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Review of the Getzoo 27cm plastic wheel with cork running track (10" internal diameter)
I recently bought one of the 27cm plastic Getzoo wheels with cork lining. They have been around for a while and at first I wasn't too keen on the look of the sticky out bits on the back surface, in case they protruded or were hard and could be rubbed against (that isn't an issue however) - but thought a plastic wheel with a cork running track was a good idea. I bought one, originally intending to review it, and if it was ok, to use it in Molly's cage. However it didn't quite arrive in time and I felt the 9"silent runner was a better fit in the cage, with deeper substrate, so this one will be a playpen wheel.
Size
This is a 10" wheel. Although it's a 27cm wheel on paper - Getzoo always quote external dimensions for their wheels. Rodipet quote internal dimensions - so it can take some working out what type of hamster the wheel is suitable for and what the actual size is. This is basically a 10" wheel. Internally it measures approximately 25.5cm, so it's not big enough for a Syrian hamster. It's a good sized large wheel for a dwarf hamster, and now the wheel has been available for a while, there are a few reviews of it from German owners and it has 5 star reviews as a dwarf hamster wheel. The reviews are partly what made me decide to get one.
Quality
The wheel is well made and the parts with ridges on the inside back, don't protrude much and have curved smooth edges - better than it looks on the photo. Getzoo say it is made from food-safe plastic - therefore not a risk if chewed apparently. It is totally silent, spins well and has ball bearings. It is height adjustable on the stand.
Replaceable cork running track
The entire wheel is plastic (except for the stand - more about that later) apart from the cork running track. The cork running track can be removed and replaced and the rest of the wheel is easy to wash and clean. Getzoo sell the replacement cork running tracks and they are reasonably priced. See below. I have never needed to replace cork on a wheel before, because I plastikote the cork track and then it's wipe clean - but it's useful to know it can easily be removed and replaced.
Price
Another reason I've been considering this wheel for a while is it is a reasonable price - depending on where you get it from. On the Getzoo site, if converted from euros, it costs approximately £25. Obviously there is a postage cost on top of that, but considering how expensive some wheels are these days, it is a fairly reasonable price. Amazon are selling it for about £44! But they are selling the original version with the plastic stand. I have the newer version with the wood stand. The replacement cork track costs about £5. So many wheels are over £40 these days, and even the basic plastic trixie wheel is about £19 now - wheels are just getting to be silly prices. This one is about the same price as the Silent Runner wheel - which I used to consider expensive, but compared to others these days, it's a reasonable price. Which was part of the attraction - along with the fact it's an open wheel (if you want an open wheel) and easy to clean.
Variations
So there are two variations of this wheel - the original version with a plastic stand and the newer version with the wood stand. I preferred the idea of the wood stand partly because it seems more stable and also because I sometimes like to use the back part of a wood stand to attach the wheel to bars, and use the wood stand as a bar attachment - by chopping off the base. Which would be difficult to do with a plastic stand. They need the wood part of the stand behind the wheel, when attached to the bars, to fit and spin properly. Ironically the newer one with the wood stand is cheaper than the original one with the plastic stand.
It comes in three colours - a beige/sand colour, which is the one I bought. Pink and a sort of emerald green. With the wood base, the base is still wood coloured however.
If buying one on the Getzoo site, read the descriptions carefully to check if it's the one with the plastic stand or the wood stand.
Conclusion
I think this is a good wheel at a good price, and suitable as a larger wheel for a dwarf hamster. The 9" Silent Runner wheel is also suitable and a similar price, so it comes down to whether you want an open wheel or an enclosed wheel. It is less expensive than a lot on the market these days. I'm using it as a playpen wheel and there is a short clip of Molly running on it, in the video review, below.
Getzoo plastic and cork wheel - click here
I recently bought one of the 27cm plastic Getzoo wheels with cork lining. They have been around for a while and at first I wasn't too keen on the look of the sticky out bits on the back surface, in case they protruded or were hard and could be rubbed against (that isn't an issue however) - but thought a plastic wheel with a cork running track was a good idea. I bought one, originally intending to review it, and if it was ok, to use it in Molly's cage. However it didn't quite arrive in time and I felt the 9"silent runner was a better fit in the cage, with deeper substrate, so this one will be a playpen wheel.
Size
This is a 10" wheel. Although it's a 27cm wheel on paper - Getzoo always quote external dimensions for their wheels. Rodipet quote internal dimensions - so it can take some working out what type of hamster the wheel is suitable for and what the actual size is. This is basically a 10" wheel. Internally it measures approximately 25.5cm, so it's not big enough for a Syrian hamster. It's a good sized large wheel for a dwarf hamster, and now the wheel has been available for a while, there are a few reviews of it from German owners and it has 5 star reviews as a dwarf hamster wheel. The reviews are partly what made me decide to get one.
Quality
The wheel is well made and the parts with ridges on the inside back, don't protrude much and have curved smooth edges - better than it looks on the photo. Getzoo say it is made from food-safe plastic - therefore not a risk if chewed apparently. It is totally silent, spins well and has ball bearings. It is height adjustable on the stand.
Replaceable cork running track
The entire wheel is plastic (except for the stand - more about that later) apart from the cork running track. The cork running track can be removed and replaced and the rest of the wheel is easy to wash and clean. Getzoo sell the replacement cork running tracks and they are reasonably priced. See below. I have never needed to replace cork on a wheel before, because I plastikote the cork track and then it's wipe clean - but it's useful to know it can easily be removed and replaced.
Price
Another reason I've been considering this wheel for a while is it is a reasonable price - depending on where you get it from. On the Getzoo site, if converted from euros, it costs approximately £25. Obviously there is a postage cost on top of that, but considering how expensive some wheels are these days, it is a fairly reasonable price. Amazon are selling it for about £44! But they are selling the original version with the plastic stand. I have the newer version with the wood stand. The replacement cork track costs about £5. So many wheels are over £40 these days, and even the basic plastic trixie wheel is about £19 now - wheels are just getting to be silly prices. This one is about the same price as the Silent Runner wheel - which I used to consider expensive, but compared to others these days, it's a reasonable price. Which was part of the attraction - along with the fact it's an open wheel (if you want an open wheel) and easy to clean.
Variations
So there are two variations of this wheel - the original version with a plastic stand and the newer version with the wood stand. I preferred the idea of the wood stand partly because it seems more stable and also because I sometimes like to use the back part of a wood stand to attach the wheel to bars, and use the wood stand as a bar attachment - by chopping off the base. Which would be difficult to do with a plastic stand. They need the wood part of the stand behind the wheel, when attached to the bars, to fit and spin properly. Ironically the newer one with the wood stand is cheaper than the original one with the plastic stand.
It comes in three colours - a beige/sand colour, which is the one I bought. Pink and a sort of emerald green. With the wood base, the base is still wood coloured however.
If buying one on the Getzoo site, read the descriptions carefully to check if it's the one with the plastic stand or the wood stand.
Conclusion
I think this is a good wheel at a good price, and suitable as a larger wheel for a dwarf hamster. The 9" Silent Runner wheel is also suitable and a similar price, so it comes down to whether you want an open wheel or an enclosed wheel. It is less expensive than a lot on the market these days. I'm using it as a playpen wheel and there is a short clip of Molly running on it, in the video review, below.
Getzoo plastic and cork wheel - click here
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The Pros are it's easy to clean and the cork is replaceable. Maybe a bit of a strange look but well made.