Rank: | Photo: | Model: | Rating: | More Info: |
#1 |  | BEST OVERALL Besrey 5-in-1 | ||
#2 |  | SmartTrike Breeze | ||
#3 |  | XJD 3-in-1 | ||
#4 |  | Newyoo 5-in-1 | ||
#5 |  | VGJT 3-in-1 |
The best toddler tricycle will be a ton of fun, safe, and durable. Your little one will put it through its paces, and you want to make sure it lasts.
We’ve compiled a list of the absolute best toddler tricycles on the market to help you save money, and get a tricycle that’s actually worth your time and money.
In this best toddler tricycle review, we’re going to cover everything that you need to know about buying the perfect tricycle for your little one so they can have the most fun possible while also learning how to ride. Let’s take a look.
Best Toddler Tricycle – Reviews & Buying guide for 2022
Best Overall: Besrey 5-in-1
The best tricycle for small toddlers is the Besrey for a few reasons. First and foremost, it’s a functional 5-in-1 design that actually gives your child room to grow. There are far too many tricycles out there that don’t make the conversion easy, which is why Besrey stood out to us right away.
As the best tricycle for short toddlers, it comes with a low, adjustable seat for comfort that can be repositioned on the fly. One aspect of toddler tricycles that you’ll see is the solid wheel design, which makes it less dangerous and means the wheels can’t get jammed up as easily.
This is common among tricycles, and Besrey’s solid form wheels are as good as they get.
Our favorite aspect of this 5-in-1 design is how easy it is to manage the balance bike conversion. Balance bikes are overtaking training wheels for early childhood development, and Besrey’s design is right on the money. Additionally, they also have a completely no-edge design with a highly durable alloy steel frame for safety.
However nothing is perfect, and Besrey went with a straight handlebar design that gives a little less control to the rider. Curved handlebars give more positioning power, and the handlebar here is a little bit short as well, making it difficult to get the right rotation while riding.
The only other grievance is that the jet-black color shows scratches and scuffs easily. The pedals have a great distance from the wheel, and the bowing on the frame means that potential accidents won’t be as bad, plus it aids in stability by keeping it low to the ground.
Overall, Besrey simply made a cost-effective, highly durable tricycle that your toddler is sure to love all the way through its balance bike stages.
Specs
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Weight: 7.27 lbs
- Age Range: 10M up to 4Y
Pros
- The 5-in-1 design makes this entirely adjustable to your toddler’s current age
- No-edge design for absolute safety
- Ultra-durable alloy steel frame construction
Cons
- No curvature to the handlebar; can be difficult for little ones to reach and steer
- Scratches and damage show up very easily
Runner-Up: SmartTrike Breeze
Is safety on the top of your priority list for your little one? SmartTrike understands a thing or two about that, which is why they included an excellent seat on this tricycle that aids your toddler while riding.
Even if you want to push a bit faster to get them laughing or excited, you can do that without worrying about a crash or spill. As the best toddler tricycle with a push handle, you get full access to the mobility that your little one needs while they’re learning the ropes.
With an excellent length handle that offers you total control, you can guide them to anywhere that they’re trying to go while keeping them safe. Everything about the tricycle was designed with parents’ concerns in mind.
Speaking of parents’ concerns, perhaps the best part about buying the tricycle in the first place is the fact that you don’t have to assemble anything. In fact, you’re not only saving time with that, but it also eliminates the human error involved.
They’re assembling it with their rigorous stands in mind, so you don’t have to worry about whether or not you assembled something properly.
The only major issue is that while the handlebar is nice, it could stand to be a little longer to accommodate parents. You’ll find yourself leaning down a bit and putting pressure on your neck, so be sure to be ready for playtime when you start using this.
While it’s minor, the only other grievance would be that the front wheel is exceptionally loud when you start riding and getting speed. You’ll be able to hear it on the concrete or pavement when you’re strolling along.
Overall, SMartTrike did a great job of making a tricycle with pedals and with foot rests for when you’re taking control with the handle, and it’s entirely aesthetically pleasing to toddlers as well, which will make them want to ride on it even more.
They also have additional styles that don’t cost you a penny extra, so you can find one that your toddler is truly going to love no matter what.
Specs
- Material: Metal
- Weight: 16.5 lbs
- Age Range: 15M+
Pros
- Absolutely no assembly is required
- Comfortable seat for long rides
- Guardrail seat doesn’t restrict the child’s movements and steering
Cons
- Handlebar length could be longer to accommodate parents
- Front-wheel gets extremely loud during riding
Alternative: XJD 3-in-1
Any push tricycle toddler needs to take the parent into consideration, and XJD actually did that to excellent effect. We were surprised that this 3-in-1 beat a 5-in-1 that’s on our list a bit later on, but they just did such a phenomenal job that you can’t help but stop and stare.
