How To Determine Bike Size For Child

So your kid needs a new bike. But you're wondering… what size bike does my child need? Bike size is the style that bike manufacturers classify their kids wheel sizes, but it'due south Non the only factor! It's non even the most important factor!

Bikes with the same bike size can vary drastically in overall size.As a event, your kid may fit on a 16-inch bike with one brand, but a 20-inch bike with some other. There are fifty-fifty bike brands that offer pocket-sized and large bikes within the same wheel size.

The historic period of a child is also typically not a good indicator of size. One 5-year-sometime may fit on a 16-inch bicycle while a four-yr-sometime may fit on a 20-inch bike! So what's the all-time way to make up one's mind a kids cycle size? With our unproblematic tricks, finding the perfect size cycle for your kid is quick and piece of cake.

kids bike sizes image showing all sizes of kids bikes next to each other, starting at 12 and going to 24

Kids Bike Sizes Nautical chart

When selecting a kids cycle, a child's inseam and their height should both be taken into consideration in order to get the best plumbing fixtures bike. Click on wheels size to see our top picks for each size bicycle.

Wheel Size	Historic period	Inseam	Superlative
12″	two – 3 years	15″ – 18″	36 – 39″
14″	2 – 4 years	15″ – xx″	37 – 44″
16″	4 – half-dozen years	16″ – 22″	41 – 48″
twenty″	5 – 8 years	19″ – 25″	45 – 54″
24″	8 – 11 years	23″ – 28″	49″ – 59″
26″	x + years	25″ +	56″ +

Visual learner? Hither is a video walkthrough of our complete kids bike sizes guide. From measuring your child'due south inseam to how to properly set the seat height on the bike, this 6-minute video volition quickly answer all your questions.

Kids Bike Sizes: Four Steps to Finding the Right Size

Using yourchild's inseam in relation to the bike's seat height is the best and most accurate mode to ensure a perfect bike fit. The frame and the wheel size work together to determine the seat height of a bike.

5 year old standing next to her bike. Arrows indicating inseam measurement and bike seat height measurement to help find correct kid bike size

And so by selecting a bike based on seat peak, versus age, wheel, or frame size, you can ensure a neat bike fit for your child fifty-fifty if they've never had a chance to try out the wheel earlier you buy information technology! This not simply makes riding much easier, but all the experts agree a adept bike fit is necessary for safety too!

Hither are the four simple steps y'all'll need to follow to finding a kids bike that'southward the perfect size.

Graphics showing the four steps to finding a bike that's a perfect fit for your kid

(1) Measure Your Kid's Inseam

While most bike manufacturers base their sizing on your child's age or top, nosotros always recommend using inseam instead. It'due south much more than accurate!

Graphics showing the steps for measuring a child's inseam for the right bike size

(two) Narrow Down Bicycle Size Based on Inseam

Using your child's inseam, find the one or two bike cycle size categories they fall into. In full general, as long as your child's inseam is appropriate for the bike, it's ameliorate to buy a larger wheel size. Larger wheels accept more than stability and allow more room for growth.

For example, our v-year-onetime shown higher up has an inseam 19.5″ inches. Based on the wheel size chart below, she could fit on THREE different size bikes! The larger wheels of the 16″ and twenty″ however, will be much better for her equally she grows. The next step will help determine which of these two sizes is best.

Kids Bike Sizes Chart showing sizing by wheel size, age, inseam, and height — Kids Bike Size Chart – Inseam Measurement is Key!

(3) Find the Perfect Seat Height (Using Child's Inseam and Riding Ability)

Now that y'all know what size(s) bike is likely best for your child, it's time to have your child's riding ability into consideration. Why? The proper fit of a bike is based on the seat top of the bike as compared to the child'south inseam. The seat height of a wheel, however, should be set up differently based on if your child is a beginner, is experienced, or is using preparation wheels.

The seat height is the distance from the ground to the top of the seat and will help you narrow down your options even farther and guarantee a great fit from day one!

Beginning Riders (1st Bike After a Balance Bicycle or Training Wheels)

5 year old rider with feet flat on ground showing the perfect kids bike size for beginning riders

A starting time rider (including remainder bike graduates) should be able to sit down on the bike's seat and accept their feet flat on the ground. At this stage, it'south essential for a child to exist able to easily finish their wheel using their feet. Every bit a issue, their bike's seat height should be set equal to their child's inseam.

In the image in a higher place, our five-year-one-time tester is on a 16 inch cycle with the seat height set to nineteen.5″ to match her inseam. If she were a commencement passenger, this bike would be a perfect size bike for her.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a kid'southward first pedal bike should exist set at the aforementioned pinnacle as the child's inseam.

Experienced Riders – 2nd Pedal Bike (and Across!)

5 year old sitting on her bike with her feet touching the ground on her tip toes showing the correct kid bike size for experienced riders

An experienced rider, who knows how to comfortably start and finish a bike as well equally use either a hand brake or a foot brake, should exist able to sit on the bicycle's saddle and have their tip toes touch the basis. This means that the seat should be gear up 2 to 4 inches Above the child'due south inseam. Raising the seat allows for proper leg extension while pedaling, which maximizes the efficiency of each pedal stroke.

If our 5-year-old tester was an experienced passenger, this 20 inch bike with the seat height set to 22.5″ (3 inches above her inseam) would exist a perfect fit.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a confident pedaler tin can be ready 2 – 4" in a higher place their inseam.

Beginner Bicycle with Preparation Wheels

5 year old rider sitting on her bike with her feet touching the ground on her tip toes showing the perfect kids bike size for beginning riders

For those who plan on using preparation wheels, feet apartment or tiptoes both work, depending on the confidence of your kid. Considering the child doesn't take to balance the wheel or worry about falling over every bit much, just fix the seat according to what is virtually comfortable for them.

This typically means that the seat should be set 0 to 3 inches above the child'southward inseam. For timid kids, setting the seat lower and then they touching with their feet apartment is ofttimes preferred.

With more aggressive riders, setting the seat higher allows for greater pedal efficiency so they can passenger faster, but he cautious not to set the seat also high, as many kids on training wheels still instinctively terminate the cycle with their feet.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a wheel with training wheels should be set up 0 – 3" higher up the child's inseam.

Balance Bike

If y'all happen to exist looking for a residuum cycle, be sure to check out our balance wheel sizing guide. For a quick reference though, the seat of a balance bike should be set 0.five″ to 1.5″ below a kid'due south inseam.

While seated on a residue cycle with their anxiety flat on the ground, a kid's knees should be slightly bent (in an athletic stance). The slight knee curve allows them to efficiently run on the bike.

SIZING TIP: The seat of a balance bicycle should be set 0.5 – 1.five" below the child'south inseam.

(4) Buy for Current Fit and Growth

At present that you know the desired seat height for your kid'south wheel, you tin can begin shopping for your bike! Ideally, you'll find a wheel that has a minimum seat pinnacle that'southward every bit shut to (but without going over) the seat height y'all determined in step 3.

This allows the bike to fit perfectly now, simply too offers the most room for growth so you don't accept to buy some other bike too soon!

Here's an example using the bikes we merely saw and our 5-year-old tester. Each of the post-obit bikes are a great fit for a child her size, merely which i is all-time depends on the kid'southward experience and riding ability.

Pello Revo 16″ (bike shown in the Beginning Riders department) has a minimum seat height of nineteen.five"
woom 4 20″ (bike shown in the Experienced Riders section) has a minimum seat height of 22".
Schwinn 16" (bike shown in the training wheels section) with a minimum seat height of 21".

If our v-year-erstwhile tester is a beginning rider, the Pello Revo is a perfect fit because its minimum seat height matches her inseam and allows her to sit with her feet flat on the basis.

If she is experienced, the woom 4 is a much better pick. With its minimum seat height fix two.5" inches higher up her inseam, she can sit on the saddle and reach the ground with her tip toes. And information technology offers plenty of room for her to grow!

Lastly, if she is using grooming wheels, the Schwinn 16 is a great option for her if she is an average or confident rider. With a minimum seat height set 1.5″ above her inseam, she tin comfortably reach the ground with depression tip toes.

When selecting your child's bike be certain to narrow down several options so that other factors such every bit price, weight, restriction type and fifty-fifty color preference tin likewise be taken into consideration.

And then where do I notice the best bikes and their seat heights?

Part of the reason that kids wheel sizes are confusing is that in that location are no cycle sizing "standards". While the CPSC has rules regarding near everything else about a cycle, in that location are no rules about kids bikes sizes.

To make matters more disruptive, virtually bike companies don't publish the seat heights of their bikes! Not to worry, nosotros've got yous covered! We've measured the seat heights of over 50 different bikes for you!

You can find seat heights on our comparison charts for each size bikes:

12 and fourteen inch Bikes Comparison Chart
16 inch bikes Comparison Chart
20 inch Bikes Comparison Chart
24 inch Bikes Comparison Chart
26 and 27.five inch Bikes Comparison Chart

Other Kids Biking Resources

Guardian Bikes RideSizer: Enter in your child age and height and Guardian'south proprietary tool will tell you which size bike is best for them.

woom Bikes Size Finder: Take out all of the gauge work of buying the right size woom bike with their bike finder tool.

For additional data on kid bike sizes and what other features you should expect for when shopping for a bicycle, check out our article Best Kids Bikes: The Administrative Buying Guide.

For young kids that have never ridden a bike, a balance bike is likely a meliorate option for them. Check out Why a Balance Wheel Should be the First Bicycle for Your Toddler.