The 5 Best Child Bike Seats

Rider Range: 9 mo - 40 lb | Attachment Location: Rear

The Thule Yepp Maxi is a bike seat that attaches to the rear of the bike behind the adult seat, attaching easily to the seat post. This option's seating area is a soft, flexible material that is squishy for comfort and bendable to resist impact breaks. We like the bright color, simple attachment, anti-theft locking, and comfort features we didn't see with all of the contenders. This seat is high-quality and has a longer potential life, with a broader passenger weight range. It also has variable seat placement and an adjustable recline for comfort.

This kid's bike seat is more expensive than most models we tested. Still, we feel the longevity and quality justify the price if you plan to use the seat frequently and your budget allows it. We believe this is an excellent pick for families who frequent bike use and plan to have regular outdoor adventures with their children on a bike. For the occasional ride, a more budget-friendly kid's bike seat like the iBert Safe-T-Seat may be all you need.

Rider Range: 9 mo - 33 lb | Attachment Location: Front

If you are looking for a front-placement kids' bike seat, the Thule Yepp Mini is an impressive contender. This somewhat flexible seat is brightly colored, has adjustable stirrups, and a quick attachment that locks to the bike to avoid potential theft. The seat is smaller than the Maxi and has a lower passenger weight range as a result of the forward seat placement.

Given the front placement and lower weight range, this seat has a shorter lifespan than the other Thule in our lineup. Depending on your goals, it could influence your decision to select it over the rear seater. This seat is also somewhat more expensive, and families on tighter budgets may want to look elsewhere. However, we think this is a top-quality option for parents who prefer the front placement on a bike and could be the right choice if you plan to transition your little one to a bike of their own when they outgrow the weight limit. If it's not within budget, consider another less expensive option like the front seating UrRider.

Rider Range: 2-6 yrs/110 lb | Attachment Location: Center

The UrRider is a unique, collapsable middle seat that folds up and fits in a carry bag. This seat is easy to set up when you know how it works and offers a firm seat, handlebar, and footpegs for little ones. We like how easy this option is to take on the go and think parents will appreciate being able to quickly attach it to a touring bike or bike share in the city. A seat like this can expand the world's possibilities by allowing little ones to ride with you in a way you otherwise couldn't in a traditional kids' bike seat.

If you frequently use a bike seat, this one might not be the most comfortable. It lacks any padding, and there is no seatback for little ones to lean on. We also think it may not be the best option if you frequently ride at home as it lacks some features for comfort for the sake of being compact and lightweight. Overall, we think travelers and city dwellers will appreciate this compact, easy-to-carry seat. If you plan on regularly biking with your kid, we recommend a more comfortable model like the Thule Yepp Mini.

Rider Range: Up to 38 lbs | Attachment Location: Front

The economical iBert Safe-T-Seat is a budget-friendly option designed with little ones in mind. We like the contoured full-body design and think the spinning steering wheel is almost as fun as our kid testers think it is. This seat has an adjustable harness, stirrups, and a thin pad for comfort.

While this seat is inexpensive and could be a good fit for the price, it isn't as high quality as the competition, and the components feel unfinished, like the attachment to the seat, which is more on par with a homemade garage project than a machined part. Also, the design places little ones higher up and closer to the handlebars, which means larger children don't fit well in the seat. While we like other options in this review better, both for front and rear seating, we can see value in the front seat placement of this budget-friendly choice. It could be a contender for families who want a front-seater on a budget. Which could be you if you don't plan to use it often. But if you're looking to invest, we think the Thule Yepp Mini is a much more impressive front seater for frequently biking.

Rider Range: 9 mo - 48.5 lb | Attachment Location: Rear

The Hamax Caress is a nice quality rear seat option with an easy attachment method and comfort features. This rear seat is reclinable, unique in our lineup of options, and has easy one-handed adjustments overall. We like that this seat has some padding, suspension, and adjustable seat placement. It can also lock in place to prevent theft.

The Hamax is one of the more expensive options, and we don't think it is that much better quality to merit the price as it isn't as nice as the similarly priced competition. We like the Hamax, and we think parents will too, but if given a choice, we'd choose the Thule Yepp Maxi over the Hamax.

How We Tested

We considered over a dozen potential bike seat contenders before settling on our lineup. We tested each seat on various bike types and with children of different ages. Quality, adjustments, ease of attachments, and assembly were considered when selecting award winners and ordering ranks.

