[jpelg]

I'd like to get a good one for my nieces & nephew. LL Bean seems to have very inexpensive ones, but I question their quality. This company here looks to be a small Minnesota-based company, with prices more along what I expected for a quality product. I tend to believe that you get what you pay for.

Any Northern-centric Head-Fiers have any input on where to get a good, reasonably priced toboggan? Anyone have one of the LL Bean models?

 

[mbriant]

The downhill model on the link you posted looks extremely well built, but don't forget the not-so-fun part of tobogganing .... humping the thing back up the hill. That 10 foot model weighs 30 lbs !! I hope your neices and nephew are into pumping iron or own a Clydesdale.

The company I've linked below are in maine and seem to make similar expensive hand-crafted models, but at least they make a 6' and 8' model which should weigh a little less. Plus they offer a pad, which can make the ride a little more comfortable ... not that that matters much with kids.

http://www.camdentobogganco.com/toboggans.html

In Canada, 99% of people purchase toboggans from Canadian Tire ... our national everything store. It wouldn't surprise me if Canadian Tire's toboggans aren't even made in North America anymore, and they certainly aren't up to the quality standards of the hand-crafted places you and I have linked, but they are reasonably priced, and do the job. They also come in 4' and 6' sizes which would be much easier to pull back up the hill. Unless you're looking for a family heirloom, you might want to consider something like these. You could buy them each their own 4' model for half the price of just one of the custom made 10 footers.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/intro/hom...=1134606745008

Toys R Us probably sells something similar to the above.

 

[mbriant]

This model from Sears looks pretty good.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=05276036000

This place sells the same Paris toboggans, but in many more sizes. Also offers toboggan wax, which as it does with skis, helps the experience.

http://www.shopoutdoors.com/sleds.html

 

[MIKEp]

I found the gt snowracers to be safer, especially if the hill that theyr'e tobogganing on has a lot of kids on it. The steering wheel works way better than dragging your arms any day

 

[jpelg]

Thanks for the input guys. Mike, your comments about the toboggan's weight were well-taken. The Sears model does look pretty good, but doesn't include a pad, and the shipping is $28! I ended up going back to L.L Bean's website last night, and they had updated the selection with toboggan/pad combos:

I ended up ordering the 6-footer with matching pad (the middle one) for each of my two brother's families. Hopefully they will be decent, and will arrive in time for Christmas.

Thanks again.