Perfect for keeping active, improving coordination and getting outdoors, a great bike can be one of the best things you buy for your child.
When it comes to choosing the best kids’ bike, forget about ‘one size fits all’. While different retailers will give an idea of age suitability based on wheel size, it all comes down to your child’s height and inside-leg measurement. Just don’t be tempted to ‘size up’ to save money. Kids’ bike brand Frog Bikes says: “The bike should fit your child now, not be something to grow into. They should be able to place their feet flat on the ground while seated and reach the handlebars without stretching.”
Weight is an important consideration, too – buying a bike that’s too heavy for your child is going to make cycling far tricker to get the hang of.
Also think about your child’s riding style. Are they going to be using their bike for the school run, family bike rides or off-road adventures? Picking the best kids’ bike for the terrain being tackled can make all the difference. Get it right and you’ll struggle to get your budding cyclists off their bikes (just remember to keep them safe with a helmet).
To help you out, we’ve tested a whole range of bikes to suit all levels and types of riders. Our pick of the bunch is the Hornet hero 20in kids’ pedal bike (£399, Hornit.com) but there are plenty of great options to suit all sorts of cyclists. Keep scrolling to find out which kids’ bikes are ‘wheelie’ good.
How we tested
We recruited a crew of little cyclists, ranging from four to nine years old, to really put these kids’ bikes to the test, over a month of mixed weather and across various terrain. During testing, we considered the following criteria...
- Durability: We took the bikes out for road rides and adventures through woodlands, along mountain bike tracks, across fields and along bumpy countryside paths, to see how they fared.
- Comfort: Our child testers gave us their feedback on comfort and how easy it was to operate each bike (looking at things such as easy-to-reach brakes and simple gears).
- Value for money: We assessed if each bike was worth its price tag, and it the models live up to each brand’s claims.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
The Independent’s product reviews section, IndyBest, employs knowledgeable reviewers to test products as you would use them in real-world settings, to bring you an impartial list of the very best.
Sarah Dawson is a writer with a great deal of experience when it comes to recommending the best parenting buys and products for kids. As with all IndyBest reviews, Sarah's testing process involves assessing factors such as quality and value for money, along with any potential pitfalls. By calling in assistance from younger testers when writing this article, she was able to see how different bikes actually go down with kids.
The best kids’ bikes for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Hornet hero 20in kids’ pedal bike: £399, Hornit.com
- Best budget buy – Apollo gridlok junior mountain bike: £195, Halfords.com
- Best high-spec mountain bike – Early Rider seeker 24: £799, Earlyrider.com
- Best balance-to-pedal bike – SmarTrike Xtend 3-in-1 bike: £299, Amazon.co.uk
Hornit hero 20in kids' pedal bike
Best: Kids' bike overall
Weight: 7.95kg
Frame: Aluminium
Wheel size: 20in (also available in 14in, 16in and 24in)
Gears: 8-speed gears with microshift acolyte shifter
Why we love it
- Lifetime warranty on frame and forks
- Excellent kid-friendly proportions
- Easy to use brakes
Take note
- No mud guards
We put this bike through its paces on every kind of terrain imaginable – from very rocky tracks to woodland mountain bike routes and country lanes – and it blew us away during every ride. Our six-year-old tester immediately took to the bike, and it very quickly became the bike she reached for on every ride.
It’s the comfort level that impressed us the most – the thought that’s gone into creating the perfect proportions for a little cyclist is obvious. The dimensions are spot on – we particularly loved the width and position of the handlebar – making it easy for kids to handle the bike on any terrain, improve their cycling skills and confidence.
At 7.95kg it’s a really lightweight bike, which makes it a great choice for young cyclists. From the easy to reach pedals and grippy handles to the thumb-operated gear shifter and ‘leaned-in’ geometry (a clever design touch to make it easier to pedal uphill) it’s genuinely hard to fault this bike.
In a highly competitive market, the Hornit hero really does stand out as a hi-spec kids’ bike that delivers quality at a reasonable price. It’s not a budget option but it feels on par with the likes of premium bike brands Frog and Woom. After extensive testing, it’s a clear best buy for us.
