BUILDS CONFIDENCE - This kids' bike helps your little ones to build confidence that they’ll use for life.

The gorgeous, aluminum LittleBig three-in-one model is a hybrid balance pedal bike like the Strider 14x Sport. It came fully assembled in the box, so all I needed to do was adjust the seatpost slightly, through a traditional hex key clamp. Like our top pick from Guardian, this Woom model has a handbrake, a feature that helps kids learn a skill that’s necessary for pedal biking. inches—a similar max height to our runner-up, and a bit taller than our top pick, but with about an inch and a half more range. But most riders don’t need the extra-robust wheels, and feature-wise, you get more for your money from the REI REV 12.This feature ensures that your child can use the bike for several years, which is a great investment. The seat post on all models has a quick release clamp and can easily be adjusted without heading to the tool box. One benefit of higher-end balance bikes is their true headsets that hold strong enough to prevent the handlebars from twisting in the event of a crash. We also tested the budget Kazam v2e, which features the lowest step-in height of any bike we tested, at 6 inches, as well as a wide, comfortable footrest.

Overall, the best tires are air-filled rubber ones because they dampen bumps and grip better on smooth surfaces such as concrete and wood floors, although they are susceptible to flats. Please note that [Pay in 3 instalments] [and] [Pay in 30 days] agreements are not regulated by the FCA.

The treaded tyres are grippy enough for most conditions, but the tread is pretty tightly packed, and mud often got stuck in there and was difficult to get out. In our tests, the Banana Bike GT’s air-filled tires worked fine on paved, dirt, and carpeted surfaces but were a tad slippery on kitchen linoleum and hardwood floors, unlike our top pick and runner-up. FLEXIBLE SIZING - The adjustable seat and handlebar accommodate children ages from 2 to 5 years, with a seat height that can be adjusted on the go from 32cm up to 44cm with quick release clamp. But we found it annoying to build—you need your own screwdriver, and the parts don’t fit together easily—and its cheap, hard tires didn’t have enough give for kids to ride it comfortably. pounds, which makes for more stability and grounded turns, aided by the steering limiter, which prevents kids from turning the steering wheel too far to one side or too quickly.

The Strider 14x Sport (left) has the tallest stand-over height of our picks, at 10 inches, while the Guardian Balance Bike has the lowest, at 7 inches (the same as the Woom 1). The Raleigh Balance Banana Bike is well thought out and practical, but on the heavier side and more difficult for smaller children to mount than others.Jenni’s son had fewer crashes on this bike in comparison with the others in the testing pool, likely due to the bike’s steering limiter, which prevents overturning the handlebar. We had issues with the width of its rear tubes, which rubbed our tester’s legs, and the foam tires were quite slippery. The ability to add pedals seemed like a huge win for the parents in our testing pool, who knew that this feature could reduce a child’s psychological barrier to switching to a pedal bike. This lightweight toddler bike is designed for kids aged 2 to 5 years old and has a unique banana-shaped step-through frame design that makes it easy for your child to get on and off the bike.

By developing their core strength and establishing a centre of gravity, these pedal-free bikes help little'uns master the basics of balancing, making it easier for them to progress to the real thing. We’ve learned that kids learning to ride on a bike without a limiter tend to crash more and get more frustrated early on.

It’s heavy enough to be grounded for fast turns but light enough to accommodate kids of all ages, it has a handbrake that slows both the front and back wheels, it’s equipped with a steering limiter for safety, and it has an appealing, flashy design, with shiny, bright paint and crisp logos. Ideally, this height is around 7 to 8 inches off the ground on a 12-inch balance bike (the number denotes the wheel size), which is low enough for most 2-year-olds to stand over comfortably.