The market has hundreds of balance bikes for toddler and identifying the right one for your child can be quite challenging. There are various sizes of balance bikes and you need to choose the most appropriate one for your kid. You also need to look at other features such as brakes, turning limiters, weight, and tire type when choosing a balance bike.
How To Choose the Best Balance Bike for Toddler
In this article, we will discuss some of the things you need to look at when choosing a balance bike.
The next section will outline the best balance bikes for toddler that you can find in the market. The most important thing is to make an informed decision when choosing a balance bike for your kids. As a rational consumer, what you should be looking for is the best value for your money. You need a bike that will help your kid learn how to ride within the shortest time possible. Here is a general criteria that will help you choose the best balance bike for the young ones.
Geometry
The best balance bikes should be constructor anatomically right for kids. An excellent balance bike has to place the kid in an upright to a position of slightly leaning forward. Therefore, the fixed elements of the best balance bikes are the mini-me versions of adult bikes with the right angles for things such as the distance between the seat post and handle bars, seat tubes, steerer tubes, and the distance between the rear wheel and lowered seat. A balance bike should always have a fairly long wheel base because it will make it inherently stable. In case the distance between the seat and handle bars are too tight, the kid will end up being uncomfortably upright or even scrunched up or leaning slightly up. The knees of the kid will also hit the handle bar as they continue growing. If there is a very big distance between the seat to bar, it will hunch over the kid and put a lot of weight on the handle bars. Therefore, you need to be careful with the element of geometry as you choose the best balance bike for your kids.
Low Step-in Height
This is also referred to as the stand-over height. It is a function of geometry that represents the height of the main tube of the bike (top tube). Practically, it is approximately 7 to 10 inches on 12 inch balance bikes and this is low enough to allow the two-year-old kids to stand over with a lot of comfort. The low step-in height will reduce the center of gravity for the bike and assist the kid to raise the balance bike up for rising. This will also assist the jumpy youngsters to balance the bikes and bail out with a lot of ease.
Frame Material and Weight
Most balance bike retailers will tell you that a good one should not have a weight that is over 30 percent the weight of you kid. The weight will determine how easy the bike will be for your child to haul around, swing around using the handle bars to get into the right position, heft into the upright position, and can stop with the aid of the feed and not the hand brakes. Aluminum forms one of the lightest bikes in the market even though they are more costly. The most common material for balance bikes is steel.
Size Adjust-ability
The best balance bike for toddler should have the ability to grow with your kid. Once your child begins to rid on the balance bike, you may find that he is only 30 inches long. However, the kid may be able to use this bike till he is 45 inches. Remember this is an increase of approximately 50 percent. The best balance bike should have an adjustable seat and most of them can grow up to nine inches. The bike should also have handle bars that will accommodate this kind of growth. Therefore, the best balance bike should be ride-able for several years.
Maintenance and Assembly
After unboxing, your kid should be able to rid the balance bike in utmost 30 minutes time. Any average parent should be able to assemble this gadget without seeking for professional assistance. The instructions should be easy to follow and clear and all the necessary tools have to be included. The product should also come with a highly informative and well thought out step by step guide on how to assemble the product. Most of the bikes will come perfectly adjusted to get ride right from the box. In fact, some of them will not require you to do any adjustment.
Price
The most important thing is to get value for your money as you buy the balance bike. Most of them range from $100 to $150. The best practice is to look for a perfect blend between performance and quality as you buy the balance bike for your kid. The bike should also be lightweight but should not compromise the quality and build of the components. Also try and see whether you can find a linear pull hand break that is easy to press. You need a balance bike that has the best qualities but comes at the most affordable price.
Availability
You need to get a balance bike that is broadly available. This means that you can easily get the spare parts just in case something goes wrong. Ask yourself whether you can also access resources such as returning a faulty product, contacting customer service, and insurance online.
Brakes
Brakes are among the most important component on any automotive because they can save the life of a rider and other road users. Most kids can stop the balance bike with their feet but brakes are desirable safety features that you cannot overlook. A rear hand style featuring linear pull brakes is the safest and most effective for your balance bike. It is not wise to go for those common and inexpensive ban styled rear hand breaks such as those that are found in some cheap bikes in the market. It is very hard to engage some of them and they may not be strong enough. The advantage of a front linear-pull brake is that you can disengage or loosen it until your kid is ready for it.
The Overall Construction
The fitting and finishing of various components such as headsets, and bearings bolts should be dimensional tailored to tykes. It is better to go for seat covers that are bonded and not stapled and also urine proof. Fixed elements like the welds that join the headset tube to the frame should be of high quality and smooth, make sure that the bolts and nuts are exposed and rounded off so that they don’t bruise your kid upon a fall or hang up on the pant leg over a long stride.
