good but cheap balance bike for DD?

[♥ms.pacman♥]

so DD (2.75) is starting to show some interest in DS's balance bike (he has a Chicco Red bullet). I was going to just let them both share it (espsince we plan to give DS a "real" pedal bike for his birthday in couple weeks), but after trying it out today, the seat is a tad too high for her comfort, and there's no way i want to deal with adjusting the seat back and forth. Plus, I think that at least for a little while they'd probably want to both be on balance bikes at the same time

Anyway, the issue is, i do not want to spend a lot of $$ here. I bought DS's Chicco one for $30 at Costco a couple years back. It's been great and I would totally buy an identical one, but doesn't look like Costco sells it anymore, and it's $45 on Amazon. So am wondering if there any other suggestions? Should I try for a used one?

Someone on a local FB garage sale site is selling the Prince Lionheart one (wooden), which seemed to get decent reviews on Amazon, for $50 obo, and i was going to try to talk them down to $40 but then i read couple reviews that said the seat does not have big range of adjustability, esp for shorter kids. I just measured DD's inseam and it's about 12-13", and many reviewers said it's only adjustable for 14"-16" so may not be good for littler kids. Also, not clear on why wood is better than the metal frame for these, and if it is worth the price (DS seemed to get along fine with metal frame).

[twowhat?]

Do your kids know how to pedal and do you have a trike? I wonder if that would be a better investment - they could both use the trike on the same setting since the seat position is more forgivable and the trike teaches pedaling. My girls had both balance bikes and trikes and I think having both made a big difference. When they moved to real bikes, it was just a matter of putting the balancing along with the pedaling and the transition was AMAZINGLY easy!! Anyway if you get one trike, they could share it, and then once your DS moves to a real bike your DD could have the balance bike.

eta: Oh and I just listed our balance bikes on CL but prices aren't cheap - the only other Strider I saw listed was $75!!! And I listed ours at $50. But - you can get a cheap trike much more easily (I looked cuz I listed our trikes too) - I saw Radio Flyers for $30ish!

[maestramommy]

At 2.5 I would just go for a trike. We had one that was a housewarming gift. The kids would start on that, then they would move to a teeny Huffy dirtbike and Dh found at the dump store for $5. He put a new chain on it, but took the pedals off and turned it into a balance bike. When the kid got older/bigger he put the pedals back on and they actually learned to ride a two wheeler on it. A couple of years later he found a Princess bike that was more or less the same size, but kept the pedals on, and said that was the newbigger bike. Then as DD1 got taller he got bigger princess bike. These were all finds at the dumpstore, costing $20 or less. DD1 is now asking for a specifically accessorized bike, and we have told her when she starts riding her bike more often (like more than a few times a month) we'll get her one.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Do your kids know how to pedal and do you have a trike? I wonder if that would be a better investment - they could both use the trike on the same setting since the seat position is more forgivable and the trike teaches pedaling. My girls had both balance bikes and trikes and I think having both made a big difference. When they moved to real bikes, it was just a matter of putting the balancing along with the pedaling and the transition was AMAZINGLY easy!! Anyway if you get one trike, they could share it, and then once your DS moves to a real bike your DD could have the balance bike.

eta: Oh and I just listed our balance bikes on CL but prices aren't cheap - the only other Strider I saw listed was $75!!! And I listed ours at $50. But - you can get a cheap trike much more easily (I looked cuz I listed our trikes too) - I saw Radio Flyers for $30ish!

DS knows how to pedal but DD does not. We actually do have a trike but DD has no interest in pedaling it and just asks us to push her on it. DS never uses it and prefers his balance bike. I think she sees DS going fast on his balance bike and wants to do what he does. I think right now she'd be more amenable to using a balance bike to learn balance and go fast bc that's what big brother does

And i guess when i meant cheap, i meant under $50 or so for a new one or used/2nd hand high-end one..I don't want to spend $90+ on a new Strider or Skuut or whatever. I have seen a couple of wooden balance bikes (Smart Gear, Prince Lionheart) going for $40-$50 on FB sites, and i'm just wondering if that's better than spending $45 on a *new* metal-framed Chicco one (not a wooden, "high end" one but we have one and know it works for us). Or if anybody knows of good deals like Chicco @ Costco one

[twowhat?]

DS knows how to pedal but DD does not. We actually do have a trike but DD has no interest in pedaling it and just asks us to push her on it. DS never uses it and prefers his balance bike. I think she sees DS going fast on his balance bike and wants to do what he does. I think right now she'd be more amenable to using a balance bike to learn balance and go fast bc that's what big brother does

And i guess when i meant cheap, i meant under $50 or so for a high-end (albeit used) one..I don't want to spend $90+ on a new Strider or Skuut or whatever. I have seen a couple of wooden balance bikes (Smart Gear, Prince Lionheart) going for $40-$50 on FB sites, and i'm just wondering if that's better than spending $45 on a brand new metal-framed Chicco one (not as "high end" or popular one but we have one and know it works).

So TRU has the radio flyer balance bike for $50 which is much better than Amazon and it gets good reviews. That's not bad for a new balance bike but not sure about resale value. Have you checked Costco online?

[okinawama]

Two of my friends kids have wooden balance bikes ( not sure of brand) and they are much heavier and taller than our strider. The kids always choose the strider ( or a similar looking/build) that some of the other kids have.

[tigs4999]

We have the Prince Lionheart and it is great but the adjustments are limited, it works perfectly for our 4.5 year old but it is too tall for our 3 year old. We ended up getting her the weeride from walmart for $30. It looks like a clown bike since it is so tiny but works. She just turned 3 and is now getting the hang of it and loves it. We prefer the wood bike to this metal one and she will probably never use the handbrake but it works and the price was what we wanted to spend to get her started.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thanks everyone. Costco online doesn't have balance bikes and that is good to know about the Prince Lionheart one, as that is what i feared based on some reviews...DD is not even 3 so i think i'll pass on the FB one that is up now. Interesting about the wooden ones being heavier..i guess that's a downside since i'm sure that would make it less likely for my dd to want to use it. They seem very popular though.

anyway i am leaning on towards getting another Chicco balance bike, just so they are the same.

[candaceb]

We have the Radio Flyer and I'm disappointed. The tires are plastic and the seat does not adjust very low.

[crl]

Get the one on amazon. Same as ds' so no fighting over which one. And delivered to your door.

Catherine