Product test
40

Children's bike seats tested: half receive a "good" rating.

Patrick Bardelli
29.3.2018
Translation: machine translated

What is the safest way to transport my child on a bike? Stiftung Warentest" answered this question and tested 17 child bike seats for this purpose. Half of the products tested performed well. And the rest?

Which seat is the best for transporting children? That's what "Stiftung Warentest" wanted to know and tested 17 models:

5 small seats for mounting in front of the driver for children up to max. 15 kg

and

12 large seats for mounting behind the driver for children up to max. 22 kg

The test winners

Mounting in front of the rider

"Yepp Nexxt Mini" from Thule,
Verdict: good (grade 2.1*)

"Observer" from Hamax,
Verdict: good (grade 2.2*)

"Orion" from OK Baby,
Verdict: good (grade 2.2*)

Mounted behind the driver

"Caress C2" from Hamax,
Verdict: good (grade 2.2*)

"Yepp Maxi Seatpost" from Thule,
Verdict: good (grade 2.2*)

"One Maxi" from Bobike,
Verdict: good (grade 2.3*)

*Grades according to the German rating system (0.5 = very good, 5.5 = poor)

The test result

The ratings from "Stiftung Warentest" are very different: Nine seats are "good", two each are "satisfactory" and "sufficient" four seats are "inadequate".

"Stiftung Warentest" found that the two models Jockey Comfort and Jockey Relax from the Britax Römer brand were inadequate: The buckle of the straps can be opened with half the necessary force (with around 2 kg). This leads to the test result "inadequate".

It is particularly important for the seats behind the driver that the child cannot open the buckle themselves. It could free itself unobserved and tip off the bike. This is why "Stiftung Warentest" focussed for the first time on a test standard that states that the buckle of the harness must be opened with a certain amount of force (around 4 kg of pressure).

The Tiger Relax from the manufacturer Belleli and the Exclusive Mini from Bobike also received an "unsatisfactory" rating: the first contains too many PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), while the footrest of the second broke during the endurance test.

The other test criteria

  • Driving (25% weighting): Riding stability on different surfaces and pushing
  • Ergonomics for the child (20%): Comfort, suspension, seat climate and bike helmet suitability
  • Handling (20%): Instructions/assembly and attachment, daily use
  • Safety (20%): Bracket, straps, corners & edges, recognisability in the dark, labelling & warnings
  • Durability (10%)
  • Pollutants (5%)

Here you can find the complete test result

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Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.ch

From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.

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