Thursday, December 21, 2017

Top 5 Best Bike Seats for Preschoolers | 2017 Reviews

Top 5 Best Bike Seats for Preschoolers | 2017 Reviews

Bringing your kids along your adventures is a great form of family bonding. If you love cruising in your bike, for example, you should use it not just as a form of exercise and recreation for you but also as a way to bond with your kid and to let them join in your hobbies.

When it comes to biking, it is recommended for parents to only start placing their kids in bike seats when they are already old enough to sit upright and support their neck muscles. You will have to remember that young kids are required to wear bike helmets in most places so they should be able to handle that already.

But, as fun as biking may be, there will come a time when your kids will start to outgrow (or eventually outgrow) their toddler bike seats. Parents usually prefer having their kids in front mounted bike seats to make sure that they see their kiddos at all times but that might no longer be possible as your little passenger starts growing taller and heavier.

For one, their height might give you a hard time seeing the road ahead or you might not be able to reach the handlebars properly or pedal without your knees bumping into them. Of course, having a lot of weight in the handlebars could also be an issue and many parents find it difficult to navigate the bike when that happens.

Thus, if you prefer to still have your kid riding with you in your bike and would like to ensure that you are both safe and comfortable, we suggest transitioning into a rear mounted child bike seat. These types of bike seats are often designed for taller and heavier children, especially around the preschool age and even beyond. Investing in these types of seats also give you an assurance that they will last longer with you as they usually have a few more years of use ahead of them.

So, are you now convinced about shifting into rear mounted seat for your kid?​ You may also check our comprehensive Best Bike Seats for Kids Buying Guide.

If you are but need a few recommendations, here are the top 5 best bike seats for preschoolers that we would love for you to try out. You can check out our reviews below to see if any of these products make a great fit for you and your little one.

Quick Comparison Table

Bobike Junior Rear Child Seat

Hamax Caress Child Bike Seat

Bellelli Pepe Standard Fit Baby Carrier

Yepp - GMG Maxi Bicycle Child Seat

Peg Perego Orion Front Mount Child Seat

Bobike Junior Rear Child Seat
Hamax Caress Child Bike Seat
Bellelli Pepe Standard Fit Baby Carrier
Yepp - GMG Maxi Bicycle Child Seat
Peg Perego Orion Front Mount Child Seat

$$$

$$$

$$$

$$$

$$$

11.3 pounds

Not stated

7 pounds

10 pound

7.35 pounds

Rear, Seat tube and seat stays

Rear, Seat tube

Rear, Seat tube

Rear, Seat tube

Front

Bobike Junior Rear Child Seat

Bobike Junior Rear Child Seat

Let’s all admit it. While we definitely want our kids to remain as kids, they do not always think the same thing. In fact, your preschooler might want to change a few things around the house and make sure that these arrangements treat them as adults or, at least, bigger children.

The Bobike Junior Rear Child Seat is the perfect way to turn your child into mini adults during bike rides. Many parents will probably wonder why we are placing this at the top spot but, as we are considering bike seats that are suited for preschool-aged children, we believe that this perfectly fits the bill.

This bike child seat is best for parents who already trust their kiddos enough to let them stay behind the bike without a lot of protection, harnesses or buckles. In fact, the most that this seat could provide to your kid is a waist strap that does not really keep your kids as safe as you are probably thinking.

This preschooler bike seat is basically just a platform that can be used to sit on but with additional spoke guards to make sure that their feet does not get caught on the bike’s rear wheel. Kids will love that this seat treats them like big people where they can get on and off easily (yes, even by themselves) without having to take off a lot of straps and belts. Plus, this can accommodate a weight of up to 77 pounds (usually around 10 years old) so they can cruise around with you if they feel tired of walking or biking by themselves.

Another feature we love about this is that if the seat is not in use, it can be folded flat and used to carry luggage so it does not always have to look like you are driving a parent’s bike all the time. For these awesome features and pluses, we put this child bike seat at the top position in our list.

Details of the Bobike Junior Rear Child Seat

Weight

11.3 pounds

Recommended Ages

5 to 10 years (77 pounds)

Mount

Rear, Seat tube and seat stays

Other Notes

Can be folded flat

Warranty

Not stated

Hamax Caress Child Bike Seat

Hamax Caress Child Bike Seat

Of course, there are still some parents who are worried for the safety of their preschoolers which is why we are putting this seat on the second spot in our list.

The Hamax Caress child bike seat can fit kids from 9 months and up to 48.5 pounds. It looks quite sturdy – it actually is – and comes with two ultra shock absorbing mount styles to fit different bike frames and rack carrier sizes. Plus, you do not have to worry about losing it while parking in the city because it also comes with an anti-theft lock.

What is really awesome about this bike seat for kids is that it comes with a recline feature which is probably not found in any other type of bike seat available in the market. In case your preschooler decides to take a nap in the middle of your ride, you can always adjust the seat by twisting the dial. Doing so will tilt the chair between 0 and 20 degrees. Neither you nor your kid will have to get out of the bike just to adjust the seat.

Another great plus about this seat is that it is compatible whether you have a rack carrier or not. The frame mount with bracket attaches directly to the bike frame and you can easily remove the seat from the bike if you wish to. You can also get an additional bracket for your second bike. Bikes with rack mounts only need the carrier adapter for easy installation.

