The 10 Very Best Balance Bikes for Kids
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Balance bikes help young kids get confident on two wheels, letting beginner riders develop the feel for a bike and learn to maneuver and balance with the security of their feet on the ground. And for many children, once they are ready for a pedal bike, the experience of having ridden a balance bike can eliminate the need for training wheels. Kids as young as 1 year old can learn to ride a balance bike, and depending on their age and size, many will be content to use one for a year or more before they move on to pedals; I’ve known kindergarteners who love gliding on their balance bikes at top speed even once they’re capable of pedaling independently.
According to Natalie Martins, owner of the kids’-bike review siteTwo Wheeling Tots, lots of brands have started marketing four- or three-wheeledbikes(sometimes referred to asbaby bikes) as balance bikes. While these can be a fun and engaging toy, they don’t teach children how to balance, she says, explaining that a true balance bike shouldn’t be able to stand upright on its own and should lean on turns rather than tipping. To help you find the best balance bike for your kid, I talked to Martins and five other parents about the ones they own and love. I also tested two different balance bikes with my son, who is 2 years old and a balance-bike newbie.
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Tire type
There are two main types of balance-bike tires: foam and air-filled. Air-filled tires are better for uneven terrain like bumpy lawns or wooded trails, as they provide better traction and a smoother, more cushioned ride. And bigger, knobbier air-filled tires, like you would find on a mountain bike, are a growing trend for off-road balance biking or riding on ramps or other obstacles. In addition to requiring more maintenance — they’ll occasionally need topping off with air, and are a risk of puncturing — they can also be heavier, which can be a hindrance for the youngest, smallest riders. So the main benefit of foam tires is that they are lightweight and essentially puncture proof. They are generally found on less-expensive balance bikes and are best-suited to smooth or paved surfaces like sidewalks and playground surfaces. Some balance bikes will ship with foam tires by default, but you’ll have the option to add or upgrade to air-filled tires for an additional cost.
Weight and frame material
Balance bikes are typically made from aluminum or steel, but some are made of other materials like wood or plastic. Aluminum frames are the most popular since they are lightweight, strong, and rust resistant. However, aluminum is usually more expensive than steel, which is sturdy but heavier. Wood balance bikes are usually an aesthetic choice because they resemble Montessori-style toys, but they tend to be heavy as well. Plastic balance bikes are inexpensive and light, but much less durable. Choosing a light balance bike is most important for the littlest kids who don’t yet have the strength to maneuver something that weighs ten pounds or more; if their bike is too heavy, toddlers will have to work harder and risk falling more often. Lightweight bikes are also appealing to parents who will inevitably have to carry them home from the park on occasion. That said, it may make sense to choose a heavier bike if your kid is older, particularly athletic, or does a lot of off-road riding, which requires bigger, heavier tires.
Inseam range and adjustability
Balance bikes are not one size fits all. And even though many of them have the same 12-inch wheel size, seat heights can vary greatly. When I asked Martins what parents should consider before buying a balance bike, she suggested looking for a bike with an adjustable seat and/or handlebars so it can grow with your child. An adjustable seat and handlebars will also help each kid get the best fit possible and extend the life of your purchase.
You should also pay attention to a bike’s “inseam range,” which refers to the measurement on a child from the bottom of their shoes to their crotch (whereas bike seat height is measured from the ground to the top of the seat and changes when you adjust the seat). Bike brands are not always consistent in how they communicate balance bike measurements and how they suggest that you pick a bike for your child, so assessing both the inseam range and the bike seat height, relative to your child’s measurements, will ensure you get the best fit that will last you the longest.
Ultimately you want the seat height to be slightly below the child’s inseam height. For example, my son is 2.5 years old and 35 inches tall with an inseam of 12inches. And he is currently most comfortable with his seat height set around 11.5 inches.
Price
Prices for balance bikes vary wildly, especially with the added complication of the Trump administration’stariffs, because most are manufactured in Asia, particularly in China or Cambodia. Generally, parents can expect to spend between $75 and $250 for a new bike. Bikes with special features like off-road tires, balance-to-pedal convertibility, and high-end brakes can cost even more. I divided this list into three price categories, with the cost of each balance bike denoted as $, $$, and $$$, for under $100, under $200, and $200 and up, respectively.
