As a first-time mom, I have to confess I fell for a few overhyped baby gadgets that ended up being...underwhelming (to put it politely).
With almost three years of motherhood under my belt now, I’m a lot more discerning. That’s why, despite all the social media hype surrounding the Guardian Balance Bike (not to mention praise from trusty outlets like Wirecutter) I resisted the “add to cart” instinct for a while.
However, when I heard from one of my mom friends that her kid learned to ride in just one day using the Guardian Balance Bike, I had to get one for my son, Henry.
After spending a few weeks watching him use the Guardian Balance Bike, here are my honest thoughts:
Ease of Setup
I am somewhat IKEA-challenged, so the thought of putting together a bike that my child will be riding on the street was a bit of a scary thought. I breathed a sigh of relief, however, when I saw that the Guardian Balance Bike came almost fully assembled.
There was only one step (maybe two if you include adjusting the seat height) to set the bike up after taking everything out of the box, and that was to attach the handlebars with the included allen key—which took me a grand total of 3 minutes.
Sizing and Proportions
The first thing I noticed after we assembled the bike was that it was designed differently from other kid’s bikes I’d seen, which mostly just look like smaller versions of adult bikes.
I learned on Guardian’s website that a lot of mass-market bikes are super heavy, up to 75% of a child’s weight, and not designed with kids in mind. Guardian Bikes are designed with kids’ proportions in mind—and we saw the difference right away.
Because the handle grips are smaller and the bike has a lower center of gravity (plus a lower step-over height), my kid was able to get on and off easily, which gave him a lot of confidence.
If you’re not sure what size bike is best for your child, I recommend using Guardian’s RideSizer Quiz on their website, which helped us determine the perfect size bike for Henry, based on his height, riding experience, and confidence level.
The Talked-About Braking System
I remember falling off my bike as a kid because I couldn’t fit my hands around the brake levers. Looking back on this, I think these little spills definitely put me off bike riding for a while.
Guardian clearly had this in mind. All of their bikes include a patented dynamic braking system designed specifically for kids called SureStop®, which relies on a smaller, single-lever hand brake to safely stop both wheels.
SureStop® even adapts to the terrain kids are riding on to safely bring them to a stop faster than traditional braking systems on kids’ bikes, which means less likelihood of them going over the handlebars.
Right away, my son had no problem wrapping his head (and hands!) around this easy-to-use braking system, which—again—went a long way towards building confidence as he learned his way around on two wheels.
Built Quality and Construction
We all know kids can be rough on things. Unfortunately, it’s been my experience that a lot of kids' gear can't quite hold up to, well…kids.
As he was learning to stay upright on the Guardian Balance Bike, Henry definitely put it through the wringer and—despite how lightweight the aluminum frame is—I’m impressed with how well his Guardian bike has held up.
Despite being tossed around and dropped on the sidewalk over and over, his Guardian Balance Bike is still as sturdy as the day we got it. This thing will probably last another kid or two (or five).
My Verdict
I’m glad to say that, when it comes to the Guardian Balance Bike, I have not been the victim of overhype. Still, if any of Guardian’s bikes don’t work out for your kids, they offer a generous 365-day return policy. They simply ask you to donate your bike to a local charity, provide proof of donation, and will refund or exchange your current bike with no questions asked.
Guardian will also cover repairs and replacement parts for the first year under their warranty—though I don’t think you’ll need to use it!
When it comes to high-quality, safe, and effective bikes for kids learning to ride, Guardian has earned this mom’s seal of approval.
