Hamax Zenith Relax Review: A reclining rear bike seat

Choosing a rear bike seat to start carrying a child by bike can feel overwhelming. With so many options available, it’s hard to know which seat will offer the right balance of safety, comfort, and practicality for your family’s cycling adventures. In this Hamax Zenith Relax review, we put this reclining rear bike seat to the test to see how it performs in real-world riding.

In this review, we cover our first impressions of the seat, how easy it is to fit and adjust, and what it’s like to ride with a child on board. We also assess its durability after a year of use and share our final verdict on whether we’d recommend it. If you’re new to family cycling and feeling unsure about which rear bike seat is best for you, check out our guide to the best rear bike seats for toddlers and small children for a full breakdown of what to look for. You can also dive deeper into the world of cycling with young children with our babies & toddlers: everything you need to know masterclass.

Disclosure: Cycle Sprog were sent the Hamax Zenith Relax to review. We were not paid to write this review, and all opinions are our own. We do use affiliate links, so may get a small commission if you choose to buy through the links on this page. This funds the website, and we thank you for your support.

About our Hamax Zenith Relax reviewers

As lifelong cyclists growing up in the Lake District, this review’s testers have spent years riding mountain bikes through local forests and down as many mountains as possible. Mountain biking has been a huge part of their lives, shaping weekends and holidays for many years.

More recently, they have embraced gravel riding, allowing them to cover more miles and explore even more of the Lakes and Scotland.

Now with a two-year-old, they are keen to make cycling a central part of their family life. This means finding the best ways to bring their little girl along on adventures, whether in a trailer or a rear bike seat, depending on the terrain and weather.

Their riding has naturally adapted, focusing on easier trails and scenic routes, but their passion for cycling remains just as strong.

Hamax brand overview

Founded in Norway in 1958, Hamax is a leading manufacturer of child bike seats, kids bike trailers, and outdoor equipment, specialising in safe and comfortable transport solutions for families.

Their bike seat range includes frame-mounted and rack-mounted options with adjustable footrests and secure harness systems while their versatile bike trailers can convert into strollers, joggers, or even ski trailers.

With a strong focus on safety, sustainability, and innovation, Hamax continues to be a trusted brand for active families worldwide.

This is Cycle Sprog’s first time reviewing a Hamax product, and we were eager to see how it performed.

First Impressions of the Hamax Zenith Relax

Straight out of the box, the Hamax Zenith Relax looked well-made and felt slightly lighter than other seats we’ve used previously.

It features a solid plastic shell with good ventilation, ideal for warmer days. The two thin cushioning pads were a welcome addition, as they should provide a bit of extra comfort for our child, especially when riding over bumpier terrain.

Fitting and adjusting the Hamax Zenith Relax

Fitting the seat

The Hamax Zenith Relax was quick and straightforward to assemble straight out of the box, requiring just one person. The main bracket clamps directly onto the bike’s seat tube using four bolts, and a 5mm Allen key is provided to secure it in place.

Attaching the seat to the bracket was a simple process. Once the seat and support bar were connected, the bar clicked directly into the bike-mounted bracket.

Two small green markers pop out when the seat is correctly installed, providing peace of mind that it’s securely fitted and won’t come loose during rides.

Adjusting the seat for the first ride

Once the Hamax Zenith Relax seat was installed, we used the dial at the front to adjust the seat angle, making sure it was level. This was a particularly useful feature when switching the seat between bikes with different frame geometries.

The harness straps have a standard buckle adjuster with an additional locking mechanism to prevent them from loosening mid-ride. While adjusting the straps was slightly fiddly and required two of us to get the fit just right once our child was seated, the added security of the locking feature made it worthwhile.

Harness and strap system

The seat comes with a three-point harness rather than the five-point system found on most other rear bike seats.

Initially, this seemed like a drawback, but the high side armrests provide additional security, making a five-point harness feel less necessary. Our child also enjoyed resting her arms on the sides while riding.

The main strap fastens over her head and clicks into place at the front, with a large red button used for release. While easy for an adult to operate, I would have preferred a more secure locking system, as an older child might figure out how to undo the buckle themselves. This is the seat's only major drawback.