Since it’s hard to predict how much your specific kid is going to use a balance bike, you might want to start by borrowing one from a friend or neighbor, or looking for one to buy secondhand. Some kids, especially those who are used to riding ascooter, will graduate to pedal bikes more quickly (or decide they still prefer the scooter over the bike). Others might enjoy riding their balance bike for years.
Notably, everyone I talked to for this story told me that good-quality balance bikes, while expensive, usually have good resale value. So you can often make a decent chunk of your investment back.
Design and extra features
Most children young enough to be riding a balance bike don’t care about brand recognition, but an array of bright colors including glitter and metallic options can definitely play a role in motivating first-time riders. Many balance bikes can also be upgraded with fun accessories like bells, streamers, foot rests, and baskets. As an added safety feature, hand brakes are ideal for experienced riders who want to take on hills; they are also great for particularly fearless and speed-seeking newbies. A hand brake may also extend the life of your child’ssneakerssince, without a brake, kids just put their feet down — and often drag them — to stop.
Best balance bike overall
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Tires:Air |Weight:6.375 pounds |Frame:Aluminum |Adjustability:Seat only (handlebars are fixed) |Inseam range:10 to 14.4 inches |Price:$$$
The Woom GO 1 balance bike is an ideal first bike for toddlers thanks to its lightweight aluminum frame, low crossbar, shock-absorbing air-filled tires, and extra safety features, including a kid-size hand brake and a turn limiter (which is a little strap that connects the frame to the fork and helps kids steer straight to avoid falls caused by overturning the front wheel). It’s an upgraded version of the brand’s well-known Woom 1 balance bike, which is being discontinued (along with all of the brand’s original line of bikes). Upgrades include narrower handlebars and reshaped grips, a more upright seating position, and an oval seat post to prevent twisting.Martins, who has tested both versions of the bike, says that every feature is designed to offer the ultimate riding experience, from the sturdy frame and adjustable seat to the comfortable grips and cushioned saddle.
Before receiving his own Woom balance bike, my 2.5-year-old son had some experience with a four-wheel ride-on toy from Radio Flyer and with the Bella Velio balance bike from Early Rider (the latter of which is reviewed below). So he understood the basic concept already. Still, I was impressed by how easily he mounted the bike and got going. (We have the original Woom 1, which aside from the small differences I mentioned above has nearly all of the same features and specs as the Woom GO 1.) The bike comes almost completely assembled out of the box; all you have to do is attach and tighten the handlebars using the included hex key. Once that is done, adjust the seat to the correct height and the bike is ready to ride; the whole process took less than ten minutes.
After our fifth outing or so, my son was confident enough to lift his feet between steps and slowly glide around the playground. It’s now been about six weeks and so far he hasn’t gone fast enough to need the hand brake, but he likes squeezing it and feeling how it works; it makes me happy that he is getting exposed to braking early, with lots of time to practice. The turn limiter was immediately useful ,and though it didn’t totally keep him from falling, it did reduce the number of times he ended up on the sidewalk and saved him a lot of beginner frustration. (The limiter can be removed once riders are ready for that.) It’s also nice that Woom makes a bunch of fun and practical accessories for their balance bikes, including a bell, basket with add-on charms, sticker packs, fenders, and a carry bag for travel.
The main drawback of all Woom bikes is the high price tag, especially considering toddlers grow so fast. (This bike is recommended for kids with an inseam of 10 to 14.4 inches.) But Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang, who also has the original Woom 1, told me that because it’s so well-made and stands up to a lot of riding, it retains its value and you can usually recoup a lot of your initial cost. This also means there is a usually a significant number of Woom bikes in very good used condition available for resale. Yang’s husband bought theirs for $100 on Craigslist and is planning to buy theWoom GO 2(which is bigger and can be used as both a balance bike or a pedal bike) next. Speaking of which, Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens chose the original Woom 2 for her almost-3-year-old daughter because she is tall and it will allow her to transition to pedals without buying a whole new bike. At the moment she is only using it to glide around slowly indoors as the added weight — 12.2 pounds, nearly double the weight of the Woom GO 1 — is still a hindrance to her really taking off. So while you’re essentially getting two bikes in one, the bigger Woom GO 2 (and its predecessor, the Woom 2) is much heavier in addition to being $200 more expensive than the Woom GO 1. For this reason, I believe the Woom GO 1 is the best overall choice for kids starting out on a balance bike.
