260 replies to this topic

[Minty ♥]

awesome!! adopting is always fun, but so hard to choose!!

[caramielle]

If no one has done a review on the comfort wheel I'll be more than happy to do one since I just bought it, and I also found a method to make it less noisy :P

[tbiM20]

If no one has done a review on the comfort wheel I'll be more than happy to do one since I just bought it, and I also found a method to make it less noisy :P

 

That'd be great Here is the information about writing a review; if you are still interested, just shoot me a PM and I'll put your name on the product to reserve it.

[caramielle]

Review on the Super Pet Comfort Wheel

 

(Image courtesy of Pet Mountain.com)

 

Available sizes:

5.5” (small) – suitable for dwarf hamsters

8.5”(large)  – suitable for Syrians that are smaller than 8”

12” (giant) – suitable for larger Syrians (or for those who are worried that 8.5” will be outgrown)

 

Price range will depend from store to store (all major petstores online and offline should have these in stock.  If you are in Montreal, the city that strangely lacks a lot of major pet items, I found these at Safari (in Lasalle and Rockland) and Nature (Lasalle - only saw the small at the Atwater one and I haven't been to any other branch).  These are the prices I found (average) at the pet stores in my area (I live in Canada, as you can tell):

 

Small: approx $8.00+tax

Large: approx $11.00+tax

Giant:  approx $20.00+tax

 

The following is the description of the product (the usual on most websites):

 

The Comfort Wheel from Super Pet is the perfect amusement for small animals. It provides plenty of running room and a fun fitness center for your pets.

·         Safe solid running surface.

·         Whisper quiet operation.

·         "Tail Safe" Design.

·         Very versatile, free standing or cage attachment option.

 

I purchased the large one for my Syrian (Hammie).  Hammie is around 7” long the last time I measured him, and does not arch his back when he uses this wheel.  The wheel track is wide enough for all hamsters on the large wheel (around 3” eyeballing it).  The track on the giant one however is much wider, as it is supposed to cater more towards chinchillas, hedgehogs and large rats.

 

The comfort wheel comes in an array of colours, however, most petshops only stock a limited number of colours.  The one that I went to only stocked a dark turquoise and a purple. 
 

Hammie in his wheel...which is in his bin cage attachment

 

TIPS WHEN PURCHASING THE WHEEL (these may be no brainer but I felt I should mention it anyways):

1. Test the “smoothness” of the wheel – many people (kids especially) probably touch and spin the wheel.  You want to find one that has a relatively smooth spin
2. Listen for excessive noise when spinning – the wheel will make noise when spinning, but find one that doesn’t make excessive amounts.  A bit is okay – we will discuss how to reduce the noise further down in this review
3. Check that the wire portion (the “base”) is flat and not bent – it could be bent if it falls onto the floor (from height)

 

My personal opinions on the wheel

 

Pros:

• Inexpensive compared to other options available in store
• Readily available in most pet stores (as opposed to the widely recommended Wodent Wheel and the Carolina Storm Wheels, both which have to be purchased online and shipping is not cheap for locations outside of the US.  For the CSW – I was quote $20 to ship to my city in Canada.  That is even more than the cost of the wheel itself)
• Solid plastic track prevents bumblefoot – track is also wide enough for a Syrian to comfortably run to its little hamster heart’s delight
• Easy to clean and take apart from deep cleaning/silencing (refer to last portion of review)
• Can be cage mounted (however I have no experience doing this since I have a bin cage)

Cons:

• Without proper silencing, MAKES A TON OF NOISE
• Without properly supporting the base of the wheel, it may wobble and hit against the cage/aquarium side, causing excessive noise
• Takes up a substantial amount of room due to diameter of the wheel and width of track

 

Making the comfort wheel silent

 

Please refer to my topic here: http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/topic/85975-made-the-comfort-wheel-silent-yay/#entry838878

 

