Balance bike or scooter?

[slightlyconfused85]

My DD is 2.4 and id like to get her one of these in the next few weeks as the weather hopefully brightens. Which would get more use? We live in a hilly area if that changes anything

DS only has a balance bike so can't compare to a scooter. Some hilly bits here but not all hills - DS is about 2 1/2 and copes okay, though you might want to consider which will be heaviest to carry when she gets tired!

Oh also she's exceptionally tall ... Not sure if this would make a difference too

balance bike

1. it's more symetrical. one sided scootering can lead to curved spines/one side much stronger than the other a paed has told me.
2. they can 'sit' down when the legs ge tired
3. tansition to normal bike is really easy.

Pros and cons to both.

You can pull your DC along on the scooter if they get tired. But as OP has mentioned, you get stronger on one side (which our swimming teacher has noticed on DD and told us to stop using the scooter).

Balance bike transition to bike is very easy. But if your DC gets tired, you may have to carry the bike with one hand and your DC with the other (personal experience).

scooter in a hilly area. With a very good foot break.
I've had both & idea of balance bike in hilly area makes me break out in a sweat.

Plus which ever you don't mind lugging UP the hills!

Either in a hilly area terrify me. My niece on a balance bike - terrifying. My own ds on his scooter. The stuff of nightmares! You'll need to assert full control verbally!

But, my niece progressing nicely onto a bike. My ds, won't even look at a bike. Loves his scooter way too much.

Chocomochi - have you really ditched the scooter after what the swimming teacher said? Surely there are other ways for dc to even up lopsided leg kick? If that's the issue...

Yes. We tried to get DD1 to use her other leg to scooter but she just can't do it. So we are getting her to walk everywhere instead of using her scooter now.

That's interesting. Reason I ask is that I am a swimming teacher, and I've never come across that before. I'm not sure I'd be so bold as to ask parents to stop using a scooter or similar, given how much these things are loved, for all the right or wrong reasons!

Scooters used regularly from 2+ but balance bike sold as they refused to use it! Never got much further than the drive before it was discarded.

DD1 was swimming like a snake, always going off to one side whether on her front or back. I could see it myself, and whether or not it was caused by the scooter I don't know. Our swimming advised us to either use a bike or just walk.