Romper Takes the Classic Tricycle and Drops a Motor Into It: Give Your Kids Their Own Ride

Folks, Droyd is a crew that I've covered before because they build nothing but EVs, but with a twist: they're for kids! This brings us to the machine in question today, the Romper. It's an EV destined for children ages three and up, giving the up-and-coming generations a taste for speed as early as possible.

Now, the Romper starts off with the same styling most of us grew up with. There are two small wheels on the rear and a massive front wheel at the front. Typically, these trikes have pedals on the front hub, but because this one's electric, Droyd felt they were unnecessary, replacing them with a set of pegs.

From the front wheel or the back, whichever way you want to look at things, the Romper's frame is brought to light with two simple sections: the white fork and steering column and that red frame. The latter is sure to remind most of us of our own timeless toy. A backrest, handlebars, and a safety flag complete the frame and overall design.

A few notable aspects that we can take a look at are the way the wheels are "treaded," a nice and smooth plastic wheel at the front is sure to make your kid feel as though he may be riding around on a motorcycle, and the rear tires are shaped with grooves for grip. The frame is plastic, too, as though that wasn't clear enough.

But where are the electronics, and how sure can we be that our kid isn't going to lose control of his or her machine? Starting with the electronic goodness Droyd places at our little ones' disposals, a brushed DC motor is mounted to the front wheel hub. We also aren't told how powerful that motor may be, but we do know its top speed, settings, and safety features.

For starters, the Romper weighs 20 lbs (9 kg) and has a weight limit of 66 lbs (30 kg). Still, the highest of the two available speed settings is enough to have your kid riding around town at speeds upwards of 6 mph (9.6 kph). It may not seem like a lot for us, but the kinders seem to be loving this machine (ratings and reviews left by parents on Droyd's website).

Sure, on the highest speed setting, your kid isn't going to be able to ride around for the maximum ride time of 45 minutes or up to three miles, but they'll have a blast doing it. I know I would have if I had one of these babies growing up. The lower setting of 3 mph (4.8 kph) is sure to give way to more ride time. This also answers any questions pertaining to battery size; again, the manufacturer's website says nothing of capacity. But, once drained, it'll take up to five hours before you can unleash your drool machine into the wild again.

Now, as a parent, the last thing you want for your child is to lose control of a motorized machine, so the best thing to do in any context is to carry out your child's activity alongside them; it's called bonding, or at least part of the story. Still, Droyd places a few systems at our disposal with which we can regulate what's going on with a Romper.

First on the list is a parental control key, allowing you to make adjustments to speed settings and keep them that way without anyone accidentally pressing any buttons. Then there's a slow-start function that kicks in no matter the time and place, so no one's losing any control anywhere.

All that aside, there's a little visual trick up the Romper's sleeve. As your kid starts riding around or gets up to a certain speed - I'm not quite sure - the front wheel lights up, displaying RGB lighting to get all the children of the neighborhood looking, helping Droyd get even more sales in the process.

There's just one problem I have with this vehicle: the fact that it's entirely out of plastic. Let's be honest; we've come a long way since the classic toys we grew up with, and the moment you throw a motor into the mix, that plastic is bound to wear away faster. It's exposed to more stress, not to mention vibrations transferred to the motor. The same is true for your child's bottom.

Nonetheless, the customer reviews that are flying around online show that 95% of tiny customers are happy. The last 5% accounts for a parent's opinion of the assembly process; the kid was happy. In short, your leg-rubbing offspring have a very good chance to develop a love of motors and speed as early as the age of three. At $140 (€130 at current exchange rates), what have you got to lose? Nothing, only to win.