Prodigy4299

I am researching which balance bike to get for the summer for our toddler. I am down to pretty much two models, where the difference comes down to weight and the type of tire.

The Vitus Nippy is an amazingly light 2.7 kg. My understanding is that for small toddlers, bike weight is key. However, the bike has EVA tires.

The other model is a Xeed Walky 12, which has air tires, but weighs in at 4.48 kg, almost 40% heavier. I assume that this is largely due to the fact that the bike has proper air tires, metal wheels, etc.

Appreciate any thoughts you guys and gals may have on the choice above.

bigdreams

Not sure this will help but here goes: my son when a toddler was given a Stryder balance bike . He never took to it. When he turned 6 years old I got him a lightweight Beinn 20 Islabike with gears and everything. I removed the pedals. That was his balance bike. In 2 riding sessions ( about 2 hours total riding time) he was ready for pedals. Within 4 riding sessions he's shifting gears. He balance is reasonable.. it's not easy using index shifters for a 6 yr old. He loves his bike that looks just like mine (referring to gears). Stryder balance bike still unused. Maybe my second little one will take to it when old enough . My take away was balance bikes are nice to have, but pretty much unnecessary. Got a lot more use out of an iBert (child bike seat that rides on top of front wheel). My son loved that.

Nightdiver

Well, just because your kid didn't respond to a balance bike doesn't mean that other kids don't absolutely love them from the time they're tall enough to use one. For 2 year olds, there aren't really many (any?) good options of chained bikes that you could strip down to create a balance bike.

OP, either bike could be fine. Much depends on how old and strong your kid is, what sort of terrain you'll be on, etc. Proper air tires are nice, but not necessarily better than foam tires. My kids were on bikes with both sorts, and the foam tires performed much better than I was led to believe. The bike weight is pretty important. Kids have to pick them up and put them down, pull them up over curbs/steps/doorways/etc, and I've found that there is a lot less complaining when they can manage the bike easily.

I'd say just go for the lightest, cheapest, but still safe balance bike as the first bike you purchase. Once your kid(s) get more into it, you can upgrade as they outgrow the bike.

Recommend THIS LINK for reading up on the pros/cons of different features.

Prodigy4299

Thanks for the helpful replies. I ended up getting the Vitus Nippy, so prioritizing weight over air tires. The universally positive user reviews and agreeable price helped nudge me that way. Will report back on how it goes.