I have uploaded a video so you can also hear how it sounds with the “silencing” – it sounds almost the same as the Silent Spinner when I tried it in store.  Here's the link: http://youtu.be/lrT1x7hZbKg

 

(To watch Hammie demonstrate rather than spending all that time grooming, you can skip to 0:55.  Ignore me talking to my boyfriend and to Hammie lol)

 

Verdict

 

As I mentioned in the topic, the noise of the spinner can be very irritating when you’re trying to sleep in the next room (or in the same room).  Take the experience from my boyfriend (I conked out before Hammie started furiously running on his wheel for 3 whole hours according to my bf).  I strongly suggest to take the small steps to make the wheel silent (it also helps to make it smoother).  The original video mentions packing tape but I didn’t have any and used plastic wrap, which works just as well so you can work with what you have.  Also, you can use anything that is hamster safe as padding, I just had sticky Velcro to do the job.

 

Overall rating: 4.5/5…because nothing’s ever perfect in life!  The wheel is definitely a great one for those who don't have access to the wider variety and brands.  This one is more readily available and with the trick to silence it, makes it pretty much the cheapest silent wheel out there.  Who doesn't love the price (when compared to a Silent Spinner at around $40 for a Syrian)?  I'm extremely happy to have gotten this wheel because now my Hammie can exercise (and lately he hasn't been trying to escape either and I don't have to put him in his ball, which I seriously need to do a deep clean on...win win situation here now!)

[Roxyy]

Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel

 

The Carolina Storm Bucket Wheel is a custom made small animal wheel (specifically marketed to hedgehogs).  They are 10.5 inches in diameter, and are perfect for Syrian hamsters.  The wheel has four height settings, the lowest makes the wheel 11.5” tall and the highest makes it 12.5” tall.  The track of the wheel is 5” wide and completely smooth.  The smooth track makes it a breeze to clean.  It’s also the most silent wheel I’ve used, even compared to brand new silent spinners.  The pvc pipe base it also moveable, so you can tilt it in a direction that seems most comfortable for your hamster.  It also comes in a wide range of colors! 

 

When you open the box, you will find the "bucket" which has a rollerblade wheel attached on the back by a large screw and bearings (that's how they get the wheel to spin).  There will also be a pvc base that the bucket attaches to.  And they send extra bearings in case the wheel ever starts to get loud, that way you can replace them. 

 

Pros:

Incredibly quiet, almost completely silent

Pretty colors (some even have glitter)

Super easy cleanup

Adjustable height

Adjustable tilt

 

Cons:

Kind of expensive (around $30 after shipping, but the shipping is incredibly fast, around 2 days)

Large for a dwarf hamster

Takes up a lot of cage space

 

The wheel can be ordered here:

 http://www.carolinastormhedgehogs.com/the-carolina-storm-wheel.html

As well as Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hedgehog-supplies-Carolina-Storm-bucket-wheel-hedgehog-wheel-exercise-wheel-/271126583470?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3f206758ae

 

Picture time!

 

This is the wheel in Bombur's Christmas tree bin, which is 52" x 20" to give a size idea.  He's also running on it, so it's easy to see that the diameter is great for a syrian hamster, and the wide track gives him lots of room to move around when running.

 

Overall, I would give this wheel a 9/10 stars, only taking one off because the price is more than a wodent wheel or a comfort wheel.  But, the ease of cleaning as well as fact that it is completely silent, makes up for the price in my opinion.  I would definitely recommend this wheel to anyone who has a syrian hamster.

 

(video will be added soon)

[Bigby]

I'm actually glad to live in the UK, because I love all the natural items you can buy! That said I'm still jealous of the US's cheesy chews!

[Poofthecat]

[size=5]IKEA Detolf

I have a question... Would the hamsters be bothered if it was split with a shelf that came with it and they saw eachother?

