A Guide To Balance Bike Sizes (and how to set the seat height!)

Balance Bike Sizes Guide

Balance bikes are NOT one size fits all. The correct size balance bike for a two year old is different than for a three year old.

Also, It's important to have the seat height set correctly for your child, or riding that bike won't be comfortable or easy.

In this balance bike size guide we will also cover balance bike fit and balance bike wheel size.

0:11 How a Balance Bike Should Fit
1:10 How Balance Bike Sizes Work
1:57 Bonus Content - How to Find the Right Size Balance Bike

How a Balance Bike Should Fit

When sitting on their balance bike, a child should be able to place their feet fully on the ground while having a slight bend in their knees. This bend allows a child to comfortably sit on the bike’s saddle while pushing off the ground with their feet to walk, run, and eventually glide.

If the seat height is too low, and the child has too much bend in the knee, running and gliding becomes less natural and less efficient.

If the seat height is set too high, so that the child’s legs are almost straight or they are on their tip toes, it becomes very difficult to run to gain momentum so they can actually balance the bike.

How Balance Bike Sizes Work

Balance bikes vary greatly in size and not every bike will allow your child to sit with the right amount of knee bend and have plenty of room for them to grow.

To get the ideal knee bend, you need to set the balance bike’s seat about a ½ inch to an inch below the child’s inseam.

Most balance bikes have 12” wheels, while some larger balance bikes meant for taller toddlers and pre-schoolers have 14” wheels. There are a few 16” and 20” balance bikes for kids 5 and older. Balance bikes with 10” wheels are not common and are quite small - we don’t recommend them as they don’t provide enough room for growth.

BONUS CONTENT.

Buying the right size bike has three steps

Step 1 - Measure your child’s inseam
To measure your child’s inseam have them first stand against a wall with shoes on and their feet slightly apart. Then gently slide a hardbound book between their legs and raise it until it is snug against their crotch. Next, make sure the book is level with the floor and mark the wall. Measure up from the ground to that point. This measurement is your child’s inseam!

Step 2 - Compare their inseam to a bike’s seat height

Remember: To get the ideal knee bend, you need to set the balance bike’s seat about a ½ inch to an inch below the child’s inseam.

So if your child’s inseam is 12”, you should find a balance bike with a minimum seat height of about 11”, like the Strider here.

Step 3 - Buy for Current Fit and Growth

The seat post of a balance bike will adjust several inches up and down to allow for your child to grow. We strongly recommend purchasing a bike that has at least 3 extra inches for growth.

Reviewer: Natalie Martins
Videography & Production: Fressia Eames

ARTICLES FOR BALANCE BIKES:

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#BalanceBikeSizes #HowToChooseABalanceBike #BalanceBike

[smithchasea]

Wish I saw this video before we bought my daughter one. Great info!!

[lisaho]

This video is so informative! Thank you.

[luccalele]

Hi! Thanks for the super helpful video. I’m deciding between a Woom 1 and Woom 1 Plus for my soon to be 2 yr old for his very first bike. He will be two in two months but is quite big for his age; 99% percentile at over 37in height and 32lbs as of a few months ago. What would you recommend in your experience - go with bigger bike to allow for growth or smaller to build confidence but he will outgrow soon? Thanks so much for your content!

[amayaquayum]

Thank you for supper helpful video! Especially these days, when you cant go and try it in the shop.

[be]

Thank you for this video! How tall should the handlebars be? Is there a ratio between seat, height, and handlebar height? Or is there an angle that my child arm should be at? Thank you!

[xianyuwu]

Hi! Any kids helmets that you recommend?

[Southernchick]

Hi my child has an inseam of 18.5 she's 3.5 and is 42 inches in height. What size bike would we need? I'm a bit confused. Do I get a bike that is 14 inch wheel that has 18-22inch seat? Or will a 12 inch bike be ok that has a seat 11-17? Im Debating on banana Gt, strider sport, or gomo. Not really worried about the Tires since she will be mostly on concrete sidewalk. But I'm just overwhelmed with all these videos. What's a good starter balance bike?