Tucano Urbano Opossum

Simon Whiten

Tucano Urbano Opossum – thermal child seat cover

Rear mounted child seats are a popular addition to many parents’ bikes. They can make life a bit easier but not, with your precious cargo perched out of sight behind you, if you are stressing over their welfare. Are they warm enough? Dry enough? Comfortable? All distractions you do not need when trying to concentrate on what’s in front of you. The Tucano Urbano Opossum, a thermal child seat cover, aims to provide the sort of protection for your child that will allow you to focus on the cycling.

It is certainly a bulky, tough looking bit of kit. It is designed primarily to protect your child from wind, cold and rain, but can also be folded over the seat into a simple seat cover to keep the actual seat dry when there is no child on-board. There is also a rain cape for the child, which is stowed away in the front pocket, which becomes a rain cover for the seat cover.

 
The inner is a soft fleece – they refer to this as an ‘ecological fur inner with Polyester padding’ – that will feel very reassuring to most kids. The padding is on the seat underside and the back rest and should ensure the child remains comfortable throughout the ride.

 
Your child sits on the padded seat and leans their weight onto the backrest, with the rest of the Opossum wrapping around them snugly. I can imagine getting a bit jealous of the snug child in inclement weather!

 
Turcano Urbano claim that it is suitable for children of 9-months and over, or if you have a tape measure handy, for children from 26.7 to 41 inches tall. It is adjustable according to the size of the child with snap fastenings.

 
The outer is a water and windproof layer with fully taped seams and a sealed zipper that all work to keep the worst of the weather off your precious cargo. All the fabrics used in the Opossum are in compliance with REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) Regulations.

 
The Opossum concept was originally designed by a mother specifically for her daughter. It was then awarded the Cosmo Bike Tech Award 2015 as Best Product for Children. Tucano Urbano are very experienced in winter clothing for scooter riders and their input helped perfect the Opossum for winter cycling with children.

 
Turcano Urbano say that the installation onto a bike seat is easy using the eyelets and adhesive velcro tape system provided. We’ll see…

 
The Opossum can be adjusted quickly, and one simple movement will open and close it, important when balancing bike and squirming child!

Sensibly, Turcano Urbano have incorporated anti–theft rings and safety reflectors into the Opossum.

 
The timing of this product is good, as though I have three kids embarking on their own cycling adventures, I also have a new arrival who is about to be 9-months old in a matter of days. So the next step is to fit the Opossum to the bike seat and for the two of us to start reviewing it properly. Check back soon for an update of how we are getting on.
 
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