The time has come to get the little one a balance bike and there are loads to choose from, but there are clear distinctions between the average and the excellent ones. My youngest child who is 3 years old now has had his balance bike for 2 years and still loves riding it. He has gone through various stages and now is able to free-wheel without needing to stabilize himself with his feet. He loves having them off the ground and instead cruises with his feet in the foot rest with a cheeky smile on his face, which indicates to us he will need a bigger boys bike soon.
Finding the best balance bike comes down to their age, size, and their experience. In this review, we will look into the different types to suit their individual development stages, which is important for some parents to know. We have chosen the 5 best options for toddlers, ages ranging from 1 to 3 years old and made sure they have gone through our testing, which means whichever one you choose you are sure to be well informed by the of this review.
Considerations
There are loads of benefits to learning to ride and the science backs this theory up as well. Dr. Tara Cancellaro a specialist in her field in development pediatrics says that “pedals and balance uses a particular part of the brain, while self-balancing uses another”. The NBC news states that “balance bikes have overtaken training wheels for teaching young riders” and this is because they learn quicker and develop faster. Learning to balance themselves rather than relying on training wheels increases their hand-eye coordination, grip strength and sense of achievement. So, for parents torn between a hard choice, the answer is clear, buy the balance type of bike for their child, you won’t regret it!
KaZAM v2e Bike
This one has a unique design with a rest for the little one’s feet, it’s also easy to step over and makes learning to ride super-easy. The center of gravity is low and helps ease some of the challenges that other bikes don’t accommodate for.
Everything about this KaZAM ve2 is adjustable, so as they grow the bike can adjust to suit their development. The handlebars are easy to adjust as well as the handlebars and accommodates right up until they reach around 4 or 5 years old.
This bike includes EVA tires and there is no chance of punctured tires, so maintenance is virtually none existent and by the time they pass their toddler stages they will be able to gift their bike to a friend or younger sibling.
This can be used straight out the box and the setup required is none. They can learn to use by walking with it or riding it from the beginning and will be a great gift for their development. This helps with eye-hand coordination and will increase their ability to steer and handle a pedal bike. This is a great bike for going for bypassing the need to get training wheels and go from the balance bike to straight to push-bike with pedals.
The Pro’s are they this a little big and can be used from 1-year-old right through to 5 years and is a comfortable ride all the way as each year passes. The footrest and base are large enough to be comfortable and is able to rest both feet at the same time.
The Con’s are if you child is 1 years old they might find this a little too big but within a few months this won’t be a problem though. The plastic wheels aren’t ideal, but this is balanced with the convenience with not needing to pump up the wheels.
Overall this is easy to use toddler bike and for the price, it is great value for money and a good first-time buy bike.
Schwinn Balance Bike
This girls one in pink is adorable and great for that little princess that wants to begin learning how to ride a bike. This is slightly different from the others in comparison and has a few interesting features that distinguishes it.
This Schwinn bike has air tires and uses tubes for increasing the comfort of the ride, which makes riding over certain terrain easy to handle and less sore.
This bike is similar with adjustable seat and handlebars, which comes standard with toddler balance bikes these days. The foot of the child will be from top to bottom and there isn’t a foot rest, which the KaZAM v2e bike had before. This is a solid construction and is slightly heavier, but with that comes stability for your child, especially on rough ground.
This is a well-made construction with quality components and will last for years, but the only downside is that the paint can easily be scrapped, apart from that this is a good all-around bike. You will find that by you child constantly pushing themselves with their feet on this bike, it will improve their core strength. The large wheels and safe handlebar grip help them gain vital skills before moving onto larger bikes with pedals.
Strider Bike
This is believed by many parents with toddlers to be one of the best balance bikes for kids with its great features like; stability, functionality and easy to use design.
This bike makes learning fun and you can go from walking to riding very easily, so whatever the capacity of your child this design is made for learning. The deign is for children aged 18 months and older and can adjust as they grow in size.
This bike has large tires and will not go flat with EVA tires made with polymer, so easy that makes them easy to use over the long term without any issues with having to maintain. This has been patented in the US and the quality finish and sturdy design make this one last vigorous use, so being thrown around might make some scuffs but will not damage the solid construction and use overall.
The seat has been made with comfort in mind and for long hours of play. If you are like some parents and allow them to ride theirs indoors instead of only outdoors then they might end up riding it for hours at a time. This can create pains after a while with some bikes but with this well-padded seat and adjustable handlebars, you are less likely to hear an issue.
This is a bike for them to learn without fear and for you to enjoy the learning curve without the worry that some cautious mothers experience. This will ensure they’re ready to move to a pedal bike and is great as a traditional bike from balance to pedal. Strider has a whole online community who meet up and have gather, so for those little learners wanting to make friends with other children who are at the same stage of riding this is a great opportunity too.
Diggin Active Skuut Wooden Bike
This is the first wooden balance bike in the review and although this is a wooden bike, it does have some differences that a toddler might prefer and environmentally aware parent too.
This bike has the Oppenheim gold seal and has won many awards for being a great choice for parents wanting a to get their child a good one that is holistic and offers a fun ride for learning through, balance eye-hand coordination, steering and pushing themselves into healthy active learning habits.
One reason this bike has won awards is that every time there is a Diggin Skuut bike made, they plant a tree. This is a nice concept for teaching children the necessary steps needed for the sustainability of nature, which helps teach kids about the balance between man and the environment.
This has had mixed reviews and there are different opinions about why this is both a good and bad balance bike. The main reasons it’s good are it looks great, has the adjustable height for the seat and is environmentally friendly with a family run feel to it. The not so good features about this bike are:
- Can’t be stored outside because it is made from wood
- Some of the bolts and features rust easily
- Made from plywood and not from laminate wood
- Durability is not so good for long term use and this can be disappointing and costly
Chicco Bullet
This bike comes with a host of different features which will enable your child to quickly and effectively ride along smoothly and comfortably whilst you watch, safe in the comfort that your child is having a great time.
The hard, airless tires, made from durable plastic, mean that you’ll never have to worry about bringing your puncture kit, or even a pump on your family day out. The hard, airless tires, made from durable plastic, mean that you’ll never have to worry about bringing your puncture kit, or even a pump on your family day out.
It comes with the desirable features of having adjustable handlebars and seat that gives the advantage of ease of control, allowing their feet to be in contact with the ground at all times, regardless of what size your child may be. The frame, made from high quality, durable metal, can take all the bumps and falls that children are likely to experience when learning to ride their first bike. Easy to assemble, this bike comes highly recommended by customers and retailers alike.
The frame is made from high quality, durable metal, can take all the bumps and falls that children are likely to experience when learning to ride their first bike. This is very easy to assemble, this bike comes highly recommended by customers and retailers alike.
Best Overall Pick
There are several I would like to have, but choosing the best is clear and the winner has to be the “strider“, which has consistently high standards throughout all of its features and functionalities. This is the quality US made product makes choosing easy for me. The design makes this great for young toddlers eager to learn to ride and also offers a community of learning that might be close to where you live, which is why this product goes beyond just a toy for learning. The price is reasonable and a little more expensive, but this is understandable for the quality of the bike and moms all over agree this is the best.
Best Budget Pick
I really like the “KaZAM v2e”, which has some unique features and has been made to suit very young toddlers learning to ride. The base for the feet and adjustable features is why this is a great outdoor choice bike. This is also a unisex bike and can suit both boys and girls wanting to begin riding their first bike.