less than your child's inside leg measurement and will, preferably, adjust higher as your child grows. They can pick up the front wheel, turn around easily, and after a tip over they can pick themselves up and get going again on their own. For older or heavier more experienced riders, however, the lightweight frame can feel too light as the bike can feel less” grounded” when flying around corners at speed or tackling pump tracks.

It gets textured rubber grips with beefy stoppers on the end to avoid any injury, and the stem even has a nifty neoprene cover that pads the hard edges for the inevitable clashes with teeth and chins when the pilots are testing the limits of their ability.

Some models in our round-up even have the option to transform into a first bike, with pedals and chain. Weight – You should consider the weight of the bike too: “Lighter-weight balance bikes are easier for children to handle, meaning they’ll get to grips with the bike much faster,” adds Alexandra Rico-Lloyd – something we definitely noticed when our testers were putting these balance bikes through their paces. The lightweight design combined with super smooth bearings and slightly bigger tires make this bike cruise.

Couple that with thoughtfully designed footrests and rounded edges, the Airo is sharp looking and friendly to little riders. However many kids will use it, this is a really nice bike for introducing a child to the world of cycling; it looks the part and performs well. Weighing 5kg, it’s at the heavier end of our round-up, but as it’s more suited to pre-schoolers and up it shouldn’t pose any issues. With a cool BMX look and a (detachable) shield at the front, this balance bike will definitely appeal to wannabe racers.I liked that you could move the seat up and down to your child’s height without having to use tools like previous bikes we have had. We commend Hornit for acknowledging that while an amazing bike, the AIRO is not a great fit for taller riders. Good adjustability means the balance bike's likely to fit your child better and last longer as they grow.