Best (less-expensive) balance bike
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Tires:Foam |Weight:6.7 pounds |Frame:Steel |Adjustability:Seat and handlebars |Inseam range:12 to 18 inches |Price:$$
For about $120 less than the Woom GO 1, the Strider Sport balance bike is also an excellent option with a bigger range of seat heights — albeit one that starts two inches higher — fitting kids with an inseam of anywhere between 12 and 18 inches. It doesn’t have the same superlight aluminum frame as the Woom but makes up for the added weight with lighter foam tires that are great for smooth surfaces and will never go flat. (And if you want to take your Strider on bumpy trails, you can purchasehigh-traction air-filled tiresfor $80 and switch them out; strider also sellsmulticolored grips, replacement handlebars made ofaluminumor carbon fiber, and professional-lookingracing number plates.) Most inexpensive balance bikes are heavier and therefore more difficult for little kids to control, making the Strider Sport a standout in the budget category.
Three Strategist parents — senior writer Lauren Ro, senior editor Jen Trolio, andNew Yorkdeputy editor Alexis Swerdloff — used different Strider balance bikes with their children. Ro bought a Strider secondhand when her older son, Augie, was 2 years old, and says it prepared him to ride a real bike, no training wheels required. And it was still in great shape when it came time for her second kid to use it. “It took Augie a couple of weeks to get used to it, but once he got the hang of it, he could go super fast and put his feet up,” Ro says, noting that she liked the adjustable seat with a wide range of heights. Ro’s only complaint is that when the seat is in the lowest possible position the stem can get caught on things like raised tree branches or bumps if you’re not riding on a smooth, flat surface. Another parent I talked to for this story, Milk Teeth co-founder Rebecca Calavan, has tried a bunch of balance bikes with her kids and recommends the more expensive14-inchversion of this bike since it can be converted to a pedal bike with anadd-on kit.
Best (even-less-expensive) balance bike
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Tires:Foam |Weight:10 pounds |Frame:Steel |Adjustability:Seat and handlebars |Inseam range:12 to 16.5 inches |Price:$
If you’re looking to spend less than a hundred dollars on a first balance bike, Calavan and Martins both recommend the Retrospec Cub balance bike that will fit children with an inseam of 12 to 16.5 inches. It has the same starting height as the Strider bike, which is two inches higher than that of the Woom GO 1, but its range of heights is smaller than the Strider. Calavan likes that it’s “aesthetically pleasing” thanks to its ten unconventional color combinations, included sticker pack, and swooping crossbar. And Martins adds that it “offers great geometry for a budget bike and has easy to use quick release clamps on the seat and handlebars.” It is the most affordable bike on this list, but also the heaviest due to its steel frame. If you have a little more room in your budget, theCub Plusfrom Retrospec is still cheaper than the Strider, above, but it’s one pound lighter than the Retrospec Cub and has a starting inseam height of 11.5 inches, comes with air tires instead of foam ones, and also has a hand brake.
Best balance bike for off-roading
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Tires:Air |Weight:8.8 pounds without brake, 9.7 pounds with brake |Frame:Aluminum |Adjustability:Seat and handlebars |Inseam range:13 to 17 inches |Price:$$$
Almost all balance bikes are designed to be used primarily on paved surfaces, but a few cater to mountain biking families. According to Martins, the main mountain biking balance bike is the very cool Kids Ride Shotgun Dirt Hero. At almost $300, it’s a splurge, but one that Martin says will get you an exceptionally well-built bike that lets kids take on actual mountain biking trails and other tough terrain. It also comes recommended by Dan Honeycutt, father of a 6-year-old dirt biker named Elliot who got his start riding balance bikes over jumps and ramps. Honeycutt says the Dirt Hero’s big knobby tires and optional disc brakes, which do a better job of stopping in muddy or wet conditions, are its major selling points. Should you choose to buy the bike with disc brakes, it will cost you an additional $120. With or without the brakes, the bike has the added benefit of compatibility with either 12 or 14 inch wheels, making it effectively two bikes in one (if you buy the additional wheels) with a combined inseam range of 13 to 17 inches.