Buy now £399.00, Hornit.com
Apollo gridlok junior mountain bike
Best: Budget kids' bike
Weight: 16kg
Frame: Steel
Wheel size: 24in
Gears: 18-speed Shimano gears with SRAM twist shifters
Why we love it
- Great value
- Comfortable handlebars
- Cool design
Take note
- Heavy
We had to do a double take when we saw the price of this bike. Looking anything but budget, it comes in at just £195, making it a great entry-level mountain bike for girls and boys of about 8-12 years old.
The wide handles are perfect for helping with stability, particularly when off-roading, and we were pleasantly surprised with the suspension, which offered impressive bump-absorption, considering the price.
Despite being designed as a mountain bike, the Apollo also performed well during more-relaxed family rides (thanks, in part, to its 18-speed gearing), and our nine-year-old tester rated it as a very comfy ride.
The brakes could be better, though, and needed quite a bit of adjustment to get them to stop squeaking. Naturally, for the price, you’re going to get basic brake pads, but you can buy more-premium pads and fit them to the bike, if you want to.
We love that this bike comes with a bell – an essential for warning unsuspecting walkers as our mini tester bombed through woodland – and the “cool paint job” was a hit as well. Overall, it’s a great budget kids’ bike that offers value for money.
Buy now £195.00, Halfords.com
Carrera blast junior mountain bike
Best: Kids' bike for durability
Weight: 11kg
Frame: Aluminium
Wheel size: 20in
Gears: Seven-speed gears with Revoshift shifters
Why we love it
- Very durable
- Great suspension
- Hardy off-road tyres
Take note
- No mudguards
This kids’ mountain bike is good value and it instantly won over our mini testers, thanks to its cool matte black frame with flashes of yellow. There’s a lot more to the Carrera blast than good looks, though – especially as the one we tested is now completely covered in mud (good job we added our own mudguards, as they were very needed).
The bike packs in some decent features for the price. The front suspension did a great job of absorbing the bumps as our mini tester took it off-roading, and the aluminium frame made it relatively lightweight for a bike of this size, which helped make uphill climbs less challenging.
The seven gears helped, as our (very tall for her age) five-year-old tester took the bike out over all kinds of terrain – although, the twist mechanism took some getting used to, putting our young reviewer’s wrist strength to the test. A thumb push gear shifter, such as the one on the Early Rider seeker bike (also included in this roundup), would have been easier to use, but that’s just us being picky.
Designed for kids aged 6-11, it’s a brilliant bike that will grow with your child, although our tall nine-year-old tester felt it was too small for him to ride comfortably. We’d suggest it as a brilliant mountain bike (that works just as well on roads and cycling paths) for children aged five to eight. It’s an absolute workhorse of a bike that seemed to cope well with whatever our enthusiastic testers threw at it.
You can opt to have your bike built for you at Halfords, or you can put it together yourself at home. As Carrera is a Halfords brand, you can also get free safety checks at Halfords, which is a great touch.
Buy now £315.00, Halfords.com
Early Rider seeker 24
Best: Hi-spec kids' mountain bike
Weight: 9.95kg
Frame: Brushed aluminium
Wheel size: 24in
Gears: Nine-speed gears with Box Three P9 multi twin shifter
Why we love it
- Responsive brakes
- Excellent off-road
- Easy gear change
- Built to last
Take note
- Expensive
Early Rider is all about designing high-spec bikes for kids, and the seeker 24 is absolutely that. We were completely blown away by the build quality (this hard-as-nails bike feels indestructible), while our nine-year-old tester raved about how responsive the bike was.
It’s exceptionally lightweight for a bike this size yet still manages to feel fully planted on the ground, making it a dream to navigate our local mountain bike trail and while off-roading through the woods. The hydraulic brakes (which use mineral oil instead of brake fluid) are absolutely standout, just requiring the lightest of touches to come to a standstill. We also loved the tyres – trust us, these Vee Crown gem tyres mean business and make light work of some serious off-roading.
