Best Skates, Skateboards & Scooters
SAFETY - For best protection, we strongly recommend that children wear helmets and knee pads when riding. AWARDS - ASTRA Best Toy Award 2014, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum, Gold and SNAP Award Seals 2009, 2010 and 2011, Parents’ Choice Award 2010, Learning Express Best Toy Award Outdoor 2009, Tillywig Top Fun Award 2014. Swiss-designed, the Micro Mini is also known as the "Mini Kick" - it is the quality choice in 3-wheel scooters for young children ages 3-5.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We originally pick up a scooter at walmart for our 3 yr old daughter - dont remember the name brand - see picture of pink scooter. The brake cover was hard plastic that my daughter couldnt step on hard enough to stop, so she would have to jump off or run into something to stop."
"Love, love, love this scooter!"
"He learned to ride it easily (he was a bit ahead of the curve physically), and was zooming around on it after two weeks. I broke it down and easily packed it for a trip to Portland, and it allowed us to explore more readily on foot during our vacation."
"We gave this scooter to our short 2 year old for her 2nd birthday."
"It was easy to put together, just snap the handle bar into the piece with the wheels. It was enough that I had to check the box (it says blue) and the Amazon page (to see if purple is even offered)."
"Today as we were riding down the sidewalk, not going fast or doing anything strange, on a scooter only TWO MONTHS OLD, the brake just fell off again. I just spoke with the company and although they were very helpful and assured me that the brake could be easily replaced, they also told me that this is very likely to happen due to the way it's constructed. That's fine to say, but if a child is used to using one and trying to stop even at a regular speed as he/she approaches a street, the brake suddenly not being there is going to throw them."
Now your kids can safely, quietly and effectively drive themselves with the Razor E100 Electric Scooter! 8" pneumatic front tyre, Urethane rear wheel, Kick start, high-torque, chain-driven motor; Some assembly required. Features a hand operated rear brake, spring loaded kickstand, and a 8-inch pneumatic front tire for a smooth ride. Scooter includes with a UL Approved battery charger, and all the tools needed for its light assembly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"+ Start Mechanism: E100 - Requires push start before motor engages; E200 and E300 will engage motor from a stand-still. + Recommended Age: E100 - 8 and up; E200 and E300 - 13 and up. + Tires: E100 - 8" inflatable tire on front, 4.9" polyurethane rear wheel; E200 - 8" inflatable tires; E300 - 10" extra wide inflatable tires. After comparing all the specs and prices, I decided the E100 would fit our needs perfectly. In our experience, you can get up to an hour of run time from a single charge, and a depleted battery pack can be fully recharged within 8 hours. :)."
"I can tell you that only rain and wet roads have prevented him from riding it daily! Every day since then, I have found him being diligent to charge it and eager to ride it. The large, pneumatic tire up front makes quick work of bumps and rocks. It will not stop my 9-year-old (65 lbs) son when he's rolling down our slightly sloped driveway. The rear wheel is like one on a regular Razor scooter - solid and slick. This works well on most dry surfaces, but be careful because it can and will slide in more situations than a grooved, rubber tire would. The drive chain attaches on right side of the back wheel, and it has a cover over it. That sounds like it should be a good thing, but the cover is actually so large that it prevents most right turns. Don't expect that your kid will continue to use it as a push scooter when the battery dies. Summary: This scooter is a good buy for the money, and so long as you are aware of the issues that come with it, it will make for a fun toy."
"Takes a few tries for the younger kids to get used to so make sure they are all padded up...eventually they'll get the hang of it and will fall in love."
"Once it's charged it gives about 40 to 45 mins of ride time."
"We charged them overnight and our 7 year old rode his almost all day the next day with very few breaks."
"I never write reviews but I don't want anyone else to purchase this scooter and waste their money. What a total waste of money!!"
Instead of the traditional four-wheel skateboard, this amazing board can make smooth, quick 360-degree turns on just two wheels. The board offers such features as spiked traction pads, a kick tail and nose, and a concave deck design, which combine to improve your foot control--a must for tricks. And thanks to the 76mm polyurethane wheels and precision ABEC-5 bearing casters, skaters will enjoy a smooth ride on almost any type of pavement. Inclined caster trucks Concave deck platforms Traction plates Kick nose Kick tail Rubber-padded handle Torsion bar 76-millimeter polyurethane wheels High-performance ABEC-5 bearings For ages 8 years and older 220-pound rider weight capacity. Pivoting deck and 360-degree caster trucks enable snowboard-like carving.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"do not hop on it thinking you are a teenager still because you will fall on your butt. i have given up attempting to ride it and have let my daughter keep it for herself."
