Benefits of a Balance Bike

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Balance bikes have several benefits for toddlers and make an excellent toy for your little ones!

Not only do they teach your child about balance, but they also provide great exercise and build your kid’s confidence and independence. On top of that, they develop your child’s motor skills and provide the first vital step in learning to ride a bike.

In this guide, we will explore what a kids balance bike is and the key benefits of these ingenious two-wheelers, as well as talk you through our great range of balance bikes that both you and the kids are sure to love!

What is a balance bike?

Balance bikes mimic adult bikes in shape. However, they don’t have pedals. Young kids scoot along the ground by kicking off with their feet. They are more adult-looking than the traditional push-along bikes you can see toddlers using.

Balance bikes prepare your child for the various phases of riding as they grow up. Most kids thoroughly enjoy learning to ride a balance bike.

Balance bikes are a safe learning tool for your children. Kids use balance bikes intuitively, developing excellent confidence and balance overall.

As with a regular bike, it is recommended that your child wears a helmet whilst riding their balance bike.

What are the benefits of kids balance bikes?

Balance bikes for kids have many benefits for little ones and their parents, too. Below we’ve gone into more detail about each of these.

Develops gross motor skills

Balance bikes allow your child to fine-tune their gross motor skills by riding a kids bike. They don’t have to learn to use the pedal bike just yet! Instead, balance bikes help your child ride safely and get used to the position of sitting in a saddle.

These amazing bikes help to develop your child’s balance, core strength, leg strength and coordination, which will all be beneficial while they engage in other sports.

Safety first

Most toddlers start to feel more accustomed to using the handlebars for steering the bike in any given direction. As your child lifts their feet from the ground, they will feel the cycling experience more. Their balance is fine-tuned at this stage, so they can use a kids’ pedal bike next.

Rather than choosing a balance bike for your toddler, you may consider giving them a bicycle with training wheels or a tricycle. But, balance bikes are easier to handle than tricycles and don’t fall over as easily. 

Fun while exercising

Balance bikes encourage outdoor fun! As kids ride their balance bikes more, they develop confidence. They aren’t heavy-framed, meaning younger children can scoot along for longer intervals.

These bikes are handy for parents too. They are lightweight, making them easy to pick up and transport to a spot suitable for your kid to ride in, which makes getting from A to B easier.

Easy to use

Balance bikes are super easy for young kids to use. While a regular bike requires balancing and pedalling, balance bikes only require a child to focus on the balancing part. This makes the whole process of learning to ride bikes so much easier.

Balance bikes also allow a child to grow in confidence and prepare them for when they begin to ride a regular bike. These bikes encourage children to use their feet to manoeuvre, giving them lots of control to learn and fine-tune their skills before stepping up their cycling game.

Build strength and coordination

While balance is an essential tool for kids to have, it isn’t the only useful thing your child will learn from using a balance bike. These bikes encourage kids to use their arms and lift their legs when moving, leading to increased strength and agility.

Convenient for parents

One of the joys of balance bikes is how easy they make life for parents. Thanks to the compact design, they can be stored and transported for trips to the park and easily carried if your youngster decides they’ve had enough fun for one day.

Say goodbye to training wheels

Balance bikes do the hard work of teaching a child to ride a bike. Balancing is simple and once they have mastered this, they’ll be able to progress to a regular bicycle – without using stabilisers.

How do you ride a balance bike?

Balance bikes’ seats are near the ground so your kids can reach the floor. They push off the floor and begin to walk the bike. After they start off with a walk, they progress to a run or glide.

As they master the gliding technique, they are learning about their balance, too. As mentioned earlier, this builds confidence in younger kids and develops their gross motor skills. Getting on top of their balance at a young age makes biking when they’re older much easier to master. Then they can move towards using pedals more efficiently.

Toddlers steer balance bikes using the handlebars, just like on a pedal bike or trike. To stop, there are generally lever brakes just like you’d find on an older child’s bicycle.

Choosing the best kids balance bike

Choosing the best balance bike for your little one is based on several factors. These include the size, weight, wheels, brakes or no brakes, and bike maintenance.

Size

When choosing a balance bike’s size, consider your child’s inseam. To check this, your little one must be able to sit on the seat, and their feet must be able to touch the ground fully.

If your child’s inseam is much higher than when the seat is set at its highest, a bigger bike is necessary, and vice versa. Their hands must also be able to reach the handlebars properly.

