The 11 Very Best Kids’ Bikes

Wheel size: 16-inch | Brakes and gears: Single speed, coaster brake | Safety and comfort: Lightweight aluminum frame

REI’s affordable Co-op REV range, recommended by Bonkoski and Natalie Martins, the owner of the kids’-bike review site Two Wheeling Tots, is affordable without compromising on weight: Its aluminum frame clocks in at just over 16 pounds. “In addition to being the lightest budget bike we know of,” Martins says, “the REV is backed by REI’s amazing return policy, making it a no-brainer.”

Like most 16-inch bikes, this one has a classic back-pedal coaster brake instead of a hand-operated one. It also comes with training wheels, which you may remove if your kid has been learning on a balance bike — more on that, below. It has a low stand-over height of 17.2 inches, meaning the rider must be at least that height and ideally just a bit taller.

Wheel size: 12-inch | Brakes and gears: Mini-hand brake | Safety and comfort: Lightweight, upright seating position

When you purchase your child’s first bike, you will have three options: tricycle, training wheels, or balance. Overwhelmingly, the industry is trending toward balance bikes, which are designed to inspire confidence in young riders from the outset: They’ll always be on two wheels, and pedaling should come fairly easily once they’ve been gliding around on one of these for a while. Although balance bikes tend to be more expensive than tricycles, they eliminate the need for training wheels when your kid graduates to a pedal bike, explains Martins. “When they’re tall enough, or when they want a pedal bike, you can actually skip training wheels completely. They literally get on the bike and pedal away.” Cherie Moore, the owner of the Colorado bike store Ready, Set, Pedal, agrees that balance bikes “have literally changed the way kids learn to ride bikes.” She says, “Kids can now learn to balance and maneuver a bike with the security of being able to put their feet down.” German brand Woom is Martins’s top choice for the smallest of riders, being recommended for kids 31 to 40 inches in height. (The company also happens to make some of our favorite kids’ bike helmets.) In addition to being “ridiculously lightweight,” Martins says that Woom’s balance bike “comes with air tires to provide additional traction and cushioning, as well as an easy-to-use hand brake.”

Wheel size: 12-inch | Brakes and gears: None | Comfort and safety: Lightweight

For a reliable, cost-effective balance bike, Strider is the most recognized brand, Martins says. It’s also a favorite among Strategist staffers, with both writer Lauren Ro and senior editor Jen Trolio starting out their kids with Strider balance bikes. Martins describes Strider’s 12 Sport as a “well-known, quality bike” with adjustability options and an extra-long seat post that allows it to fit kids between about 18 months and 4 years old (the company says it will suit riders with a 12- to 20-inch inseam). At 6.7 pounds, it’s light enough for toddlers to move around with.

Wheel size: 14-inch | Brakes and gears: Single-speed, hand brakes, coaster brake | Comfort and safety: Lightweight, chain guard

The kids’-cycling teachers I talked to were quick to praise Woom’s well-made, high-component bikes, which are famous for having minimalist (yet sturdy) aluminum frames. “All of the Wooms I’ve worked with have been very well made and lightweight,” says Bike Whisperer NYC instructor Andree Sanders. Varn and Sanders point out that while Woom bikes are expensive, they have a high resale value, which makes them worth the price if you can afford the initial outlay. “I’m an advocate for spending a little more,” Sanders says. “You want biking to be as easy and fun as possible for the kid, and a high-component bike will help with that.”

This 14-inch Woom 2 is particularly suited to non-toddlers who are learning to ride for the first time, says Richard Conroy, the education director of Bike NYC. That’s because, per the design, it can be ridden pedal-free as a balance bike initially. Once your kid’s confidence builds, feel free to install those pedals and let them coast.

Wheel size: 16-inch | Brakes and gears: Fixed gear, hand brakes | Comfort and safety: Super-lightweight, reflectors, safety bell

The British brand Frog was mentioned by several experts. For new pedalers of around 4 to 6 years, with its minimum inseam of 17 inches, Wilson and Moore recommend the Frog 44. It’s a superlight (just 14 pounds), all-aluminum bike that can be adjusted as the rider grows. It would be a great second bike for kids who are ready to learn hand braking but have no urgent need for gears. Moore likes that it comes with easy-to-install mudguards for kids who like to ride in the rain. And it must be said that the colorways and patterns are supercute — the bike even comes with a small bottle of matching paint to touch up any scratches incurred while riding.

