Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
Available in a choice of six bright, funky colours, the Hornit AIRO looks great and thanks to the height-adjustable seat it’ll last your child for years. There’s even a lifetime warranty available for the bike so it’s a great choice for families who want to be able to pass it on from one child to the next. Vitus Nippy weighs just under a Strider and is a third of the price. We had a heavy balance bike and made no progress, swapped it for a Vitus Nippy and my son was doing huge ramps in the skate park the same day, and road a bike with pedals without needing any practice once he'd outgrown the Nippy. He absolutely loved that thing, even more than his pedal bike tbh." (Recommended by Mumsnetter user33323) Our verdict
Weighing in at just 2.95kg this is quite a feat of balance bike design. They've even managed to include a footplate for your child to rest their feet on as they gain confidence and start moving at speed - but you don't get brakes.
Lighter on the wallet than any comparable balance bike, the AIRO is superior on every meaningful measure. With an affordable price combined with great quality, not to mention super lightweight, we think the Vitus Nippy is the best balance bike to buy in 2023. Mumsnetters warn against spending lots on a balance bike as they're used for a relatively short time, and the Nippy hits the sweet spot between performance, quality and price.
The Frog Bikes Tadpole combines a sturdy frame with chunky wheels and a long wheelbase – all while boasting a relatively light design, which is no mean feat. These attributes make the Tadpole ideal as a trail bike but light enough for older toddlers, especially as its tyres are well-cushioned for bumpy surfaces. The reflectors and bell are also great features to teach little ones about safety and being seen and heard while out riding a bike.However, they’ve got their shortcomings. When we caught up with Isla Rowntree, founder of Islabikes, she summed it up pretty nicely: “[Training wheels] are not actually a great way to learn to ride. A bicycle steers by leaning, you lean it to the right and the handlebars fall to the right, you lean it to the left and they fall to the left. The thing that really stands out is just how light it is for a balance bike that has "proper" pneumatic tyres (hence the name "AIRO"). My eldest (3) loves his Strider Balance Bike - it is the 'sport' version and is very light, although not the lightest on the market. It was a good price given it came with two seat posts to extend its lifespan. He's had no problem with the unrestricted handlebars and I doubt would use the brake offered on competitor brands (certainly not when he first had it aged 2).
The frame design of the Hornit AIRO allows a lot of variation in the height of the seat post, meaning it is suitable for children with an inside leg between 30cm and 54cm.
Wishbone - best recycled balance bike (from £199)
The wheel rims are aluminium, which is more hardwearing than plastic over time. The tyres are slightly ridged, which works well on hard surfaces and grass, but less well on mud and gravel paths. Our reviewer thought tyres with more tread might have been more versatile overall. If you’ve not heard of Hornit before, they started out making a VERY loud horn for adults bikes so that cyclists can be heard on a busy city street. They then went on to develop the Mini Hornit – a light and horn combo for kids– which was great news for kids everywhere and bad news for their neighbours! Designed to perform in much the same way as a traditional bike but without pedals, a balance bike is a great way to accelerate your child’s riding ability. Perfect for mastering the art of steering and the sensation of balance, a balance bike should be a little one’s first step into the world of cycling before they transition to pedalling. Given all this, you can probably tell I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this particular balance bike. We found the strider sport was great for a very short nearly 2 year old, as it was the only one that had a saddle that could go low enough and light enough.
They've also managed to come up with a really cool looking bike by using magnesium alloy, a lightweight material that is a more environmentally friendly, fully recyclable alternative to aluminium. That light weight came from the material. It's made of magnesium alloy, which is 33 per cent lighter than aluminium and extremely strong to boot.I was even more pleased when they asked if they could send one over to Cycle Sprog HQ for us to do a first impressions review, and to help them spread the word about this new bike (and yes, full disclaimer, Hornit are paying me for my time in writing this. Thank you Hornit – the Sprogs can eat this week!) It’s ok: we’re not going to start advocating chamois shorts for five-year-olds. But it’s worth knowing that the ideal balance bike saddle isn’t necessarily the same as a pedal bike saddle. The body resting on it will be putting quite a lot of weight through the centre of the saddle, so these are ideally shaped in a ‘scoop’ shape. However, your child probably won’t be out for three-hour jaunts like many parents – so don’t panic too much about this.
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