The bend in the knee might look odd at first, but it means that when they get going and extend their legs in front of them, they’ll still be able to comfortably reach the ground and take big, swooping and effective strides. While it may be a bit heavy for a child who has just turned two, the Frog Tadpole comes into its own from around age three. Like the Islabikes Rothan, it’s purposefully designed to suit a specific age range and performs well on all surfaces. The comfy padding on the handles and seat makes the bike great for longer rides and the brake handle is easy for little hands to reach to slow down and stop with confidence. The Tadpole is on the pricey side but it is the closest you can get to a ‘proper’ bike as a balance bike and the resale value is really good. Options for balance bikes on our list are available to kids as small as 6 months. “As soon as a child can support themselves safely, with a minimum inseam that allows them to have their foot on the ground, a balance bike can be a welcomed experience,” Swegle says. “We typically see the 2-to-3-year-old range being the most effective, where children have strength and coordination to master generating speed, slowing themselves down, and turning.”

In addition, the lightweight PP Plastic frame ensures stability and durability, while being light enough for little ones to carry around themselves. Balance bikes don’t all come with brakes, and Swegle says they are not necessary: “Your feet, flat to the ground, provide your forward and stopping power.” But as a child gets older, “learning how to coordinate the brake levers is important, so that they can master the coordination between their feet and hands,” he says. “Plus, it is important to learn how much pressure to apply adequately and safely stop.” The anti-skid EVA wheels are silent and durable and therefore suitable for any surface indoors or outdoors. With an affordable price combined with great quality, not to mention super lightweight, we think the Vitus Nippy is the best balance bike to buy in 2023. Mumsnetters warn against spending lots on a balance bike as they're used for a relatively short time, and the Nippy hits the sweet spot between performance, quality and price.Children can start riding balance bikes when they’re around 18-months to two years old, and little ones up to around the age of five enjoy them. In most cases, children will move on to a bike with pedals at around the age of four. There isn’t a top-end restriction on age, though, and you can even get balance bikes for adults.

Items that are not available in store will take 3-5 working days to be delivered to your nominated store. Housing is a basic human right, yet thousands of children and young people are homeless, or facing homelessness in Britain today. But Take Note: This balance bike is built to last, and correspondingly comes with an investment price point. Above all else, the bike needs to fit to be comfortable. Balance bikes at the smallest end of the scale can have 10-inch wheels, and at the largest end, you’re usually looking at 20-inch wheels.

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But which balance bike is best? There are lots of different options out there from cheap and cheerful to high-spec and built-to-last. If you only have one child and know that you’ll only need a balance bike for a short time then a cheaper option might be best, but if you have more than one child it can be worth investing in something pricier that can be passed from child to child. A lot of balance bikes also have great resale value so that’s worth keeping in mind too. Bought for Grandsons 1st birthday, he absolutely loves it, great design, solidly built, would highly recommend to buy."Age range: Suitable from 18 months to 5 years old | Weight: 2.95kg | Wheel size: 12 inch | Tyres: Pneumatic What we love Obviously I want Posie to get in on this action early like Raffie too but she’s such a dinky dot at 16 months, even the lightweight green balance bike which was rejected by Jimmy and then loved by Raffie, is too big for her. But, she of course wants to be just like the rest of them too. In step the Hape My First Balance Bike and now Posie is well on the way to biking earlier than even Raffie! The temptation to spend less rather than more is understandable if you’re worried about splashing out on an item that could end up gathering dust. However, it’s really worth remembering that the likelihood of this happening is slashed if the bike is fun to ride.