Balance bike: what can you pay attention to with this toy?

A balance bike is a fun toy for your child and a great aid in developing his gross motor skills. Why and when is a balance bike suitable for your child, and what should you take into account when purchasing?

What is a balance bike?

A balance bike is a low bike without pedals. Your child can sit on the saddle with his feet on the ground. By making walking movements, he can ride the bicycle. Suddenly he can move a lot faster!

Why a balanced bike?

A balance bike is not just a fun toy. It also helps your child to develop his motor skills, strength and balance and is therefore also a good workout for your little motocross rider.

Motor skills :

 Your baby is practicing his walking movements with his feet. The steering movements also make him aware of the effect of his arm movements.

Strength : 

your baby trains his muscles by pushing off with his legs and thus propels the bike with his own weight.

Balance :

 Your baby needs to keep his balance in order not to fall over.

In addition, your little one will already learn to develop a ‘cycling feeling’; the feeling of moving on wheels. Something that will come in handy when you start teaching him to ride a bike in a few years!

A balance bike not only stimulates the development of your child but is great fun for both you and your little one. It is a challenging toy for your child, with which he can show what he is already capable of. Once he’s adept at it, it’s ideal for you if you want to take him somewhere, like the supermarket. Just make sure your little racing monster doesn’t hit the shelves at high speed.

When should you start with a balance bike?

From the moment your child can pull himself up well and he starts taking his first steps along with your furniture, you can already see what happens when you put him on a balance bike. This is usually around 12 months. However, the development of strength, motor skills, and balance differs per child. So it is best for you to decide when it is time for your little one to get on the bike. When your child is ready to really learn to ride a bike, it’s time for a tricycle or children’s bicycle with pedals. Choose your 4 Wheelers car for kids. 

Balance bike quadricycle red and yellow

A great gift for your child’s first birthday: a balance bike. Up to and including his second year, your little one’s sense of balance is not yet optimal. Therefore, start with a tricycle or quadricycle. A tricycle actually works the same as a bicycle with training wheels; a four-wheeler is somewhat like a ride-on a car. Your child can practice his gross motor skills and strength, but keeping balance is not necessary yet.

purple balance bike

Your child can probably make the transition to a balance bike with two wheels during his second year. Then his sense of balance will jump. A balance bike two-wheeler can stimulate his balance and prepare him for a real bicycle.

Keep an eye on whether the balance bike fits well with your baby’s gait development and see if a four-wheeler, three-wheeler, or two-wheeler is suitable for him. It is useful to buy a bicycle that is adjustable in height and where the number of wheels is also adjustable.  On the internet, you will find many 2-in-1, 3-in-1, or even 4-in-1 balance bikes.

Buying a balance bike: what do you pay attention to?

The range of balance bikes is huge. You want to make the best choice for your child. But what should you pay attention to when purchasing a balance bike for your child?

What do you pay attention to when buying a balance bike?

Saddle height The top of the saddle of the balance bike should – with straight legs – be approximately at crotch height of your child. Preferably, your child can still reach the ground with slightly bent knees, so that he can push off. With an adjustable saddle, you can of course adjust this yourself.

Handlebar height

Make sure that the handlebars are at such a distance and height that your child can sit up straight to grab it. This keeps his gaze in the direction he is going, and not at the ground.

Height entry To ensure that your little one does not stumble when he gets on or off, it is best to choose a low entry.

Steering angle Make sure that the balance bike has a handlebar limiter. This prevents the steering wheel from turning all the way around and prevents falls through sharp bends.

chin guard

If your child trips or falls forward, he can fall with his chin on the handlebars. A chin guard prevents him from injuring himself. It is a foam rubber cover, which fits around the center of the handlebars with Velcro.

Grips

Choose handles with a coarse structure. This ensures that your child does not slip with his hands and prevents him from losing control over the steering wheel

Tires You can choose from solid tires and pneumatic tires. Solid tires are ideal indoors. They cannot leak and do not leave streaks on the floor. There are even ‘whisper quiet’ tires on the market, which you hardly hear on a hard floor. Pneumatic tires are more convenient if your child goes outside on the bike and can already get around quite well. They are shock absorbing and therefore nicer for your child at longer distances.

Wooden balance bike versus metal balance bike

Wooden balance bike