We highly rate the gear mechanisms, too – featuring a lower-than-expected nine gears, it still boasts a 418 per cent gear range (the difference between the highest and lowest gears) and our rider found it so easy to switch between them with a simple thumb press, rather than having to twist, as per the Apollo bike included in our list.
Honestly, it’s so hard to fault this bike – our nine-year-old loves everything about it and his mountain biking has improved no end since we got it. It would have been our number one, but we have to take price into consideration and this is an investment. If you have a serious biker on your hands, and budget allows, this is the bike for you.
Buy now £799.00, Earlyrider.com
Frog 53
Best: Kids' bike for the school run
Weight: 8.15kg
Frame: Aluminium
Wheel size: 20in
Gears: Eight-speed gears with FrogFit technology youth-specific shifters
Why we love it
- Comes with mudguards
- Easy-to-reach brakes
- Great hybrid tyres
Take note
- Pricey
- Feels a little small for the top end of the suggested height-range
Perfect for pavements, parks and the school run, this premium hybrid kids’ bike was an immediate hit with our five-year-old tester. Designed specifically with children in mind, this bike is very lightweight with responsive, easy-to-reach brakes (just right for little hands), shorter cranks and a low centre of gravity.
It’s suitable for children aged between five and seven years old, however, the narrow handlebar (which may suit some smaller kids) was a little too narrow for our tall five-year-old tester, who seemed on the edge of outgrowing the bike.
Similar to Woom (see below), Frog is renowned for creating ergonomic bikes that really help little kids to thrive on two wheels – although, these bikes don’t come cheap. The thumb-click gears are easy to operate, even for children who haven’t ridden a bike with gears before, and the full-length mudguards are a very welcome addition.
While we found this bike struggled a little off-road (the Woom seemed to tackle bumpy ground a lot easier), it’s such an excellent hybrid bike for family rides, which puts little riders firmly in control. Oh, and the bright green colourway is pretty excellent, too – there’s no way you’re losing sight of this bike.
Buy now £425.00, Frogbikes.com
Raleigh pop
Best: Kids' bike for style
Weight: 10.7kg
Frame: Aluminium
Wheel size: 20in
Gears: Six-speed gears
Why we love it
- Comes with useful tool kit
- Versatile tyres
- Excellent quality
Take note
- Limited colour options
A real classic, this bike takes the crown as an awesome all-rounder with bags of style. Perfect for six- to nine-year-olds, this 20in hybrid sits somewhere in the middle weight-wise (featherlight compared with the Apollo but heavier than the Early Rider seeker), while offering a smooth, easy ride.
Raleigh claims the bike can “withstand even the biggest adventure”, and we’d have to agree. This bike performed far better than we imagined on off-road woodland rides, with our tall five-year-old tester summing it up as “very comfy”, despite the lack of suspension. We rate the wide handlebars (which helped with balance and stability), and the gears, which were simple to click through.
While the bike needed the most basic of setting up, we like how it came with a brilliant tool kit with everything we needed to make further adjustments – it’s ideal to use with other bike brands, too.
With kid-friendly features such as chunky tyres that work just as well during the school run as they do on bumpy countryside paths; ergonomically designed cranks for little legs; and anti-slip pedals, so younger bikers don’t lose their footing, it packs in a lot for its mid-range price tag.
Buy now £279.00, Raleigh.co.uk
SmarTrike Xtend 3-in-1 bike
Best: Balance-to-pedal bike for kids
Weight: 8.7kg
Frame: Magnesium
Wheel size: 14in
Gears: None
Why we love it
- Converts from balance bike to pedal bike
- Lightweight
- Good range of seat adjustment
Take note
- Tricky to assemble
- Instructions not very clear
Forget stabilisers – if you want to make it as easy as possible for your child to learn to ride, it’s all about the balance bike. The three-in-one Xtend is designed to grow with your child, transforming from a balance bike to a pedal bike, saving you the job of buying both. We’ll be honest, this was a bit of a pain to assemble, particularly as you have to add the chain yourself. The instructions could have been clearer, too, and we stumbled at the first hurdle, as we didn’t realise you need to remove a bolt to get the seat in place.
