www.ibertinc.com
Our almost-unhealthy affection for all things bike-related is perhaps best illustrated by our desire to get our kids on two wheels as quickly as possible. But when walking still proves to be a challenge for our future Gearzilla testers, we embrace the next-best thing. The iBert Child Seat is our favorite way to get kids on the road before they can run. Unlike most child seats, the iBert puts the kids front-and-center on the handlebars, which affords two advantages: your child has a view of the path ahead (not your back) and you can see your child’s face as it registers glee (or fear) as you pedal. The brightly colored padded seat is anchored to the handlebars via a metal post, which aligns the iBert with the handlebars, rather than the bike (meaning, it turns when you turn). The three-point harness straps your budding Armstrong in place, with a plastic, hinged safety bar across the infant’s lap. In use, the lightweight seat, with passenger, didn’t terribly affect the bike’s handling; three pedal revolutions into a ride, and you can adjust to the extra weight. And a few long-limbed testers found that their knees never got tangled. The plastic bar itself proved somewhat flimsy—one dexterous 18-month-old could open it herself, but the harness kept her fully in place.  The seat also comes off the bike by simply removing the connecting pin, great for when you ride sans enfante.  Unlike some seats, there’s no headrest, so we suggest shorter rides rather than full-day outings for the very young. Recommended age range runs from about 12 months to four years, but by that time we suspect your kid will be peddling solo.