First and foremost, they skipped spoke wheel designs by giving you a solid wheel construction. This is extremely helpful for stability as your toddler learns to ride on their own, but also works great for long-term durability.
It’s also a safety feature. Your child can’t accidentally jam their feet into something that isn’t there, so XJD has said goodbye to the spoke design and we couldn’t be happier about it.
Additionally, the handlebar turns 180 degrees, and while that feature is nice, there’s something you should know about it: it’s a straight handle design. While that may not be a big deal for most toddlers, some will struggle with it.
These handlebars tend to be a bit more twitchy, so when your toddler begins to steer on their own, it can move and maneuver faster than your child intended. There’s a reason why a lot of tricycles have curved handlebar designs. While we’re talking about design, we have to put attention on the pedals.
These pedals work excellently for toddlers, but as your child ages they might find it harder to pedal consistently. As their leg muscles grow and become more powerful, the pedals become a little harder to use properly.
Just know that they’ll age out of this and you’ll have to turn it into a balance bike before long. Their balance bike transformation mode is top-tier and really assists your child in learning how to gain their own balance while riding.
Thanks to the soft PC leather seat, your child will be comfortable from start to finish any time they use this. Adults will find that the long handlebar is exceptionally helpful in preventing back and neck pain while helping their little ones ride down the road as well.
While the age range ends around the 2-year mark for XJD’s tricycle, smaller toddlers will be able to get some use out of this into about 3.5 years. With a carbon steel frame and rubberized material where it counts, it’s a solid pick that won’t set you back that much.
Specs
- Material: Carbon Steel
- Weight: 10.6 lbs
- Age Range: 10M – 3Y
Pros
- The handlebar rotates up to 180 degrees to rider comfort and control
- The soft PU leather seat is adjustable
- The steering handle for adults extends up to 37.6”
Cons
- Straight handle can make steering difficult
- Pedals can be tough to use for children on the higher end of the age range
Alternative: Newyoo 5-in-1
The best toddler tricycle 2-year-olds love just happens to be the one that parents love as well. You know why?
Because nobody loves back pain, and having a longer handle provided by Newyoo is absolutely imperative to actually have fun while helping your little one learn how to ride their tricycle. Newyoo comes in with some other features that help your child learn on their own as well.
First and foremost, they have wide wheels to help with stability. When your toddler rides on their own, the wheels help them balance without the assistance of training wheels, so they’re less likely to jostle around.
Since tricycles already have stabilization due to the back wheels, some users find this a bit redundant. All it’s doing is helping your children balance that front wheel without losing control, resulting in fewer injuries from the handlebar twisting and messing them up.
The trike is lightweight, but beyond it being easy to push and control, it’s also sturdy. With an aluminum alloy steel design, it’s able to withstand whatever you throw at it, or however rough your toddler ends up being with it.
On that note, it’s a good time to mention that it’s a completely no-edge design. Little ones fall and they tumble, and cuts happen, but Newyoo has basically upended the possibility of that happening.
The steel design is smooth to the touch and has no sharp or angled areas on any part of the tricycle. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. This design and durability come with a price, and it’s, unfortunately, higher than any other price on this list.
That being said, you’re getting an amazing level of quality for the money spent. It’s just not common to see Newyoo post-sales or perform price cuts on their tricycles, so it’s not really worth waiting for the price to change or anything along those lines.
The only other downside to the tricycle itself is that the pedals are a bit off. Similar to our XJD review a moment ago, these pedals don’t scale properly as your toddler grows up so they might run into some issues if they aren’t ready to progress to another one of the 5-in-1 designs.
Speaking of which, we would say that Newyoo did a phenomenal job of making the balance bike design in their 5-in-1 combination.
Newyoo made an expensive but amazing tricycle for toddlers, and it could very well be the only one that you ever need to buy even if you plan on having more children down the line. It’s an investment, not a purchase.
Specs
- Material: Aluminum Alloy Steel
- Weight: 8.82 lbs
- Age Range: 1Y – 3Y
Pros
- Fantastic length handle for adults to push
- Wide back wheel distance for stabilization
- No-edge design with an adjustable handle is safe and contours to the rider
Cons
- Odd design of the pedals can make it take longer for some toddlers to get used to
- Higher price point with infrequently price cuts/sales
Alternative: VGJT 3-in-1
We set out to find the best tricycle for toddlers to use, and we believe that we’ve found that. If some of these just don’t hit home with you though, VGJT has an excellent alternative, albeit with a few picadillos that we’ll get into in just a moment.
It’s heavy and made of alloy steel for durability, so you’ll be able to put this through its paces without having to worry about it breaking.
The curved handlebar helps your little one steer on their own instead of having a straight handle design, so they can actually feel the way the wheel turns with a less twitchy steering mechanism.
