One day as a longtime friend of mine and myself were having coffee; he asked what the best balance bike is for his toddler. I was surprised to know that his four-year-old was interested in riding.
While it was a lovely surprise, I was very happy for him because his toddler wanted to follow in his footsteps. Is there a better feeling than your toddler following in your footsteps? I have not personally experienced it, but I can imagine the sense of absolute delight.
As I have been a bike enthusiast for as long as I can remember, I gave him a detailed explanation.
You see, choosing a bike for your toddler is not an easy task. Many things must be kept in mind, such as the age of the toddler, weight of the bike, height of the bike and child, brake of the bike, seat height, and the size and type of tires.
If you are looking to get a balance bike for your toddler and have stumbled on a dead end, I can ensure that you have come to the right place.
Grab yourself a coffee and come with me as I share what I shared with my friend.
What to Look For When Choosing a Balance Bike
When choosing a balance bike for your child, you should look out for several things.
Remember, even the slightest things can put off a toddler, and you as a parent do not want to do that.
Keep in mind the following points and look out for these when choosing a balance bike for your toddler.
- Your toddler’s feet should reach the ground easily and stay firm. She or he should be able to easily manoeuvre as they will be using their feet all the time.
- There should be plenty of room between the seat and the handlebar of the balance bike. This is important so your toddler’s legs are not scrunched up as they use their balance bike.
- The seat of the balance bike should be close to the rear tire for easy balance. High seat balance bike can demotivate your child to ride the bike as it can possibly throw off your toddler’s center of gravity.
- Balance bikes for your toddler should have at least 12 inch tires. However, it will depend on the age of your toddler.
- The handlebars of the balance bikes must be equipped with rubber grips for easy grip and bumpers to protect your toddler’s hands.
- I would personally recommend a balance bike to have hand brakes instead of no brakes. It will teach toddlers how to use brakes as they transition to bigger bikes.
- The perfect balance bike for your toddler should not weigh more than 30 percent of the toddler’s height. This is one of the most important factor when choosing a balance bike because the heavier the bike, the harder the fall and equally harder for your toddler to manoeuvre.
How to Choose the Best Balance Bike for Your Toddler?
Now that you know what to look for in a balance bike let us find out how to choose the best balance bike for your toddler. Remember that some points might repeat here as they are essential.
1. Seat Height
The more youthful and smaller your toddler, the more significant the base seat height.
Assuming you put your toddler on a balance bike that is too large for them, they will unavoidably crash, get injured, become immediately disappointed, and get frustrated.
So before purchasing a bicycle, it is imperative to measure their inseam and pick a balance bike with a base seat height no more significant than their inseam.
At this age, toddlers should have the option to put their feet level on the ground when they sit on the seat.
2. Hand Brake
A year and a half toddler does not have what it takes and needs to use a handbrake. At this age and stage, their feet turn out great as brakes.
Keeping that in mind, I would not make handbrakes a major central factor when picking a balance bike for your toddler.
However, by 2.5 to 3 years of age, toddlers should start to have the option of utilizing the handbrake as it is excellent practice for toddlers preparing to change to a pedal bicycle in the future.
All in all, assuming you want your toddler to ride a bike for a long time, consider getting one with a handbrake as it prepares them for the real world.
3. Weight of the Balance Bike
Weight is a vital consideration factor while getting a balance bike for your toddler. On top of that, weight is much more significant when talking about 2-year-olds and under.
Toddlers who are simply getting started get irritated and demotivated easily, and the lightweight the balance bike is, the more certain they are to succeed in their new journey.
Tip: when choosing and comparing two balance bikes of a similar price, pick the lighter one as your toddler will enjoy it more.
4. Tires in Balance Bike
When it comes to tires in balance bikes, you have two choices: a foam or plastic tire or an air pressure tire.
The foam or plastic tires are great in that they never go out of the air, and you would not have to check them constantly. However, I would recommend and consider going with the air pressure tires.
You might be confused here. Let me explain.
Air pressure tires offer an unrivaled foothold when riding on grass, dirt, and rock.
While this may not be that significant for a year and a half old when your toddler will probably ride on the driveway or around the house, you will be astonished how rapidly they become more brave, adventurous, and willing to try out new things.
5. Tire Size in Balance Bike
While most balance bikes accompany 12-inch wheels in them, you will most likely discover some with 10 inch or 14-inch wheels.
Most toddlers will do outstandingly well with 12-inch wheels, however assuming they are incredibly young, a balance bike with 10-inch wheels might give the best fit.
I recommended a different friend start his 14-month-old toddler in a 10 inch wheeled balance bike, and the result is fantastic. Her kid is 4 years now and rides like a pro.
On the contrary, taller toddlers might be better off with 14-inch wheels.
The bigger a balance bike’s wheels are, the simpler it will be to move over obstacles.
These balance bikes with 14-inch tires make for a more giant, heavier bicycle. So do not jump to a bigger wheel size until your toddler is prepared to do as such.
6. Age of Toddler
There are different sizes of bikes for different aged toddlers.
18 Month Old Toddlers
For a year and a half-year-old toddler, the best balance bike should have a shallow seat height and must be extremely lightweight.
Brakes at the age are pointless, yet it is excellent to assume your toddler will continue bicycling around for some time.
Foam or plastic tires are ideal for riding inside the house at this age.
2 Year Old Toddlers
For a 2-year-old toddler, a balance bike with 12-inch tires is ideal and recommended.
I suggest you pick a balance bike that will most easily last a while (two to three years) until your toddler is prepared to transition to their first pedal bicycle.
3 Year Old Toddlers
For a 3 years old toddler, consider purchasing a slightly bigger balance bike. For instance, you can try your toddler on a 14-inch tire-sized balance bike if it seems perfect, brilliant!
