7 Best Kids' Tricycles, Tested by Experts

This classic design is still great today for preschoolers between ages 2 ½ and 5, with a sweet spot as a best tricycle for 3- and 4-year-olds. The seat can be adjusted backward as their legs grow, and the backrest has an opening so a parent can grab on to push or pull (or carry the trike around). Kids are super into the lidded storage compartment on the back where they can stash toys or found treasures like rocks and sticks.

Built from sturdy steel, that makes it a durable, quality trike. There is some assembly required when it arrives. It is meant for kids who are ready to pedal by themselves. If your toddler is still 1 or just turned 2 and is not quite ready to ride without a good bit of assistance, see the Radio Flyer Stroll n Trike below. We recommend the Radio Flyer helmet, too. There's also a Pink Rider for a little more money. (Dang, that pink tax starts early.)

With its rugged wheels and fun flame details, the Harley Davidson Tough Trike is a fun, affordable ride for little ones who want to feel big. Parent and kid-testers alike loved the "secret" compartment under the seat for storage. It's got more than 19,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, with many online reviewers praising its stability. It's made from plastic, which isn't as durable as steel but is much lighter weight.

This pedal-powered ride is sturdy for little riders to gain balance and coordination skills. Since it cannot adjust, you may have to wait a bit for your child to fit properly on the seat and reach the pedals, and they may outgrow it sooner than they do with adjustable trikes. Many online reviewers report that this is another one that best fits 3- and 4-year-old kids. If your child isn't into Harleys, it's also available in pink and purple Barbie style or a blue Thomas & Friends version for the same price.

Able to be used early on, this is a trike that grows with a child from ages 1 to 5. Start off using the push handle to take your young toddler around — there's a seat belt for them, footrests, a canopy overhead and a large snack tray. Those things can be removed as your child grows into a confident preschooler. The footrests can come off when they're ready to pedal, and the parent handle comes off when your child is ready to fully ride on their own.

When you take off the tray your child can still have a cupholder on the front and a large, open bin on the back. One parent tester shared that this was the only trike that "motivated her child not to give up and to learn pedaling." Pushing your child around in this is not as easy as using a stroller, however. The steering is more clumsy, since strollers have wheels that all turn together and this does not. But the Stroll N Trike is fun for a trip through a park or playground and it's a great tool for introducing your toddler to a trike.

We have a soft spot for the vintage-y chrome fenders and tasseled handlebars on the Schwinn Roadster. And it comes in about a half-dozen colors including teal and orange. Like the Radio Flyer trike, this has a steel frame that makes it extra durable but a little heavy. It can hold a child all the way up to 50 pounds, though the Roadster itself weighs a hefty 20 pounds, so kids have to use real leg power to get this moving.

The rear deck, behind the seat, is made of pretty wood with the Schwinn logo. The comfy, curved seat is adjustable and can be moved back as your child grows. We love that this comes with an old fashioned bike bell, too. All those great touches do make it more expensive than most other classic trikes, but it's one of our favorite tricycles for kids ages 2 to 4.

Doona's modern Liki trike comes fully assembled in its box, so your little one can get right to cruising when it arrives. (Most everything else on our list requires you to at least attach the wheels and the handlebar.) This is a push tricycle, so it's a bit of a stroller/trike hybrid. Our experts love that it folds down so compactly, it can fit into an airplane's overhead bin.

You can start with the Liki in Parent Mode, which means you push your strapped-in young child while they rest their feet on footrests. You can use it with the canopy on or off. Next, maybe when your child is 2, you uncover the pedals so your child can start to power it, but you keep the push handle for times when they need an assist.

Finally it becomes a kid-powered tricycle perfect for a 3-year-old. If you've ever used the Doona Car Seat Stroller, our favorite car seat stroller combo, you'll likely appreciate how similarly easy the Liki is for storage and travel. That said, it's on the pricey side compared to other tricycles.

The aluminum frame of the Joovy Tricycoo might not feel as durable as the steel frame on some other trikes, but the aluminum frame sure makes it lighter. If you'll be frequently carting your toddler's stroller trike around, this one is easy to manage. Our Lab pros like the giant sun-protective canopy and the cushy armrests for the littlest kids, making this a great tricycle for an 18-month-old gearing up to pedal after they turn 2. Parent testers noted the seat was larger and more cushiony than others, too.

In the early days you can have your toddler harnessed in the seat enclosure while you push. Like with other models on this list, you eventually pare things back so that your preschooler is pedaling around without all of the assists. This has an adjustable seat feature to accommodate growing legs and a storage bin on the back. Online reviewers report that the parent handle isn't as sturdy as that on some other models and that it might wobble.

Balance bikes are all the rage for teaching kids the physical art of balancing on a "real" bike. Our Lab experts have seen firsthand how easily kids who master a balance bike adapt to pedaling a real bicycle. For that reason, we love that the Yvolution trike easily converts to a balance bike, giving it years of use. The seat adjust up and down rather than front to back, to accommodate growth, and the handlebar adjusts up and down as well.

This has three stages. In the first, you use the parent handle to help push and steer your 2-year-old who is getting used to a trike. Take that off when they are ready and it's a fun three-wheeled trike — granted without any storage or bell, but it's got a colorful, modern look. In the final iteration, you push some buttons to flip the wheels in together to form one back wheel and remove the pedals to make this a balance bike that your kid powers with their feet, usually at age 3, 4 or 5.

We love that you can put the parent handle back on for that mode while your child gets used to it. Check out the brand's video on the link to see how it works.