"We have four kids and when we first got it my 8 year old at the time could not ride it, but the others 10, 13, 15 year old could ride it within 24 hours."
"I bought 2 of these for my twin nieces for Christmas and I just KNOW they are going to dig these."
"It really is a lot of fun."
"Happy Birthday, 9 year old son!"
"Teenage nephew is a skateboard phenatic."
"The Ripstik Caster Board came in a nice box and there was nothing to assemble, thank goodness!"
"However, it was close to his birthday and I knew he wanted it and I gave it. I didn't like the fact though, that on the box, it clearly shows a YOUNG child using it, but the inside directions say not for FIVE or under."
Best Inline & Roller Skating Equipment
Size: Adults: Elbow (min 9.5" max 13.5"). Knee (min 12.5" max 17"). Youth / Child: Elbow (min 6" max 9"). Knee (min 8" max 15"). Suitable Sport: Skateboard Skateboarding. inline skating. Bicycle Ride Bike Cycling. BMX bike. Outdoor activities. Other extreme sports. Multiple adjustable elastic straps and Velcro closures for secure fit for various knee girths.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I originally purchased 4 different sets of pads so that each of my boys would have pads that not only looked different so that we could easily tell them apart, but also matched their bikes. The major difference is that in addition to the very sturdy straps, this set has a stretchy material behind the pad that holds them in place - like a knee pad for volleyball does. The other sets only have straps that don't even keep the pads in place."
"The only damage I got was a scraped Jay Leno chin, bruised left knee, and road rash to my hip and right arm. My knee is bruised a bit, but I can only imagine what other damage might have happened had I NOT been wearing these pads!"
"The plastic protectors on the wrist guards are great for forward falls when they put their hands out, it prevents them from smashing their bones."
"Excellent pads, rest assured if your child falls he/she will be protected."
"I recently started longboarding was looking for something for protection so I could be a little less anxious to try out new things, I think I got lucky on these one, they fit very nice and I'm a Small Frame 5'5" 24 year old guy, but I feel its still a Good fit for anyone till a Large frame."
"My kids are very active skateboarders and rollerbladers and very rough on equipment."
"Each pad features a very sturdy velcro on the top and the bottom which makes them very comfortable for anyone that has larger legs than average."
"I bought these and within 20 minutes of having them on the fabric on the knee pad, which is definitely too big for the average sized female, started to fray."
Best Scooters & Equipment
SAFETY - For best protection, we strongly recommend that children wear helmets and knee pads when riding. AWARDS - ASTRA Best Toy Award 2014, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum, Gold and SNAP Award Seals 2009, 2010 and 2011, Parents’ Choice Award 2010, Learning Express Best Toy Award Outdoor 2009, Tillywig Top Fun Award 2014. Swiss-designed, the Micro Mini is also known as the "Mini Kick" - it is the quality choice in 3-wheel scooters for young children ages 3-5.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We originally pick up a scooter at walmart for our 3 yr old daughter - dont remember the name brand - see picture of pink scooter. The brake cover was hard plastic that my daughter couldnt step on hard enough to stop, so she would have to jump off or run into something to stop."
"You can buy a cheaper scooter for sure but this one is the best value and getting whole family outside and exercising is pretty priceless."
"If the scooter can hold up to toddlers, preschoolers and big kids all day, everyday, in a public play area... that's the kind of quality we want!"
"This is great for a little kid's first wheels."
"When I was about to return it, I figured out that the wheels turn in the direction the handle bars lean."
"We initially bought a different scooter with one wheel in the front and two wheels in the back because I thought it would make it more stable."
"Today as we were riding down the sidewalk, not going fast or doing anything strange, on a scooter only TWO MONTHS OLD, the brake just fell off again. I just spoke with the company and although they were very helpful and assured me that the brake could be easily replaced, they also told me that this is very likely to happen due to the way it's constructed. That's fine to say, but if a child is used to using one and trying to stop even at a regular speed as he/she approaches a street, the brake suddenly not being there is going to throw them."
