Learning about balance bikes for the first time? Make this the last thing you read before buying

Shopping for balance bikes has become a new hassle for parents, and most do not have the time, energy or expertise to make the best possible decision. A bike that is safe, that is high quality and that performs well- like a real bike- is lost on most of us [who are] not in the bicycle industry. Regrettably, for most parents, if it has 2 wheels, it's "good enough", and this is dangerous thinking.

The balance bike as an industry is small compared to the bicycle industry. It's so new and so small, that the government doesn't even have a category for it in terms of Harmonized Tariff Code (This is a numerical code that corresponds to a list of import duties assigned to millions of products) As a result, balance bikes were shoe-horned in with toys, and enjoy duty free import status (instead of the usual 11% that is charged for bicycles that have pedals)

Here's the problem. This is not a GI Joe or a Barbie Doll. It's not a teddy bear or a Matchbox car. It's not a baby rattle or a Rubicks Cube. It's a bicycle (without pedals) meaning that is 100-fold more dangerous than any ordinary toy. It's also unregulated. Sure there are tests conducted for the presence of lead, phthalates, and heavy metals. There are finger pinch criteria and choking hazard warnings to comply with. But as a bicycle with two wheels that rolls as fast as gravity will allow, with very few exceptions, they are not tested as bicycles. Not even close.

Look at consumer safety tag on your high chair, stroller, baby mattress, crib and car seat. There are literally pages of information there, certifying compliance with dozens of rules and regulations, to protect consumers (their babies) from injury. It's pretty amazing that babies do little more than sit in or sleep on these products (we can agree that sleeping and sitting are safe activities) but when it comes to balance bikes, the government has totally left the consumer twisting in the wind. Yes, it is free of harmful chemicals, but that's it folks. No other product safety testing is conducted, especially none using bicycle safety testing protocol (One example of balance bikes that are tested as toys AND as bikes, are the Ridgeback Scoot and the Saracen Freewheel.)

We must ask ourselves: If a baby high chair is so thoroughly certified and accredited, how do balance bikes get away with having slippery foam tires, having no brakes to stop or slow down, and having no bearings or bike industry components connecting the frame and fork? How do they get away with selling a dangerous product, intended to be ridden at speeds far exceeding that of a stroller, without the Consumer Product Safety Commission batting an eye? How do they tell consumers with a straight face, that their "bicycle shaped object" with a 50 lb weight limit is the safest or the best?

It's nothing personal, it's just business. As I've pined about before, the get-rich quick Amazon Affiliate crowd is clueless of our industry, and persist in duping the American parent into believing that the lowest priced imitations are the "safest and best". When will Amazon wake up to the fact that it is in harm's way in terms of product liability? Which Amazon Affiliate even carries liability insurance to defend against a civil suit? You know, the kind where mom buys their recommendation and their kid has a life altering injury while using that "safest and best" balance bike?

Here's a solution: Read the reviews created by industry specific professionals and specialists. They are not in the bike biz for a quick buck. They are not going to sell you out, even though they know you are most likely to buy the cheapest balance bike and give them a quick commission from an inferior product. They are not going to lead you into the weeds and put your child in danger.

We would like to introduce you to Ivan M Altinbasak. A short bio appears at the end of this article, but if we were you, we would pay close attention to what he has to say about the so-called "10 Best Balance Bikes". Don't expect them to be the cheapest. Don't expect them to have foam tires. Don't expect them to have flimsy 50 lb weight limits. But rest assured that every bike he recommends adheres to the highest safety standards, and uses industry standard cycling components, as it should be. Read the article here:

The Authoritative Buyer's Guide to the Best Balance Bikes

Truth in Advertising: A Balance Bike Comparison Chart That's Actually Worth Reading

We like to inform consumers, before they waste their money on balance bikes that are inferior, unsafe and unloaded onto parents using deceptive marketing tactics. It's pretty clear that the word "safety" is being used pretty loosely these days by certain brands. Look at everything you get when a bike is #RealBikesNotToys™ certified. The Yedoo TooToo is a Rock Star in our book, but the following bikes could also use this same exact chart in place of the TooToo:
Woom1, Ridgeback Scoot, Saracen Freewheel, Muna, ByK, and others that we will add later.

Balance Bike Safety: Don't Let Fake Review Sites Lead You Into the Weeds

It's easy to fall into the rabbit hole when you're searching for a product that you know little about. Here's a video I created to inform you of the possibility that most so-called "Review Sites" that are  recommending balance bikes really have no business recommending anything that has to do with your child's safety. They don't care. Most of them are after a 3% commission from Amazon, and their selection method for the "top 10 balance bikes" is really nothing better than fishing with dynamite.