How to Choose a Scooter for a Child – Buying Guide

Kick scooters are an excellent way to develop “physical confidence” in a child. Besides preparing for learning bicycle riding, scooters serve a great deal to make outdoor activities fun for your kids. However, choosing a scooter for a kid could become more complicated than we imagine.

When you have made the decision and want to select a kick scooter for your child, keep in mind:

• The age of your child (e.g., three-wheelers for 3-5 years old child).
• The expected terrain conditions.
• Safety aspects ( gear: helmet, knee protection).
• Select a type of kick-scooter that suits the activity type – as many different materials are used, each with their unique specifications and durability).
• Price range vs. quality.

Engaging children in physical activities does not have to be complicated. Picking the right kick scooter for your child will do the trick and is a great way to get them engaged with more physical activities while they enjoy the ride. So, gear up for a detailed discussion about your kids’ kick scooter and its complete buying guide.

Kids Scooter Buying Guide

If you live in a city area and wish your school-going kid to use the kick scooter for transportation, you might want to choose a kick scooter for your child that is easily foldable, smooth, and well balanced.

Furthermore, when you are selecting your kids’ kick scooter, you should consider the need.

For instance, if your kids want it as a “toy,” you do not need to look out for various options. If your kids want to commute to their school on that kick scooter, your selection criteria for buying a kick scooter for your kid will change accordingly.

Summers for children are all about fun, freedom, and kick-scooters. Many parents want their kids to display their motor ability/skills and have their children play outside, so kick scooters are a fun way of combining exercise with learning. Let’s kick off the buying guide of kick scooters for kids.

Different Types of Kids Scooters

Choosing the right kick scooter for your children is made easier with this buyer’s guide. Once you apprehend the various types, features, and abilities, you can make a better decision. For instance, if you send your kid(s) to a skate park for recreation, you should choose a kids’ kick scooter that is “made for skate parks.”

Skate parks

A skate park is a park or recreational ground with a safe environment full of concrete ramps especially developed for skating activities such as BMX sports, inline skating, and scooters. The concept, first coined in 1965, was known as Tucson’s Surf City. Presently, Vancouver Plaza and Lincoln Park are some of the best skate parks around the world. To quote an example, Razor Beast Sports Pro Scooter is one of the most suitable types of kids’ kick scooters for a skate park.

The scooters that are suitable to be used in skate parks are more purpose-built than typical kick scooters. Thus, choosing a kick scooter depends a lot on whether your child is interested in skate parks or not.

Trick Scooters

Trick scooters, commonly known as stunt scooters, are perfect for outdoor recreation. It has metal cores in the wheels (typical kick scooters have plastic ones).

These scooters are not only limited to skate parks but for an outdoor stunt display. A Trick-Scooter allows the rider to perform a wide variety of tricks on and off the concrete ramps. These types of kick scooters are strongly built and light in weight. “Albott Pro Scooters Stunt Scooter” is an example of a good quality trick scooter.

These cool Trick Scooters are all about the following tricks:

• Hopping with both wheels in the air
• Reverse riding in a backward direction
• Front wheeling – riding on the back wheel of the trick scooter

Therefore, if you are a fan of stunts, trick scooters should be your choice.

Scooters for street

When kids use their kick scooter in the streets, they should be safe and not endangering any bystanders. Kids use kick scooters to have fun in the parks or streets alike. After all, besides being a fun toy, a kick scooter is also a mode of transportation.

When selecting a kick scooter for your kids, you need to consider that they will be riding on pavements and unstable surfaces and don’t want them to fall and hurt themselves or others. For more stability, you can buy kick scooters with bigger wheels, like a HUDORA 230 Big Wheel Kick Scooter.

4-Wheelers

As the name suggests, this scooter has four wheels that help a child balance their ride. It supports lightweight kids only, and it is a perfect device for preschoolers.

If your child has recently learned how to walk, you should choose a 4-wheeler kick scooter for your child. A crucial thing to keep in mind is that the kick scooter needs to be compatible with your child’s age bracket.

A Swiss company produced the Wetzer Stick board, a four-wheeled kick scooter, about 20 years ago. The most significant thing about choosing the right kick scooter for your kids is finding a mix between safety and fun. A four-wheeler can give you that.

3-Wheelers

A three-wheel scooter is also considered to be safe for kids. For that reason, many parents choose this balanced ride for their toddlers. Starting from a four-wheeler and gently graduating to a three-wheeler is the way to go.