However, the handlebars have a black rubber on them that comes off on your hands from extended use or pressure. If you had a cheaper bicycle when you were a kid, you know exactly what we’re talking about.
Your little one will likely have to wash their hands after each use because of how the material comes off.
However, there is an amazingly comfortable seat that won’t harm your little one while you’re riding. It handles vibrations well, so going over asphalt and dirt should bother them too much.
The comfort of the seat is partially due to the way that the back wheels are stabilized. Because of the distance between them, the tricycle feels more stable while riding, and that translates to less harsh vibrations running through it during use.
The spokes on the wheels are traditional, which are sometimes a safety concern. Your little one can get their feet stuck in these if you aren’t careful, so you want to be sure that you’re always watching out for where they’re putting their feet while riding. It’s unlikely, but still something you need to keep in mind for the sake of safety.
Just like with many of these 3-in-1 hybrids, we have to give kudos for the way they designed the balance bike transformation.
Overall the other two designs are intuitive and help with the different stages of your toddler’s growth, so you won’t have to worry about them being too small for their tricycle as they age up.
The age range is up to four years, although smaller toddlers might still be able to get some use as they reach about 4.5 years old.
Specs
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Weight: 9.9 lbs
- Age Range: 2Y – 4Y
Pros
- Curved handlebar assists with better control
- Wide back wheel gap for stabilization
- Large, comfortable seat is entirely adjustable
Cons
- Traditionals spoke design makes it easier to jam/get dirty
- Handlebar rubber leaves black marks on hands
Toddler Tricycle FAQ
Can a 2-Year-Old Pedal a Tricycle?
Yes, your toddler will have enough muscle power and stamina to ride a tricycle. Typically, children aren’t able to upgrade to two-wheels until ages 5-7, ideally being on the latter end of that range.
Part of it is balancing, so a two-year-old learning how to pedal on a tricycle actually primes them for easier, faster balance skills on a two-wheel when they get older.
Keep in mind that your two-year-old might get frustrated until they learn how to properly pedal on their own, but it doesn’t mean they’re incapable of doing so.
Do Toddlers Need Helmets for Tricycles?
Absolutely! Not only are they still learning (meaning they haven’t learned how to fall yet), but tricycles aren’t typically used in areas with soft grass.
They’re designed to be used on asphalt or pavement, and even though it’s a fall from a short height without much speed involved, their cranium is still fusing together.
Your skull doesn’t fully fuse until around age 20, just to give you some perspective of how important head protection is especially at younger ages. It doesn’t take a lot of force in a sensitive area of your child’s head to cause serious harm.
How Does a Tricycle Help With Child Development?
There are three main ways that a tricycle can help with child development.
- Hand-Eye Coordination: They coordinate the turns they make with their hands with what they see, creating better reaction time.
- Balancing: Sometimes kids are clumsy, and it’s usually because they’re off-balance. Riding on a tricycle can help them realize how they should balance. It translates beyond the tricycle.
- Muscle Exercise: It takes a lot of muscle groups to make those legs work, as well as core muscles when you lean to propel the tricycle forward. This is good exercise for them and keeps them healthy.
How Do I Teach My Child to Pedal Forward?
This is where tricycles can come in handy. It’s hard enough to balance with a bicycle for kids as it is, but when you factor in that they have no balance, it makes it infinitely more difficult.
A tricycle helps them develop the leg muscles required to pedal forward, but you still have to light the way for them.
This is how you teach them how to pedal forward on their new tricycle:
- Bike Trainer: Bike trainers are separate entities from tricycles for kids, but they can help them muster up the skills required to pedal forward. This is something you can practice with your little one each day if you think it will help. If they have a lot of enthusiasm for trying the tricycle, have them do a little bit of this, and then our second recommendation.
- Assisted Pedaling: They’re looking for a bit of a rush when they push on the pedals, so do what you can to provide that to them. Put your hand over their foot and help them push the pedals, but don’t do it all for them. Tell them to push, and assist them in doing so, so they can see their hard work paying off exactly as they want. They’ll develop their leg muscles before long, and the positive reinforcement will help.
- Positive Reinforcement: Just let it happen; they’re going to struggle and have a hard time, but it could motivate them further. Just make sure that you tell them that you’re proud of them even when they’re just trying but with no success. They need that positivity to keep going, so make sure you give it to them.
What Size Helmet Does a 2-Year-Old Need?
Head circumference changes as kids get older. Newborns have a 13 ¼” head circumference, but by the time you reach adulthood, it’s an average of 22 ½”. It can be hard to find the right helmet in-between stages.
Toddlers around the age of two and three typically have a head circumference of 18” to 18 ¾”. By the age of 3-5 it only increases to around 20”, but that small change is still 5%+, so you’ll want to be sure that you fit the helmet around that age. Go with an adjustable helmet to maximize your investment in their safety.
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