Best Skateboarding Equipment
Pivoting deck and 360-degree caster trucks enable snowboard-like carving.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"do not hop on it thinking you are a teenager still because you will fall on your butt. i have given up attempting to ride it and have let my daughter keep it for herself."
"My 9 yo daughter loves this!"
"He loves that the movement of the board creates the momentum, unlike a skateboard."
"This has endured my son riding about seven miles a week on it."
"12 year old son loves it!"
"my son has had a blast learning to ride with the other children in the neighborhood."
"Its so fun to play things like frisbee and LAX off of them, and we have started doing tricks like wheelies, hang tens , and going up and down curbs."
Best Water Sports
Stearns Basic Puddle Jumper. Choose a fun, floatable swimming aid for your child! US Coast Guard-approved Type V/III life jacket for kids. Adjustable buckle at the back offers a secure fit.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He's 10 months-old today, weighing about 8.5 kg/ 19 lbs and has decided that he is too big for a baby floatie ring."
"My son has been in the water at a very early age and wants freedom so that is why I purchased this even though it's technically a little big on him. It is important with relying on any floatation device to know what your child is capable of AND you never leave them unattended by water. My son did not like it at first but we made him feel comfortable and honestly at his age and with his determination it's the only way he can be in our pool at the moment. I purchased this 3 months ago and with regular use and exposed to hot sun drying it has begun fading and the design is coming off."
"I bought this product based on seeing a friend throw a 3 year old into the deep end of a swimming pool while wearing this."
"They're easy to put on, my kids (both with sensory processing disorder) don't fight with me when I tell them they have to wear them, and it provides major peace of mind with a child that doesn't know how to swim yet."
"Obviously nothing is a replacement for vigilantly watching children around water but these make it possible for me to introduce my kids safely to the water."
"She's just learning to swim this year and it gives her the confidence to stay in the pool and not clinging to one of us for dear life."
"We initially bought some cheap, plastic arm floaties during a family vacation in Florida but they weren't enough to keep my 2.5 year old's head above water - they weren't that effective at keeping her body balanced so she ended up swallowing a ton of pool water."
Best Winter Sports Equipment
50% Cotton/50% Polyester.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Shipping took a little though, so don't expect to get the item quickly."
"It's really comfortable, great soft warm fabric, nice pocket in the middle, pretty bright vivid royal blue, I wear it to work at my warehouse job, it's warm, comfy and it holds my cell phone well."
"price was right and needed red hoodies for work so i got em, so much cheaper than buying through the store and better brand."
"Very pleased with this purchase Pullover fits as expected."
"After shopping a few brick and mortar stores for a new women's hoodie, I ordered a men's size small on Amazon."
"My husband takes a L and I sized up to an XL and I really didn't have to, the XL for like an XL, a touch too big but it's ok."
"So that really ruined the fit of it all for me but otherwise, I suppose someone would be happy with this but I can't stand having something constantly rubbing my wrists in such an awkward and itchy way."
"It was actually pretty hard to get around my neck and arms when first trying it on because of how tight it was."
Best Outdoor Recreation Accessories
Get PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to maximize workouts, better measure calorie burn all day and to gauge how your cardiovascular health and fitness levels change over time — all without an uncomfortable chest strap. Stay connected with call, text and calendar alerts on your wrist and transform your Charge 2 from workout to night out with stylish accessory bands. Our #1 selling fitness wristband - built with PurePulse heart rate, multi-sport modes, guided breathing sessions & interchangeable bands. Track all-day activity like steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes;Find moments of calm throughout your day with personalized guided breathing sessions based on your heart rate, Like all heart rate tracking technologies, accuracy is affected by physiology, location of device, and different movements.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found the Fitbit to be an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch. The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max). Other features: Clearly the fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Accuracy: Tie. I have no idea what the negative reviews are talking about (Maybe they received a defective device or have exceptionally hairy arms?). The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the fitbit. I haven't decided which one I will be keeping yet, but if I were basing my decision on fitness alone, at a non competitive level, I would choose the fitbit hands down. There are other useful features that make the Apple watch appealing in my line of work, so I'll have to weigh those into my decision. The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate me to workout anymore than my iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. I have a 7 inch wrist and the large band fits me on the last 2-4 holes (keep it loose when not working out)."
"As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered: 1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale. 5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well). Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. CONS: - vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second. I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days."
Best Outdoor Recreation Clothing
Zipper closure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is an excellent fleece sweater with great length where other sweaters lack for me."