[ritamyfirsthamster]

Spoiler

The Alaska  

 

from www.zooplus.co.uk  

Description:

The Alaska is a large wired cage with a deep base and two access doors (front and top). It comes with a shelf that covers approximately one third of the cage area, a "slide" to link the base with the shelf, and a large hideout which clips onto the shelf.

 

The shelf, "slide" and hideout:

     

 

Specifications:

 

 

Length:  80 cm  /  31.5 "

 

Width:  45 cm  /  17.75 "

 

Height: 43 cm  /  17 "

 

Floor area:  3600 cm²  /  560 sq. in

 

Base depth: 15 cm  /  6 "

 

Door size (front): 33 cm  x  23 cm  /  13 "  x  9 "

 

Door size (top):  33 cm  x  23 cm  13 "  x  9 "

 

Bar spacing: 0.9 cm 



Species:

This cage is made for Syrians, though the bar spacing is acceptable for larger dwarfs.

 

 

 

Price:

Currently £37.90 from Zooplus (RRP £49.90).

 

 

 

Availablility:

This cage is only available from Zooplus.com: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages/hamster_cages/284288

Delivery is free in the UK, click here for shipping to other countries: http://www.zooplus.com/content/shippingcosts

 

 

 

 

Construction/cleaning:

 

The cage is delivered flat-packed so requires assembly. The clips are initially quite tough to snap into place (I had to stand on one side of the cage while pulling upwards on the opposite side to get them to snap in) but this makes the cage very sturdy once assembled. The base detaches from the wire with some simple clips to give easy disassembly for cleaning.

 

The plastic is sturdy and very easy to clean. The bars are black/silver and also wipe clean very easily. Large doors both on the front and the top allow for easy access for spot-cleaning (they are large enough to remove a 12" wheel through without having to disassemble the cage, which is useful if your wheel needs cleaning regularly).

 

Handles and clips:

  

 

 

Doors:

  

 

Pros:

 

 

Very large cage

Deep base for lots of bedding material

Tall enough and wide enough to easily accommodate a 12" wheel

Very cheap for its size

Sturdy construction

Very large access doors make it easy to reach in to tame skittish hamsters and to spot-clean.

Easy to keep clean

Has carry-handles 

 

 

 

Cons:

 

 

Might require more than one person for initial assembly

Quite tall - could possibly cause injury if hamster were to climb to the top then fall

Not easy to add on to - no options for attaching tubes, other levels or other cages 

 

 

 

Review:

 

 

This cage is really excellent for the price. It is one of the cheaper cages available and you get a very large floor space for this. The deep base means that you can get a really good depth of bedding to allow your hamster to burrow.

 

 

The two doors are very large and allow excellent access into the cage.

 

 

The shelf that comes with the cage isn't a very exciting colour (plain black plastic) and the "slide" for the hamster to climb up is permanently fixed to it, meaning that it can be difficult to use if you have a lot of bedding on the bottom floor. The hideout can be removed, but it has clips to fix it to the shelf and the holes are visible if you remove it. It's quite a cute hideout though, so I wouldn't expect you would want to remove it.

 

 

The size of the cage means it is large enough for even the biggest wheels with plenty of room left over for toys. There is also lots of "wall space" so you could attach tubes to the inside walls using cable-ties, if you wanted.

 

 

The bar spacing (0.9 cm) means that the cage is probably okay for dwarf hamsters (at least, full grown RCs or WWs) but is much more suitable for a Syrian.

 

 

Interior pictures:

   

 

Overall I would recommend this cage to anyone with a Syrian if tanks aren't for you. It's cheap, spacious and sturdy, with excellent access for handling and cleaning.

 

You might want to decorate it, as it is a little plain otherwise. If you have an acrobatic hamster who likes to climb I would advise putting some bedding on the shelf (or removing the shelf altogether) in case they fall and injure themselves.

 

My score:  9/10

 

Let me know if there is anything else you want to know about this cage, or anything I've missed out!

where can you buy this cage in the united states? awesome review! anybody know of a cage this size for under $50 in the U.S.A?

