HAPTOO Balance Bike 12'' for 3-7 Years Old, Toddler Balance Bike with Adjustable Seat and Handlebar, Best Birthday Gift for Boys and Girls

I rarely write reviews, but these bikes and company deserve it!Let's start with the customer service.We have two of the HAPTOO bikes, I originally ordered the blue/yellow one as Christmas gift for my son who is almost 2.5, but we received the pink/purple instead. I immediately ordered another thinking of a mistake, and also emailed the company to ask if there was anything I could do to ensure getting the correct color. They replied within 12 hrs, they said they did not have control over what was shipped out through Amazon, but to let them know how the second order would go and that they would definitely help us from their warehouse should we not get what we wanted.The second bike from Amazon also came in pink/purple. I contacted the company again that afternoon, not having a lot of hopes, but they really came through! Between 5pm and 11:30pm I emailed back and forth with the HAPTOO customer service, they were incredibly responsive, I certainly did not expect them to reply every 30 minutes into late hours. The bottom line of the email tread was that unfortunately they didn't have the bike we wanted in stock till next year, but they offered to ship us another bike from their stock if we liked any. So we looked, we ended up settling on the white/red one (the only other one with a brake). By the following morning we had a tracking number! The bike arrived 3 days later, sooner that expected, and it's actually very cool looking, the only thing I wish it had is a kickstand, like the one we originally wanted, but so be it! We decided to keep one of the pink/purple ones as a gift for his cousin, because she really likes purple and the little bike looks really cool for a girl.Now let's talk about the bikes.I did a lot of research about these balance bikes, I read lots of reviews, learned about structure and proportions, distance between the wheels for balance, distance between saddle and handle bars for body dynamics, etc. etc. The most famous namebrand balance bike seems to be the Strider, so I compared the structure of the HAPTOO to that of the Strider, and I didn't see much of a difference. I was uncertain about the foam wheels, but apparently the Strider also comes with foam wheels. I noticed a huge price increase for balance bikes with real bike wheels (like from $70-80 to $200+) and I wasn't sure such an investment was worth it at this stage since he won't be on the balance bike for very long, by 4 at the latest we plan on getting him a pedal one, so we have 1-1.5 years of balance biking. Furthermore, a friend assured me her son has been using the same foam wheels for several years with no issues. I would have gotten the Strider which also came recommended from the same friend, but I definitely wanted a brake. Whoever says balance bikes don't need brakes haven't seen my child on his 'scoot and ride', going down the incline of grandma's driveway and braking with his shoes. I lose 1 year of life every time I watch him! Not to mention: 1. Learning how to use a brake seems like a good life skill 2. I am tired of going through shoes like we go through bread. These bikes have a good structure compared to the name-brand, they look good and sturdy, and they have a brake (well at least the ones we got do).He hasn't used it yet, because we still have a few weeks till Santa will leave it under our tree, but I am looking forward to seeing him (and his cousin) on it, they will look very cool, and hopefully he will finally leave this trike behind to his younger brother, and move on to a more age-appropriate ride. :)So I will conclude this review by restating that we were blown away by this company's customer service; their responsiveness, helpfulness and generosity really went above and beyond my expectations. On top of that the bikes look as good as the Strider (I guess I will update after a few months of usage if they aren't), but with the added bonus of the handbrake that I hope will save me some "shoes money" in months to come. :o)Thank you HAPTOO Team.

Our 23mo LOVES this bike! So do mommy and daddy! Assembly was super easy, though one screw was missing. We used a short screw to bring the brake handle within reach of little hands (see pic). Also it looks like three colors are available, but only one shows a brake, so that's what we purchased.Daddy assembled the bike upside-down the first time. Be sure the clamp for the seat is on the bottom (see other pic), and the words on the frame are right-side-up. Doh!Maybe they changed the packaging since other reviewers commented, but there was no wheel assembly required. Do not unscrew the axles! Simply slip the pre-assembled front fork into the head tube, slip the handlebar into the fork tube and tighten the allen bolt with the included allen wrench. Same for the seat - slide it in and tighten with the included allen wrench. Boom, ready to rock! Took about five minutes from unboxing to kid on seat!Also, the foam tires are a boon, not a hindrance. This bike is not intended for long, bumpy rides. The complication of inflatable tires adds no value. Read the reviews of other balance bikes with inflatable tubes to learn what a headache they can be. As long as your dogs don't eat them, the foam tires will last for a while.A tip for parents: multi-track vehicles, like tricycles, four-wheelers and bikes with training wheels teach the child's brain to 'turn right to go right', whereas a balance bike like this one help a rider develop the muscle memory for balancing a bike. Look up 'counter steering' if you want to blow your mind. We all learned this unconsciously! Striders like this one are the best way for kids to develop the skills to ride early. I will do everything I can to keep our kid off of multi-track vehicles until he learns to balance a bike.I had a great video of our kiddo learning to lift his feet (he did this on his own - no encouragement needed!), but Amazon doesn't allow children in their reviews. Just be sure to walk in front of your child, encourage looking at you rather than at the ground, and remind them where the brake is frequently. Riding up and down gentle hills seems to provide great opportunities for 'walking' the bike, and picking up feet on the down-hills. Once they learn how to safely control their own speed they'll be super confident on this starter bike!As a former motorcycle safety coach, I started the habit of wearing a helmet NOW, and ensure they wear close-toed shoes. Open-toed shoes (or no shoes) will end up with toes dragging on pavement. Not a fun experience. We intend to keep this balance bike in good shape and pass it down to other new riders. Once they can balance, move on to a pedal bike.

The bike itself seems sturdy, but if you want a specific color, it’s not really up to you. I ordered a pink one and blue one came. I sent the blue one back to get a pink one but yet another blue one came. This time I just convinced my daughter that blue will be just fine and we can put stickers on it.

It has flat wheels that I believe helped my lil guy learn to coast better. I cut the seat post and steering stem to make it even shorter. However the seat height is not much lower then a stryder brand .Positives:Flat wheels make the coasting/balance slightly easier.It is smaller and more compact.Modified to also be slightly lower then stryder.Cons:It’s steel and a lot heavier then a stryder brand.Required seat post and steering stem to be cut to get it much lower then a stryder brand.My goal was to have a bike my 14month small child could fit while he couldn’t touch on his brothers stryder.

I got this for my Godson he is turning 2. It's a little bit big for him, he is on the smaller side. But room to grow and use the bike for a couple years if he wants to. It was very easy to assemble, I didnt use the directions much.

This was the perfect size for my very petite 2.5 year old so I was happy about that. The rest leaves much to be desired. The wheels don’t move easily - I guess that’s to help kids learn balance? The other huge design flaw is the foot rest at each side. They get in the way when she tries to ride fast. It’s very frustrating. I’m glad I didn’t spend too much on this and will be giving it away soon.