Balance Bike, Green, Made of Aluminium, Hape My First Balance Bike. 12 months +

Product Information

Options for balance bikes on our list are available to kids as small as 6 months. “As soon as a child can support themselves safely, with a minimum inseam that allows them to have their foot on the ground, a balance bike can be a welcomed experience,” Swegle says. “We typically see the 2-to-3-year-old range being the most effective, where children have strength and coordination to master generating speed, slowing themselves down, and turning.” It’s very easy to put together as well, I sat down thinking right! This will take some work and literally just a couple of slots and it was done, which was great as she was already champing at the but to get off on her new bike. Easy to see why huh! Specialized say the Hotwalk is designed for "less crashes and more smiles" to help kids get on two wheels with confidence. The bike has a low standover and 12" wheels, so it's a great size for a 3 or 4 year old to get their bearings. The lighter the bike, the easier it will be for your learning toddler to get it moving, and to handle it around the twists and turns in the park – especially if there’s the odd little incline. The wide grab rail allows adults to easily hold on if they want to guide a toddler just getting to grips with balance bike life. It’s also a useful feature when you inevitably end up carrying the thing. Speaking of, it’s relatively lightweight so not too difficult to carry round the park but still incredibly sturdy which is reassuring for parents of fearless toddlers. There are no brakes on this balance bike but there is a stopper in the handlebars so the bike can’t be oversteered which is really useful for new riders.

Bought for Grandsons 1st birthday, he absolutely loves it, great design, solidly built, would highly recommend to buy." Three-year-old kids fit squarely in the middle of the recommended age range for this steel-frame balance bike, made for kids between 28 and 38 inches in height.

What age is best for a balance bike?

The Frog Bikes Tadpole combines a sturdy frame with chunky wheels and a long wheelbase – all while boasting a relatively light design, which is no mean feat. These attributes make the Tadpole ideal as a trail bike but light enough for older toddlers, especially as its tyres are well-cushioned for bumpy surfaces. The reflectors and bell are also great features to teach little ones about safety and being seen and heard while out riding a bike. After one year on a balance bike, my daughter learned how to ride a two-wheeler shortly after turning 3, and my other child learned how to ride before turning 4 as well,” says Emma Kozlowski, mom of three and founder of Eighteen Summers. “I know that this was due to their practice with a balance bike—the balance bike encourages kids to be comfortable moving on two wheels, and encourages them to balance without worrying how to pedal.” While some people would argue that it’s better to dive straight into a standard bike with stabilizers, we think that balance bikes are absolutely worth it and a great place to start learning bike riding skills.

Obviously I want Posie to get in on this action early like Raffie too but she’s such a dinky dot at 16 months, even the lightweight green balance bike which was rejected by Jimmy and then loved by Raffie, is too big for her. But, she of course wants to be just like the rest of them too. In step the Hape My First Balance Bike and now Posie is well on the way to biking earlier than even Raffie! It’s ok: we’re not going to start advocating chamois shorts for five-year-olds. But it’s worth knowing that the ideal balance bike saddle isn’t necessarily the same as a pedal bike saddle. The body resting on it will be putting quite a lot of weight through the centre of the saddle, so these are ideally shaped in a ‘scoop’ shape. However, your child probably won’t be out for three-hour jaunts like many parents – so don’t panic too much about this.

COMPANY INFO

With four wheels, this balance bike is stable enough for kids as young as 1 year old to start learning how to balance and ride. The 135-degree “head angle”—the angle from the handlebar to the front wheels—also prevents them from tumbling forward. Consider how often your child is likely to use it, how long you'd want it to last and if it could be resold later or passed down to a younger sibling. The frame is lightweight and the whole bike weighs just 5.5 pounds so it’s easy for kids to maneuver. It’s also got a special feature for parents, an integrated carry handle built right into the frame, for those walks home after a long (or frustrating!) ride. We also carry out preventative work against homelessness with children and young people leaving the care system, to help set them up in supported lodgings in safe family homes where they can learn skills ranging from learning to cook and complete housework, to finding further education and training.

The function of balance bikes without pedals allows “kids use their feet to keep it in motion, [so] they remain relatively stable and linear at speed,” Thuan Tran says. “Because they are so low to the ground, kids can easily build confidence through the ability to easily put their feet down and regain stability.” Sleek and incredibly lightweight, the Hornit AIRO is super portable and easy to carry when your child wants to take a break from riding. With air-filled tyres for a smoother ride and contoured foot rests for comfy freewheeling your toddler will be away in no time with this balance bike. At its lowest point, the saddle should measure one inch lower than your child’s inseam measurement. When sat on the saddle, your child should be able to put both feet flat on the ground, with a slight bend at the knee. Specialized bikes. Quite pricy but v light weight and good quality."(Recommended by Mumsnetter CaraDuneRedux) Our verdict The best place to learn to ride a balance bike is an environment with “soft surfaces with little to no obstacles, with a gentle downhill,” Connor Swegle tells us. The minimal grade “allows a slight assist for a young rider where they can generate speed and utilize their braking skills while learning to coordinate their pedaling,” he says.

What’s the best balance bike to buy?

To come up with our list of the best balance bikes, we interviewed bicycle experts and parents with real-world experience. That includes Eighteen Summers founder Emma Kozlowski; Cassandra Brooklyn, author of Cuba by Bike; Priority Bicycles CMO and cofounder Connor Swegle; and Thuan Tran, vice president of the children's rideable company Droyd. We also researched the highest-rated and most popular bikes in their respective categories at a range of price points. Age range: 18 months (with an inside leg of 30.5cm) to five years (with an inside leg of 50.8cm) | Weight: 2.9kg | Wheel size: 12 inch | Tyres: EVA polymer What we love We had a Rothan and thought it was great. I sold it for a good price afterwards too.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user BreakingUpWithMyPhone) Our verdict