Mini Original 3-Wheeled kids’ scooter by Micro Kickboard, for example, is an excellent choice for a kid. There are the following types of 3-wheelers that you should know about:

Kickboards

Because of a huge resemblance with skateboards, this kids’ kick scooter allows your child to have more control over their body. When their bodyweight tilts, the kickboard will turn in that direction.

Triders

Here is another useful type of kick scooter that is fruitful for balancing out with both feet’ help. This kick scooter has two distinct platforms for resting your feet while riding. A child can tilt their bodyweight on either deck to move around freely.

Seat and Parent Handle

If you are a cautious parent (well, who isn’t?), you’d like this three-wheeler that comes with parental control – It has a handle, which you can grab onto when needed.

This kids’ kick scooter also has a seat where your toddler can sit while you can steer him or her. A three-wheeler with these features is particularly useful when you are out shopping or walking with your kid.

Kick Scooter Parts & Quality

Kick Scooters come with all kinds of lighting and colors; however, it is crucial to understand the scooter’s parts and their quality before choosing a suitable, safe kick scooter for your child. We will discuss the parts and the materials to know what to look for when you go out shopping for a kick scooter.

These are the main components of a kick scooter.

Handlebar

Undoubtedly, when your kid is riding a kick scooter, their solo flight is all-dependent on that handlebar. One wrong move could cause an accident; therefore, the handlebar of that kick scooter should be height adjustable, convenient, and anti-slip.

Since this bar is your kids’ kick scooter’s primary control, choosing a suitable kick scooter for your kid would heavily rely upon the handlebar. Nonetheless, you should consider the following minute details to analyze and compare various features.

Height Adjustable

You should pick a kick scooter with a height adjustability option of the handlebar for two main reasons:

• The kick scooter will be used for more than a year (kids’ height increases rapidly in early childhood years, and the adjustable handlebar would be convenient).
• It makes it safer for your kid if the handlebar is adjustable to your kids’ chest height.

The ideal height of a kick scooter handlebar is at chest level. If it is any higher, it will obstruct the vision of your child while scooting around. Conversely, if it were any lower, there would be a risk of trembling over it. Thus, the adjustability option is quite crucial when purchasing a kick scooter for your child.

Comfort

The idea of a kick scooter is to make transportation easy for your kids. This idea is fueled by convenience. For that reason, it should have comfortable pads on both sides of the handle.

Slippery or non-slippery

Anti-slip is a requirement for handlebars of all kids’ scooters. The anti-slip coating comes in handy when your kid is riding on rough terrains or at an increased speed.

Deck

The deck is a platform for resting your feet while riding the kick scooter—specifications of the deck change with every new model. Therefore, first, you ought to define the usage of your kids’ kick scooters. If you need a stable ride, you should choose a wider deck option, so on and so forth.

We will discuss various specifications of foot decks. Also, how it will influence your decision to choose a kick scooter for your child.

Deck Size

The width of a deck should not be so small that it becomes dangerous. Therefore, you should always choose a kick scooter model with an appropriately sized foot deck.

Deck Length

You would refer to a 16-inch long deck as a short foot deck. This length is more adaptable and maneuverable. Pick a length that suits your child’s needs while orientating for a kick scooter for your children.

Deck Comfort

Although the deck surface is not smooth (at all), deck comfort has an alternate meaning. For instance, if the deck surface were smooth, the rider would keep on slipping. Therefore, adequate deck comfort should be taken into account for selecting a kick scooter with “anti-slip stickers” or “rubberized tabs.”

Deck Weight

If the deck weight is too heavy, it increases the risk of injury when your kid falls.

Wheels

When you are looking to buy a kick scooter for your kid, the following three things must be considered:

Wheel Size

A kick scooter’s choice largely depends on wheel size, and it is based on your preference. For example, straight roads and rough terrains both would need different wheel sizes. Here is a more in-depth view:

Even surfaces: If your child only rides on even surfaces, you should choose a kick scooter with small wheels.

Pits & Humps on the road: It is crucial to consider the minor obstacles your kid would be facing when riding on a kick scooter. Therefore, you should choose a kick scooter with large wheels.

Stability: If you want extra stability for your children when riding a kick scooter, you should choose widely spread rear wheels.

Need for Speed: If your kid plans to ride the scooter at a faster speed, you should choose wheels with close positioning against each other.

