 Evaluation Summary - Category Ratings
Category ratings based on scale from 1 to 5 [3] = Meets Passing Criteria [4] = Excellent [5] = Outstanding / Best
( Only scores of 3 or higher are published. )
Product and service final rating is averaged from the sum of all evaluation category scores.
( With a total of 323 evaluation categories, only 6 of the applicable evaluation categories are featured for public view. )
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Critical Skills Development |
Design Quality |
Ease Of Use |
Marketing Value |
Saddle Structure |
Visual Appeal |
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 Safety / Quality Classifications |
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CE Marked | UL Approved | JPMA Certified |  | (Not Applicable) |  | | | ASTM Compliant | eco-Friendly | eco-Conscious | |  | |
| BPASafe™ (Complies with CPSI EN71) | Soluble Heavy Metals
(Complies with ASTM F963/CPSIA 106) | Mechanical/Physical (Complies with ASTM F963/CPSIA 106) | | | | | | Flammability - Solids/Textiles (Complies with 16 CFR 1500.44/CFR 1610) | Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials (Complies with ASTM-4236/16 CFR 1500.14(b)(8) ) | iWatchDog™ Approved (Complies with ICCS™ Certification Standards) | | | |
| UPC | Manufacturer SKU | Age Grading | | | | |
| Manufactured In | Safety Hazard/Warnings | | China | Must wear helmet. Do not ride on streets, on hills, in dangerous areas |
Families and Schools Going Green With Skuut
Going "green" with Skuut? Yes. This is in fact a product evaluation summary, but going green is also a very special part of what Skuut is all about! To start off with, Skuut is a wooden bike for children ages 2 - 5. It has no pedals and no training wheels. Children kick off the ground as if running, thus pushing or skuut-ing" themselves and the bike forward. The design and innovation of this product is scrutinized below, but what isn't outwardly visible is the fact that for every Skuut bike made, a new tree is planted. This is just one of a number of efforts by the makers of Skuut to be eco-conscious.
Skuut has made a very monumental eco-conscious product in many ways, from the actual components from which a Skuut bike is constructed of, to that of performing environmental tree plantings for each bike made. This provides an additional "green" comfort level to every person who buys Skuut bikes for their children, schools, or caregivers in knowing that each Skuut also represents another new tree which has been added to our eco-system.
A Masterpiece of Design For Kids
With every product we evaluate, they each have guidelines for their evaluation which are specific to each particular product. Obviously, a bicycle is evaluated under completely different guidelines and standards than say a toy, game, or plush doll. In the process of evaluating the Skuut bike, our evaluators who participated in the study of the Skuut bike, were quite excited as well as impressed with the innovative concept in design which it presented. This was in part due to the fact that Skuut was the first bike for toddlers to be submitted for our evaluation.
The Skuut bike was pushed to the limits in weight capability, pressure per square inch on the wood materials, and many other angles in the evaluation, yet still came through without any failure. An important point in the report which I noted was that during the evaluation of excessive weight and strain on the Skuut bike, there was "no evidence of any sort of damage or wear and tear on the wood surrounding the bolts which were used as the axles for the bike."
Weight far in excess of the maximum recommended weight was applied to the bike continuously for an extended period of time as it was being pushed and pulled, back and forth repeatedly. In addition, the handlebars were being turned from one extreme to the other simultaneously, to bring additional forces of strain into the evaluation. This was but a small portion of all of the evaluation methods used on the Skuut bike.
Following the evaluation, our design engineer evaluator took a few moments to revisit the Skuut bike and had but one thing to say, "This a masterpiece of design for kids." He pointed out how the materials used for the wood of the Skuut bike appeared to be made of Russian pine or some composite of it. "This provides a far greater level of flexibility and strength that simple plywood or similar types of material don't offer." He went on to say, "With this kind of quality in workmanship and design, you have a product that can be used not just in the outdoor environment, but also be applicable for indoor use as well." The rubber wheels held good traction in all environments used and were also easy to clean.
What the pre-school teachers took note of was the turning radius of the front wheel. The design is such that the children can't turn the wheel to an angle which could probably cause the child to stop abruptly and possibly sustain an injury. An additional point of reference was "the soft cushiony felt" on both sides of the front fork which holds the front wheel. This reduces the risk of a child having their fingers injured in that area to almost zero percent.
An Important Point That Might Be Missed
An important point that might be missed was the "saddle" of the Skuut" bike. The design engineer made note in his report how the saddle of the bike was "...a magnificent piece of work!" He made a point of how the saddle, (more commonly referred to as the seat), was "...a superbly designed piece which fits so well with overall symmetry of the bike." His key point was "...how the saddle was designed in such a way that multiple age groups can make use of it yet with the same level of access, comfort and convenience." That fact alone adds a generous level of value in the marketing value category.
The Skuut Bike Demonstrates The Science Of Play
When it comes to toys, games, and other infant/juvenile products, they all have a common factor associated with them...the science of Play. For many buyers, what we refer to as "PlayFactor™", is an important part of their procedure for determining what toys they are going to purchase. In our evaluation of the Skuut bike as well as most other toys, games, and similar products, we take into consideration the level of "PlayFactor™", which can more simply be defined as the level of productive long-term impact the product will have on a child.
