Kick Scooter

[bingandnelsonfan]

This item was released in August 2022.

Claudie's Kick Scooter for 18-inch Dolls - $65.00
AG Description: Claudie rides her orange kick scooter all over her Harlem neighborhood, often with Miss Amelia's fluffy little dog running behind her. It has a metal frame, handlebar grips for the doll, a wooden floorboard to stand on, and a kickstand to keep it upright.


We went down on September 8th to American Girl Place in Easton (Columbus, Ohio), and Claudie's Scooter was in stock and on display. It was only shown in the large glass display case, so that means we couldn’t actually feel/inspect it, so this is a visual review! For a first, the colors on AG's stock photos (see American Girl website) are SPOT ON. What you see (at least on our three monitors) is what you’ll get!

If you don’t mind that a doll can’t stand on two feet on the scooter (only perches with one leg raised), it’s a very nice item. Tubular steel construction with a faux-wood running board and plastic everywhere else. The orange color is very nice. This is a welcome addition for Truly Me dolls, too. Surprising that they only put a $65 price tag on this item, considering how crazy the rest of their pricing has gotten.

[mamared]

I picked this up a few weeks ago, and wanted to add a few more photos and comments about the construction and design.



First off, while it comes it what I consider to be fairly large box, the actual scooter doesn’t take up much room at all. For people who are space-challenged like me, this is a big bonus. The scooter comes in two pieces, as seen below, which are easily connected by sliding the front fork with handlebars over the front wheel. It’s a secure fit, but it’s not difficult to dissemble either, making it a win-win for play and storage. The overall length is about 14 inches, and the overall height when assembled is about 12 inches (dissembled is 7 inches).





Second, I think it’s a well-made piece. As noted in the prior review, it has a sturdy metal frame. There’s rubbery plastic on the handlebars and grips for Claudie’s hands, and it seems like there might also be a rubbery coating on the tires that go around the plastic wheels. Both wheels are the same size (about 3-3.25 inch diameter, depending on whether you count the tires) and they spin easily. The handlebars also move easily, making the front wheel functional for steering the kick scooter.

Grippy handlebars:


The fender on the back wheel:


The floorboard is about 5.5 inches long and it does appear to be made of wood. It’s about 1/2 inch thick, and although it’s a little narrower in the front than in the back, there is room for Claudie to stand with both of her feet on the floorboard. It’s just over 3 inches wide at its widest part.



Her feet overhang just a bit when side by side:


The kickstand is a clever design on the underside of the floorboard. It’s made of two rubber stoppers that allow for sturdy balance when the kickstand is activated, or you can maneuver the lever so they lay flat against the floorboard when not activated. The lever construction is heavy duty metal, which seems like it will last indefinitely.

A view underneath the floorboard, without the kickstand activated. In this mode, the scooter can easily be pushed around the floor so Claudie can ride through her neighborhood.


With the kickstand activated (below), the rubber stoppers provide steady balance for display.


Overall, I really like the kick scooter’s design and construction, and I think it gets points for playability and price, too. I’m tempted to add a little basket in front to help Claudie with errands, but overall I’d give this a B, maybe a B+. Here are a few more photos of the pamphlet that came with this piece: