Review | The Toddlebike 2

In November last year, we were sent the Toddlebike 2 to review. Toddlebikes are a unique approach to getting toddlers into biking as soon as they are able to confidently walk on their own. They offer a great introduction to your standard balance bike and are recognised by cyclists as being the best first step into independent cycling, which is especially great for Toby who is very independent anyway and loves to be on the move!

When a relatively large parcel turned up, with almost no weight, I had to wonder what it was. Jo, the founder of Toddlebike, had warned me that my first impressions might be that it was very small and that the box might be empty, and she wasn’t wrong? I genuinely didn’t believe it was going to be that light!

It was practically weightless and I was concerned about how robust and sturdy it would be, especially with such a rowdy and rough toddler who likes to crash into things. But I needn’t have worried. I posted a video shortly after we got it of Toby crashing into our kitchen cupboards, and it’s absolutely fine!

The plus side of having a light toy is of course that it’s great if you go outdoors and your child decides they don’t want to walk anymore, thank you very much, you’ll barely know you’re carrying it around with you.

Lets’ take a closer look at the design;

You may have noticed, it’s effectively a “quad” bike as it’s got 4 wheels, which I think is great! It adds to the stability of the bike so that if your toddler’s balance and co-ordination isn’t quite there, they’re not going to go toppling to the side as easily as they would on a two wheeled balance bike.

The wheels also underwent a redesign from the original Toddlebike, which has made them much more slick and a lot quieter round the house, which is great because we don’t manage to get out all the time in this terrible weather we’ve been having! Although there’s nothing wrong with taking it to B&Q or the supermarket if you really need to get out!

The handlebars and seat, while they aren’t adjustable, are easy reach and centralised well, and there’s a built in “steering limiter” so they can’t over compensate when they’re turning at speed, if they manage to get going that fast of course! The only thing I would say is that Toby doesn’t really tend to sit on the seat, he tends to sit on the bar which has, so far, held his weight very well. The plastic frame is really sturdy, but also very forgiving if the need arises during a crash – it won’t snap or break easily, that’s for sure.

I’m really impressed with the surfaces that the Toddlebike can cover. Everything from grass to laminate, gravel and even carpet. It’s smooth sailing, if you like, with no clicking or dragging noises which is perfect for when Toby wants to zoom around the house. It’s completely functional and fits into daily life better than any other ride on toy I know of.

Most other ones are large, clunky, noisy and don’t really offer much in the way of developing balance and co-ordination quite like the Toddlebike. They’re usually very basic so this bridges the gap beautifully, aiding the transition in the best possible way.

As we know, all children develop at different rates so Jo reassured me that if Toby didn’t just get on and ride off into the sunset, not to worry because there is a lot of balance and co-ordination involved. Thankfully, Toby’s balance is incredible for his age, as is his co-ordination and the Toddlebike and he could’ve ridden off anyway and been absolutely fine. However, it may take some time and some practice to get them going!

Toddlebike is available in ‘Racing Red’, ‘Pinky Pink’ and ‘Midnight Blue’. They’re available on the website, or from John Lewis at a retail price of £23.95, which I think is incredible given the design, build and function . They’re totally weatherproof, and when it gets really muddy you can just hose it down and there’ll be no stains – something every mum likes to hear! All materials are CE approved and TUV certified and are manufactured in Europe, so you can be assured of the Toddlebike’s quality.

As you can see, Toby was so worn out he stopped to grab some of my cuppa!

This is going to be one of those things I will definitely be considering buying for Toby’s friends when it comes to birthdays or Christmas. I can guarantee it will stand the test of time and will probably get passed down to Teddy when he’s able to walk around, which by the looks of it won’t be very long! I can’t say enough good things about it. Yay for Toddlebike!