Children’s Scooters Buying Guide
Children’s scooters continue to enjoy great popularity. Even before many children learn to ride a bike, best scooters for children they stand on the children’s scooter. Some children are already on a scooter for the first time at the age of two and with the help of training wheels almost no problem. A good starting age is about three years, although the recommendation cannot take into account the child’s level of development.
In any case, children’s scooters are a sensible purchase for young families. Because the small scooters promote the motor skills of the child, in learning the sense of balance and the coordination of movements. In addition, they are great fun, as the little ones can move around independently with the toy.
The security factor
For the basic equipment, each child should only ride with a children’s helmet equipped with a scooter. Even if the risk of injury can be classified as acceptable overall, at least one helmet should be purchased. In addition, knee and elbow pads, back protectors, and gloves can provide additional safety when riding children’s scooters.
Since children on the scooter are already very close to the ground and stand upright, the risk of a fall is lower than with a bicycle. If the child loses control of his scooter, a safe jumping-off is often still possible. A real fall or the dreaded “over the handlebars” occurs much less frequently.
Find the best children’s scooter
Choosing the best children’s scooter is tricky. Numerous considerations often play a role in the decision-making process. In addition to children’s scooter test reports and reviews, the sellers in the specialist trade also have an opinion on what the best children’s scooter actually represents.
A recommendation that is also always gladly used by young parents is the experiences and tests of Stiftung Warentest. However, these have had about 16 years ago last time children’s scooters in the test. The test winner at the time, Hudora Bigwheel, is still commercially available and has been adapted over the years. Overall and still a recommendable Aluminum scooter.
In the children’s scooter test, the following criteria were tested and evaluated:
Price
Drive
Handling
Safety
Durability
There were devaluations in the overall grade if there were deficiencies in safety and durability and workmanship. The entire children’s scooter test can be read here. If you want to be on the safe side, you can simply use this model*.
Construction of the children’s scooter
No matter which model you choose later, the structure of the children’s scooter is always the same. It consists of at least two wheels, a running board, a fork, and a handlebar.
Most scooters are made of aluminum, as the material is equally sturdy and lightweight. The small sports equipment is offered in all imaginable colors, from blue to pink, from black to white, and red to yellow. The design is similar, as the structure of the devices is always the same and kept quite simple.
The principle of locomotion is very simple: With one leg, the child stands on the running board, holds the handlebar tightly enclosed with both hands, and pushes himself off the ground with the other foot.
What should be considered when buying a children’s scooter?
The decisive purchase criteria can already be derived from the test of Stiftung Warentest. Durability and safety at a fair price with easy handling and a good driving experience.
The longevity depends strongly on the components and materials used as well as the quality of workmanship. Rust and sharp edges have lost nothing on a children’s scooter. For a smooth driving experience, it is important that the installed rollers and ball bearings are of high quality and do not have to be replaced after just one season.
For a classic children’s scooter, about 50 € to 130 € are incurred. The former children’s scooter test winner of Stiftung Warentest is somewhere in the price range between 70 and 90 € and therefore in the lower third. The most expensive scooter is therefore not necessarily the best children’s scooter.
When handling, care must be taken to ensure that the preferred model also fits the size and abilities of the child. An unsafe child may prefer a model with three or four wheels. It is also important that the handlebar is not set too high.
In general, the handlebars of the scooter should be height-adjustable, even if it is only a few centimeters! SO the scooter can grow with the child for a while and does not have to be replaced by a larger model after a short time.
Even a look at the weight can’t hurt. Aluminum and plastic are particularly light, but the latter is not particularly durable.
Know the differences!
It is worth taking a closer look at the selection. Some scooters are almost as massive as wheels. They are heavy and often have air-filled tires. Other models, on the other hand, are collapsible and lightweight. This saves space and makes them easy to transport even for the children. In terms of handling, however, the large tires filled with air initially have their advantages, because they give the scooter a better driving experience and iron out small bumps.
