Best balance bike for a 3 yr old girl?

[emza78]

Anyone got any recommendations?

Thanks in advance

[nunheadmum]

Decathlon. Great cheap, light bikes. Can try them out in the store.

[JS33]

We got an Early Rider for our daughter when she was three, mostly b/c my husband fell in love with how it looked. It did the job -- she rode it for a year and a half and this summer graduated to a proper pedal bike almost instantly, but in retrospect I think we should have gotten a lighter metal bike (I didn't know about the Decathlon ones, but Strider and Islabike both do them, although I'm sure they're much more expensive). I'd say the most important factors are fit, in that you want one she can use for a while and weight, bc you will probably end up carrying it more than you would like.

I'm not convinced this is something that's worth spending more money on, as long as the bike works reasonably well, because balance bikes just aren't that complicated, and would instead recommend saving your money for a Islabike or Frog as a first pedal bike, bc they are so much lighter and easier to use. I've now had several friends who have gotten rid of cheap, heavy first bikes that their children wouldn't use and shelled out for a second, more expensive lighter one. We bought a secondhand Islabike, although they unfortunately don't sell for much less used.

[fordybee]

We got a Kokua from Bon Velo in Herne Hill (which is reopening post flood very soon I think). It was recommended on the basis that it's really light, so a bit pricey but our son used it for 18 months and now our daughter (nearly 3) is on it. Because it's light it means you don't mind lugging it around when they get fed up of being on it 10 mins into your walk? and you can also pop it on top of a buggy.