The Size of the Wheel
Beginners whose age ranges from two to six years can go for a wheel diameter of 12 inches. However, you can move to 14 inches if your kid is over four years so that he or she can grow with the bike. Just make sure that your kid will be comfortable with the wheel size that you buy.
Wheels and Tires
The best tires for the balance bike are air-filled ones because they have a better grip on smooth surfaces and dampen bumps. This means that your kid can rid them comfortably on wood and concrete surfaces even though they tend to be more susceptible to flats. Foam tires come next in the list as they have an excellent traction outdoors and don’t need pumping. Make sure that you are going for the best tires and wheels as they tend to enhance the element of safety for the youngsters during riding. Next, let us review some of the best balance bikes for kids that you can find in the market.
Best Balance Bike For Toddler
1. Strider – 12 Sport Balance Bike, for 2 Year to 5 Year
Encourage your kid to ride the strider bike. While learning riding, the child has to experience the feeling of leaning and the way the steering affects balancing of the bike. When the kid learns riding minus leaning, like on the bike or tricycle with training wheels, they are not learning riding at all. With the assistance of the balance bike, the kid will learn balancing and riding the bike in a very simple way. The balance is the beginning step while learning to ride the bike. It allows the child to learn to steer and balance minus the complexity of pedaling. After mastering the skills, transitioning to the pedal bike is quite easy. The handlebar and seat heights adjust to accommodate kids up to five years. This bike is perfect the upgrades like heavy duty tires and foot brake. Designed for the kids, they have a lightweight frame that makes it easy for the kid to ride and stride. The grip of the toddler offers control and the in-built footrest for learning how to glide and balance. This bike comes equipped with a handlebar and seat, providing additional comfort and safety to ride all day long. Kids love putting things to test and with this bike, it comes with puncture proof tires and durable steel frame and you will not have to worry about maintenance and damage.
Features
- Balance bike helps you to transition to the pedal bike with ease
- This bike grows with the kid and the handlebar and seat are adjustable
- Design is for kids because it is lightweight in frame to make it easy the child to stride and ride
- Handlebar pad and padded seat provide additional comfort and safety
- Since kids love testing bikes, it is made to last due to its puncture-proof tires and steel frame
Pros
- This bike transitions you to the pedal bike with ease
- Handlebar and seat are adjustable to grow with the kid over the years
- It is lightweight in nature for ease of striding and riding
- This bike is very comfortable and safe due to its handlebar and padded seat
- It lasts long due to its puncture-proof tires and padded seat
Cons
- This product does not have cons that are known
Strider – 12 Sport Balance Bike, Ages 18 Months to 5 Years
2. Cruzee UltraLite Balance Bike for 2 year to 5 year
Your kid is special and the parenting approach should be different by choosing cruzee balance bike as a gift of discovery and exploration; a gift of confidence, coordination, and self-reliance. This bike will help the child to develop vital life skills at a young age. Even though this bike does not have training wheels, it is quite simple to ride. Your kid learns balancing while the feet are balancing on the footrest. The design of this bike is for growing with the kid. The kid will ride it from being eighteen months to being five years. This bike is the lightest in the market it easy to store it as it does not have greasy parts to build your confidence while going everywhere. This bike can be the beginning point if family fun. It opens a world of exercise and fun for the child. It instills independence and freedom while assisting the child to become active and mobile at a very early age. Every trip on this bike offers your kid adventure. Cherish those moments when the confidence of the kid is growing while coming up with a bond that will stay for long.
Features
- Skip training wheel and tricycles to provide your kids a diverse learning approach. Children learn balancing on this two wheel bike from the word go.
- Construction is from rust-free aluminum and has a lifetime warranty. The handlebar and wide seat adjustment allows the bike to grow with the kid to give it long time of service
- Lightweight nature allows for equal safety and performance. This bike delivers easy control and enhances confidence of small riders regardless of the chosen terrain
- This bike is very comfortable with a super comfy seat, soft grip, flat rubber tires, and low-profile axle bolts.
- Comes with a money-back guarantee if the child does not love the bike. It is time to add it to the cart.
Pros
- This bike helps the kid to learn balancing while on the go
- The construction is rust free and comes with a lifetime warranty
- Lightweight in nature to allow for safety and performance
- Very comfortable due to its comfy seat and flat rubber tires
- Long lasting due to steel material manufacture
Cons
- This product does not have known cons
Cruzee UltraLite Balance Bike (2 years to 5 years)
3. KaZAM v2e No Pedal Balance Bike for 3 year to 6 year
Lacking pedals is not such a big problem. Say goodbye to skinned knees and training wheels. It has a design without pedals to allow the rider to develop balance before going to the pedaling option, making this transition to typical bikes seamless. The hard part here is only the balance because pedaling is an easy task. Just sit, walk, glide, coast, then balance, and the rest will follow. This model features extensive tires and durable ball bearings in the headset. There minimal assembly needed after receiving the shipment.
