Mookie Mini Street Cruz II Tri-Scooter (Black/Red)

Update - January 2013
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The scooter has had a year's use now and is currently being used for the daily "commute" to and from primary school. George has (obviously) grown considerably over the past year but this remains the right size to accommodate him. I re-emphasise the build quality, especially compared to some of the other vehicles I see his new school friends using, and definitely recommend this as a purchase that will stand the test of time. Oh, and one of his friends taught him how to use that back brake a few months back and now he can't get enough of proudly showing me how he can use it to stop himself ;-)

Original Review
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Our two and a half year old son is more of a thinker than a rough and tumble type toddler who's been more focused on puzzles and books than running around causing mayhem but this Christmas we decided it was time to try him out on a scooter.

We went for this one as it has two wheels at the front for stability and he *absolutely* loves it. The build quality is very high, the scooter comes with a lovely wide base he finds it easy to stand on and the handles are attached to the base with a very solid metal pole and are covered in an easy to grip rubber compound.

Right from the start, he got the hang of it and was pottering around the living room and hall with one foot on the base and the other pushing. He had no trouble at all coordinating this so I would recommend this even for the more hesitant of toddlers. I think you do need to be tall enough that the handle is at chest height to be able to use the scooter comfortably (the handle stands 66cm from the floor which is just perfect for our 93cm tall son).

The red and black colour scheme is great, bold without being garish. The scooter also has a foot brake for the rear wheel which is large and really grips, although we've not tried to introduce this to George just yet so can't comment in detail.

So, why not five stars? The manufacturer makes a selling point of the fact that the handle can be removed for easier transport and this is true. However, it is incredibly stiff. We did some travelling between Christmas and the New Year and the first time I tried to take it apart, I had to put my foot on the base and pull the handle so hard that when it came free it cracked me in the jaw, much to my son's amusement (toddlers eh). I managed a few choice words under my breath. It does seem to be getting a little easier after 3-4 times (use a small screwdriver to push the black tab which holds the handle in place and pull *carefully*) but this is the one area where I felt the design could be improved.

Sturdy version of the popular micro scooter. Bit heavier and slightly bigger. We have both these scooters and my 5 year old (the elder of the 2 girls) get's on fine with it. For less money but as much enjoyment this is a good buy, but is not as light and slim line as the well known market leader.

because we were very happy with the scamble bug (orange) we bought from mookie, we decided to purchase this scooter rather than the scooter everybody's getting (both are around the same price but we prefered the colour of the mookie- black/red). it took my 2 year old daughter less than 20 minutes to master the scooter (just in the kitchen though) then today we took her to the park: the scooter looks very robust, is very easy to put together (in two pieces) and dismantle (although you need small fingers) and it looks like my baby son will be able to enjoy that toy too (in a couple of years maybe).
most scooters are meant for 3+, but my daughter is quite bold... she does wear a helmet and elbow/knee pads.