Sizing Charts and which bike is best?

 First and foremost don't worry!  Your child will love the bike you end up choosing!

That said and done, you want to choose the bike your child will love THE BEST and meet all the criteria you would find important to your specific child.   We understand that.   The staff at Kids Balance Bikes are available to sort out your questions and figure out which bike your child will love and thrive on!   At least one balance bike from EACH brand sold in our online store has been taken out of the box, inspected, put together, and put to the test with real toddlers and preschoolers and school age kids in demo rides from ages 20 months to 9 years old! 

The balance bikes all carry the same concept of learning to ride a two wheeled bike without training wheels. The bikes are without pedals, chains or sprockets for their little legs to get tangled up in, and the bike is propelled by your child walking, running, then in short time gliding with their feet off the ground!   The balance bike gets your child ready to seamlessly transition to a pedal bike with little effort.

The following charts will give you some basic information to help narrow down your choices.  One of the most important points to remember is your child's inseam needs to be long enough for the starting end of the bike.   The chart below lists starting height in inches.  The chart below that shows our recommendations based on the child's clothing size from our experience with many kids.

RECOMENDATIONS from our DEMO RIDERS for starting age on bikes(this is not how long the bike will last - just starting age!)

Some Recommendations from Kids Balance Bikes:

* For Metal balance bikes with the very young kids (under 2 1/2)  - look at the Strider balance bike.   This bike has a very low seat height of 11" - 16.5" ,  low handlebar starting point, and one of the lightest bikes on the market at 6.9 pounds.  These are great for starting as early as 17 to 18 months.   These bikes will grow with you child up to age 5 when they will be more than ready to try out a pedal bike with no training wheels!  The new 2012 model is even tailored more towards the toddler with smaller handgrips and smaller seat!  Easier to get on and off! 

For kids starting between ages 3.5 - 4 it is important to measure their height and inseam and get a bike that fits in their inseam range.  Good medium sized balance bikes are the Mini Glider,  Laufrad and Kazam.  The chart above will help based on clothing size, and you can double check with inseam measurements if your child is inbetween sizes or tall/short for their age.   Most standard size bikes are made for the average size 3 year old - so it's a perfect age to start - you have not waited to long and most bikes will fit! 

For a wooden model - for kids 2 1/2 and under the Wishbone bike is a fantastic choice that will grow with you child up to 5 years old - probably the largest range wooden balance bike on the market with a starting age of 12 month old.

FirstBIKE is a great versatile and high quality bike with a lowering kit which will accommodate for kids ages 18 month up to 5 years old - great range, and an innovative product made of composite materials of fiberglass and nylon and will stand up the test of any child's activity level!  

The toughest question so far has been when should you choose the 16 inch balance bike over a 12 inch bike.  This is tough for kids right on the border in size.  We are finding that kids should be at least 45 inches tall to be able to manage the Go Glider.   If your child is just an inch or two under 45", then try the mini glider (with XL seat) or Schwinn.  If you are unhappy with the fit, you can always exchange.  It is easier (and more fun)  to manage a smaller bike than one that is too big.  If your child is under 45 inches but their inseam is 19 inches or longer, please contact us to discuss options.

MOST IMPORTANT!  Try not to look ahead too far and get a "bigger bike" thinking your will grow into it.   These bikes are for the here and now!  If the bike is too big, your child may not feel very confident or be able to manage it as well.   You want their first impression to be positive about bike riding and for your child to hop right on and get going the day it arrives.   There is a bike for every child's size!    Please call or email us with your child's  height, inseam, weight  and age for our recommendation!

* It would be helpful to measure the inseam of your child to make sure your child is not too short for the bike of your choice.  Your child should be able to put their feet firmly on the ground while sitting on the bike.