Shopping for a bike for your daughter or granddaughter? It can be difficult to know where to start.
There are a plethora of girls bikes on the market, and the bad news is that most of them are junk. Seriously. All those bikes at Walmart with the streamers and Disney princesses are heavy, cheaply made, and difficult to ride.
If you want your child to have a great experience riding bikes, pick a good girls bike instead. We’ve tested and reviewed dozens of kids bikes over the last decade to help you find the best ones. All of the bikes on this list are lightweight, durable, and intelligently designed to help girls learn to ride and continue developing their skills.
In this article, we’ll share which girls bikes are best, which size bike your child needs, and things you should consider before buying a bike.
Key Takeaways From This Article
- Our favorite bike brand for girls is Woom. Our favorite brand for families on a budget is Guardian.
- Consider weight, geometry, and durability when choosing a bike for your daughter.
- You can always upgrade a bike with decals, a basket, and colorful accessories after the fact.
But First, Do You Need to Buy a “Girls” Bike?
Kids bikes are kids bikes are kids bikes…..Many bike brands market “girls bikes” or “boys bikes” but there is absolutely no difference for kids this age. If your daughter (or granddaughter) wants a “boys” bike, there is no reason she shouldn’t have it.
That said, there are plenty of girly girls out there (myself included) who want a GIRLY bike. They want a bike that is pink or purple. They want streamers or a basket or a doll baby bike seat. I get it.
For all the girls who like pink (like me), we’ve included a list of girly girls bikes for every age. We’ve also included some ideas for customizing bikes, so if your daughter wants sparkles or a basket, you can make sure she gets them.
Our Top Picks
In general, the best way to shop for bikes for girls is by brand. Regardless of which size bike you need, these brands are well known for providing high-quality bikes that also happen to be pretty.
| Brand | What We Love |
| Woom | Ultra-lightweight, intelligently designed |
| Prevelo | Great customer service, custom-designed components |
| Guardian | Emphasis on safety, affordable options |
| Priority | Maintenance-free design, belt drive |
Woom
Woom makes fantastic kids bikes. In fact, they are our FAVORITE kids bikes. And their gender-neutral colors make them a great choice for girls.
Why do we love Woom bikes so much? First off, they are incredibly lightweight. You won’t find another kids bike brand that makes lighter bikes. Considering the girls tend to be more petite and weigh less than their male counterparts, this is particularly important.
They also have a low standover height and upright geometry which helps inspire confidence–this is another area where girls often need a little help.
Woom offers all kinds of fun accessories to match their bikes, including helmets, gloves, and more.
Our Reviews: Woom 1 (12″), Woom 1 Plus (14″), Woom 2 (14″) , Woom 3 (16″) , Woom 4 (20″), Woom 5 (24″), Woom Explore (adventure), Woom NOW (cargo), Woom OFF (mtb), Woom UP (e-bike)
Prevelo
For a long time, Prevelo only offered silver bikes, but now they’ve added other colors to the line-up too!
These bikes have everything we look for in a kids bike: dual handbrakes (with no coaster), high-quality components, lightweight build, and child-appropriate geometry. The company also offers superior customer service, which puts them on high on our list of bikes that we’re willing to recommend.
The stand-over height on Prevelo Bikes also tend to be lower than other kids bikes, meaning they are a good choice for smaller riders and make getting on and off the bike easier.
Like Woom, Prevelo also offers a trade-up program that can help make your initial investment a little less painful.
Read Our Reviews: Prevelo Alpha Zero (12″) Prevelo Alpha One (14″) Prevelo Alpha Two (16″), Prevelo Alpha Three (20″), Prevelo Zulu Three (20″), Prevelo Zulu Five (26″), Prevelo Bravo (dirt jumper)
Guardian
Guardian is known for making safe bikes. Thanks to their proprietary SureStop braking system, your child is less likely to have an over-the-handlebars accident. The system uses one brake lever to provide appropriate braking power to both the front and rear wheel.
We especially like this for timid girls and those that have struggled to learn to use brakes in the past. The other great thing about Guardian bikes is that they offer a durable bike with kid specific geometry at a more reasonable price.
Read Our Reviews: Guardian Balance Bike, Guardian 14, Guardian 16, Guardian 20, Guardian 24, Guardian 26
Priority Girls Bikes
Priority Bikes are ideal for parents who don’t want to spend a lot of time on bike maintenance. Rather than a traditional chain (which can rust), the Priority bikes have a belt drive (which won’t).
You don’t have to mess with lubing a chain, or even adjusting a derailleur. The 20″ and 24″ bikes come with an internally geared hub rather than a rear cassette and derailleur.
All of this means that these are great bikes for leaving outdoors on the school bike rack, riding in rain, or cruising at the beach.