When buying, you should also rely on brand manufacturers. Companies like Hudora, Puky, Kettler, Smoby, or Mondo are successful precisely because they produce products that pass the test. Manufacturers would jeopardize this good reputation with bad products and lose the trust of parents. Therefore, brand manufacturers in particular pay attention to consistent and verifiable quality.
- Safety comes first when buying a scooter
- Durability is created by high-quality components
- Sharp edges have lost nothing on the children’s scooter
- At the beginning, if necessary, use a model with three or four tires (increases safety)
- Height-adjustable handlebar so you can adapt the model to the rapid growth
- Air-filled tires offer more comfort than pneumatic tires
- Collapsible scooters are often lighter and in any case more space-saving
- Brands create trust through reliable products
A separate consideration and significant differences can be made in the selection of tires. They are the contact between the ground and sports equipment and they have important properties and functions. Here are the main differences.
Where are children allowed to ride their scooters?
Children’s scooters, like strollers, do not belong to the category of vehicles and may be used on the sidewalk according to the highway code. The use of a cycle path is not permitted.
Driving with children’s scooters is allowed in play streets, but adults should supervise the goings-on and familiarize the child with the traffic rules. Better to use one word too much than one too little. Basically, children can cruise far away from roads and bike paths almost anywhere with the scooter.
First scooter then bicycle
The children’s scooter has been proven to promote motor skills and also prepare children for cycling. So before buying a children’s bike, you can use a scooter to teach your child how to keep their balance and at the same time provide the drive with your legs while steering with your arms and hands. Children’s scooters are extremely maneuverable and just as cool as bicycles.
The motor skills required for steering and braking are also already trained in this way. The ideal preparation for cycling.
Nevertheless, you can see small children on a bicycle zigzagging along the sidewalk. Here, the feeling of balance and coordination is simply missing. And this is simply dangerous and irresponsible on busy roads. Better the children practice with scooter or balance bike and thus prepare for cycling. An equally tried and tested device is the balance bike for the first exercises.
First children’s scooters or balance bike
Then up on the children’s bike
The right age
Many parents and grandparents wonder when is the best age to switch to the children’s scooters. The manufacturers and suppliers already provide valuable information in the product descriptions from which age the respective model is suitable. However, these indications are to be understood as rough guidelines, since both the growth and the motor skills per child are individually pronounced.
Children’s scooters from 1.5 years
For the smallest of the little ones, there are scooters with four wheels. Here, special emphasis is placed on stability and safety, as the motor skills are not yet very pronounced. These scooters stand on their own and do not fall over if the toddler is careless or distracted.
Children’s scooters from 2 years / from 3 years
For toddlers with very good motor skills, a scooter with three wheels can be used from the age of two. By the age of three at the latest, however, most adolescents are able to move around on a scooter with three wheels. Whether you opt for a model with two wheels at the front and one wheel at the rear or vice versa is ultimately a matter of taste.
Conduct a children’s scooter test before buying
Buying on the Internet is very easy, but you have no opportunity to test the favorite model yourself in advance. It is quite advantageous if the child has the chance in advance to carry out a children’s scooter test himself. The adults should check with a critical eye whether the selected model meets their own criteria.
The following points can be checked well:
Fits the age recommendation
Is the handlebar grippy and height-adjustable
Are the rollers between 10 and 14 inches in size
Does the scooter have brakes or a handbrake
If a mudguard is available
Tread: Both feet fit on the running board
Weight: Can the child carry the scooter himself and move it effortlessly
If necessary, a carrying strap is included in the scope of delivery
If necessary, a carrying strap is available to better transport the device
If you want to buy the scooter on the Internet, cheap electric scooters you may not have the opportunity to test the children’s scooter beforehand. Before buying, you can only orient yourself on the experiences and test reports of others. However, purchases made on the Internet offer a legally regulated right of return. If the scooter then does not meet your own requirements or if gross defects come into play, you simply send the goods back within the specified period.
A children’s scooter comparison can also be carried out on the basis of the experience and test reports on the net.