Riding with the Hamax Zenith Relax

First ride: getting used to the seat

We first started using the Hamax Zenith Relax when our child was just over a year old. At this stage, the seat felt stable on the back of the bike and didn’t interfere too much with our riding. However, as she grew bigger and heavier, her weight became more noticeable, particularly when cornering or balancing at slower speeds.

While riding on flat, smooth paths felt natural after a few rides, tackling steeper hills was more challenging. The extra weight on the back can make the front wheel feel light, and is something you learn to ride with as they grow bigger and heavier.

Types of rides and terrain

With this in mind, we mainly used the seat for smooth cycle paths and well-maintained tracks. We’ve ridden with it on forest trails, beach tracks, cycle paths, and roads. While it handles varied terrain well, we tend to avoid routes with long, steep climbs, as they make the bike harder to control.

Handling bumpy roads and suspension

On rougher terrain, we noticed that the seat had a tendency to bounce up and down. The flex in the support bar adds a bit of suspension, but it also means the seat moves more than expected on very bumpy surfaces. While this isn’t a major issue on short, occasional rough sections, we wouldn’t feel comfortable riding on particularly uneven ground for long periods.

This seat is also available as a rack-mounted seat and this type will move about less, so do check out the Hamax Zenith Relax with carrier adapter if you have a bike with a rear rack.

Adjusting as your child grows

The high backrest of the seat provides good support and allows for long-term use as your child grows. The adjustable footrests move down as they get taller, ensuring a secure fit. At almost two years old, our child is still only a third of the way down the footrest adjustment, so there’s plenty of room left for future growth.

Comfort and napping

While our child doesn’t typically sleep during bike rides, the Hamax Zenith Relax has a tilt function and an inbuilt helmet groove, allowing a child to lean back comfortably if they do drift off. This feature helps prevent their chin from falling to their chest, which is a thoughtful design for longer, more relaxing rides.

Durability and quality of the Hamax Zenith Relax

After a year of regular use, the Hamax Zenith Relax has proven to be a robust and hard-wearing child bike seat. Despite frequent rides on a variety of terrains, it shows no major signs of wear and tear. The solid plastic shell and sturdy mounting system have held up well, giving us confidence in its long-term durability.

Hamax Zenith Relax Review: thoughts from the Sprog

"Mummy’s bike, let’s goooo!”

General thoughts on riding with a rear bike seat

Ideal uses for a rear bike seat

In our experience, rear bike seats are great for cycle paths, smooth trails, nursery drop-offs, and the occasional trip into the local forest. However, due to the lack of suspension, they don’t fully suit our style of riding, so we’ve used the seat alongside a trailer with suspension for rougher terrain. Despite this, our child has really enjoyed using the seat. She’s always happy to get in and spends the ride pointing out sheep and other things she spots along the way.

Knowing when your child is ready

We waited until our child was one year old before using the rear bike seat. Since the seat can bounce over bumps, we wanted to make sure she had good neck strength and control first. The wraparound armrests provided extra support and peace of mind, keeping her secure and preventing her from leaning too far to one side. We started with short rides to get her used to it before increasing the level of our adventures. 

Keeping your child happy in the bike seat

To keep our little one engaged, we make the rides short and interesting, with plenty of wildlife and scenery to look at. Anything longer than 30 minutes and she would start asking to get out, but regular stops and snack breaks helped extend the length of our rides over time. We found combining the seat with a trailer allowed us to get out for longer family bike rides.

Tips for other families

• Choose a seat with a helmet groove: Without one, your child’s helmet can get pushed forward, especially when wearing bulky coats with hoods.
• Start with short, smooth rides: Gradually build up the length of your trips, including stops to let your child stretch and explore.
• Enjoy the one-on-one time: Compared to a trailer, a rear bike seat allows for more interaction, making it a great way to share the riding experience with your child. Our little girl loved being close and ‘riding mummy’s bike’. It made every journey feel special.

Other articles you might be interested in:

• Best rear bike seats for toddlers and small children
• Cycling with babies and toddlers: everything you need to get started
• The best balance bikes as recommended by parents
• Best front bike seats for toddlers and young children
• Best bike helmets for babies and toddlers
• Best cargo bikes for families