Scooter or bike for 2 year old?

[tellermorrow]

My little boy turns 2 in October and I'd like to get him either a scooter or bike for Christmas. Can anyone recommend which would be best? Also any specific recommendations?

Thank you 😊

A scuttlebug. Such fun was had but just to warn you they can build up quite a speed on them! He will love it.

Balance bike, my son and daughter both loved theirs. Youngest is 2.5 and can absolutely fly around on it, she does have a scooter as well but I think her bike is more loved! Also so beneficial as can skip stabilisers when it comes time for a peddle bike 😊

A scootie bug scooter 🙂

or scuttlebug xl

Second balance bike. Research shows they are the best thing to start a small child on.

Balance bike. My 4 year old still loves his and never needed stabilisers on his push bike. Which he got the hang off in about 5 minutes.
he does still adore his balance bike and refuses to give it away because it’s his “baby bike”

Scooter. The trunki one is good

I vote balance bike! We ended up with both when he was 2 but while he was a whizz at the balance bike he actually didn’t take to scooting until he moved onto a proper pedal bike at 4. Now he loves it and it’s very useful as he’s outgrown his Bb and his pedal bike is too fast for walks to town etc!

Between ages 2-3 mine loved both their balance bikes, stabiliser bikes and their micro scooter so take your pick 😆.

Would reccomend getting him a pair of legs💯!

Our DS nearly 3 has and loves both. I think he learned to scoot slightly before the balance bike, but both at about 2 (he was keen). The scooter is more useful to take him places without his buggy as you can drag him along on a strap when he gets tired and it's really light to carry. The balance bike is more fun but heavier to pick up if he gets bored. Our balance bike is from Bike Club who do rentals which really recommend as you get a decent expensive bike without having to buy it outright . We were able to start DS on a frog mini tadpole then swap for a tadpole when he got a bit bigger.

based on experience of my two under 5s, I’d go for a scooter or a variation on a scooter over a balance bike. Neither of mine got anything out of the balance bike we had, they went straight from scooters to bike with stabilisers to no stabilisers with hardly any balance bike time.

Both are great for different reasons - I would get the scooter for his birthday and a balance bike for christmas. If you can only get one, I would go for balance bike .

Can you look for both second hand? I picked up a strider balance bike and mini micro for £5 each saving for over £150. Both really good brands and sold on when outgrown to upgrade at net cost.

Mini micro scooter. All of mine have been scooting before their second birthdays. It make trips out much easier as I don't need to bring the buggy, it's easy for me to carry and if they are tired I can pull them along on it.

With regards to specific recommendations, I would avoid anything marketed with characters, police/fire bike type things - they appeal to children but tend to be quite heavy and difficult for them to ride well. Well designed, lightweight bikes and scooters like islabikes and frogs and microscooters are far better, but also come with a price tag. Families I've worked for have bought second hand islabikes and frog bikes and sold them on for not much less than they paid for them.

Balance bike! Such a great skill for them to learn so they can easily ride a pedal bike. My son got a Puky balance bike at 2 and by 4 could ride a proper bike and only took him 5/10 mins to learn.

Mine both hated their balance bikes! Spent a fortune on it too and let them choose the colour 😭 Scooters were a big hit though.

Balance bike

Balance bike.

Make sure it is a really light one that you can easily carry. I got one from Wiggle I could carry with one hand.

My DD got a balance bike at 22 months and was riding a bike at 3. No stabilisers needed.

She learnt to ride her balance bike in such a way I could drag her along on it on the flat or up hill. (Only problem is once she got a scooter and roller skates she wanted the same.)

Btw 3 was the earliest she was tall enough to ride a bike.

Scooter is fun and a nice easy form of transport (ours fold up easily for transportation), my DD age 12 still prefers it to her bike. They are socially acceptable on a pavement when you get good at it and as a parent you can mostly keep up (my ds got very fast on his balance bike, which is scary if you are using it near roads!)

Balance bike is an awesome choice - if you have some quiet space to use it. We had a long round trip of 2.2 miles mostly along pathways to school with my dc1, my son became a whizz. He got a proper bike aged 4 and switched to pedals in one month (he had to learn to pedal), now he cycles like a pro!

Balance bike. Ds had his for 2 birthday, he’s now 3 and can go miles on it. It’s a 12’’ wheel one, I wouldn’t get any smaller wheel as they will outgrow too quick.
We will upgrade to bike with wheels next spring for 4th birthday.

Definitely a balance bike!!! We have the microscooter one that is as light as a father and wheels are made of rubber so no punctures, etc. we have scooters too which neither children likes to use :(

My daughter has both and hardly ever uses her scooter. She prefers her balance bike