Edited by tbiM20, 07 September 2014 - 04:37 AM.
giant quote

[Ping]

where can you buy this cage in the united states? awesome review! anybody know of a cage this size for under $50 in the U.S.A?

As I said in my review, it's unfortunately only for sale from Zooplus, which is a European (German) site. I am not sure that there are cages like this available in America from commercial sites. Most people opt for DIY cages, cages made from other furniture items or tanks.

[ritamyfirsthamster]

i am currently using a 29 gallon tank but i want to make an addition since rita love sot explore and i may want to get another hamster so i would move rita into a bigger cage and put another hamster into the tank.

[ritamyfirsthamster]

i would love to do the careFREASH Ultra bedding review if no one has done that and the NEPCO pure shredded aspen bedding to. also the oxbow timothy hay oxbow hideout and the LM animal farms 16oz water bottle if no one has done those. please message me if any of these are available.

[Roxxxy Andrews]

Spoiler

Grreat Choice Aspen Shavings


Basics
Grreat Choice aspen is a house brand of aspen sold exclusively by PetSmart stores. It is sold in 19.6L, 52.4L, and 113.2L packages (volumes given are the expanded volumes).

Characteristics

Quality - The quality of this aspen is quite low. It's not well-shredded. A bag will contain large sticks, dust particles, and everything in between. Below are a few pictures highlighting the dust and large stick content of Grreat Choice Aspen. These pictures also compare this brand to Planet Petco aspen.







Dust Level - As can be seen in the above pictures, this aspen is very dusty. Sifting fingers through it results in a noticeable residue.

Burrowing - Reasonably good at holding burrows, although the variable shaving sizes make it a little worse at holding shape than other brands of aspen (particularly Petco's).

Comfort - The high amount of dust and presence of large sticks makes this bedding low-comfort, even for aspen bedding.

Absorbency - Aspen in general is not very absorbent, and this aspen is no different. It will be easily outperformed by paper pulp bedding like Carefresh and crumbled/pelleted bedding.

Cost / Value
Although this bedding is reasonably priced, it is difficult to call it a good value. It costs $13.50 for 113 Liters (11.9¢ / Liter). Planet Petco aspen is $15 for 113 Liters (13.3¢ / Liter). If you need cheap bedding at PetSmart, this aspen is your main choice. However, it cannot rightfully be called a good value when another retailer sells a much better product for only a penny or two more per liter.

Pros
+Cheaper than Carefresh and other paper beddings

Cons
-Low-quality (dusty, large sticks)
-Price is high for the poor quality

Oh my gosh! I bought a gigantic bag of this. Now I can't buy a different kind because its the giant size.

Edited by tbiM20, 07 September 2014 - 04:37 AM.
giant quote

[tbiM20]

i would love to do the careFREASH Ultra bedding review if no one has done that and the NEPCO pure shredded aspen bedding to. also the oxbow timothy hay oxbow hideout and the LM animal farms 16oz water bottle if no one has done those. please message me if any of these are available.

 

Hi ritamyfirsthamster! Sorry it took a few days to get back to you

 

If you want to do a review, first check out the guidelines here. Read through them and follow the directions

 

Carefresh has already been covered by SyrianPumpkin in this thread, but you are welcome to do a second review. Just make sure your review is different, like if you have a different opinion of the quality or have extra information to add.

[PeachesMyHammy]

I'd really like to get an Imac Fantasy cage, with 3-4 levels, but here in the US, It's VERY expensive. The lowest I can find it, is like $100 for the starter kit. And you can only get them online. Any suggestions?

[meow]

I would love to review something!

I was wondering, for this:

All Living Things brand -
(Petsmart store brand?)
Needing reviewed

Would you like a complete review of the brand, or some specific products? I have mixed feeling with this brand as I love some products, but hate others! thanks!