I had heard many scathing things said about Habitrail Ovo, and I never would have dreamed of buying one of those setups because of what I heard--but then, I went to pick up my newest hamster from the breeder. The breeder had aquariums with Ovo setups inside them and, to my surprise, the hamsters seemed very happy. I was also intrigued at how easily the pieces came apart and went back together. She was able to simply reach in and twist apart a tube to remove a hiding hamster - and without any loud popping sounds to startle them. Brilliant!! The Ovo wheels were also much larger than I had thought. I was enamored and I immediately went home to online-shop!
I went to Pet Planet and ordered the 'Ovo Suite' and 'Mini Maze'. It came with very detailed instructions and was easy to assemble. It took me a minute to figure out how the twist-and-lock connectors worked, but once I figured it out it was really great. Honestly it was great fun to put together.
IMPORTANT: If you have a dwarf hamster, you will need to set this cage up horizontally, not vertically as shown (because the tubes are too wide for them to climb vertically). There is a dwarf version of it with smaller tubes but I have not tested that one.
Here is my review:
SIZE: In my opinion, the Ovo Suite and Mini Maze put together would be the minimum acceptable size for a dwarf hamster if he also spends time outside the cage each day. More attachments are always better, of course! The pieces are larger than you might think though, and there is quite a bit of space to be had. For a Syrian, I would definitely recommend attaching another Suite or the Ovo Loft living area to give them more space. Also keep an eye on them as they grow - my hamster Pippa is so gigantic now that the tubes of this system (or any system, including Ferplast!) are a tight squeeze. The suitability of this system also depends on your hamster's personality. If they are a homebody and a nester, I think they would love this. If Pippa weren't so chubby I know she would enjoy it.
WHEEL: You be the judge. I have taken some nice comparison photos for you to help with this. On the left is a Junior Wodent Wheel. On the far right is a horrible yellow disgrace which comes prepackaged with a hamster cage.. you know, the ones we all throw into the bin. In the middle is the orange Ovo wheel. I measured it at between 7 1/4" and 7 1/2". I personally think that any hamster which is petite enough to fit through the Ovo tubes in the first place is also petite enough to use the wheel comfortably.
TUBES: I can't say enough good things about these. For once you can actually disassemble a tube *without* struggling and ending up flinging half of it across the room while scaring your hamster. You put the tubes where you want them, then hold the tube you're tightening with one hand while using the other hand to firmly twist the locking ring. They seal tightly and are very stable. If this setup is on the ground and you accidentally shift it with your foot while walking by, the tubes stay put and the entire structure stays stable. Yay!!
CLEANING: I can imagine that it would be annoying having to take all the tubes apart if you have a large setup. But at the same time, it's only once a week and it's such a gorgeous cage. I found the tubes easy enough to assemble right out of the package, so I don't imagine cleaning it will be very different. The large living areas are 100% plastic and can be washed out in the tub. The mini maze's cardboard insert simply pops out. There are also easy to use plastic endcaps for covering unused connective holes. So if you want, you can wash out the main living area first, put the hamster back with a couple of endcaps plugging the holes, and then proceed to disassemble the rest of the cage and replace it all around him.
CONCLUSION: I really love the Ovo system and I think it would be a wonderfully fun addition to put inside a large bin cage or wire cage as well. Right now it is a play area for my smaller Syrian and a place for her to relax and play while I'm cleaning her larger wire cage. It makes a lovely play area and it would be a fun living area for a petite hamster. Like I mentioned before, add as many of the living area pods as you possibly can to give your hamster lots of space.
In the summer I think it would be best used inside a wire cage so if you don't have air conditioning, and the hamster gets hot, it can come out to get a breeze.