Best Toddler Tricycle with Push Handle | 2021 Reviews

For most kids riding a tricycle is a pretty significant right of passage. Many of us remember our first bikes. The fun we had as children riding around the neighborhood with our friends and siblings. In addition to these fond childhood memories, riding a bike helps your child’s development. Luckily, with the introduction of the toddler tricycle with push handle, you can now start your child’s exploration of bikes as early as 9 months. 

Tricycles offer a variety of benefits from improving your child’s motor skills to helping them feel more confident. We have compiled a list of the best toddler tricycles with push handles on the market. Our reviews include top features as well as a pros and cons list so you can choose the right tricycle for your family. 

If you’re in a hurry below is a snapshot of the best toddler tricycle with push handle reviews. More thorough reviews are further down in the post.

Advantages of Toddler Tricycles with Push Handles

Children need to take some risks. As parents, this can make us very anxious as we strive to keep our children safe. According to research, risky outdoor play has been associated with promoting children’s health and development. 

Finding the balance between outdoor activities that are deemed “risky” yet relatively safe can be tricky. Toddler tricycles with push handles are a great introduction into this world. Giving your child the opportunity to test their limits while still maintaining majority of control will help you, as the parent, ease into the idea of risk taking. 

Benefits of Tricycles and Toddler Development

Builds Confidence and Independence

Between the ages of 1 and 2, you may notice that your child has a stronger desire to start doing everything themselves. This new found independence is their way of exploring the world around them. 

Riding a tricycle helps build on this independence. As your child learns to pedal, steer, avoid obstacles, and mauver their trike, they will learn that they need less assistance from their parents. A tricycle with a push handle is the perfect way to allow your child to hone in on these skills while keeping you in control.  

Becoming aware of this new found independence in turn builds up their confidence. Your child will grow confident in their abilities to control their bike on their own. 

Coordination and Balance

Fine motor skills involve the movement of smaller muscle groups such as your child’s hands, fingers, and wrists. Gross motor skills encompass the movement of larger muscle groups, like arms, legs and core. Riding a tricycle helps your toddler improve both their fine and gross motor skills. 

Your child’s hand-eye coordination is practiced through combinations such as mastering steering and avoiding obstacles. Climbing up hills, riding down hills, and getting off and on the tricycle focuses on arm-leg coordination skills.   

Exercise

Children should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development. Getting outside to play is a great way to ensure this happens. When children ride their tricycles they are increasing muscle tone, flexibility, and are getting a cardiovascular workout.  

An added bonus of a tricycle with a push handle is that parents get exercise too. If your toddler is still mastering their trike riding skills chances are you are doing the majority of the steering work for them. 

Adults should do at least 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. This goal can be hard to reach as parents with a busy schedule. The toddler tricycle with push handle is a great way to reach this goal and promote physical activity in your family. 

Prepares your Child for Riding a Bike

One of the main benefits of a toddler tricycle with a push handle is the many different stages the trike can accommodate. Children mature at different rates and being able to accommodate their level of readiness is important. Having a tricycle that allows you as the parent to be in control and slowly transfer that control over to your child as they become ready is a huge benefit. 

As your child grows and you transition to a full fledged tricycle, your child will be even more ready for the transition to a bike with training wheels when the time comes. 

What to Look for when Buying a Tricycle with Push Handle

Toddler’s Ability to Steer

If the push handle is attached can your toddler still steer on their own? This is an important distinction you will want to consider. Some tricycles allow your child to practice steering while the parent push handle is installed. Other tricycle’s override this ability. As a parent you will want to decide what works best for you. You can opt to give your child the freedom to explore steering right away, or decide you don’t want to engage in a back-and-forth battle while you’re on the go. 

Adjustable Handles, Seats, and Pedals

Toddlers come in all shapes and sizes and grow at different rates. It is important to make sure the tricycle you purchase can adjust to accommodate their body. You will want to make sure they are positioned correctly to prevent injury. 

Ages and Phases

Some tricycles are suitable for children as little as 9 months and can accommodate up to 5 years old. While other tricycles are based on weight capacity. These large spans of ages means your child will go through many phases. Picking a tricycle that can accommodate all those transitional phases is important. 

Safety

Safety is always key when it comes to our children. You will want to make sure your tricycle has important safety features like harnesses, safety bars, and foot rests when your child is on the younger side. 

As your child gets older, material might be more important. Is the tricycle made from plastic or metal? Will the tricycle hold up over time or break easily? If your child does fall, what elements of the bike could potentially cause harm? 

Finally, it’s never too early to introduce your toddler to a helmet. Protecting those heads from potential falls is so important. 

How to Teach your Toddler to Ride a Tricycle

If you are introducing the tricycle to your child at a young age, your main goal will be getting them used to it. Allow them to ride in the tricycle while you do all the steering with the push handle. This is a fluid transition from a stroller and gives them the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the trike. 

As your child becomes more familiar they may start to get curious about trying to steer. Let them explore turning the handlebars and making the connection of turning and direction. 

