August 22, 2011

iBert safe-T-seat Child Seat Review

This child seat is mountain high and close to the handlebars, nestling it snugly between the rider’s arms.

Written by: Gwendal Castellan

biking with kids

Reviewed by Gwendal Castellan

$99.95 USD; $139.95 + taxes CAD

wibertinc.com

Maximum carrying capacity: 38 pounds (17 kilograms)

The iBert safe-T-seat is a a front seat mounted on the stem of the handlebars. The child seat is mountain high and close to the handlebars, which puts it snugly between the rider’s arms.

Pros

The seat is high enough that the rider generally does not have to splay or bow their knees as they pedal to avoid the seat. The mounting mechanism is easy to install on most bicycles and, when not in use, it is easy to remove the seat from the mounting bracket so you can ride your bike solo.

Cons

There is no head rest, so if they fall asleep you may find their head resting on your arms. Although very solid, we found there was a little side to side play between the mounting bracket and the seat. The manufacturer acknowledges this in the mounting instructions as a normal characteristic of the product.

Ideal Rider

The manufacturer recommends the seat be used for children one to four years of age with a maximum weight of 38 pounds (17 kilograms).

Overall

The seat was surprisingly well-balanced and steering with the child in the seat was smooth and easy. Loading and unloading the child while balancing the bicycle felt safe and straightforward.

2 Comments

Adrian
June 23, 2012
I have and like the Ibert too. They have just released a new version with a steering wheel/head support attachment. It looks like it will fit on to the older model seat as well.
Lisa C
April 26, 2012
Something that I’ve found when riding with the iBert is that the seat doesn’t get in the way of the turning radius of the bike at all. All the other front mounted seats I tried had the child’s feet coming down beside the frame, which limits the turning of the front wheel. I think the fact that the bike handles similarly with or without the seat means we’re safer, should we need to make a quick turn to avoid collision, for instance.
The fact that the iBert has no head support is a disadvantage when the child falls asleep, but it means that more people can use the seat because it allows more room between the seat & the adult rider. I found the Polisport Bilby Jr. hit me in the chest, so I couldn’t buy it, but the iBert has lots of clearance.
I love the seat & highly recommend it.