Introducing your child to cycling is a rite of passage. By starting them off on a balance bike, you can help build confidence and skills at a young age. Built specifically for first-time riders, balance bikes are mini, “back to basics” bikes, with no chains, pedals or gears, so toddlers and pre-schoolers can just focus on balancing and steering, as safely as possible.

“Balance bikes develop a child’s sense of balance and coordination by encouraging them to use their feet to glide along the ground,” explains Alexandra Rico-Lloyd, co-founder of kids’ bike subscription service The Bike Club. “This helps to build their strength, fine-tune their motor skills, coordination and agility.”

There are a few things to consider when choosing a balance bike for your kids. From adjustability, comfort, weight, and, of course, the height of your ride – all of which we’ve laid out in more detail later on.

When they start riding, many young toddlers will begin by holding onto the handles and walking with the bike, hovering over the saddle rather than sitting. As they slowly get used to the bike, they should move on to “striding” – when they walk with the bike while sitting on the saddle – before eventually gaining the confidence to push with their feet and glide along the ground. While some balance bikes come with brakes, others rely on your child to use their feet to slow down and stop.

Once your child has mastered the art of the balance bike, the transition to a pedal bike is much easier – no need for stabilisers, as they will have already honed their balance and coordination. Some models in our round-up even have the option to transform into a first bike, with pedals and chain. One thing to be aware of, even though these balance bikes are small, kids can pick up quite a lot of speed when riding on them, so always make sure they are wearing a helmet.