Trunki SA Review – Our thoughts and experiences

We first became aware of the Trunki brand back when Storm had just started walking. We were looking at getting her a kiddie leash. I asked Mandy from Tums 2 Tots if she had any recommendations and she sent me the link to a cute one she had seen and that led me straight to Trunki SA.

Whilst our first purchase from Trunki was their supremely cute ToddlePak, I have been lusting after the titular ride-on ever since. The moment Mr H told me we were headed to London in Oct, I made an argument for getting Storm a Trunki for her birthday

Now let’s get very real, these are not budget items. They are gorgeous and cute, but looks (no matter what popular media would have you believe) do not justify price tags. Quality, innovation, practicality and service do. So I will get down to the nitty-gritty of the matter.

Service

Back in 2016, I placed my online order via EFT. I reached out a few days later, just to ensure that the payment had cleared. I received an extremely prompt response from Trunki, including a request to their courier to please update me on delivery details. Delivery has been extremely prompt with both the orders we have placed and service has been friendly and professional.

ToddlePak

This nifty little kiddie leash (or toddler rein as they call it) is a favourite item for us. They come in cute, bright characters that both kids and adults can fall in love with. What I love most about the ToddlePak is that it is a full chest harness. This means that if kiddo is brought to a sudden halt by the leash, the force is spread evenly across their chest, so there is little chance of inadvertent injury. It is also cut well away from the neck, so that is not a concern at all. The straps are broad , as opposed to ropy, again spreading force.

Another smart design feature, is that the size adjustment is neatly hidden and done with Velcro, as opposed to sliding buckles. This makes for a more comfortable fit all round. The back clip (no escaping from this little harness), is also round and flat and sits flush with your tot’s back. And if you’re an abductionphobe like me, it is not an easy release clip.

Adding on to my abductionphobia, the actual leash clips on with two very sturdy clips and is Y-shaped, making just unclipping it harder and cutting through it more effort (yes, I’ve given this A LOT of thought). The strap has a comfortable wrist loop and is just the right length for independence and reassurance. Did I mention, it is also wonderfully padded for little person comfort?

All this is great, but can it take a beating? Uh, yes. My child is a crazed baboon. She has done insane things while just wearing the harness. She has also pushed both of us to the point where we simply picked her up by the clip and carried her dangling from the harness. The quality is superb. I recommend the ToddlePak to anyone looking for a kiddie leash.

Trunki

Ah, finally. Trunki is a hand-luggage size, ride-one, hard-shell suitcase for little people. Though, if we’re all honest, I want one.

Storm chose the Trunkisaurus Rex as her travel buddy. We added the SaddleBag (which turns into a little messenger bag) and Tidy Bag for comfort and convenience. “Twunki” arrived with her own set of stickers to customise her look, as well as her own passport. Storm immediately insisted on saddling up and riding her all over the house. She then promptly took her to her room and packed more books than is sensible in there. I love that Trunki has a soft rubberised seal and lockable clips. I also love the “teddy bear seatbelt” for keeping stuff from falling around too much.

Trunki performs admirably under pressure. Dragging a toddler through customs and boarding, while juggling an infant and hand luggage, is not pleasant. We strapped Storm into her ToddlePak, she got on Trunki and we simply dragged her along, no extra lugging and no tired little person. Trunki did well on tiles, carpet and that weird rubber flooring. My one critique, is that it does not corner well. The wheels are fixed, which makes sense and is fine, but Storm is singularly unhelpful with steering and I may or may not have crashed her into a pillar once or twice. BUT Trunki took zero damage, which is impressive.

For build quality, we completely over packed that poor suitcase, because our child cares more about books than toys and we needed to pack two sets of backup clothing. Despite this, Trunki holds. It has also taken its share of toddler abuse and is holding up nicely indeed.

Practically, it made travelling with a toddler a far more pleasant experience. It provided her a mode of transport, a private VIP seat, a travel buddy, a sense of responsibility and a great piece of luggage. It also provides hours of imaginative play at home, where it is parked next to her bed. And did I mention that it’s just plain cute?

The Verdict?

We truly enjoy the Trunki products and there really is something for every little person in their collection. We can hardly wait to get Claws his own travel buddy.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored in any way. All items were bought out of pocket and I am not being paid for this post. All opinions are my own.