Balance bike for 2 yr old

[ecossegirl91]

Hi there - son turns 2 next month & thinking of getting him a balance bike. Was looking at buying the banana balance bike and wondered if any mums out there had experience of this one or had others they really recommended? Thanks!

I don’t have experience of the banana one, but I really rate the Velo one. My youngest has taken to it well, and it trained up my eldest to go straight to a pedal bike at 3 - they don’t need stabilisers because they’ve already learnt the balancing bit, magic!

www.skatehut.co.uk/y-volution-velo-junior-balance-bike-blue.htm?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADv-_cIvm44ggsNwOvwGWqs8TP7We&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0Oq2BhCCARIsAA5hubXWXiuY14QWMBjAnmWeQO5YFRe-883VHygoS7IaOB0HQKGvtobafTEaApbTEALw_wcB

We had a banana balance bike and it was great - really light weight and easy to put together. My son took to it really quickly and then when he got a "proper" bike he was again a quick learner due to all of the practice he'd had with the banana bike. We got the one with the pneumatic tyres which was slightly more expensive but worth it in terms of manoeuvrability.

We got it from Amazon and it was heavily discounted (sub £50) at the time so we sold it on for a similar price.

No specific experience of the banana one, but I'd agree to go for pneumatic tyres if you expect to use it a lot or on anything other than really quite smooth floors and pavements. The foam tyres just don't grip as well or ride over bumps as well.

Personally, I like having a brake on our balance bike – I made learning to use it a condition of getting pedals – but you do need to get one that tiny hands can actually use. (We have a secondhand Islabikes one.)

Haven’t used a banana balance bike. Although I would recommend getting a lightweight bike, with pneumatic tires, which the banana is.

Personally I’d recommend having a brake on a balance bike because 1) you’ll be amazed how fast your child will go and 2) on their next bike they only have to learn peddles.

We’ve got an Islabike Rothan which is fantastic. I’ve seen the Forme Litton in real life and it also seems like a good bike.

Stryder bikes are decent, but no brakes. Frog Tadpole is also a great bike, but slightly heavier than the others.

Also, if you buy a premium bike second hand, you’ll often be able to sell it for almost what you paid for it.

We paid £80 for a second hand Islabike

My twins also had Islabike Rothans (based on recommendations here). They are very light, with a brake.

These bikes are amazing. A few weeks ago the twins transitioned to pedal bikes, and got it with the first try.

Might be a stupid question but DD has suggested a balance bike for DGD for Xmas or for her second birthday in April.
I’m struggling to see the point of them. I only seem to see kids moving them by pushing with their feet on the floor?
And is 20 months too young?
They have some in B&M pretty cheap but from what people are saying on here, expensive ones are better.

20 months isn’t too young! Kids move them by pushing their feet along the floor, but then they reach a point where they are eventually “gliding” and will learn natural bike balance. They will be riding pedal bikes by 3 years old or so, without the need to ever use stabilisers.

Cheap balance bikes are false economy. Definitely get a good brand second hand if you’re on a budget.

Thanks, @Boltonb. Will have a think about it as they live in a flat with no garden and another baby is due just before Xmas so as DD is single, she’s literally going to have her hands full.

We've had the Hornit AIRO for about 6 months now for our little boy (got it when he was just turning 2) and honestly can’t recommend it enough. It’s incredibly lightweight — which makes a huge difference when you're carrying it back from the park 😅 — and our son took to it straight away. The footrests are a nice touch too, he actually uses them to glide now which is lovely to see. It’s not the cheapest, but the build quality is brilliant and I can see it lasting easily for a younger sibling or resale.

Definitely worth checking out if you want something really well made and easy for toddlers to handle. I got mine here from their website: Hornit AIRO Balance Bike

Islabikes are not going any more unfortunately, but you can get them second hand.

There are far better balance bikes than the Banana, I can't imagine it would last very long. Check out the LittleBig, it starts as a balance bike for a two year old, but converts into a pedal bike, so you don't need to buy separate bikes as your child progresses.