iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

We all love this seat. I looked at some other seats that REI had and they would not fit our Mountain Bikes and did not seem as safe as the iBert. The seat completely wraps around the child and also has a pivoting lap bar for added protection. My kids want to ride every day now. It is also made in the USA!

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

As the execution of a concept, the iBert is top notch and deserves my 5 star rating. It is inexpensive, easy to install, simple in design and concept, and places your child comfortably, safely and securely in front of you. It does everything it is designed to do and does it well. If you are considering this for you and your child, make sure that having this type of seat is right for you. I started riding with my son at about one year of age, continuing now for six months, and find that he nearly always falls asleep when we ride. The same is true in his stroller when we run. Only exception is if he's had a good nap immediately beforehand. The problem with this is that when he falls asleep, there is no support for his limp body, and he sags onto my arms causing me to play pinball with his helmeted head between my biceps, or worse his head drops back onto my chest making steering difficult as there is little room for error in that close space. This is OUR "problem", which is why I don't hold it against iBert. At this stage, perhaps a rear rack carrier would be better for us as their backs are usually higher and can support a sleeping child, and our local, often shoulder-less roads are not trailer friendly. When he is awake in it, he really enjoys it. He can see everything I see and feel the wind in his face and catch bugs. I trained for a triathlon this year and many of my training rides were done with him on my street-rigged mountain bike. It is a very stable ride. I like using this and having the ability to easily interact with him, and I think that as he gets older he'll stay awake more effectively.

Having a riding position that is more upright allows more space for a growing child, and I do feel our days are numbered before I need to change handlebars or something to give me more room. My wife can't quite make this system fit for her, so she hasn't had the joy of riding with him on board her bike.

A couple of other concerns are that his hands can hang out to the sides and I find that their bouncing off my knees can get distracting quickly. Not a big deal, I just put them back inside the seat. Another observation is that drivers who usually don't yield to cyclists or purposely drive too close to them often give cyclists conspicuously carrying children a wide berth when passing. Unfortunately, they don't see the child in the iBert until they've already passed you, grazing your elbow, and are now observing the "bird" for their actions. Oncoming drivers however get a real kick out of seeing us riding together and we gets lots of smiles and waves and compliments. It's a head-turner.

If riding shotgun is for you and your little one, you will go far with the iBert. If you have a motion dozer like I do, perhaps consider alternatives.

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

My daughter loves it. She likes being able to see. It is comfortable for me to ride but I am only 5'5. The harness is horrible. You have to take helmet on and off in order to get child in or out. It is not that secure normally but when the child falls asleep it is horrible. There is no way to keep the child from smacking their head on the handle bars. I can do this for short rided but if she falls asleep I just stop because the harness is insuffecient to keep the child upright.

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

I have two decades of bike mechanic experience, and can not get the iBert to work for me. I specifically built up a steel MTB with rigid forks for the iBert. Unfortunately, there is nowhere near enough clearance for my knees, even with the iBert mounted as high up and far forward as possible. At the top of my pedal stroke each knee makes hard contact with the bottom of the iBert. I have to ride bow-legged, which I can do for about a mile before my knees start aching. I imagine small people riding bikes that are too big for them will have no problem with it. Either that or people riding bikes with an obscene amount of spacers below the stem. I am 6' and am on a 19" (size "large") Kona with a suspension-adjusted rigid fork and 1.5" of spacers below my Thomson stem, and have no chance of getting this to work for me. Too bad, my son LOVES it. If they made the steel mounting arm with a more pronounced upward angle, it might work.

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

My son and I loved the Ibert! We were able to use it from the time he was about 2 until he was just past 4. Our last ride was 2 years ago and he still asks about it.
The bike is very well balanced with the extra seat over the front wheel. I always felt that I could protect him in a fall much better as my instinct and ability would stop a fall near the front of the bike. Were he to be in the back, I would worry about him hitting the ground first as the rear would be unchecked in it's fall to the ground.
Love this product!

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

If you have a 1-3 year old child and like to cycle, the is the best thing you can buy! I have had the iBert since our first child was born and it is wonderful for casual rides. With your child between your arms, not only are they well protected, but you can talk to them, point out animals, etc. This carrier is very durable, easy to put on and remove from your bike and safe. The seat is deep enough that your child will feel very secure and comfortable. My son has even fallen asleep on longer rides. The only thing I would change is the shoulder harness design. The design makes it impossible to get the strap on/off without taking the child's helmet off first. It would be great if the harness worked more like a car seat harness, but this is a minor flaw. Please do not let this small criticism discourage you from buying this seat. It is wonderful!

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

Product is great- fits easily. provides great view for the child.we have taken our 16 month old for over 1 hour rides on this..she loves it...mostly on road...safe and snug.
Wish the shoulder straps were designed little better. Have to fit the child in and then tighten them a couple times to fit well.
seat could have had better padding..but surely doesnt make it too uncomfy for the kid.

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

My wife suggested we purchase the Ibert. I was skeptical at first. After attaching it to the bike and asking my daughter to sit in the seat I became an instant fan. I was still able to pedal without my knees having to mover laterally. The center of balance is perfect. I should also note that adjusting the straps is quick and easy. For instance the straps are set for my older daughter. But my wife wanted to put our little one in. It took her about 5 seconds to make the adjustments. I was impressed.

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

We received this seat from Grandma and Grandpa for our son's first birthday. He loved it the first time he rode in it. He could have ridden in it much sooner, probably between 6-8 months. In fact I am looking at getting a second one for our second son who is 6 months now. My son would point at the bike constantly wanting to go for a ride. Being up front he gets to see everything. It takes a just a little bit to get used to having the seat and child infront of you, but I never had a problem with it. In fact I took my son on rides until I was 8 months pregnant and it wasn't until then that I started to have a problem with the space between us. Overall this a great seat for kids. And it doesn't take up a ton of space when not in use.

Comments about iBert safe-T-seat Child Carrier:

I have seen many parents using this seat, we even borrowed one at the park and tried it out. At that point it seemed that it would work great.
I rushed to REI the same day and purchased one. when i got home i couldn't wait to install it on my wife's bike. I took it out of the box, read the instructions and that's when i found it was missing some parts, (hex key, and clips to secure the padding in place) I called the company and they said they will ship out the missing parts, Great i thought. I then go to install it (as per directions) and it didn't fit. The leg supports were hitting the handle bars before i could insert the pin. the only way it went on is by removing the "stinger" as they call it, attach it to the seat and then install the whole thing while assembled. This defeats the whole purpose of being able to take it on and off when you please.
Finally, we are all excited to go on our first family ride and here comes the safety harness issue. It is terrible. no matter how much you adjust it, it will not fit right. You cannot get it to sit in place over the shoulders like pictured in the instructions. The spaces on the back of the seat where the shoulder straps come out from are so far apart that i wonder if the designer has ever put an 18 month old in there and see if it works well.
The bottom line is that although the seat might be comfortable for short rides, the safety harness is poorly designed and cheaply made. and if your child falls asleep while riding, they slouch over the handle bars and make it difficult for you to change gears, not to mention they are very uncomfortable.