If your little one has a wagon please tell me about it

[CanBoo]

DH and I have decided to give dd2 a wagon for her first birthday. (OK, well, I decided and he said OK )

We've decided to go for a plastic one with two molded seats so there is space for both girls. (dd1 is 3.5)
It will be used in the yard, around the neighbourhood, and possibly for some camping/zoo trips.

DH wants one of the radio flyers with canopy
Pros:
Shade protection
Can be made as a flat bottom if by some miracle one of the girls decides she wants to nap.
200 lbs weight limit
Slighly smaller. Would make it a little easier for the car.

Cons:
No door. Harder for dd2 to get in and out by herself.


I want the Step2.
Pros:
- The door. Although I know we will have to latch it properly when we actually walk with her, I remember my niece playing for hours going in and out of hers.
- Optional wagon could be a neat add-on. FIL is wondering what to give her anyways. So that could be his present.
- Seating seems to be the deepest. Would make it more comfortable for dd1.

Cons:
-No canopy available.
-Physically bigger. Can go in the car, but akward to load.
- Weight limit of 75 lbs. But my girls are currently 30 and 19 lbs only. Skinny minis.

Your favorite amongst those two?
Or would you go for something completely different?

[wookie]

we just bought a canopied step two recently (http://www.amazon.com/Step-2-786800-.../dp/B001FAA1VM) and are quite happy with it. it has some storage so i can keep hand creams etc. handy (don't ask) plus the boys' hats/mitts etc. my older ds is 4 and can get in/out by himself.

[mrsjtc]

We have a Radio Flyer very similar to the one you linked to. The difference is that ours has a blue "trunk" on the back. I can't find an exact photo of it anywhere. It was purchased at either Target or Toys'R'Us. We love it beyond words. The two seats flip up and provided enough room for my then-5 year old to fit with her 2 year old sister. (Now that she's 6, it's a little tight.) It pulls smoothly, turns well and doesn' have any areas where fingers could get pinched. There are cup holders inside, when the seats are flipped up. 4 total I believe. With the trunk on the back, it gives us plenty of roo for a bag packed with snacks and books for a day at the park. Oh and my youngest got this wagon as a gift for her first birthday. She's a bit of a monkey but getting in and out hasn't ever been a problem. The canopy is also worth it's weight in gold. When we go to town parades and such, having some shade for the girls is wonderful. A cat got into our garage and ripped ours. It's 100% worth replacing it, even for $30.

In my opinion the 75 lb. weight limit of the other wagon would be a deal breaker for me. Kids can grown fast and this is a great enough toy that it can last for years and years. But we're very partial to our Radio Flyers.

HTH!

ETA: Here is the wagon we have.

[em123]

We have the Step 2 you linked to. It was a gift from his grandparents for his 1 year birthday so I didn't shop around. I'm not sure how it compares. But for what it's worth, he LOVES that thing. I pull it out into the backyard and let him climb in and out. He loves to open and close the door, open the seat that lifts up and climb in etc. He also loves to sit in it and be pulled around the neighborhood or even the back yard. He'll play with it for hours, literally. He is 16 months old now.

[chipper26]

My dd is tall, but she can climb in and out of her radio flyer. She's 21 months now. It really wasn't a big deal last summer though, to put her in and take her out. We love it. The higher seats are so nice.

[CanBoo]

Jackie: You should work for RadioFlyer!
Anyhow, we decided to go for this one. Similar to yours, but this specific one is made for toys r us. It has a storage bag rather than a blue bin at the back, same idea.
It fits super easily in the back of our Mazda5. It seemed very easy to pull indeed. Easier to maneuver than the Step2.
And it appears that there is more space inside for the kids than the Step2, even though the body of the wagon is physically smaller.
Can't wait to use it now .

[pantrygirl]

Originally Posted by mrsjtc

We have a Radio Flyer very similar to the one you linked to. The difference is that ours has a blue "trunk" on the back.

We have the same one and love it. Actually we got it after returning another Radio Flyer that we absolutely hated. I can't remember which one it was but it looked the same but without the blue trunk. It had plastic tires though and that's what was awful about it. The wheels didn't turn well and it lead to a very bumpy ride for our daughter.

These wheels are rubber and turn very well.

We chose this one over one with a door because it was roomier and we felt comfortable with the RF brand.

My daughter first started using this when she was 10 months old. We would put her in it and she'd happily stay in her little shady wagon.

She's now 21 months and can climb in and out freely without issue. In fact, she loves closing and opening the chairs up depending on her needs. She uses the folded chair as a table to snack or read a book.

[HappyMommy2]

We have a plastic radio flyer with the folding seats and cupholders. We hate it. The problem is the steering. It is horrible! The handle is not connected to the front wheels, so turning the thing is really difficult. You end up having to do a front and back thing (like an Austin Powers 20-point turn) ... but each time you change from forward to backward, the wheels have to spin a full 180. It is ridiculous!

The older wagons that are easy to pull and steer have the handle connected to the front wheel axle. I'm not sure why so many have done away with that... perhaps the engineers don't put heavy kids in them and try to pull them.

Good luck with your choice!


ETA.... here is a link for a more retro looking wagon. Check out how the handle is connected to the wheels. It is not connected to the red part. (as opposed to the links above)

http://www.redwagons.com/18clasred.html
http://www.redwagons.com/rangerwagon.html
http://www.redwagons.com/mod24towcoun.html

[mrsjtc]

Originally Posted by CanBoo

Jackie: You should work for RadioFlyer!
Anyhow, we decided to go for this one. Similar to yours, but this specific one is made for toys r us. It has a storage bag rather than a blue bin at the back, same idea.
It fits super easily in the back of our Mazda5. It seemed very easy to pull indeed. Easier to maneuver than the Step2.
And it appears that there is more space inside for the kids than the Step2, even though the body of the wagon is physically smaller.
Can't wait to use it now .

I'm so glad it helped you! We really, really love our wagon a lot. My 8 year old has climbed in it for a break on long walks. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy ours!