Kids bike size

Kids Bike Size Chart by Age

A guide for every age from 2 to 12: how tall kids usually are at that age, what wheel size they need and what to look for when you buy their bike.

Calculate with their height

Age is a guide, but you choose the bike by height. At 2-3, a balance bike; at 4-5, a 14- or 16-inch bike; at 6-8, a 20-inch; from 8 to 12, a 24-inch; and the tallest kids, a 26" or 27.5" in size XS. This chart matches the typical height at each age (WHO median) with our size chart, built from the charts of Woom, Decathlon, Islabikes, Trek and Frog.

Age	Typical height	Range (3rd-97th percentile)	Bike
2 years	2′10″ (86 cm)	2′7″–3′1″ (80–93 cm)	Balance	See guide
3 years	3′2″ (96 cm)	2′11″–3′5″ (88–103 cm)	Balance or 14"	See guide
4 years	3′5″ (103 cm)	3′1″–3′8″ (95–111 cm)	14" or 16"	See guide
5 years	3′7″ (110 cm)	3′4″–3′11″ (101–119 cm)	16" or 14"	See guide
6 years	3′10″ (116 cm)	3′6″–4′1″ (106–125 cm)	16" or 20"	See guide
7 years	4′0″ (121 cm)	3′8″–4′4″ (111–132 cm)	20" or 16"	See guide
8 years	4′2″ (127 cm)	3′10″–4′6″ (116–138 cm)	20" or 24"	See guide
9 years	4′4″ (133 cm)	4′0″–4′9″ (121–144 cm)	24" or 20"	See guide
10 years	4′6″ (138 cm)	4′2″–4′11″ (126–151 cm)	24" or 26"	See guide
11 years	4′9″ (144 cm)	4′4″–5′2″ (131–158 cm)	24" or 26"	See guide
12 years	4′11″ (150 cm)	4′6″–5′5″ (136–164 cm)	26" or 24"	See guide

A guide for every age

Kids bike size chart by height

Size	Height	Inseam	Approx. age
Balance bike	2′8″–3′5″ (82–105 cm)	12–18 in (30–45 cm)	2-4 years
14-inch	3′0″–3′7″ (92–110 cm)	15–19 in (38–48 cm)	3-5 years
16-inch	3′4″–3′11″ (102–120 cm)	17–22 in (44–55 cm)	4-6 years
20-inch	3′9″–4′5″ (115–135 cm)	20–24 in (50–62 cm)	6-9 years
24-inch	4′2″–4′11″ (127–150 cm)	23–28 in (58–70 cm)	8-12 years
26" or 27.5" size XS	4′7″–5′5″ (140–165 cm)	25–30 in (64–76 cm)	10-14 years

If your child is between two sizes, let the inseam decide: with the seat all the way down, they need to reach the ground with the balls of both feet. The kids bike size calculator takes that into account.

Frequently asked questions

What size bike does my child need by age?

As a rough guide: a balance bike at 2-3, a 14-inch bike at 3-4, a 16-inch at 4-6, a 20-inch at 6-9, a 24-inch at 8-12 and a 26" or 27.5" in size XS from 10-11. Height matters more than age.

Should you choose a kids bike by age or by height?

By height and inseam. At age 6, 94% of kids are between 3 ft 6 in and 4 ft 1 in tall (106-125 cm) according to the WHO: some need a 16-inch bike and others a 20-inch.

At what age can a child ride a bike without training wheels?

Starting on a balance bike, many kids get there around age 4: in a study of 2,005 families in Portugal, the average was 4.2 years, versus almost 6 for kids who started with training wheels.

A guide for every age

Kids bike size chart by height

Frequently asked questions

Sources