Quality of the Wheels

When you select a kick scooter for your kid, the strength and durability of the wheel are what you are relying on. For that reason, the quality has to be reliable. Although the wheels’ quality is a technical point, it should not be confused with expensive or inexpensive wheels.

A tip for checking the wheel quality would be to look at the production date. Recent production dates would ensure durability for an extended period. Hence, the quality of the wheel should be the determinant of your kick scooter purchase.

Construction of the Wheel

Here, we will discuss different types of riders and the wheel’s construction best suited to their conditions.

Slow Riders: If you decide on a kick scooter for your child and you mean your kid to ride it at a slower pace, plastic wheels are a good option, as these wheels do not have a massive shock-absorbing feature.

Older Kids: When your kid is growing, there would be some bumps along the way – and I mean it literally. Rubber wheels or Polyurethane wheels are equipped to absorb a small bump, which lets your kid drive at a faster speed.

Cheaper Option: Rubber wheels have lower prices as compared to PU wheels. Although rubber wheels require pumping air in them regularly, they have a significantly lower price tag. If you have a budget, opting for this cheaper option (without compromising on quality) is a suitable decision for your kid’s kick scooter.

Plastic Wheels: One should only opt for plastic wheels if you intend to buy a kick scooter for a toddler. Kick scooters for very young children should have rubber or polyurethane wheels instead of plastic wheels.

Bearings

The wheels of a kick scooter take most of the beatings from the footpaths and tough tiles. If you want your child’s kick scooter to last for at least a few years, it is crucial to keep the bearings in top-notch condition.

The wheel of a kick scooter consists of two components, i.e., two bearings and one spacer. If the bearing quality is not up to the mark, you should choose another kick scooter model.

Brakes

I remember riding a kick scooter with no brakes. I mean, when I meant to stop, I had to force my shoes against the ground to pull over. That was years ago; nowadays, kick scooters come with a brake.

Therefore, you should choose a kick scooter for a child based on the quality of brakes – trust me, you don’t want to buy another pair of shoes every time your kid pulls a “manual brake.”

The Presence of Brakes

Most models come with brakes, either foot breaks or handbrakes. Still, it is crucial for your child’s safety that the brakes are present and working on the kick scooter.

Foot Brakes

Foot breaks are more suitable for beginners. You don’t want your kid pulling a sudden handbrake and falling over. Therefore, if your kid is very young or a beginner (new to the scooting arena), please choose a kick scooter with foot brakes.

Handbrakes

Once your child has learned how to ride a kick scooter, you should choose one with handbrakes. For a trained rider of the kick scooters, handbrakes are more convenient than foot brakes.

Other Parts (optional)

Kickstand

When your kids keep on stopping, and the scooter keeps falling, it is a good idea to choose a kick scooter with a kickstand. It will save the body and suspension of the scooty.

Suspension

The suspension could be added through modification or also built-in. If your kid likes a bumpy ride, it is better to get an added suspension.

Foldable

It gives you convenience while traveling or storing the kick scooter at home when your kids’ kick scooters are foldable. It does not have to have an automatic folding button. You could fold the kick scooter with a matter of loosening a screw without the risk of losing small parts of the scooter.

Materials of the body

Furthermore, knowing which material is used and whether it fits your child’s needs is significant for selecting a kick scooter. Materials are essential to stabilizing the scooter and making it a reliable one for your kids. Although wood or plastic could be cheaper, your choice should not depend on the price factor but your children’s actual needs.

We have listed various materials that fit best in varying situations.

Metal Body

If your kick scooter is made of metal, like steel, titanium, or aluminum, it will be durable. Although the body will be heavier than the plastic body, it will not deteriorate as quickly as the plastic counterpart does.

Made of Plastic

Plastic frames are always lighter in weight than steel or other materials. Thus, selecting a lightweight kick scooter relies heavily upon purchasing a kick scooter with a plastic body.

Summary (Buying Guide)

1. The wheel size should be according to the speed requirement, and wheel material (Rubber or Plastic) should be selected based on the age factor.
2. The handlebar should have the adjustability options for an extended period and your kids’ safety.
3. Foot decks should match the weight of your children. The foot deck should not be too heavy to increase injury chances.
4. Foot brakes or hand brakes depend on the training of your kid. It will aid in a smoother ride if your child knows using a handbrake.
5. Knowing each part’s function and evaluating it based on your children’s needs is the purpose of this buying guide.
6. Cheaper products (unfamiliar brands) should be scrutinized against the quality benchmark set in this article.

