The Best Balance Bikes of 2024

Before tackling a mountain bike trail’s curves and more aggressive terrain, we all started with the basics of learning how to ride a bike. These best kids’ balance bikes — also called glider bikes or strider bikes — help a wide range of kids quickly learn to ride safely and confidently.

Choosing the right balance bike for your child takes some time. You’ll need to make decisions between air tires or foam tires, aluminum frame or steel, hand brakes or fully free, and the list goes on. Fortunately, we’ve done a lot of the legwork for you and found the right balance bikes for kids of all sizes and abilities on the list.

Scroll and look around, and check out the bikes we ranked. Also cruise straight down to the Buyer’s Guide and Price & Value section to help the big decisions feel a bit easier, and check out our Comparison Chart for some detailed specs.

Balance bikes are the next big move in teaching kids to ride a bike, but there’s a lot more to it than just buying the bike. After picking out the bike, check out our article on How to Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike to learn how to teach your child to use a balance bike.

Editor’s Note: We updated this guide on November 13, 2024, with the addition of a Price & Value section to aid in your decision-making process.

The Best Balance Bikes of 2024

• Best Overall Balance Bike: Woom Original 1
• Best Budget Balance Bike: Chillafish Charlie
• Best Low-Maintenance Balance Bike: Strider 12 Sport
• Most Versatile Balance Bike: Yvolution Velo Flippa 4-in-1
• Best Balance Bike for Young Riders: Retrospec Cricket
• Best Pedal Conversion for Bigger Kids: Strider 14X Sport

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Best Balance Bikes Comparison Chart

Balance Bike	List Price	Age Range	Seat Height
Woom Original 1	$249	1.5-3.5 years	10″ – 14″
Chillafish Charlie	$60	1.5-4 years	11″ – 14.5″
Strider 12 Sport	$130	1.5-5 years	11″ – 19″
Yvolution Velo Flippa 4-in-1	$96	2-5 years	14″ – 16″
Retrospec Cricket	$50	1-2 years	Not adjustable
Strider 14X Sport	$220	3-7 years	16″ – 23″
Wishbone Original 3-in-1	$230	1-5 years	11″ – 18″
The Croco Balance Bike	$79	1.5-5 years	11.5″ – 16″
Kinderfeets Wooden Balance Bike	$100	2-6 years	12″ – 15″

How We Tested the Best Balance Bikes

Over the past four years, our team of little testers and their parents have tested more than a dozen different balance bikes. Our testers included 10 different children aged 12 months to 5 years. We let the children use all of the bikes at different times and observed which balance bikes were easier to use and had any standout features.

We also interviewed the children to find out about their favorite models. It was fun to get in the mind of a child and learn some important factors we never considered (like color!). The Woom Original 1 was a consistent favorite due to its lightweight design and the included hand brake. Even small children who didn’t actually need a brake were excited to have one regardless.

The guide was initially written by frequent GearJunkie contributor Chelsey Magness. Chelsey is a mother of two, an avid outdoorswoman, and a professional adventure racer. As someone who loves to ride bikes, she introduced her children to life on two wheels at a young age with the help of balance bikes. Chelsey and her two kids tested the majority of the models on this list.

Our latest update of this Buyer’s Guide was led by all-around outdoorsman and proud parent of a 2-year-old daughter, Nick Bruckbauer. Nick is a year-round Lake Tahoe resident and enjoys hiking, biking, and splashing around the Tahoe area with his family.

For your active little ones, our GearJunkie parents and kiddos have also tested the Best Kid’s Snow Gear and the Best Kids’ Fitness Trackers.

Buyers Guide: How to Choose the Best Balance Bike

What Is a Balance Bike?

Balance bikes are designed to provide toddlers with a way to develop balance and comfort on a bike before their feet ever leave the ground. With the pedals removed, kids go back to the age of the Flintstones and are fully foot-powered. This gives them far more control and a slow introduction to the use of muscles they may not have been using before.

Using a balance bike to learn how to ride allows for a gradual and close-to-the-ground method of learning to ride. If a toddler wants to get on the local mountain bike trails, starting here will be best for their future confidence.

Even for what seems to be a simple beginner’s toy for toddlers, there’s still a lot that goes into picking the right one.

Age Range

One of the best places to start is looking straight at the age range. This will quickly tell you if your toddler is even in the running for a particular bike. The age range for balance bikes happens to align with one of the time periods when kids are growing the fastest and need a new pair of pants every other day.

Looking at the age range will narrow the playing field quickly and easily. For example, the Strider 14X Sport will be a great fit even for 5-year-olds in higher percentiles for size, while The Croco Balance Bike might not be.

There aren’t many huge differences in the age ranges, as most of the balance bikes on this list are adjustable. There are a few exceptions, like the Retrospec Cricket. This four-wheeler is made for tiny tots under 24 months, and that may be pushing it.

All kids are different, and there can be major size differences between two kids born on the same day, so there are a few more aspects to consider.

One of our favorite models for growing toddlers is the Yvolution Velo Flippa 4-in-1. This versatile bike is ideal for timid riders who want to start small, but may progress very quickly. It includes a removable handle that lets parents push and steer the bike and lets the child simply ride along. Once they gain more confidence, there are several other configurations to suit their current abilities.