However, assuming your toddler falls on the smaller size of the spectrum, stay with a balance bike with 12-inch tires but ensure that it has a hand brake, an adjustable seat, and air pressure tires.
Toddlers really make the most of their balance bikes and ride around aggressively within this age. This is when you can transition to a pedal bike.
7. Price of Balance Bike
Finally, let us discuss the price of the balance bike. It is important to note that price varies depending on the features and other factors of the balance bike.
Anticipate spending at least 100 dollars on a top-notch balance bike. If it is out of your budget, look for a budget balance bike. You can find them easily.
If you do not think your child will be riding for the foreseeable future, you can also lookout for a used balance bike on Craigslist, Amazon or ask friends or colleagues about it. A well-utilized balance bicycle is, for the most part, a preferred decision over a cheap balance bike.
Assuming that the price is not a problem, then, at that point, go straight for the Woom 1 or Prevelo Alpha Zero. You will not be disappointed (your toddler will certainly not).
5 Best Balance Bikes for Your Toddler
I hope I have been able to shed light on some crucial things you should know before latching out and splashing your cash on a balance bike for your toddler. If you have been attentive so far, awesome!
And now, the moment of truth. Let us check out the 5 best balance bikes for your toddler.
As usual, remember that picking anyone out of the five is excellent. You will not go wrong if you choose any of the five mentioned here. Your toddler will love it!
| S.N. | Bicycle Name | Weight in Pounds | Weight in Kilograms | Seat Height in Inches | Tire Type | Frame | Price |
| 1 | Woom 1 | 6.6 | 2.9 | 10 – 14 | Air | Aluminum Alloy | $199 |
| 2 | Frog Tadpole Mini | 7.5 | 3.4 | 10 | Air | Aluminum Alloy | $210 |
| 3 | Prevelo Alpha Zero | 8.5 | 3.85 | 11.4 – 14.6 | Air | Aluminum Alloy | $199 |
| 4 | Pello Ripple | 9 | 4 | 11.3 – 15.5 | Air | Aluminum Alloy | $198 |
| 5 | Yedoo Too Too | 8.2 | 3.7 | 12 – 18 | Air | Aluminum Alloy | $160 |
1. Woom 1
Perfection through and through, the Woom 1 makes for a smooth, simple ride for your toddler starting bright and early on their balance bike adventure.
The Woom 1’s handlebars place the rider in a natural, upright position with their weight focused over their hips to keep your toddler calm. It assists your toddler in keeping the bike balanced perfectly.
The previously mentioned feature, joined with a lightweight, a low minimum seat height, extra-padded air tires, and a simple handbrake, permits the Woom 1 to easily take your kid from strolling along the walkway to tearing down trails.
If your toddler does not like the color, you can have your toddler pick one from the five available.
Trust me; they will love this bike!
2. Frog Tadpole Mini
Assuming that you have a cute small toddler, the Frog Tadpole Mini is perfect for even the smallest of kids.
The Tadpole Mini is one of a couple available with 10 inches in the market and boasts a shallow, most diminutive seat height of 9.5 inches.
Additionally, this balance bike has air pressure Kenda tires and a back handbrake. Now, the hand brake might be somewhat pointless, considering your kid will not use them as much before they are old enough to figure out how to utilize a hand brake. Nonetheless, it is a welcome addition.
This bicycle is excellent, assuming you want to get your youngster into riding a bike since you will most likely need to purchase a more significant balance bike before your youngster is prepared for a pedal bicycle.
If I wanted my toddler to ride a bike perfectly in the long run, I would go for the Frog Tadpole Mini.
3. Prevelo Alpha Zero
The Prevelo Alpha Zero is as beautiful on the outside as it could be in terms of actually riding it.
The smooth brushed aluminum outline is lightweight and boasts inside directing the brake wire to keep things spotless.
Talking about brakes, the Alpha Zero has a simple, easy-to-pull, and easy-to-reach Tektro handbrake. And on top of that, a set of air pressure tires, a quick-release seat post, and an option for customizable color make the Prevelo a top pick.
The Prevelo Alpha Zero is one of the best balance bikes for your kid.
4. Pello Ripple
The Pello Ripple is an adaptable little workhorse with top-tier parts. It is one of the smallest bikes in Pello’s line of available fantastic bikes for kids.
The Ripple comes total with wide air pressure Kenda tires, a Cane Creek headset, a rear Tektro v-brake, and an extended quick-release seat post.
The balance bike allows kids to adjust the seat height and handlebar height accordingly without a fuss.
Its outstanding design is revolved around rotating handlebars that permit your toddler to dial in the ideal fit as your toddler develops.
5. Yedoo Too Too
Assuming you want the prettiest balance bike available for your toddler, the Yedoo Too Too is the victor by a mile. The bicycle comes in various excellent color plans and has a beautiful body and design.
Apart from offering a ton of very charming colors and designs, the Too Too is an agile, lightweight balance bike that is a remarkable purchase.
It may be mid-range in price, yet not in features.
Now, obviously, I would not include a bicycle on my 5 best balance bike list only for looking great. The Yedoo Too Too additionally performs exponentially.
The Too Too incorporates pneumatic air pressure tires, a genuine headset for extended mobility, a back v-brake, and reflective dots on the tires.
Conclusion
As you can see, picking a balance bike for your toddler is not an easy task. There are many things in play from age, height, price, and much more covered above.
I hope I was able to help you out as much (or more) as I did my friend in picking the best balance bike for his toddler.
If you are hesitant to pick out any other bike than the number one on my list here, please do not. Your toddler will appreciate the balance bike to the max, no matter which you pick out from here.
Your toddler deserves the best, and if you go with anyone mentioned in this article, you have done your job!