Why Trust GearLab

BabyGearLab has been buying and testing gear for babies since 2013 so parents can find the right products for their little ones and needs. This kid bike seat review is led by Senior Review Analyst Bob Wofford, experienced bicyclist and father of 7. Bob selected each seat and tested them on various bicycles with different children of various sizes to determine the best in the bunch for different needs. Wendy Schmitz, Senior Review Editor and mother of 2, rounds out this team with the test results analysis and assistance with award winner selection. We purchased and tested the seats for ease of attachment, seat adjustability, and quality.

Analysis and Test Results

We purchased and tested top bike seats to find the best option for every need and budget. The seats were tested side-by-side and hands-on to determine which products outshine the competition.

Assembly

The best bike seats are easy to assemble and use. If a seat is hard to set up or attach to your bike, you'll likely loathe or avoid using it. Over time, difficulties could influence your decision to use the seat or find an alternative that doesn't include it. We considered each seat's ability to assemble without a hassle quickly and as it attaches to various bicycle styles. Most kids' bike seats in this review are designed for a standard bike style that falls within the “typical” range of bike construction. Bikes that fall outside these parameters (like a "FatBike") may not work with some or all of the tested seats. You should consider your bike type before making a purchase and consider buying from a retailer like Amazon, which has a simple return process if the seat is incompatible.

The Thule Maxi has an in-depth assembly, more so than most of the competitors. Mounting requires five bolts for the unit assembly and four more to attach to the seat post. It installs lower on the seat tube than the others, and you must install the aluminum piece that connects to the mount under the seat (two more bolts). The final product is sturdy, and you only have to slide the seat into the component with a color-coded indicator so you know when it is connected properly. The Hamax is more straightforward, with only four bolts to attach to the seat post and a self-adjusting bushing. The seat slides smoothly in place. We think all are manageable, but depending on your assembly skills or desire, you may feel differently. The UrRider is easy once you get the hang of it, though we can see how it could initially feel frustrating. We set it up quickly in our tests, but only after we did it a few times and understood the process. It doesn't require any tools and quickly mounts to multiple test bikes. It is by far the easiest to set up and attach, but you won't want to try it for the first time under pressure or with anyone waiting for you.

Adjustments

In this review, adjustability for child comfort or restraint system varies. Some adjust easier on the go, while others are more challenging or lack helpful adjustments. We utilized every adjustment on each product during testing and preferred the quick and easy-to-change options over those with wing nuts or no adjustability.

Many of the seats have adjustable harnesses and stirrups. The stirrups adjust for height, and some include straps to keep feet from kicking around. We like those with quick-moving parts or straightforward adjustments and straps that prevent swinging legs, which can rock a bike off-balance. The Thules both lack height adjustment on the shoulder straps, so they are somewhat of a “one size fits most” setup. Both have challenging buckles that require two hands, making holding the bike and releasing a child from the harness difficult. The UrRider has nothing for child harness/fit adjustment, which means little ones need to hold on by themselves. It does have footpegs, but they are stationary. The Hamax adjustments are straightforward, and the shoulder straps have a rubber backing to prevent slipping. The buckle is one of the stiffest in our tests and requires two hands to operate. The IBert adjustments are the most cumbersome and the hardest to manage.

Quality

Quality is often a “you get what you pay for” proposition. While not always true with all gear types, it seems to be true in our experience with bike seats. The two highest-priced seats we tested, the Thule seats, offer the most impressive quality and features when compared side-by-side to the competition. Considering design and features, construction, and detail, we believe you won't find a better quality product in this lineup. The Hamax is also nicer quality, though we feel it pales slightly compared to the Thule products, which share similar prices. The IBert appears to be a lower-quality choice in our tests, but its price is on par with what you get. The iBert is probably the most disappointing in the test group. It has rougher edges, a cumbersome feel, stick-on materials, and somewhat unfinished feeling mounting devices.

Conclusion

Cruising around on your bike with your child can help encourage a lifelong love of the outdoors, biking, and fun adventures. Creating lasting memories with your children is priceless, and biking will be something your child remembers for years. Selecting the best bike seat for your little one and outings can help create a fun and unique bonding experience when kids are too small to pedal. A useful bike seat is an excellent addition to any outdoor gear lineup. It provides an enjoyable and engaging way to bike with your little one. We believe our testing and analysis provide the information you need to find the best seat for your baby's biking goals.