Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
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!
Age range: 18 months - 4 years | Weight: Not stated | Wheel size: 12 inch | Tyres: Airless What we love This could equate to between 1.5 years and 5 years depending how tall / small your child is. The AIRO's comes in six colour options - white, red, yellow, pink, blue and turquoise. But which balance bike is best? There are lots of different options out there from cheap and cheerful to high-spec and built-to-last. If you only have one child and know that you’ll only need a balance bike for a short time then a cheaper option might be best, but if you have more than one child it can be worth investing in something pricier that can be passed from child to child. A lot of balance bikes also have great resale value so that’s worth keeping in mind too. Once your little ones have grown up and no longer need their AIRO, we have created a dedicated Facebook group where you can ask questions, post your photos and sell on your AIRO. Why not take a look! With an 18.5″ inseam, we didn’t think twice about having her test out the AIRO as when we received the AIRO (and when we first published this review), it was advertised to fit kids with inseams ranging from 11.8″ to 18.9″. The maximum seat height of 16.5″ on the AIRO also provided a comfortable fit for her.
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We found the AIRO to be an amazing little bike for kids for young riders in 18 months to 3T pants. With a minimum seat height of 11.25″, the AIRO is one of the few balance bikes on the market that easily accommodates younger testers in 18-months pants. The Hornit AIRO’s handlebar is one of the most narrow on the market. At 14.25″ wide (not including the wide grip bumpers that cannot be used to actually grip), they about 1.5″ more narrow than the Yeedoo TooToo and 1.75″ more narrow than the woom 1.
The grippy footrests on the AIRO are well designed and thought out. Small enough to be unobtrusive, but large enough for a child to rest a portion of their foot, these footrests are highly effective. When cruising and gliding around the house, our 3-year-old thought they were pretty much the coolest thing ever.Weighing it at 2.95kg the AIRO combines a really lightweight bike frame with pneumatic tyres, which means that your Sprog should enjoy a much more comfortable ride than on a cheaper bike with solid tyres. For our smallest of testers, the AIRO offered an amazing and smooth ride. From the first phases of walking the bike to confidently gliding, the AIRO delivered a fun, smooth, and impressive ride. The AIRO’s small build fits perfectly beneath their smaller frames, helping them build confidence to ride faster and further.
A balance bike typically represents an easier first step into teaching your child to cycle for toddlers. As their motor skills and coordination develop, the child can learn how to balance and steer on the bike, without the distraction of learning how to pedal.As they typically feature a smaller wheel size, it is also easier to get a tot onto a bike at a younger age. My only issue with the frame is that I struggle to see the need for the plastic insert in the frame which adds nothing to the quality of the frame and seems to be there purely for cosmetic reasons. Alternatives to the Hornit AIRO balance bike While one alternative is to buy a conventional 12- or 14-inch kids’ bike and remove the pedals, a balance bike will typically be lighter in weight, given there are fewer components, and some may have specific features such as a footrest.The footrests have been stylishly designed for an easy freewheeling experience. Your little ones can easily rest their feet on the grip-tape which as well as improving their balance, saves you money on replacing their shoes each month (or breaks as they like to call them!). Safety is key After much deliberation, we've chosen the Vitus Nippy as our best overall balance bike for 2023. The lightest of the bikes on our list, the Nippy is great quality where it matters, with tyres that can take any surface in their stride, a robust frame and lightweight construction for the times you'll inevitably need to carry it. Balance bikes are small bicycles without pedals. They allow children as young as 18 months to learn to balance and steer by propelling the bike forward and lifting their feet up to glide when ready. Whether you’re looking for a garden toy, a nursery-run solution or something hard-wearing for off-road family trails, the choosing the best balance bike for your toddler will hugely impact their first experience of cycling. We're seeing an increasing number of parents opting for this method of kids bike ownership as it not only takes the hassle out of things every time your child grows but is more environmentally friendly and can be cost effective as well.
Tyres: Most balance bikes have chunky 12-inch (30.5cm) wheels. The majority feature solid tyres, which are made from plastic or rubber over a foam core. These puncture-proof tyres are hard-wearing but not quite as comfy as air-filled or ‘pneumatic’ tyres. Training wheels, also called stabilisers, have been used for decades – and they worked for most of us in our early years (as far as we can remember…).
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Kidvelo are a recent entry into the market, but build on decades of balance biking experience - the team of four who run Kidvelo have been major players in the balance bike industry and joined forces to design and build their own bikes. 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, many balance bikes do offer rear brakes, which could be helpful as kids develop into speedy riders much later on. This could also go a long way to aiding their confidence and also protecting their shoes. 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. 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.
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