In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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We purchased and tested first pedal bikes from Huffy, Schwinn, Duzy, Royalbaby, and more to find out which options are the best thing rolling
Credit: Abriah Wofford
By Wendy Schmitz ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Jan 6, 2025
The Best Kid's Pedal Bikes
A child's first pedal bike is not just a bike but a memory and milestone they will likely remember forever. Those first moments of steady sailing under pedal power on their own are almost a metaphor for the independence they will gain as they grow. It is an exciting moment for a child and parent, often shared as a bonding experience that builds the foundation of trust and confidence.
Since 2020, we've considered more than 20 first pedal bikes for kids in our goal of finding the best options worthy of this memory. We purchased some of the most popular first bikes for kids to test hands-on. We assembled each bike and scrutinized the quality, features, and overall experience to include multiple children riding the bikes and providing feedback with their words, laughter, and, sometimes, frustrations.
Our favorite first bike for kids is the Dynacraft Duzy Customs. This bike looks cool, and the kids loved it during testing. Stand-out features were the dual brake styles and included training wheels for little ones needing some extra confidence making a transition from balance bike or experiencing biking for the first time.
If you're looking for the best first bike for the long term, the RoyalBaby Freestyle Bike is our pick. This hardy bike comes in multiple colors, includes training wheels, and has a water bottle cage (something we didn't see in most of the competition). Little testers often chose this bike over competitors and it has held up well under heavy use over multiple years.
The Dynacraft Duzy Customs has many features, including dual brake styles so kids can learn hand brakes while still being able to backpedal to stop. It also has a parent handle to help little ones stay upright. Our tester remarks, “I appreciated the handle for parents; it gave me and my child confidence I could help them if they needed it.” The bike has folding pedals for storage and spoke wheels in various sizes and five different colors. It also features rubber handgrips and a roller pad on the handlebar and includes training wheels for less confident riders.
This bike has stiffer forks than the competition, and the wheels didn't spin as freely as we'd like. However, it is a child's bike, and we suspect kids won't notice the difference in performance. The RoyalBaby Freestyle Bike isn't as stiff and had better spinning wheels in our tests. Overall, the Dynacraft is a flashy, cool-looking bike kids are drawn to, and it works well.
The Duzy Custom is a higher-quality bike than some of the competition with fun accessories for kids.
The RoyalBaby Freestyle Bike pedal bike is an excellent option for parents thinking long-term. This quality bike is put together nicely with impressive materials and attention to detail. It includes two brake styles (we tested both the pedal and hand brake), a water bottle with a holder for on-the-go hydration, and an alert bell. It comes in various bright, eye-catching colors, sure to please even the pickiest of color lovers. This bike is easy to put together, with most parts coming pre-assembled. One mom tester remarked, “I know nothing about bikes and was worried about assembly, but the Royalbaby was easy to build.”
This bike is one of the heavier options in the group, so it might not be the first choice for smaller riders. Our tot testers felt the Dynacraft Duzy Customs was lighter and more manageable during testing, and smaller riders tended to choose it over the Royalbaby. That said, a three-year-old tester managed to transition from a balance bike to this option without missing a beat. One parent tester said, “My son picked it up, hopped on, and took off with no problems.” The print of the user manual is oddly tiny, making reading the setup instructions harder than they need to be. Overall, we love this sturdy, well-constructed bike, and the experience tells us it will last for years, making the Royalbaby's slightly higher price worth the cost of admission.
The RoyalBaby has a lot of features that allow kids to grow with the bike and the quality means it will last longer than it will fit them so it is ready to pass on to another happy biker.
If you're looking to reminisce about the 50s, then the JOYSTAR Vintage is the first pedal bike for your child. This white and tan bike has visible under-seat springs and a front basket that will have you seeing peddle pushers and poodle skirts. Our little testers loved the basket, with one parent tester remarking, “I think my daughter likes the basket more than the bike; it's full of stuffed animals and flowers.” This JOYSTAR includes training wheels, faux leather grips, and spoked wheels.
This bike is one of the heaviest in the review, and the quality is only so-so. The Dynacraft Duzy Customs is lightweight, and we liked it better overall, though it doesn't have a basket, which seems to be a big draw for little ones. The weld points on the Vintage have visible holes, and some parts are rough around the edges. This light-colored bike was scuffed easily during our test period, and we suspect the basket won't stay attached very long. Our tester said, “I wish the quality was better; it will likely last until your kid outgrows it, but it's a shame it won't look good for long.” Overall, we think there are better bikes to be had, but if you can't resist the nostalgic feel (or want a basket for treasures), this bike works well and will likely last as long as your child is the right size to ride it.