Once they are familiar with steering you can start to place their feet on the pedals. Choosing a tricycle that allows you to lock the pedals in place can be a great option to start. This will let them get used to putting their feet on the pedals. 

Pedaling is a crucial motor skill that might take some time for your child to master. Patience is key. One method to teach your child how to pedal is to only push the tricycle when they pedal and stop pushing when they take their feet off the pedals. This will allow them to associate that the tricycle moves forward when they pedal.   

Over time your child will put all the pieces together and before you know it they will be riding by themselves.   

Best Toddler Tricycle with Push Handle Reviews

With so many options it can be hard to decide which tricycle is best for your child. Here is a selection of the top-rated toddler tricycles with push handles that we have reviewed. 

Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ‘N Trike

This tricycle grows with your child through four different growing stages. These stages include the toddler trike (9-18 months), steering trike (18-24 months), learn-to-ride trike (2-3 years), and classic trike (4-5 years). 

Removable accessories include an adjustable UV protection canopy, wrap around tray, headrest and seat belt, foot rest, and parent push handle. The push handle is height adjustable and allows the parent to control steering. Maximum weight capacity is 42lbs. 

PROS

• Grows with child
• UV protection canopy
• Adjustable push handle
• Secure 3-point harness and high backrest for safety

CONS

• Assembly required with lots of pieces
• Footrest doesn’t work with longer legs
• Seat is slippery and child slides to the side while riding

smarTrike STR5 Folding Toddler Tricycle

With 7 “grow with me” stages, this trike is designed to evolve with your child’s developmental stages from 9 months to 3 years and older. This trike comes fully assembled and no tools are necessary. It’s perfect for traveling and folds up easily for storage.

Accessories include a canopy and footrest. This trike also offers dual control. With a single click of a button, parents can decide if they or the child will control the bike. Includes a certified 5-point harness and adjustable safety bar.

PROS

• Folds up
• No assembly required
• Parent control button 
• Multiple color options

CONS

• Visor is not included in purchase. Must visit the website with invitation code after purchase to receive free visor. 

Costzon 6-in-1 Foldable Tricycle

This all in one trike includes 6 stages that grow with your child. Starting as an infant tricycle this bike then transitions into a steering trike, learn-to-ride trike, and finally a classic tricycle. This trike was designed for children 19 months to 5 years old.  

Features include a 3-point harness, anti-UV removable canopy, storage bag, adjustable parent push handle, direction-controlling rod, safe breaks, and durable shock absorption wheels.

PROS

• UV protection canopy with rain cover
• Adjustable parent push handle
• Shock absorption wheels

CONS

• Assembly required
• Not made for younger than 19 months

Joovy Tricycoo 4.1 Tricycle

The Joovy Tricycoo 4.1 Tricycle offers four stages to adjust and grow with your child from 10 months old up to 44 pounds. Parents have full control with the adjustable and removable push handle ranging in height from 32.5 to 38 inches. 

Features include UVF 50 canopy, cup holder, rear storage basket, 3-position adjustable seat, and shoulder and seat pads that are removable and washable.

PROS

• Removable and washable shoulder and seat pads
• Adjustable push handle

CONS

• Flimsy canopy
• Cup holder does not secure in place

Little Tikes Perfect Fit 4-in-1 Trike

This Little Tikes trike is a 4 stage trike designed for ages 9 months to 5 years. Features include an adjustable seat, high-back seat for comfort and safety, full shade canopy, and foot platform.

This tricycle also includes a large storage bucket and a convenient snack, drink, and cell phone tray. 

PROS

• Storage options
• Tray for cell phone, drink, and snack

CONS

• Assembly required
• Push handle doesn’t always stay at adjusted height
• Parent steering doesn’t override child steering

Rolling King 3-in-1 Tricycle

This 3-in-1 trike is designed for children from 18 months to 5 years old. Easily transition from a tricycle to push tricycle, to a balanced bike in one click.

Features include durable tires with shock absorbing, non-slip wheels, a push handle for parents to steer, and folds up for easy storage.

PROS

• Folds up
• Durable tires

CONS

• No canopy
• For older age group
• Non adjustable seat

smarTrike Breeze Toddler Tricycle 

This 3-in-1 trike was designed for children from 15 months to 3 years old. With touch steering technology, parents are able to easily switch and hand over directional control to their child. 

Features include safety bar, adjustable 3-point harness, front wheel shock absorbers, non-slip pedals, and a toy basket.

PROS

• Easily switch from parent control to child control

CONS

• Assembly required
• No canopy 
• Narrow grip on push handle

Frequently Asked Questions about Toddler Tricycles

Final Thoughts

Tricycles offer a variety of benefits to your child, from increased confidence, independence, and improvement in motor skills. Choosing a tricycle with a push handle is a perfect introduction for your child into the world of bike riding. It offers them the opportunity to learn while allowing parents the ease of having a little more control in the beginning. 

Make sure you take into consideration the different features each tricycle offers so you can pick the best one for your family. 

Looking for more gear for your little one? Head over to our Gear Guides Section to see more comparisons. 

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