However, once built, this was a massive hit with our little testers. We found, in pedal mode, it was a good learning bike for mastering the art of pedalling. It’s lightweight and there are no gears to worry about. We particularly like how you can extend the frame, and adjust the handlebars and seat, for added longevity.
Our testers found this a breeze to control and steer, even over grass, although, it doesn’t match the Woom GO 3 or Frog 53 when it comes to specs. While this bike is not cheap, it certainly justifies the price when you consider how long it will last – it can be used from the age of two or three right up to seven (at a push), and does the job of two bikes, saving money and garage space.
Buy now £299.00, Amazon.co.uk
Woom go 3
Best: First kids’ bike
Weight: 5.4kg
Frame: Aluminium
Wheel size: 16in
Gears: None
Why we love it
- Very lightweight
- Colour-coded brakes
- Comfortable saddle
Take note
- Pricey
This is the updated version of the popular Woom 3, and when we say it’s a game-changer for kids moving from a balance bike to their first pedal bike, we mean it. Aimed at four- to six-year-olds, the seat and handlebars (complete with flexible steering limiter) are comfy and tactile, and even the brakes are designed for small hands to reach easily. Ingeniously, the brakes are colour-coded, so you can simply say “use the green one”, if your child struggles to tell their left from their right.
Our four-year-old tester managed to graduate seamlessly from their Hornit balance bike to the Woom. The light aluminium frame is brilliant for improving balance and control, so much so, our mini tester was able to pedal at a steady, slow pace, without a hint of a wobble.
The go 3 makes light work of cycle paths and country lanes, but what really surprised us was how well it coped with bumpy terrain, despite the slim tyres and lack of gears. It’s this ability to cope with all kinds of terrain that gives it the edge over the Frog 53, if you’re shopping for something to take off-road.
Despite the hefty price tag, we feel it’s well worth the money, if you want to ignite a love of cycling at an early age.
Buy now £425.00, Thelittlebikecompany.co.uk
Prevelo Alpha three 20in
Best: Kids' bike for family rides
Weight: 7.6kg
Frame: Aluminium
Wheel size: 20in
Gears: 8-speed microshift drivetrain
Why we love it
- High-quality build
- Durable tyres
- Easy for kids to get on and off
Take note
- Expensive
This kids’ bike makes light work of cycle paths and country lanes – in fact, we struggled to keep up with our six-year-old tester during family bike rides when she was testing the Prevelo.
Similar to the Hornit hero, we really rated the proportions of the Alpha – in particular the narrow Q factors (the distance between the pedals), which made it easy for our mini tester to reach and pedal comfortably for long rides. We did find the handles to be slightly thinner in circumference than the Hornit, which our tester wasn’t as keen on, but it didn’t have any negative impact on balance or control.
Our tester also loved the comfortable seat on the Prevelo bike, and the hot-pink colourway was a massive hit (plus it made our mini tester easy to spot as she cycled off into the distance at speed).
In fact, there’s a lot to love about this bike, which really has been built with the littlest riders in mind. The low standover made is easy for our tester to get on and off the bike without having to go down a wheel size. The gears were well positioned for little hands to reach, and the tyres absolutely meant business, thanks to the double-wall rims offering improved durability and stability.
Naturally, a bike this hi-spec comes with a matching price tag – at £680, it’s the second-most expensive in our roundup. Yes, it’s an investment, but if your budget allows, we feel it’s worth the spend.
Buy now £679.99, Windwave.co.uk
What is the best kids’ bike?
Designed with kids in mind, easy to ride and perfect for on-road and off-road adventures, the Hornit hero is a worthy best buy. That said, if your budget allows, the Early Rider seeker 24 is an absolute powerhouse of a mountain bike and offers the kind of high-spec fittings we’ve never seen on a kids’ bike before. If you’re looking to spend less, the Apollo gridlok comes in at less than £200 but is still a durable option with great suspension.
Want more recommendations? We’ve rounded up the best kids’ scooters, too