The Schwinn Koen is a steel frame bike with a parent-holding handle on the seat. It comes in various wheel sizes for children of different heights and has training wheels if your little one needs them. This bike has hand and coaster brakes, so kids can switch or get more comfortable with a hand brake commonly found on more grown-up bikes. One tester said, “I'm glad my son has the option between brake styles; he was scared to try the handbrake in the beginning.”
The bike we purchased had a loose seat, and no tightening solved the problem, leading to some seat shifting. It also has stiff pedals and wheels that prevent free-flowing rotation. This friction might cause more concern in an adult bike, but it could still be taxing for little ones to push harder all the time to gain forward momentum. Our tester said, “I sort of thought a bike with Schwinn in the name would be better overall.” The RoyalBaby Freestyle Bike feels like better quality, and we didn't have the same kinds of issues with construction problems. Overall, the Koen is a nice-looking bike and feels well-constructed. However, the loose seat and hard-to-push pedals mean it may not be the best choice for everyone.
The stiff pedals and wheels made the Koen harder to use for little ones during testing.
The JOYSTAR Totem is a straightforward first pedal bike for kids with many accessories compared to the competition. This less expensive bike includes stickers for naming your bike, a bell for alerting others you're on the path, training wheels, and reflectors. This JOYSTAR is available in multiple sizes and has metal spoke wheels. Our tester said, “The JOYSTAR is a basic bike for a reasonable price and useful accessories.”
The Totem is heavier than much of the competition and lacks the quality level we saw in some of the other contenders. It has an unfinished, cheaper feel with holes in the weld points and rough edges on some parts. This quality concern aside, we think this option will get your little one from A to B without a hiccup, and the lower quality doesn't seem to affect the functionality. If they want a basket for carrying important items, the JOYSTAR Vintage is a similar bike with a nostalgic feel and basket. However, there are better bikes than either the Vintage or Totem to be had with similar price tags. Our tester says, “Neither JOYSTAR bike is a standout, and we think there are better options available.”
The Totem comes with a parent handle on the back of the seat to help steady uncertain little ones.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
We bought and tested all the pedal bikes hands-on and side-by-side with real kids to find the best options in the bunch.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
How We Test Pedal Bikes
We researched over 30 potential contenders for this review. With an eye for ease of assembly and ease of use for little ones, we tried to find various options for little ones of all ages, from their first pedal bike and beyond. We purchased each bike for testing and compared them side-by-side with the competition for ease of assembly, features, quality, and more to help you make happy buying decisions. We conducted over 10 individual tests to determine our rank and winners and had little ones use the bikes to get their feedback and input for scoring.
The Huffy is a fan favorite and fun for most children.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Why Trust GearLab
Our pedal bike review is led by Bob Wofford, Senior Review Analyst, and father of 7. Bob spends a lot of time outdoors and on his bike commuting to work when the weather permits in the great mountains of Colorado. Bob has led our other bike-related reviews and has assembled almost every product through the BabyGearLab doors over the last eight years. The team also includes Wendy Schmitz, Senior Review Editor and mother of 2 bike-riding friends. Wendy reviewed and assessed Bob's testing results to help determine bike ranking and award winners. Abriah Wofford joins the team with assembly and testing analysis for this update. Abriah has been with BabyGearLab since 2015.
The seat height on the Diamondback is only adjustable with a tool.
The RoyalBaby isn't hard to assemble, but it does have more parts than some of the competition.
Analysis and Test Results
We purchased and tested some of the best kids' pedal bikes on the market to find the right option for every need and budget. We built these bikes and used them by kids in real life to determine metric ranks and award winners.
The Joystar Vintage has a lot of parts and took 18:27 to assemble.
The Totem took about 15:30 minutes to assemble.
The instructions for Koen weren't as clear as they could be with different instructions depending on washer type but the details fail to tell you which can be found on the bike we purchased.
Assembly
Each option requires some effort in assembly. Depending on your know-how or assembly savvy, this process can be anxiety-inducing or barely impact your buying decision. We respect that not all parents want to assemble a bike; this is where our experience putting these bikes together can come in handy. Consider this metric closely if you're worried about putting a bike together.
The Huffy comes with quick connect parts and is simple to assemble taking just under 6 minutes in our tests.
