speaking of delivery, I was pretty impressed with how it shipped. It arrived in a nice sturdy box, with a handwritten note included to thank me for taking time to review their product. McLaren is definitely a stand up company.
Get Scootering!
Set up was a breeze: open, unfold and away you go. This got me thinking that if it could fold like that for shipping, surely that folding feature could be useful elsewhere as well. Bringing it in the vehicle, even an already stuffed-to-the-rafters van like we have, would be no problem. Stuff it in a school locker: also no problem! Bring it to the park, a friend’s house, or grandma’s house; there are lots of ways to keep the fun going.
This scooter has nice shocks and a kickstand, so is nicely built for a full day of riding, whether at the skateboard park, across the grass, or along the sidewalk.
The wheels on this scooter are much larger than I have seen on any other scooter. I tried it myself and found it to be a very nice, smooth ride. I could get going with minimal effort. With adjustable handle bar height, and nicely sized foot platform, it felt very comfortable to use.
I have been thinking of how great it would be to keep in the van and when I have to park a ways back from an appointment or cover a bit of a distance, it would be very helpful as I have been getting foot pain while walking. I would say that maybe this isn’t just a scooter for kids in this capacity.
The Many Uses of a Scooter
If you want to take it a step further and do some skateboard park tricks, this scooter can handle that too. With a maximum weight of 100KG and handle bar height ranging from 78 to 99 cm, many a mom or dad could make use of it. It could be used if mom or dad has to keep up with kids on bikes when they are not fast enough to bike with, but not a comfortable walking pace either. It is certainly nice to have a bit of fun riding along with them.
What about getting the mail? Add a little fun to your day too, or I am sure an older child or teenager would be more than happy to do that task if a scooter ride was involved! I see this as such a multi-use and multi-user scooter that I am so happy to have been able to add it to the collection of outdoor toys. The instructions state 8+ and true to form, our 8-year-old handles it great. The scooter doesn’t skip a beat keeping up with myself or my 14-year-old either. It is so versatile, and so well built.
If you plan to do tricks with it, make sure to tighten the handle bars as I imagine them going down suddenly might be a hazard. With regular use, a quick up and down and throw the lever seems fine though. I really like the bigger wheels, it makes for a smooth ride and minimal effort to cover more distance. I could honestly see this scooter working well for a kids walk to school, or a commute for mom or dad.
As a full-of-aches-and-pains adult, even I could ride it for a 20 minute to half hour daily commute. Not sure about the snow or rain yet, but it will be tried with our group for sure. This is definitely a scooter built to last and should get some good use out of it. I love that it has a kickstand so it is not laying sideways taking up space or getting damaged handlebars. It seems like a very sturdy product that is so versatile; that one purchase would see a user through many seasons of use.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to try this scooter, thanks to Bonnie and the nice people at McLaren’s. If you decide to give this scooter a try, explore their website and all the products they have to offer. Maybe a couple of scooters works better for your family, and you would like to go for longer rides together. Maybe one for Mom and Dad too!
Perhaps you have children of different ages who would benefit from a scooter tailored to their needs. Check out the Mclaren website and you will see they have a collection of scooters to get everyone in the family on wheels. Staying active as a family can be such a benefit for everyone’s wellbeing, and certainly a worthwhile investment. Family time is so precious, so whatever your shared passions are, enjoy this time as it rolls by so quickly.
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