Doona Liki Trike Review: S3 vs S5 vs Midnight
After using the Doona Liki Trike exclusively as our stroller replacement for six months, the verdict is mixed. While it successfully functions as a stable and comfortable ride-out option that allows your child to view their surroundings well when sitting upright, its maneuverability in tight spaces—specifically its massive turn radius—is a significant hurdle compared to traditional strollers. However, if you value the trike’s ability to transition into an actual bike for older kids, the Doona Liki Trike is a viable consideration.
How Does the Doona Liki Trike Actually Function as a Stroller?
The Doona Liki Trike is marketed as a tricycle designed to grow with your child from 10 months up to 3 years old, and in our experience, it works effectively as an interim stroller solution.
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Configuration Reality: Doona advertises five stages, but the actual operational modes boil down to three key configurations:
- Parent Mode / Push Mode: Both involve buckling your child in while pushing. The main difference here is superficial.
- Tricycle Mode: When the child starts pedaling and riding independently.
- Folded/Travel Mode: For portability.
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Viewing Experience: A major plus noted was that unlike some standard strollers which tilt back, allowing for resting but blocking views, the Doona Liki Trike keeps your child sitting upright, making it easier for them to look around their environment without straining their necks.
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Storage & Convenience: It includes a cup holder conveniently placed at the front for the child to reach water bottles themselves. The rear storage bag was noted as being a bit small, but useful for snacks or parents’ water bottles.
What are the Key Differences Between the Liki Trike Models (S3 vs S5 vs Midnight)?
Performance-wise, Kevin found there were no differences between the base model and the more expensive variants; the changes were focused on aesthetics and included accessories.
The pricing structure is as follows:
- Doona Liki Trike S3: The base model, starting at $250. Available in red, gray, or blue.
- Doona Liki Trike S5: Bumps the price to $300. Comes with wooden handlebars, a travel bag, and a premium storage bag upgrade.
- Doona Liki Trike Midnight: The top tier at $350. Features black faux leather material with diamond pattern stitching on the seat/backrest, black parent control bar (unlike the silver on S3/S5), plus the premium storage bag and travel bag included like the S5.
Key Upgrade Value:
- The upgrade from S3 to S5 was deemed sensible because the travel bag alone costs $45, making the extra cost for better accessories more justifiable than the aesthetic jump to the Midnight version.
How Easy is It to Fold and Unfold the Doona Liki Trike?
While it’s not as easy as folding a traditional car seat stroller, the process becomes routine after practicing it several times. The general steps involve:
- Folding: Clicking the seat rest into place, moving the protective bar up, pulling the handlebar area upwards until the tri clicks, securing the bars, and finally utilizing multiple release buttons to fold the canopies and components down.
- Unfolding: Essentially reversing the locking process.
The ease of this process is what allows it to be a possible stroller replacement because it can fit in car trunks or overhead bins.
What Are the Biggest Drawbacks When Pushing It Around Town?
Two main issues stood out after six months of use:
- Maneuverability: The turnaround radius on the Doona Liki Trike is huge. This makes using it in tight spaces difficult compared to conventional strollers. This is attributed to its mechanics, which are built for a tricycle rather than utilizing stroller-style swivel wheels.
- Glide Smoothness: When first pushing the trike, it did not feel as smooth gliding as higher-end strollers, though this complaint faded with use.
The Final Verdict
The Doona Liki Trike is a functional and stylish choice that excels at keeping your child upright while allowing them to view their surroundings—a key advantage over some traditional stroller designs. However, prospective buyers must weigh the superior viewing angle against the significant trade-off in maneuverability due to its large turning radius. If you anticipate needing the unit to transition into a proper bike for older kids and are comfortable with the bulkier handling, the Doona Liki Trike S5 appears to offer the best balance of necessary upgrades without overspending on pure aesthetics.
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Where to buy
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page are affiliate links — I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Prices shown are accurate as of 2026-08-07 and may change.