The Diamondback comes with the tools you need for assembly and is relatively simple with much of the hard work already done.
The quickest assembly time is about eight and a half minutes for the Huffy Moto. This bike has what the company calls quick-connect parts, and they are right. The instructions are only average, and they miss a step where you need to remove a plastic part included for shipping, but it quickly becomes apparent it can't work with the plastic in place. Putting on the training wheels is a tool-free operation that can be useful if you need to add or remove them while biking.
The Duzy Custom needed a little modifying in the brake line department to work.
The Tomy has some of the most complicated instructions, so we set it aside and went by instinct instead.
We acknowledge that we know a thing or two about assembly, but it still feels like something most parents can handle. The hardest to assemble is the Duzy Custom. The Duzy is a little intense for a kids' bike, and we had to adjust the brake cable length on the front brakes to make it work. The front tire is the most challenging part because you must take the brakes apart to get the tire to fit between them. We also had trouble with one of the handlebar bolts stripping while hand tightening.
The Huffy comes with a number plate, rubber handgrips, handbrake and more.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Features and Quality
Many of the bikes come with additional features. Few features impact overall performance or a child's ability to use the bike, but they appeal to kids on different levels. All come with training wheels; some are even tool-free to add to the bicycle. The unique features, like the Huffy Moto number plate and rubber grips or folding pedals, set each bike apart.
The Vintage comes with a basket on the front for carrying all your treasures.
The Vintage comes with visible springs under the seat, but these springs are largely for looks and don't provide any flex.
Other standouts include the Joystar Vintage, with the seat springs and front basket. Both look cool, but the springs are for looks only, and the basket may not last long in its front placement before falling or being taken off.
The rack on the back of the Tomy made it a big hit with our little testers.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The RoyalBaby FreeStyle includes training wheels, reflectors, a water bottle holder, an alert bell, a chain cover, and a parent handle on the back of the seat. Whew! What doesn't it have?
The Duzy comes with a handbrake, roller handlebar pad and more to personalize your ride.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Some bikes like the Duzy, RoyalBaby, and Huffy have handbrakes and coaster-style brakes, which can help prep kids for more grown-up bikes. Some might find it hard to switch between coaster and hand brakes, and this gives the opportunity to use coaster if they forget about the hand. The Totem comes with a handlebar alert bell, naming stickers, and reflectors. It also features a parent handle on the back.
The Freestyle has a cool and useful water bottle holder to ensure adequate hydration on longer rides.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Don't be fooled into thinking accessories make a product better or higher quality. Unfortunately, in this review, it seems to mean the opposite. Both Joystar bikes have multiple accessories, but they are also the lowest-quality options compared to the competition. While their quality issues (in our opinion) are unlikely to impact everyday use, we suspect parents might find them disappointing, given their prices. Though we certainly understand the appeal of a basket and all the fun carrying treasures can hold. The RoyalBaby and the Huffy are the group's highest-quality options, with the Duzy coming next.
Bad Weather?
When the weather is bad, consider sitting down with a children's books.
Your child's size should influence what size bike you buy.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
How to Pick the Best First Pedal Bike
A first or new bike can be a landmark moment and a core memory for most kids. Finding a great one can help keep faces smiling and legs pumping daily, ride after ride.
Child Size
The first consideration is how tall your child is. Bikes come in different sizes, and you need to take your child's height into consideration, as it can impact how easy the bike is to ride. Many kids like the feeling of easily being able to put a foot on the ground without tipping the bike. Others might not mind a little tippy toe or tilting of the bike. You want to ensure the bike is large enough to avoid knees hitting the handlebars but not so large as to prevent easy ground touching.
Not all bikes are right for all kids, even if they are excited by them and want to ride.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Special Features
Some of the bikes have special features that might be great additions for some kids or a feature that is never used. Some kids will be excited by training wheels, while others will never need them. Some kids will love a basket for carrying treasures, while others want a more bare-bones option to drop and go from without worrying about hurting a basket or bell.
Finding a great pedal bike will have you enjoying adventures with your child sooner than you think.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
Finding the right pedal bike for your child can help increase their skills and participation in the great outdoors with friends and family. Learning to ride a pedal bicycle is a time-honored tradition and includes developing essential skills and increasing valuable time being active. Many children remember their first bike for years, creating fun memories. These considerations could make finding the perfect first bike somewhat daunting. We think there is a bike for almost every child in this lineup of impressive competitors, and our test results can help you find the best kids' pedal bike for your child so you can enjoy new adventures together.
