Hamax Caress Child Bike Seat, Ultra-Shock Absorbing Frame or Rack Rear Mount, Adjustable to Fit Kids (Baby Through Toddler) 9 mo - 48.5 lb.

Pros: I like the visual design of this seat, and I like that you can attach it to nearly any rack, so you don't need to by any new equipmentCons: I don't know if the seat-tube mounted versions have this same problem, but with the bike rack adapter, the seat itself is only attached to the rack adapter by a plastic peg. The plastic peg is probably effective enough in making sure the seat doesn't come apart from adapter, but it does a terrible job of keeping the bike seat stable in the front to back and side-to-side movements. So if you shake the seat laterally, it has a lot of play. This affects bike handling, especially on turns, as the seat itself will lean with the child to the outside of the turn. For me, this is a big enough Con that I will consider returning it, if I can.

We've used this bike seat on two bike rides since we bought it a few weeks ago. My son hated the trailer so we did a lot of research to find what we felt was the best and safest seat on the market, and decided to purchase the Hamax Caress. The installation was simple to install on my road bike. I did it myself without needing any fancy tools. We opted for the rack install rather than bike frame. While it isn't something that can be removed quickly, if you have the "key" for unlocking the tightening screw, you could probably switch this from one bike to another in about five minutes. To me this is acceptable for switching on a long ride or trading the carrying duties here and there, but I wouldn't want to do this daily!As for the ride, my son LOVES it. He can see around him and be part of the ride as opposed to the trailer where he was confined and not very comfortable. The helmet indentation is great too. Our son is on the small side for being 17 months old and the seat is still a great fit for him, even though we have the harness tightened almost to the very end! That just means he'll be able to sit in it for a long time!The worst part is just getting used to the balance with having all that weight on the back, but that would be the case with any bike seat. And after a few dismounts, it's not too tricky! We'd definitely recommend this seat!

Words can’t really express how satisfied I am with this seat. It’s the best! It was clear even from the careful packaging that Hamax takes pride in their product. The seat itself is well made and attractive. I found the directions to attach it to my bike clear and easy to follow, and I set it up by myself within twenty minutes or so. Once attached, it is very secure. My 18 month old seems to find it comfortable.When riding, it definitely takes a few minutes to get used to the different weight and center of balance, but the seat has its own suspension and kept my kiddo riding smoothly even on a bumpy road.The only problem we had was that we were so excited to try it out, we went for a ride right away...and unfortunately spring wasn’t quite here because it started snowing halfway through! However, our more recent rides have been more pleasant (and much warmer) and we can’t wait to keep exploring by bike through the summer.One thing to keep in mind is that I am not able to use back panniers with the seat on...might just be the way my bike is, but I have to put my front rack back on and use front panniers if I want any kind of storage/carrying capacity.Overall, I’m extremely happy with this bike seat and highly recommend it.

We've used this bike seat for up to an 8 mile ride (on several occasions) and our almost two year old loves it - her helmet took more adjusting to than this seat did lol My husband and I both have road bikes and this seat attaches with no issues. There are plenty of easy to use adjustment features and the the shoulder-strap/buckle feel very secure and durable. As a side note - the buckle is the right amount of difficult and the rigidity of the buckle when it is fastened, combined with the correct tightness of the shoulder straps makes it unlikely (in my opinion) that a young (1-3 years old) child could unbuckle the harness.

I bought this bike seat to replace a cheaper brand that wasn't holding up. I'm so glad I bought it, as it is sooo much better. The seat is suspended and has a little bounce, which makes it so much more comfortable for the kids. I love that the foot rests adjust for different sized kids, as well as the back slides up and down. I'm addition, the seat reclines. This is great because I have a 1 and 2 year old, and I use it for both of them. It is removable, so when we put my bike on the car rack, I put it in the trunk for safe keeping. This is definitely worth the extra price. Don't cheap out when it comes to your children's safety

I compared this with the Thule RideAlong. Both are good quality, though the Hamax seems a little nicer in construction overall. The most important difference is the position of the kids legs: on the Thule, the legs come forward far enough that on my Specialized Tricross (and probably any cyclocross-oriented bike with short chainstays) my heels hit the leg supports when pedaling. On the Hamax, the kid's legs are pulled back a little further, enough to clear the heels of the rider. Upshot is on my bike, at least, the Thule is unusable, and this one works great.

I bought this specific bike seat because of the weight capacity. I bought the other accessories as well (bar extender and security lock) I fallowed instructions. Pretty easy to install.On our second ride an indecisive car made me stop. Then followed my son falling face first from the back of my bike. Thank god for his shark helmet.If you care for your child’s safety. I caution you do not recommend this item.I am thankful my sons okey. Your child my not be so lucky.