5 Best Wooden Balance Bikes

Wooden balance bikes have a classic, retro vibe that many parents love. Other parents choose wood over metal because wood is an eco-friendly, sustainable and biodegradable resource. Whatever reason you prefer a wooden balance bike, there are certainly some great bikes out there.  Here are the top 5 bikes you should consider.

Young toddler riding a prince lionheart wooden balance bike

If you’re also interested in balance bikes with metal frames, check out – 10 Best Balance Bikes.

Wooden Balance Bike Comparison

Toddler Bike Why We Love It Seat Height Range MSRP
Early Rider Best Overall 11.6" - 15" $179
Wishbone 3 in 1 Most Room for Growth 11" - 18" $279
Prince Lionheart Best Bang for Your Buck 14.8" - 17" $85
Kinderfeets Retro Most Fun Designs 13" - 16" $89
Kiddimoto Kurve Honorable Mention 14.5" - 15.5" $110
Lawless Bikes Best Custom Luxury Varies Varies

Our Favorite Wooden Balance Bikes

Early Rider Classic or Lite

Best Overall

Early rider lite 12 inch wooden balance bike

MSRP: $170

SIZE: 11.6″ – 15″ seat height, 7 lbs. (Lite)

FITS KIDS: In pants sized 24-months to 3T

FEATURES: Air tires, faux leather saddle, and adjustable turning limiter

Faux leather saddle, bronze bolts, heat-treated artwork, and true air tires with metal spokes, the Early Rider balance bikes are true beauties. They’re also the best-performing balance bikes on our list, as well as the most durable. Treated with marine-grade glue for maximum weather resistance, they offer excellent weather protection.

While steering on many wooden balance bikes can be a bit stiff, the Early Rider balance bikes perform almost on par with a standard balance bike. Their air tires sit on an aluminum wheelset complete with aluminum hubs, hollow aluminum axles, and sealed cartridge bearings. What does that mean? Basically super smooth-rolling wheels for minimum rolling resistance.

We particularly love the Early Rider’s “two-step steering system”. For beginning riders, its steering range can be limited to avoid overcorrections which often lead to falls. The steering range can then be opened up to its full range once a child has gained experience and confidence on their bike.

If you’re concerned about the weight of the bike, get the Lite which weighs 7 lbs. vs. the Classic’s 9 lbs.

PROS:

  • Decent seat height range for a wooden bike
  • Weather-treated wood for better durability
  • 12″ air tires provide great cushioning for added comfort
  • The Lite is the lightest wooden balance bike we can find! (just 7 lbs!)
  • Two-step steering limiter prevents falls when learning and then opens up for 180-degree steering later

CONS:

  • Short handlebar grips (not a lot of space for kids hands)

Wishbone 3 in 1

Most Room for Growth

Wishbone 2 in 1 wooden balance bike

MSRP: $279

SIZE: 11″ – 18″ seat height, 8.4 lbs.

FITS KIDS: In 18 months – 4T pants

FEATURES: Air tires, 7″ of seat height adjustability, turning limiter

FULL REVIEW: Wishbone Recycled 3 in 1

From a quality perspective, the Wishbone 3 in 1 is vastly superior to most wooden balance bikes. And with 7″ of seat height adjustability, it also allows for the most room for growth. While more expensive than other bikes on this list, its quality and ability to adjust as your little one grows make it a worthy investment.

Be aware that although the seat height can be raised to 18″, this requires the frame of the bike to be flipped, which actually results in the bike becoming shorter front to back. For most kids, the shorter wheelbase won’t be a problem, but for really tall kids it can lead to the bike being slightly less stable.

PROS:

  • 7″ of seat height adjustability
  • Air tires for better cushioning and traction

CONS:

  • Turning limiter restricts maneuverability

Prince Lionheart

Best Bang for your Buck

Prince Lionheart 12 inch wooden balance bike

MSRP: $85

SIZE: 14.8″ – 17″ seat height, 9.9 lbs.

FITS KIDS: In 3T and 4T pants

FEATURES: Rubber tires that won’t go flat

With solid rubber tires that will never go flat, the Prince Lionheart offers the traction and some of the cushioning of air tires at a more affordable price. Significantly cheaper than other wooden balance bikes with true air tires, if your child will be sticking to paved trails and occasionally packed dirt, the Prince Lionheart is a bang for your buck option!

As the largest wooden balance bike available, it’s best for kids who are at least solidly in 3T pants.  Just remember that because it only has a little over 2″ of seat height adjustment, it doesn’t offer much room for growth.

PROS:

  • Larger frame and higher seat height make it the best option for older pre-schoolers
  • Rubber tires for great traction and some cushioning

CONS:

  • Just a little over 2″ of seat height adjustability
  • Steering radius is very limited

Kinderfeets Retro

Most Fun Designs

Kinderfeets 12 inch wooden balance bike, rocket design

MSRP: $89

SIZE: 13″ – 16″ seat height, 8 lbs.

FITS KIDS: Transitioning out of 2T to size 4T pants

FEATURES: Foam tires, fun designs

If you want a wooden balance bike but you find the classic tan wood look is boring, Kinderfeets offers a bunch of super cute designs. From space rockets to super heroes and cupcakes, Kinderfeets is a great option for more gender-specific colors and designs.