Features
- This is the only balance bike that has a patented footrest design
- The footrest is a natural place like in the natural bike to help you find the center of gravity
- Adjustable handlebars and seat to accommodate up to a kid of five years
- Maintenance free and puncture resistant tires to eliminate the need of requiring air
Pros
- Has best footrest design to introduce you to pedaling
- Helps you find the center of gravity for the bike
- Comfortable for kids up to five years due to adjustable handlebars and seat
- Long lasting due to its steel manufacture and puncture free tires
Cons
- This product does not have known cons
KaZAM v2e No Pedal Balance Bike (3 years to 6 years)
4. Chicco Red Bullet Balance Training Bike for 3+ year
The chico bike is crucial for helping the child to gain riding balance. It is adjustable and ergonomic lightweight frame for making it long lasting. This bike is good for the kid to grow up with due to its adjustable seat and handlebar. The tires are soft for them to withstand any kind of terrain. This bike does not have pedals but it is quite easy to acquire balance.
Features
- Adjustable and ergonomic design and lightweight frame to make it easy for the kid to ride
- Adjustable seat and handlebar for making it easy to grow with the kid
- Has a perfect design for helping the child to gain balance
- Tires are soft
- The bike does not have paddles and is easy to balance
Pros
- Easy to use it has no pedals
- Soft tires for longevity
- Adjustable handlebar and seat
- Affordable
- Lightweight for easy use for the kid
Cons
- There are no cons for this product
Chicco 1716000070 Red Bullet Balance Training Bike (3+ years)
5. Schwinn Balance Bike, 12-Inch
The Schwinn bike provides a unique foot to the floor design that inspires confidence when teaching balance fundamentals. Air tubes and tires for easy rolling, adjustable handlebars, and adjustable seat heights so that the child to grow with it. This bike is an easy way of teaching the kid to ride the bike. The child pushes with the feet while sitting and then stride while balancing. You need to adjust the seat and handlebar to enhance confidence and comfort. The double steel frame, spoked wheels and air filled tires makes this bike durable. The spoked wheels have a chrome finish and soft cushioned grips. Padded seats have cushion and fit even the smallest rider. This bike will improve the confidence and coordination of the kid while preparing to pedal due to the foot to floor design it has.
Features
- This bike helps the child learn riding through sitting and striding while balancing
- Durable filled tires and still frame
- Spoked wheels, soft cushioned grips with chrome finish handlebars
- Padded seats have cushion and fits even small children
- Foot to floor design for newbie riders helps improve confidence and coordination while preparing for the pedal bike
Pros
- Durable due to air filled tires and still frame
- Helps grow the confidence and coordination for the pedal bike
- Seats and handlebars have cushion for enhanced comforts
- Affordable
Cons
- This bike does not have cons
Schwinn Balance Bike, 12-Inch
6. Banana Bike LT – Lightweight Balance Bike for Kids – 2, 3, 4 Year Old
This bike comes in newfangled bearings and updated design, upgraded seat, and a quick release seat bracket. It also comes with upgraded handlebars, strong metal headsets, and is now easy to assemble. The original design of this bike had a frame for training small kids to start pedaling. It is the best way for kids to begin pedaling. This bike is not only light but also easy to carry and fun. Small girls and boys can handle this bike with ease and go further than any scooter on this bike. This balance bike is better than the starter pedal bike or tricycle with stabilizers. There is no need to inflate tires because it is puncture-proof, making it the best gift for Christmas or birthdays. This bike provides the best value for bikes in the market with metallic handlebars and headsets, eye popping colors to choose from, and upgraded wheels.
Features
- Comes in an improved model and design that is easy to assemble
- This is the best bike for starting biking then upgrade to the real pedal bike
- Lightweight and strong for making it easy to carry and for maximum fun
- Puncture-proof tires for eliminating riding worries due to puncture
Pros
- Easy to assemble after purchase
- Puncture proof tires and steel frame making it long lasting
- Lightweight in nature for maximum fun
Cons
- This product does not have known cons
Banana Bike LT – Lightweight Balance Bike for Kids – 2, 3, 4 Year Olds
Conclusion
With all this information, you have all it takes to make the right decision in as far as choosing the best balance bike for your toddler is concerned. The most important thing is to choose a comfortable bike that has the capacity to grow with your child. There are so many brands and models in the market but you need to choose one that has passed the test of time. Apart from this guideline, you can also get more recommendations from people who have been using these bikes. Do your homework well and you will not have any regrets after making the purchase.