"Perfect for fall and spring so I purchased different colors for everyone in my family."
"Fits pretty close to expected."
"I got all my family members one for Christmas year before last and they still have them and wear them regularly, this seller has some great stuff and awesome customer service, I had to message with size changes and when everything arrived the has gotten it all right!!!"
"I bought seven sweaters, seven colors, at different times."
"I bought this jacket as a birthday gift for a friend and it was perfect!"
"I thought I'd give this one a try, it is very soft, stitching good and zipper."
"So you may want to order a size down."
Best Camping & Hiking Equipment
Removes minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites, and filters to 0.2 microns; surpasses EPA filter standards.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"On top of one of the lower peaks, I drank from the most disgusting looking crevice filled with brown scum (see photo). Get one for your outdoor adventures, and one for your bug-out bag, which everyone should have in case of natural disaster (or apparently civil war, because the world seems to have gone mad)."
"In the past I always carried a General Ecology First Need XL water purifier and refilled nalgene bottles with it. When you're at high altitudes in the mountains this leads to longer "drink breaks" since you can get winded pretty easy while trying to suck up water through the LifeStraw."
"As soon as I got this thing in the mail I went straight to the nastiest, most contaminated thing I could find."
"UPDATE - 4-25-2016. After more than 3-years of numerous weekend and 2-week excursions, my very first LifeStraw would not produce anymore clean filtered water. I really don't know how many liters of water that was used, but I can say this....with the coffee filter attached to this unit it out last my friends LifeStraw more than a year. Now, I use a Portable Siphon Hand Liquid Transfer Pump with this unit."
"So I intentionally got lost in the wilderness with a couple friends with the LifeStraw in my pocket and nothing else. We were going to die of dehydration out in the redwood wilderness, huddled around a useless LifeStraw. So I grab a cup of water and dunk the LifeStraw into it, letting it soak for a few minutes. Frantically I call my friends and tell them how it wasn't a piece of junk and how we were just stupid guys who didn't read the directions."
"Link to video of review: [...]. Link to purchase: [...]. Tested it in 3 locations. 1."
Best Climbing Equipment
Keep in mind the Walk may look smaller than your actual shoe size, but are designed to stretch considerably to fit appropriately over your shoes or boots. Made In USA: Designed and manufactured in the USA to the highest quality and performance standards, the Walk offer a secure fit for shoes and boots and are easy to pull on and remove.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Upon inspection the product looks great and I would have given both pair 5 stars except the sizes promoted on the website are not accurate."
"My size L cleats are perfect."
"These are great for walking on the hard-packed ice that happens in New England after we have several freeze-thaw cycles and all the hiking paths become skating rinks."
"Gripped the ice well, but note, take them off before going inside of course not only to protect your floors, but while they offer traction on ice, they'll actually be very slippery on a tile floor."
"They make me feel safe and secure as I track down my icy sloped driveway here in New England and I have been able to walk my dog on icy trails without any slips or falls."
"We regularly got severe ice storms and all our roads were quite hilly, so for 10 years, all 180 of us tried every type of ice cleats we could find, from very expensive professional quality crampons designed for glacier climbing, to very low budget ones. As a result, we became very familiar with the quality and durability of the different types of rubber used in ice cleats. Unfortunately, as soon as I stretched the rubber of the Stabilicers, my heart sank because the sides were so extremely flimsy, just like all the other rubber cleats we had tried over the years."
"Caused me to walk on the outside of my foot and throws my balance off."
"I pick it up only to realize the front rubber strap snapped."
Best Cycling Equipment
Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2—the all-new heart rate and fitness wristband built for all-day, workouts and beyond. PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found the Fitbit to be an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch. The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max). Other features: Clearly the fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Accuracy: Tie. I have no idea what the negative reviews are talking about (Maybe they received a defective device or have exceptionally hairy arms?). The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the fitbit. I haven't decided which one I will be keeping yet, but if I were basing my decision on fitness alone, at a non competitive level, I would choose the fitbit hands down. There are other useful features that make the Apple watch appealing in my line of work, so I'll have to weigh those into my decision. The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate me to workout anymore than my iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. I have a 7 inch wrist and the large band fits me on the last 2-4 holes (keep it loose when not working out)."
"As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered: 1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale. 5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well). Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. CONS: - vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second. I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days."