Bike bells are one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to add a little bling to your child’s bike. They look cool, and sound fun!
If you’re family is practicing safe biking, they can also help with that. Have your child ring their bell when passing on a crowded trail.
Here are several bike bells that we’ve tested out personally and a few others that folks in our community have recommended. All are kid approved!
Woom Vienna Bell
Are you looking for a bell that SOUNDS good? You want the Woom Vienna Bell.
No, it’s not pink and it doesn’t look like a flower or a donut. What the Vienna Bell has going for it is that it has a clear, loud sound every time.
It’s also super well made (by our favorite kids bike brand) and will last a long time. This is a bell that can grow with your child.
Price: $14.90
Nutcase Large Bell
Nutcase makes adorable helmets, and their bells match! Yes, you heard that right–you could potentially get your child a matching helmet and bell.
Even if you only want the bell, we recommend these.
They are a little bigger than many of the bells on this list, so are a better fit for slightly older kids than they are for the balance bike crew.
Price: $14.99
Nutcase Thumbdinger Bell
If the bigger Nutcase bell is too big for your child, consider the Nutcase Thumbdinger.
It’s tiny and easy to ring with, you guessed it, your thumb! It fits nicely on smaller bikes and is easy to operate.
It comes in a couple of different colors, and is super affordable.
Price: $8.99
Mirrycle JelliBell
The Mirrycycle JelliBell seems to be the gold standard for kids bike bells. We’ve owned several over the years as have all of our friends.
The bell is super easy for young kids to operate–it twists rather than needing thumb strength. It comes in several colors, and kids love that it is translucent so you can see the inner workings of the bell.
Price: $11.03 (Last updated: 2023-03-07 at 20:01 – More Info)
Thousand Jr Bike Bell
We love pretty much everything from Thousand including their Jr bike bell. While it’s a bit more expensive, it’s also higher quality than the no-name bells you might order from Amazon.
And if your child has a Thouand Jr bike helmet, you can coordinate helmet color to bell color which is fun.
Price: $16
Kickstand Cycleworks Beach Cruiser Bell
Does your child have a favorite color? You’re sure to find a Kickstand Cycleworks Beach Cruiser bell to match.
This bell has a more durable feel than most, and comes in nearly every color under the rainbow. The only thing to be aware of is that it’s a left-side mounted bell, so may be challenging for kids who are right handed.
Price: $15.99 (Last updated: 2023-03-07 at 21:12 – More Info)
MSW Unicorn Horn
Ok, so it’s not technically a bell, it’s a horn, but whatever, we’re including it anyway. The MSW Unicorn Horn is THE most loved product by kids on this list. I mean who doesn’t love a unicorn?!?
It sounds like a dog squeaky toy, and can get annoying kind of fast, but it adds a bunch of whimsy. For kids who don’t love getting on their bike, this could help.
Price: $10
Things To Think About When Choosing A Kids Bike Bell
Let’s be real: there’s not that much to think about when choosing a kids bike bell. Unlike buying a kids bike, you can’t screw this up too much. And the cost for failure is low. Still here are a few things that you might consider.
Sound
Is this bell supposed to be just for fun, or is it to help notify others of your child’s presence. If the latter focus on skipping the cutesy bells and picking one with a nice loud, clear ring like the Woom Vienna bell.
Operation
Really little kids do best with a horn or a twist bell (like the Mirabell). For bells that are thumb operated, the easiest option are the bells were you press downward on the button.
Bells that have buttons that press forward can be a little harder for small thumbs to operate. With these you also have to pay attention to whether they are right or left hand mounted.
The bell on the left rings by pressing down on the button, while the one of the right rings by pressing the button forward.
Right handed kids will do best with a right side mount, and vice versa.
Mounting
As I just mentioned, bells that press forward are designed either for the right side of the handlebar or the left side). Horns, twist bells, and downward button bells can be placed on either side.
Most bells have a plastic mount that twists around the handlebar and then screws down. There’s not much more to it than that.
The biggest issue you might run into particularly for littler kids is that the handlebar diameter is too small and the bell won’t clamp down tight. In this instance, you’ll need to figure out a way to shim it.
You can use duct tape (wrap a few lengths around the bar) or an old bike tube cut up. Even if you don’t NEED to shim it, you might want to to keep your child’s handlebar from getting scratched up by the mount.
Style
Last but not least, what’s your child into? Princesses? Super heroes?
Ok, those might not be the best bells, but who cares! A bike bell is cheap.
Pick what your child likes. For some kids it can be hard to motivate them to ride, and a little bling or a little fun can be just the thing that they need.