There is nothing else negative that we can say about this child bike carrier except that it comes with a slightly higher price tag compared to the Bobike seat. This is why we are putting it on second spot.

Details of the Hamax Caress Child Bike Seat

Weight

Not stated

Recommended Ages

9 months to 48.5 pounds

Mount

Rear, Seat tube

Other Notes

Needs 3 inches on seat tube and no wires

Warranty

3 years

Bellelli Pepe Standard Fit Baby Carrier

Bellelli Pepe Standard Fit Baby Carrier

Another kid’s bike seat that you might want to consider is this Belleli Pepe rear mount bicycle carrier.

What does this seat offer to parents? Well, we certainly like that this seat is strong and sturdy enough to hold up to 50 pounds of weight. This means it can accommodate kids up to seven years old.

It has a three-point harness system which means there isn’t a lot of fuss in strapping in that preschoolers and older kids hate yet it can still assure parents that they stay safe when strapped in.

This child bicycle seat seems to be well designed in that it provides just the right amount of protection around your kid’s body without making your child feel too strapped inside it. Its backrest is also just the right height so it supports the entire back yet does not make sitting in it annoying especially with the helmet on.

Depending on your kid’s height, it might become a little difficult for you to pedal as your heels could easily touch their toes. Still, it provides quite a nice option for kids to ride along your biking adventures. It also comes with quite a competent price tag, too.

Price aside, we feel that this product is slightly inferior when compared to the Hamax Caress. For this, we will have to push this one down to the third spot.​

Details of the Bellelli Pepe Standard Fit Baby Carrier

Weight

7 pounds

Recommended Ages

9 months to 50 pounds

Mount

Rear, Seat tube

Other Notes

Needs 3 inches on seat tube

Warranty

1 year

Yepp - GMG Maxi Bicycle Child Seat

Yepp - GMG Maxi Bicycle Child Seat

Yet another child seat for bike that we would want you to consider is the Yepp GMG Maxi.

This lightweight bike seat for kids weighs just ten pounds and is ideal for parents who are a little hesitant about having additional weight on their bikes. You do not have to worry – this is made from quite a sturdy and durable material and can actually accommodate up to 48 pounds of kiddo weight.

While this bike seat can certainly live up to its expectation, there are still a few things that we would have wanted to see in it. The seat itself is made from flexible rubber foam that can absorb shock but we would have also loved it if it had more padding to add more comfort to the passenger. It does come with high insulation factor which is great when comfort related to weather is concerned.

On the other hand, not having padded seats can actually be an advantage to parents as you do not have to worry about cleaning up. Simply wipe it off or even hose it down and you are good to go. It dries off very easily as well.

Another big plus we see in this seat is that it does not require a rack to attach it to the bike. You can use the seat post adapter, which installs very easily, and then mount the bike on top. Racks tend to get quite noisy especially when they bounce on top of your rear tire but this one certainly eliminates that noise.

But, despite all the great things (and a few negative ones) that we can say about this child bicycle seat, its biggest drawback to this product is its price tag. At $230, it is nearly double the price of other bike seats that can compete alongside it.

Details of the Yepp - GMG Maxi Bicycle Child Seat

Weight

10 pound

Recommended Ages

9 months to 48 pounds

Mount

Rear, Seat tube

Other Notes

Needs 4.5 inches on seat tube; fits bike frames 21 inches or larger with frame diameter between 1.1 to 1.8 inches

Warranty

2 years

Peg Perego Orion Front Mount Child Seat

Peg Perego Orion Front Mount Child Seat

Although we have pointed out that child bike seats for older kiddos might be better off mounted on top of the rear wheel, we actually have a front mounted design in our list.

Just like most toddler and preschooler bike seats available in the market, the Peg Perego Orion Front Mount Child Seat can accommodate kids from 9 months up to 4 years (or 33 pounds) which means that you still have a few more months or even years before you decide to transition to a rear mount, toddler bike trailer or a separate junior bike.

What is great about this product is that it can be installed on nearly all types of bicycle frames mainly due to its universal mounting bracket. All you have to do is install it to the head tube of your bicycle then put on the seat using the one-click installation feature. The seat and your little passenger stay fixed so there is no longer a need to worry about falling off balance because the weight stays in the center, the way it should be.

For added safety and comfort, the Orion also has a built-in suspension system, safety straps and adjustable footrests that grow with your child.

Unfortunately, this bike seat doesn't work well to parents or bicycle driver with long legs and it won't fit to some mountain bikes. That being said, we're putting this product at the fifth spot on our list.

Details of the Peg Perego Orion Front Mount Child Seat

Weight

7.35 pounds

Recommended Ages

9 months to 4 years (33 pounds)

Mount

Front

Other Notes

Needs 0 inches to mount; wraps around frame of any size

Warranty

Not stated

Conclusion

Have you found the perfect bike child seat for you and your growing passenger? Make sure to check the specifications of each product and see if it fits your bike and if it can still accommodate your growing kid. You certainly would want to go for a product that provides safety and comfort to you and your passenger for a long period of time.

That’s it. Happy biking with your preschooler!​

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