Seat Height

The seat height will be one of the best indicators for fit on a balance bike. Unlike with age range, you can easily measure this before making a purchase and make a more informed decision.

A balance bike with a wide range in seat height will be the most likely to grow along with your kid. In general, you’re looking at starting at 10 inches to about a 19-inch maximum height.

It’s essential to keep in mind that seat height isn’t the only aspect of the bike that will influence how comfortable your toddler feels on it. The bike’s geometry needs to be built to keep a kid upright or very slightly leaning forward. A short distance between the handlebars and seat post will result in a rider that looks like they’re trying to get into the fetal position.

The most accurate way to figure out if a bike will fit your child is to pull out the measuring tape. Most bike manufacturers will recommend a bike based on inseam measurements. It’s an easy measurement to take quickly or even find on the label of a pair of pants. This will give you the best information to determine whether a bike will fit properly.

Size Adjustability

While it’s nearly impossible to adjust the length between the handlebars and the seat, some bikes manage to make adjustments in other ways. The frame of the Wishbone 3-in-1 can be flipped upside down to shift the step-in height. This can dramatically change the bike’s fit and access for younger ages.

Another place to look for size adjustability is in the handlebars. Most balance bikes are equipped with a steerer tube that can shift the height of the handlebars.

The more you raise the seat height and keep the handlebars the same, the further forward you’ll start to hunch. This can lead to knees knocking into the handlebars, unstable positioning, and a general hatred of riding.

For kids, comfort is one of the best ways to trick them into liking something. If your toddler isn’t comfy on the bike they’re learning on, they may not want to keep trying.

Larger balance bikes are a good choice if your kid is above the average height but aren’t typically necessary. The largest bike on our list, the Strider 14X Sport, has a 14-inch wheel size, which can be a bit too much for younger kids to handle.

We’d recommend starting with the smaller bikes and then adjusting them to their max. Then you can move on to one of the larger balance bikes that can be fitted with pedals when your child is ready.

Step-In Height

The final aspect of sizing is the step-in or stand-over height. A low step-in height allows younger and shorter kids to stand on the bike comfortably. They should never be sitting on the bike’s main tube.

No matter the age or size of your child, they should be able to stand with their feet flat on the ground when straddling the bike’s main tube. This will let them slowly move toward bringing their legs up off the ground and feeling more comfortable with the bike in general, even if that means just walking with their hands on the handlebars.

A 12-inch balance bike (like the Strider 12 Sport) has a step-in height of about 7 to 8 inches. That’s an excellent fit for the average 2-year-old.

Not only does a lower step-in height help access, but it also lowers the center of gravity. The lower the center of gravity, the more stable the rider.

Weight and Frame Material

We’ve hit on the fact that parents can get stuck carrying gear for their kids all the time. Maybe you’re into getting the extra workout, but it’s probably more likely that you don’t want to haul a 30-pound block of steel around unnecessarily.

Thankfully, bike technology dramatically improved with time, even in balance bikes for toddlers. Steel is still the most common material, but aluminum bikes are becoming more commonplace and tend to be a cheaper option.

In general, you don’t want the bike to weigh any more than a third of your child’s body weight. The kid-to-bike ratio helps determine one of the most important parts of riding a bike: being able to stop. A heavier bike will naturally move faster and take more force to slow down.

If you’re going for a bike without a break and are incredibly worried about the stopping capacity of your child’s legs, an aluminum frame will help take a lot of tension off your anxiety-riddled brain.

A bike like The Croco is a fantastic ultralight option. In addition to the aluminum frame, it has foam tires that weigh a third of what normal tires can weigh.

Tires and Wheels

We’re seeing more and more improvement in the tires and wheels of balance bikes these days. Certain bikes, like The Croco, have sealed wheel bearings and EVA foam tires that prevent wobble.

Foam tires are naturally less durable but require little to no maintenance. They’re also designed to not leave marks all over your kitchen floor while your toddler races around your feet before dinner.

While the wheels of a balance bike are getting less punishment than those of a downhill mountain bike, they’re still important to any kid’s safety and enjoyment. A poorly made set of wheels will have ball bearings that rust out quickly and seize up on the rider.

The biggest factor to look at with wheels is size. A 12-inch wheel will suffice for most riders until they’re about 6 years old. For toddlers that are a bit bigger, a 14-inch wheel, like that on the Strider 14X Sport, will help provide the right balance.

If you find a bike with wheels smaller than 12 inches, it’s best to stay away. Smaller wheel sizes can result in more wobble than the gyroscopic balancing force that the kids are learning to balance.

Brakes

While most kids will be OK stopping with their feet, brakes can be a good choice for those who tend to push the limits or live in hillier neighborhoods.

Hand brakes are the most popular system found on any current style of bike. The best brake system that you’ll find is a linear-pull hand brake, commonly called a V-brake (copyrighted by Shimano), triggered with your hands on the handlebars. Having the brake system hooked up to the rear wheel is best for learning and safety.

The brakes should be set to fully stop when you pull the lever with a single finger. Otherwise, it may be too difficult to engage for a youngster.