Weight

The bike should be light, so it’s easy to push. A balance bike’s frame can be made from aluminium alloy, wood, steel or plastic. Aluminium alloy is preferable as it is rust-proof and not heavy to push.

Wheels

It’s ideal to choose balance bikes that have air tyres, as well as alloy rims with hubs that have steel spokes. Air tyres on balance bikes offer a smoother ride and extra traction, making for a safer ride. If you choose tyres with a wider outer edge, the traction is enhanced.

Brakes

Some balance bikes have no brakes, whilst others only have a back brake. You might also be able to find some that have front brakes and back brakes. For starters, using a bike with back brakes might be advisable so that your child doesn’t have an accident if they brake too hard.

Maintenance

Balance bikes mimic adult bikes with serviceable parts, and they have a good lifespan if taken care of and stored correctly.

How long a bike will serve you eventually comes down to the price and the material that was used to produce it. If you go for cheaper balance bikes, they will most likely not have genuine parts. This makes them harder to service or replace any broken parts, as there won’t be any genuine parts available on the market.

If you want to maintain your child’s bike properly, investing in genuine parts that can replace broken or faulty parts is definitely the better choice.

Balance bikes vs. stabilisers

While both are popular choices for toddlers, there is a difference between balance bikes and using a kids bike with stabilisers. The training wheels on a kid’s bike are usually higher up than the rear wheel. So, bikes with stabilisers can’t be used on uneven surfaces as they can tip over.

When a child on a bike with stabilisers reaches a corner or sharp bend, their body weight is held by the outer stabiliser wheel. This means the bike will lean away from the corner, and the rider might fall.

On a balance bike, your child has more independence and can lean the bike into the corner and in the right direction, meaning they might be better protected from a fall.

When it comes to choosing between a balance bike and a regular bike with stabilisers, a balance bike will win every time, as it is easier to handle and does not pose as many hazards as stabilising wheels do.

Alternatives to balance bikes for kids

If you’re unsure about getting a balance bike for your little one, why not consider some of these other ride-on toys instead?

Tricycle

Small children aged 2-3 will be able to start riding a tricycle. A tricycle is similar to a bicycle, yet it has three wheels. There are two wheels at the back and one at the front. This adds more stability than a two-wheel bike, as the three wheels ensure easy balance for a young child riding them.

However, some younger children don’t enjoy tricycles, even though a tricycle makes it easier to balance. Instead, some kids prefer toddler ride on cars. A toddler ride-on car or push along car is a foot-to-floor toy that kids propel using their feet similarly to a balance bike. 

Bike with stabilisers

Your child can start riding a training bike with stabilisers or training wheels at the age of 4-5. The balance bike will have helped them develop coordination, strength and confidence to get to this stage. 

We have a selection of bicycles for kids that will get them on track to cycling without training wheels altogether in no time.

Bike without stabilisers

When your child reaches the age of 6-7, they will usually be ready for regular pedal bikes that don’t have training wheels.

We have a variety of quality kid’s bikes in various colours and styles, catering to all tastes. Once your child reaches this stage in their bike riding journey, you have hit a home run!

FAQs about kids balance bikes

What age is best for a balance bike?

With a balance bike, your young child can start their riding journey early on, aged around two years. We offer a range of balance bikes which are great for children aged 2 to 5 years old.

Do balance bikes affect a child’s fine motor skills?

Toddlers riding balance bikes will develop their fine motor skills. They mainly do this when using the brakes – they must learn how to use their fingers carefully to give the brakes a gentle squeeze. Otherwise, they’ll stop too suddenly and take a tumble!

Are balance bikes convenient for parents?

Most balance bikes are popular for kids and parents alike. Kids can practice their coordination without training wheels for long periods of time and keep themselves entertained, and it’s much more fun than walking long distances.

Find the perfect balance bike with Electric Ride On Cars

Balance bikes offer an easy and fun start to your child’s biking journey. Most kids have an innate desire to conquer the art of riding a bike, and balancing on a pedal bike is so much easier after mastering a balance bike. 

At Electric Ride On Cars, our range of kid’s bikes offers lightweight, durable and high-quality two-wheelers for your child. From stylish kids bicycles to popular disney kids bikes, there’s something for every little one!If your little one prefers four wheels, take a look at our range of kids electric cars for more options.