PROS:

  • Adorable designs for boys and girls
  • Foam tires never go flat and are maintenance-free
  • Decent weight at 8 lbs.

CONS:

  • Foam tires offer less traction than air tires

KiddiMoto Kurve

Honorable Mention

Kiddimoto Kurve 12 inch wooden balance bike, cherry design

MSRP: $110

SIZE: 14.5″ – 15.5″ seat height, 9.9 lbs.

FITS KIDS: In clothes size 4T

FEATURES: Foam tires, cute designs

Cute designs, but with only 1″ of seat height adjustability, the KiddiMoto will only properly fit your child for a limited amount of time. If your child is in 4T clothes and you think they’ll advance to a pedal bike quickly, the KiddiMoto is a good wooden balance bike option.

PROS:

  • Cute designs
  • Foam tires won’t go flat

CONS:

  • Foam tires provide less traction and little cushioning
  • Only 1″ of seat height adjustability

Lawless Bikes

Best Custom Luxury

lawless balance bike

MSRP: Varies

FITS KIDS: Customizable

FEATURES: Air tires, lightweight

These completely customized, hand-made bikes out of South Africa make us drool with envy. Definitely the most luxurious wooden balance bike that money can buy, if you want the Rolls-Royce of balance bikes, check these guys out on Facebook! And get on their wait list now, because it might be a while.

How to Choose the Best Wooden Balance Bike

2 year old standing and smiling on Prince Lionheart wooden balance bike

Wooden balance bikes look pretty sweet, but they definitely have some limitations that metal balance bikes don’t. Before you buy a wooden balance bike, it’s important for you to understand how they are different from metal balance bikes.

Size – One size does not fit all

In general, wooden balance bikes don’t have the same range of seat height adjustability as a metal balance bike with a standard seat post.  Adjusting the seat height on a wooden balance bike also requires some time and patience.   Far from a quick release, the seat requires removing two bolts, realigning the seat post with the frame and then reinserting the bolts.  While this process, seems easy in theory, at times it can be quite a challenge.

Adjustment holes for seat height on the Skuut wooden balance bike

Wooden balance bikes also generally provide a much narrower range for seat height, typically ranging from about 1″ to 4″. On the other hand, metal balance bikes usually range from 4″ to 8″.  As a result, while kids can ride a wooden balance bike for the same amount of time as a metal balance bike, they will likely have to ride the bike with the seat height much lower than is ideal as they grow.

Weight – The lighter the better

A bike shouldn’t weigh more than 30% of your child’s weight.  More athletic kids are generally less bothered by weight than timid riders, but as a general rule, try to stick to a bike under 9 lbs.

Wooden balance bikes tend to be heavier than metal balance bikes, although depending on the bike this is not always the case. The lightest wooden balance bike we know of is 7 lbs, while the lightest aluminum balance bike we’ve tested is 4.4 lbs.

2 year old gliding down driveway on Prince Lionheart wooden balance bike

Performance – How do they ride?

Due to their construction, most wooden balance bikes have some variation of a turning limiter.  Turning limiters restrict the degree at which the handlebars can rotate.  While some metal balance bikes feature turning limiters, they don’t restrict the turning radius nearly as much as a wooden balance bike’s limiter does.

Turning Radius with Turning Limiters: Metal vs Wooden Balance Bike

Turning limiter range on wooden balance bike vs woom 1 aluminum balance bike

For younger riders, turning limiters can be beneficial as they can prevent kids from oversteering and jackknifing the bike.  As kids get older and more experienced, however, turning limiters can become more problematic as they can prevent kids from intentionally taking tight turns.

The unique design of the Early Rider balances bikes, however, allow them to function more like a metal balance bike. They can be completely “opened up” to allow for the handlebars to rotate 180-degrees around the handlebars.

3 year old riding Early Rider wooden balance bike

Durability

While this is a concern with any bike, wooden balance bikes are more susceptible to wear and tear than metal bikes. Wood can crack, rot, and warp, and can even snap in half. While many wooden balance bikes are coated with lacquer to “weather-proof” them, it’s always advisable to store them indoors.

broken and scuffed wood on wooden balance bikes

Early Rider wooden balance bikes are specially treated and are the most durable of those that we’ve tested.

water being poured over the Early Rider Classic wooden balance bike

Tires

There are two common types of balance bike tires: foam and air. Foam tires will never go flat, but have no cushioning and little traction. Air tires are more expensive and a little heavier, but provide great cushioning and traction for a more comfortable ride for adventurous kids.

three different wooden balance bike tires, foam, air with knobby tread and air with street tread

Brakes

When riding a balance bike, the main source of stopping will always be the rider’s feet, but hand brakes can help to prevent injury, save kids’ shoes, and better prepare a child to ride a pedal bike. Wooden balance bike do not have handbrakes.

10 Best Baby and Toddler Bike Helmets: We put over 20 helmets to the test!

Balance Bike to Pedal Bike Transition: How to know when your child is ready to graduate to a pedal bike.

Best Balance Bikes for Kids 4+: The best balance bikes for older preschoolers

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