Balance Bike Recommendations

Skip it, instead get a Trike that will grow with him, from 3-6. The problem with the balance bike is that it confuses kids when you introduce pedals. I cannot get my 5 year old off his balance bike! He prefers it to his regular bike. My oldest only used a balance bike for a few months, and she was riding a bike without training wheels before her 5th bday. But she had been riding her trike with trainers since 3. The balance bike gave her the confidence to let us remove the trainers.

Would not waste the money. Balance bikes are new on the scene. LL Bean makes an awesome tricycle. Then go to a regular bike with training wheels. This has worked very well for at least 50 years.

I never got a balance bike because just when I was going to purchase one the stuck child suddenly learned to balance on his bike, go figure. My friends in England says everyone there starts on a balance bike and this is yet another thing we go wrong in this country.

They are probably right on this one since peddling is easy, balancing is not so why make a kid learn to balance while peddling?

Anyway, when they were encouraging that purchase they never said oh pick this or that because they are better.

My neighbor is Australian and says they swear by these bikes. He got a Strider.

We used a skuut. It's good for the younger/smaller kiddos. My daughter loved hers. And, she didn't need to go through that awful training wheels period. (The awful part being getting rid of them.)

My first did not have a balance bike, and it took her much, much longer to learn to ride a bike without training wheels.

They both used a tricycle first, so they learned how to pedal.

I highly recommend any of the balance bikes.

The brand we got was Glide Bikes. I ordered it online: http://www.glidebikes.com/
I went with them essentially because they make larger bikes too; my daughter was a tall 5 yr old when I decided to get one (2 years ago) and most of the other brands only had the little ones. She loved it! And I was happy with the quality. I liked that it had a hand brake and a foot rest. Check them out!