Kick Scooter Sizing & Age

There are three kick scooter sizes (small, medium, large), and they are appropriate for the relative ages (very young, young, older kids).

Small:

• (100mm to 125mm)
• Very young kids cannot easily drag the large size; therefore, a small-sized kick scooter is profoundly accurate for more youthful kids below five years of age.

Medium:

• (145mm to 180mm)
• The medium size is a perfect fit without heavyweight and more comfortable for a young kid to ride it. It is best suited to young kids of 5-8 years of age.

Large:

• (200mm to 205mm)
• The front tire could be as large as 230mm. However, it is most suitable for older kids (8+ years).

To summarize, you should pick a suitable kick scooter according to the child’s age to be safe for them to ride.

Kick scooters for 3 to 4-year-old kids

When your kid is very young (3-5 years), you should opt for a three-wheeler (detailed discussion on 3-wheelers at the start of the article). Moreover, if your child does not know how to ride a bicycle, it is best to start with a 3-wheeler kick scooter.

An easily foldable Globber Elite Prime Kick Scooter supports up to 50kg weight. A small sized scooter of 125mm is the best buy for 3+ year children for $109.99.

Kick scooters for 5-6-year-old kids

The age from five to six years is when your kids just want to kick a scooter and go. Thus, the choice you make regarding a kick scooter purchase must be carefully thought-out.

This is the age where your kids can ride a 2-wheeler like a pro (or at least they like to think so). You still want the kick scooter to be fun for the kids, as children of this age bracket are not too serious about scooting.

Micro Sprite Kick Scooter is an excellent option for five to six-year-olds. You can choose exciting colors based on your child’s preference. The price of this smooth-gliding kick scooter is $99.99.

Kick scooters for 7-9-year-old kids

For the scooting enthusiasts of seven to nine years of age, all they want is to do tricks and gain speed while showing off their kick scooters to their friends. RISE 110 ELITE SCOOTER is a freestyle kick scooter that is compatible with the age bracket of 7-9-year-old kids. This is a sturdy ride at $109.99.

Kick scooters for 10-12-year-old kids

You have various options for 10+ kids. One could opt for an electric scooter, caster, off-road scooter, or a trick scooter (pro scooter). VOKUL SAGA Pro Scooter ($129.00) is a good freestyle scooter for ten to twelve-year-old kids.

When choosing a kick scooter for your 10-12-year-old kids, you should bear in mind the height of the kick scooter. Preferably, it should be extendable to match the height and size of your child.

Protective Gear & Safety

We highly recommend the helmet to be an essential part of protective gear that a kid needs to wear while riding a scooter. After all, safety comes first.

When it comes to scooting, protective gear for your child is essential and should include the following:

• Helmet
• Kneepad
• Elbow Pieces
• Wrist Gloves
• Closed Shoes

You should ensure the following two things for the safety of your kid:

• Carefully assemble the kick scooter with no screws hanging out (reading the instruction manual shall help).
• Train your kid appropriately (how to use the brakes, balance the body weight, fasten their helmet, how to fall, etc.).

JBM Skateboard Helmet is an excellent option for an impact-resistant helmet for your kids’ kick scooter. ($18.99 – $26.96)

Made famous by pros like Tony Hawk, Triple 8’s helmet “the certified sweat saver” starts from $59.99. This helmet comes in different sizes, and it is very comfortable with the sweat saver fabric used inside the helmet.

Another good brand for helmets is “Pro-Tec.” Their matte helmet (Price: $64.99) is a classic, good-quality helmet for the kids to put their scooting heads into.

Benefits of Scooters

Let us conclude the discussion with a list of kick scooter’s benefits.

• A child with disabilities like Autism and Balance-Problems can learn to ride a kick scooter better than a bicycle.
• Even if you or your child do not know how to ride a bike, a kick scooter could be a lot easier for you or your child.
• Riding a kick scooter is a fun outdoor activity for anyone, young and old(er).
• Riding a kick scooter burns more calories than cycling or walking, so it keeps your child (or yourself) fit.
• A kick scooter supports an active lifestyle; your child can maneuver the kick scooter anytime they like and commute to their school or friends.
• A kick scooter is a lot cheaper compared to bicycles.
• A kick scooter can help with back pain; also, it aids the posture.
• 4-wheeler kick scooters can be used by a kid who just learned how to walk.
• Kick scooters are also used for power training by young athletes.