Strider offers a foot-actuated brake that can be added to almost any of their bikes, which is an excellent option for additional safety. It also helps teach about using coaster brakes, which are common on pedal bikes everywhere.

It can be best to start without brakes unless the balance bike comes with a hand brake installed. Starting without brakes will encourage slow movement and let the toddler learn how to control the bike rather than simply stopping it.

Easy Assembly and Maintenance

Fixing a bike can mean spending more time on YouTube than having fun with your little one. With so many moving parts, bikes can be complicated machines to fix on your own. Luckily, balance bikes have significantly fewer pieces to put together and fix on the go.

Due to shipping sizes, many balance bikes will need some simple assembly upon arrival at your house. The best balance bikes come along with an easy-to-understand instruction manual. Remember, you didn’t buy this bike at IKEA, so it should take less than half an hour to get rolling.

Woom and Strider include simple instructions to put the bike together once you get it. Just about any bike that doesn’t require any tools will only need to be puzzle-pieced together and sent on its way. In an ideal world, you won’t need to do a single thing. Just get the bike and go.

Thanks to a relatively low number of moving parts, there’s not too much to maintain on balance bikes. You can often find great bikes that don’t even require pumping up the tires. Most maintenance should be checking tires, adjusting height, and ensuring that your child hasn’t outgrown the bike.

Accessories

There’s a lot to be added to a balance bike to make it safer or just make it unique. Many of the bikes on our list offer customizable stickers and encourage creative design. This is fantastic for young kids to give them a sense of ownership over the bike and make them even more invested in hopping on and riding.

The Kinderfeet Wooden Balance Bike comes along with a chalkboard finish that will let your kid’s creativity shine through and be adjusted whenever they want.

Aside from creativity, plenty of accessories can be added for safety. A shrill bell attached to the handlebars is a great way to keep track of your kid and teach them to alert others of their presence on the sidewalks. Reflective tape for bike frames and tires is another safety measure to help expand the hours that your kids can ride their bikes.

Strider offers both the foot-actuated brake and the rocking base that can be used with some of their models. The rocker helps introduce a youngster to the bike above a carpeted floor rather than the pavement.

Many bikes also offer footrests that are typically built-in but sometimes need to be added. A pedal-free bike can often be fun to ride with your legs in the air, but something to rest your feet flat on will help further encourage comfort with balancing a bike.

Price & Value

Balance bikes are one of the simplest forms of the bicycle. Not only are they small, but without drivetrain components, pedals, and, in some cases, brakes, there isn’t much to them. Additionally, kids are small and light weight, so the bikes don’t require much from a design and engineering standpoint to make them functional. So, it’s not too surprising that they are relatively affordable, which is nice considering they will outgrow any of them in short order. The models we’ve included in this guide range in price from $50 up to $250.

Budget

The least expensive balance bike we tested is the Retrospec Cricket ($50). This compact little ride is made for kids between 1 and 2 years of age and is a great option for when they’re just starting out. It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll help the youngest kids get their feet under them. The Chillafish Charlie ($50 to $60) is another super affordable option to get kids rolling. Again, this bike is a wildly simple option for smaller kids, but you have the option to upgrade to entertaining glowing wheels for an extra $10.

Mid-Tier

If you’re willing to step up to the $100 mark or just above, you’ll get bikes that are a bit higher quality or have greater adjustability. The Yvolution Velo Flippa 4-in-1 ($96) isn’t the highest quality bike around, but it can used in four different configurations depending on your child’s needs. It can be a pedal trike, a balance bike, or it can be used as either of those with a push handle for parents to assist as they learn.

The Strider 12 Sport ($130) is quite similar to the more affordable Chillafish mentioned above, but the increase in price gets you a much sturdier bike that’s built to handle the rough treatment that it’s likely to get. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and in this case that’s a higher-quality frame and everything else that’s attached to it.

Premium

Believe it or not, you can spend as much as $1,000 on a balance bike. You read that correctly. The Specialized Hotwalk Carbon is a carbon-framed balance bike that even comes with carbon fiber wheels. Unless you have more money that you know what to do with, no one needs to spend that much.

Beyond that one truly unnecessary outlier, we consider anything over the $200 mark to be at the high end of the balance bike market. These are often balance bikes that are suitable for larger kids, made from higher quality materials and components, come with brakes, or have special features to convert them as needs change and skills improve. The Woom Original 1 ($249) is a great example. This bike is well made, lightweight, has a rear brake, inflatable tires, and a wide seat height adjustment range, which means you can probably get a couple of years of use out of it.

Similarly, the Strider 14x Sport ($220) has a convertible design that can carry your little one from striding to pedaling over time. As your child progresses, this bike can be adapted along with them with the addition of the pedal conversion kit ($70). You’ll pay a little extra for it, but it’s still less expensive than buying a separate pedal bike that they’ll quickly outgrow. Another adaptable option is the Wishbone Original 3-in-1 ($230), which commands a high price for its sustainable materials and 3-in-1 design. As your child grows, you can go from a trike to a 2-wheeler and potentially use the same bike between 1 and 5 years old.

Frequently Asked Questions

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