Best lightweight balance bike
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Tires:Foam |Weight:4.1 pounds |Frame:Aluminium |Adjustability:Seat and handlebars|Inseam range:12 to 18 inches |Price:$$
Calavan also recommends the Cruzee balance bike, which she bought secondhand on Nextdoor, because it’s so light. Its aluminum frame and foam wheels with plastic rims make it more than two pounds lighter than the Woom GO 1. The Cruzee has an adjustable seat and handlebars, and an inseam range of 12 to 18 inches. Calavan says the bike taught her son how to ride with very little effort on her part. “We picked him up at preschool one day and he was suddenly riding a pedal bike. We hadn’t even tried one with him yet,” she says. One downside of the Cruzee is that the aluminum frame scratches easily. But Calavan thinks it looks tougher that way.
Best balance bike for tall toddlers
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Tires:Air |Weight:6.5 pounds |Frame:Aluminium |Adjustability:Seat and handlebars |Inseam range:11.8 to 18 inches |Price:$$
In addition to the Woom GO 2, Kitchens got the Airo Hornit balance bike when her daughter was 2.5 years old and around 34 inches tall. Kitchens’s husband, who is a serious cyclist, chose the bike after doing a lot of research based on his daughter’s tall height for her age. For these riders, the Airo Hornit is an ideal combination of a large inseam range, slightly bigger 12.5-inch air tires, and a lightweight frame. It’s essentially twice as light as the Woom GO 2, which makes it easier to build the momentum needed to run and “take off,” which Kitchens says her daughter recently got the hang of on this bike. Meanwhile it has a maximum inseam height that’s just one inch lower than the max on the Woom GO 2. It’s also cool-looking with its cutout crossbar, and comes with built-in grip tape footrests, a neoprene-padded handlebar stem, and the choice of six different colors.
Best balance bike for babies
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Tires:Hardplastic spherical wheels |Weight:6.2 pounds |Frame:Wood, plastic, and aluminum |Adjustability:Seat and back wheel |Inseam range:8.5 to 9.5 inches |Price:$$
Before my son tried the Woom 1 balance bike, I had previously introduced him to balancing on a bike with the Bella Velio — a distinctive balance bike for babies with fat, ball-shaped wheels and a curved wooden frame. It took him a long time to “get” how it works and he spent a lot of time playing with the bike upside down in our apartment, just spinning the wheels. Unlike the other bikes on this list, the Bella Velio can be used even before kids can walk thanks to its wide wheels that support them while still teaching them to balance. The back wheel swivels like a rudder to help kids steer with their bodies by leaning toward their target. As kids get more confident, a dial on the back of the bike lets you decrease tension on the back wheel for a deeper swivel and more challenging ride.
The design of the Bella Velio is a big part of the draw; its shiny pastel fenders make it look like a baby Vespa. And the functional design is just as elegant, according to Martins. “They saw the limitations of other baby balance bikes, and invented one that will lean instead of tip,” she says. Once my son figured out how to move his body to control the Bella Velio, he became obsessed and we took it with us to the park, to local playgrounds, and to our building lobby whenever we got the chance. I love the clever way the seat moves up or down the frame to adjust the height, and how the handlebars have rounded foam ends that fit well in tiny hands. The bike rolls best on smooth surfaces, but my son also liked walking it on dirt and grass. It is expensive, especially for such a young child, but it’s also very durable and easy to clean, so it’d be a great toy to hand down to a sibling or a friend’s kid. Just note that, although it’s very light, the shape makes it more awkward to carry around than the other balance bikes on this list.
Ourexperts
• Rebecca Calavan, Milk Teeth co-founder and parent
• Dan Honeycutt, father of a 6-year-old dirt biker named Elliot
• Simone Kitchens, Strategist deputy editor and parent
• Natalie Martins, owner of the kids’-bike review siteTwo Wheeling Tots
• Lauren Ro, Strategist senior writer and parent
• Alexis Swerdloff,New Yorkdeputy editor and parent
• Jen Trolio, Strategist senior editor and parent
• Winnie Yang, Strategist senior editor and parent
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