JOSEN
The smallest and cheapest hopper in the line, and the right starting point for a toddler who is still working out how bouncing works. The horse sits low, which means a child can straddle it flat-footed — the single thing that decides whether a ride-on gets used or abandoned.
Giant for its price class but genuinely sized down rather than simply labelled for younger children: shorter handles, a lower seat and a wider base that stays under the rider when the bounce goes sideways. Built from the same material as the bigger two, with the same moulded handles.
Comes with a hand pump. Because the chamber is smaller it reaches pressure quickly, so go slowly near the end and stop while there is still give in the body. Available in more than one colour. If your child can already straddle something taller, the dinosaur is the better buy and will last longer.
Who it is for: smaller riders and tighter rooms. The horse is the most compact hopper we make, and in our experience it is the one that gets handed down rather than outgrown, because a four year old and a seven year old use it differently but both of them use it.
There is nothing to maintain beyond keeping it clean and away from sharp edges. The handle is moulded rather than glued, which is the part that fails first on cheaper hoppers. It makes a good party activity for a group because children take turns without being asked, and the first inflation guide explains why we under-inflate these slightly rather than filling them hard.