Wheel size: 16-inch | Brakes and gears: Fixed speed, hand brake | Comfort and safety: Lightweight, reflector panels

Several of our experts mentioned kids’-bike manufacturer Guardian, which has developed a Shark Tank–approved SureStop braking system that’s designed to prevent over-the-handlebars accidents by stopping the rear wheel from spinning before the front one does. In addition to this safety feature, Varn says Guardian’s bikes have “a very low center of gravity” that makes them a nice choice for new or cautious pedalers. The bike’s steel frame weighs just 17.5 pounds, which makes it light and maneuverable. The single-lever hand brake is easy to operate, and there’s no coaster brake to lean on, which will help kids develop adult riding habits.

This bike is recommended for riders between 40 and 46 inches tall within an approximate age range of 4 to 6. For no additional cost, you can add an optional short seat post, which gives this bike an impressive seat-height range between 18 and 25.2 inches. Guardian offers a handy online sizing tool to further determine which bike size will fit your kid and how long it will likely be until the bike needs an upgrade. Plus “it’s easy to deal with the company if something’s going wrong with the bike,” Varn says.

Wheel size: 20-inch | Brakes and gears: Eight-speed, hand brakes | Comfort and safety: Lightweight

The Woom 4, at 20-inches, will suit 6- to 8-year-olds, introducing them to the concept of gears. If you’re going to spend your money on just one Woom over the course of your child’s cycling journey, it makes sense to get them a Woom 4 once they reach the appropriate height range of 45 to 51 inches tall (the bike’s stand-over height is 19.5 inches). As Sanders and our other instructors emphasized, it’s best to transition kids into adult-style riding as soon as possible, and learning how to shift gears is key. With eight speeds and a twist mechanism that’s designed for small hands, this bike will help them understand and deploy the concept.

Wheel size: 20-inch | Brakes and gears: Nine-speed, hand brakes | Comfort and safety: Lightweight with road tires and short-drop handlebars

Sandler laments that too few brands manufacture small-frame road bikes for kids who might want to join their families on longer tours. So he’s quick to recommend Frog’s range of well-built children’s road bikes, which are “an exception to the rule.” Moore, another fan, explains that Frog road bikes, while on the pricey side, are designed with a unique crank that reduces the bike’s “Q factor” (the distance between the pedals), allowing kids to put more power into each pedal stroke and making it easier for little legs to travel longer distances. The brand recommends the bike for kids 6 to 7 with a minimum inseam of 23 inches.

Wheel size: 24-inch | Brakes and gears: Seven-speed, hand brakes | Comfort and safety: Lightweight, plus-size tires

For kids who are ready for the trail, REI’s REV Plus line “looks as cool as it rides,” Martins says. She loves the “plus-size tires and adult styling,” which helps this bike serve as the perfect transition into adult mountain biking. While this starter mountain bike lacks a suspension system, those wide tires add stability and help smooth out any rocky trails. Mechanical Shimano disc brakes ensure plenty of power and control, as does the intuitive hand-twist gear system. The bike has a stand-over height of 23.4 inches, meaning it will best suit riders with an inseam measurement just above that.

Wheel size: 24-inch | Brakes and gears: Nine-speed, hand brakes | Comfort and safety: Very lightweight, plus-size tires

For advanced shredders, Woom’s new “OFF” range of mountain bikes come highly recommended by Varn, who says they’re “even more durable” than its original bikes “and great for families looking to explore unpaved trails.” Ultralightweight, adjustable, and maneuverable, they can even be ridden tubeless if your kid spends a lot of time on gravel. Similar to the original Wooms above, the geometry, seats, and brakes are designed specifically for small hands and bodies, which makes them extremely comfortable and fun to ride every time. This 24-inch model is suitable for kids between the ages of 7 and 11, up to 57 inches tall.