Dr. Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D (Dr. Toy) has defined in "Smart Play Smart Toys", the key factor that clarifies the full value of this product. In this book she shares what she calls PQ (Play Quotient). This is a vital factor for children which as Dr. Auerbach stated in her book, "...affects how well your young one will attain the best of his physical, creative, and intellectual potentials."
From my own position, as well as that of a our pre-school teacher and child behavior specialist evaluators, "The Skuut balance bike contributes so substantially to the level of PlayFactor™ and PQ on so many various levels in both indoor and outdoor play in a manner which many other products quite frankly cannot." The Skuut bikes which we evaluated and tested in non-lab environments, demonstrated that they appear to have the PQ needed to create a strong and beneficial Play environment.
A Non-clinical Hypothetical Example
From a non-clinical point of view, it is still easy for anyone to see the impact of PlayFactor™ / PQ with a child. As a hypothetical example, let's say that you have a child in a room with nothing for the child to play with, over an extended period of time. There is no question that even for a person with no medical or psychology experience, they will see that the child's overall development does not demonstrate signs of positive progression, but rather a more delayed and possibly digression instead.
In our evaluation with the Skuut bike in multiple public places, a pre-school, and an apartment environment, and after reviewing our video tapes from each evaluation location, there was an unmistakable increase of activity of each child when the Skuut bike was introduced into the environment. Unlike most of the other toys the children had to play with, the Skuut bike was noticeably dominant as the primary object of attention to the children which was most often used. Regardless of whether the evaluation was an inside or outside environment, the results remained consistent.
Consumers Hands-On Product Evaluation
Reading our evaluation of a product is one thing, but reading what consumers who have actually had a hands-on experience with the Skuut bike provides an entirely different perspective from which to make your buying decisions. Consumers have no hesitation in telling you what they think of a product when given the opportunity. Are you ready to read what our consumer hands-on evaluation participants had to say?
 | An Over The Top Experience
The Skuut bike was an over the top hit with the hands-on consumer evaluation participants. I still remember a comment from a mother we gave the Skuut bike to for evaluation in an apartment environment. "My son is constantly on the bike the entire time; he never wants to get off the bike!" What she pointed out as well, was how her son was so much more cooperative and of an improved demeanor. Apparently, in the past he had been quite reticent in the apartment, only showing excitement when he is outside, going to the pool or seeing other family members.
The statement by the mother as well as the videos we examined while the 2 1/2 year old child had the Skuut bike, and from our other evaluation locations, provided a stronger foundation of proof that the level of PlayFactor™ or what Dr. Auerbach has termed as "PQ", in unquestionably a vital part of a child's development. It is a positive development element which is absolute and unquestionable. |
Public Parks Evaluation Responses
In order to have a more solid example of the durability and usefulness of the Skuut bike in an outside environment, we took the Skuut bike to three public parks. The response from the evaluation participants as well as those around them was literally immeasurable. A constant flood of questions by the people around us was an inescapable situation. So many people wanted to know how much the bike was, what materials were used, where can they buy it, and so on. Were it not for our having multiple volunteers and our videos from each location, we may never have been able to collect a good, solid package of information for our own reports on the Skuut bike in outdoors usage.
It appeared that the children who seemed to enjoy the Skuut bike most were the 2-3 year old children. After three years, there appeared to be a lessoning of interest. Children in the 2-3 years age group were quite active every moment in which they had opportunity to play with the Skuut bike.
At the third park we visited, a woman came to one of our volunteers and in her conversation expressed, "This bike would be a perfect thing for the pre-school I teach at because the metal bikes we currently use cause too many issues with kids getting hurt as well as issues from the heat." Another point which she was quite excited about was the fact of how the Skuut bike is suitable for both inside and outside activities. "We would not be at the mercy of the weather if we were to adopt the use of these bikes."
It was quite impressive to see the abundant number of detailed feedback forms from our hands-on evaluation participants. Skuut appears to have generated the largest number of responses from our participants in the history of our doing hands-on evaluation. Skuut is an absolute winner in our book as well as the hearts of the consumers who have seen it.
Your Opinion Counts
Your opinion counts whether you realize it or not. Maybe you were not one of the hands-on evaluation participants, but your opinion still counts all the same. We welcome you to share your opinions about this game or the product evaluation summary itself in our "Ask The Toy Man" Blog / Forum for others to see what you have to say.
A Breakdown On Each of the Category Scores Listed
While other organizations will define their ratings in a "blanket" method which simply defines each rating in an overall usage, we choose to take a different approach. Each individual rating that was assigned to this product, based upon our evaluation process, is briefly explained as to how that specific rating score was reached. The ratings for this product are listed below. Please remember that these are just six primary evaluation categories that are part of a far greater overall group of evaluation categories used for our product evaluation.
CRITICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: Rating Level 5 - As referenced earlier in the product evaluation summary, it is easy for anyone to see the impact of PlayFactor™ with a child with the Skuut bike. From my own position, as well as that of our staff, evaluators, a pre-school teacher and a child behavior specialist evaluators, "The Skuut balance bike contributes so substantially to the PlayFactor™ on so many various level in both indoor and outdoor play in a manner that many other products cannot." Skutt delivers a substantial contribution to critical skill development with a very strong level of PlayFactor™. The final analysis in our evaluation came to a perfect score in this category.
DESIGN QUALITY: Rating Level 5 - The design quality of the Skuut bike is nothing but the best. The Skuut bike was pushed to the limits in weight capability, pressure per square inch on the wood materials, and many other angles in the evaluation, yet still came through without any failure. One of the primary design features is how it can be assembled in less than five minutes! Unlike other products on the market, the hex keys used to assemble the bike are designed in a crank shape in order to make the assembly process even more simply and quickly completed.
There is no question about it, the Skuut bike was not just made to last through repeated use and abuse, it was designed to also have a design that is a literal masterpiece both aesthetically as well as functionally. The Skutt bike pulls a perfect score in this category.
EASE OF USE: Rating Level 5 - Ease of use and the Skuut bike are synonymous according to our design engineer evaluator. Easy to assemble, and so simple to use, it's sort of just s a simple assemble and go! Kids just jump on the bike and away they go. No cranks, no pedals, just a product which stimulates the imagination for a child and is easy to ride with virtually no possible risk of injury. The Skuut bike pulled a perfect score in this category.
MARKETING VALUE: Rating Level 5 - The marketing value of the Skuut bike is an undeniable point of perfection. The Skuut bike promises a very strong potential in sales, especially in any venue where green and natural components are a primary concern. The Skuut bike covers a vast variety of potential sales markets, especially with the current state of the economy and other public concerns. With an excellent MSRP, and a visual appeal well above average, the Skuut bike is one which has proven it captures the attention of kids and adults alike. The immediate first impression is a tough call yet we believe it has what it takes to take it all the way to the top. The Skuut bike pulls a perfect score in this category.
SADDLE STRUCTURE: Rating Level 5 - Saddle structure is a bit different of a category in product evaluation yet it remains a very important element of the overall evaluation with a bike. The design engineer evaluator made note in his report of how the saddle of the bike was "...a magnificent piece of work!" He made a point of how the saddle, (more commonly referred to as the seat), was ..."a superbly designed piece which fits so well with overall symmetry of the bike." His key point was "...how the saddle was designed in such a way that multiple age groups can make use of it yet with the same level of access, comfort and convenience." That fact alone adds a generous level of value in the marketing value category. No doubt about it, Skuut pulls a perfect score in this category quite easily.
VISUAL APPEAL: Rating Level 4 - When it comes to visual appeal, the Skuut bike was well above average. With everything from the packaging to the bike itself, te product is great, yet not enough to create a "WOW!" in a person's immediate visual appeal. It is important to understand though, that the product itself as well as the age group it is designed for, play a major role in the visual design. It would be quite challenging to establish the WOW!Factor™, yet maintain the effort to satisfy the "green" concerns for other segments of buyers. When you combine the scoring from our evaluators reports, our own evaluation, and the consumer feedback, The Skuut bike, fell short of a perfect score in this category by a single digit.
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| Seal of Approval:
Approved |
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| eco-Recognition™
Seal:
Approved |
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| Award of Excellence:
Approved
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THE TOY MAN® ECO-RECOGNITION SEAL
"An emblem of the highest recognition...
for support of ecological concerns applied in full measure." |
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The Toy Man® eco-Recognition Seal™ embodies the highest recognition for products and services which provide a significant contribution to ecological concerns by one or more of the following;
- Recycled / Recyclable materials are being used primarily or entirely in the manufacturing of the product.
- Efforts are being made or already established for the product to be available exclusively or primarily online.
- A substantial effort is being made or is already available to provide a bio-polymer greenProduct™ option.
* The eco-Recognition™ Seal is part of The Toy Man® eco-Recognition Project™ to promote greenBusiness™ |
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THE TOY MAN® PRODUCT GUIDE AWARDS
"The globally recognized awards that are received by a limited few...
and give a product the well earned recognition it deserves!" |
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The
products and online services which become recipients of "The Toy Man® Award of Excellence" acheived an evaluation category rating average of [5] Stars, the highest level of rating available on a 1-5 scale evaluation model. The average is based upon the overall average from all applicable evaluation categories, not just the 6 evaluation categories featured in this summary. |
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"The
Toy Man®  Award serves as an emblem of recognition for products & online services that contribute substantially to positive skill growth and/or productivity. |
| ( This includes books, CD's, DVD's, consumer electronics & accessories, recreational games and equipment, home furnishings, juvenile, software, toys and specialty. ) |
This distinguished award is exclusive as well as unique, with the editor's signature which represents a product being selected as an  . |
PLEASE NOTE: The eChoice™ Award images which were used from 1971-1984, 1984-2007, 2007-April 2010 have been retired. Although the former versions of the eChoice™ Award have been retired, they still remain valid. |
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