Read Reviews: Priority Start 20 Inch Kids Bike Review
Balance Bikes vs Pedal Bikes For Girls
We’ve tried to include every age group on this list (little girls AND big girls) alike. Therefore, you’ll notice we’ve included brands that offer a wide range of sizes and a mix of balance bikes and pedal bikes.
If you have a 10-year-old, it’s obvious that they need a pedal bike. But this might not be so obvious for a 3-year-old for instance.
We STRONGLY recommend sticking with a balance bike (a “scoot” bike that doesn’t have pedals) until your daughter has mastered gliding and balance. Rather than buying a pedal bike with training wheels, we believe you should start your kiddo on a balance bike and only get them a pedal bike once they are truly ready.
For more information on why we don’t recommend training wheels, read this article: 7 Things You Need To Know About Training Wheels.
Criteria to Make The List
In order to be listed here, we considered a few things that we think are key for girls:
- Is the bike lightweight? Girls tend to be more petite and weigh less than their male counterparts. Bike weight is key to them having fun.
- Does it come in feminine colors? We know lots of girls that specifically want a pink or purple bike.
- Does it inspire confidence? We want girls to feel confident and empowered on a bike, not timid! Things like a low standover height, geometry that creates stability, and an upright riding position help inspire confidence.
- Is it safe? Durable? Fast? We don’t want you to waste your money on a bike that is going to fall apart quickly or cause your child to get hurt. The bikes on this list aren’t cheap, but they are high quality. If you have multiple kids, you’ll be able to hand them down.
How To Choose a Girls Bicycle
Here are some tips on how to choose the best girls bicycle for your daughter (or granddaughter). We’ve also linked to more extensive guides if you want additional help.
Size Is Key
The first step when shopping for a bike is to figure out what size your child needs. While we’ve included a general age-range for each size bike below, each child (and each bike) is a little different.
The best way to determine which size bike your child needs is to measure their inseam and compare it to the minimum seat height of the specific bike you are considering.
- Learn More: Guide to Kids Bike Sizes
Pay Attention To Weight
The next thing to look for is the bike’s weight. After making sure a bike is the right size for your child, the single most important thing is how much it weighs. This is doubly important for girls who tend to be more petite and less muscular than boys in the same age range.
Unfortunately, weight and price generally go hand-in-hand: the less a bike weighs, the more it costs. For this reason, we recommend buying the lightest bike you can afford.
Training Wheels, Brakes, Gears, And Other Things You Should Consider
Other slightly less important things you will want to think about before buying a bike are whether or not you want training wheels, whether or not you want a coaster brake, and if your child is read for a bike with gears.
We go into all these topics in more detail in our guide to choosing a kids bike.
Customization
There are several brands on this list that allow you to further customize your child’s bike. Prevelo, for instance, lets you pick custom color grips and you can add your child’s name to the bike.
Woom isn’t quite as customizable, but they do have a ton of accessories you can add–bags, racks, etc–to make the bike extra special for your child. They also have matching gloves, helmets, jerseys, and more.
Finally, consider adding some colorful grips, a bike wrap, or basket. A few fun accessories can add a feminine touch to a less-than-girly bike.
Girls Bike Picks By Size
If you already know which size bike your daughter needs, one of these girls bike by size guides will help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions we get emailed frequently.
My daughter complains that her bike seat hurts. What can I do?
Replace it with a better one! You don’t have to buy a whole new bike, just swap out the saddle.
Our favorite for girls is the SDG Fly Jr saddle. You can get even more recommendations in our list of the best kids bike saddles.
How do I pick the right size bike for a girl?
The best way to measure a child for a bike is to measure their inseam. You can then compare this to the standover and minimum seatpost height of the bike (or bikes) you’re considering. For more help in doing this, read our guide to kids bike sizing.
What size bike should I buy a 7 year old girl?
The average 7 year old girl will fit best on a 20 inch or 24 inch bike. But remember, not all kids are average! Before shopping, read our guide to kids bike sizes.
What size bike should I buy a 9 year old girl?
A 9 year old girl will fit best on either a 24 inch or 26 inch bike depending on how tall she is. To measure your child, check out our guide to kids bike sizes.
What size bike should I buy a 10 year old girl?
Most 10 year old girls will fit best on a youth sized 26 inch bike. But remember, each child is different! Make sure to measure your daughter first. Read our guide to kids bike sizing for help.
More Reading To Help You Pick A Bike
- Best Kids Bikes: How To Choose, Reviews, & More!
- Ultimate Guide To Kids Bike Sizes (And Bike Size Chart!)
About The Authors
The Rascals are a family of three. Kristen (mom), Blair (dad), and Parker (kiddo). We started Rascal Rides when Parker was born and we didn’t want to give up our passion for biking. As we learned, we shared.
Over the years, we’ve added other families to our team and have tested hundreds of kids bikes, helmets, bike trailers, and more.
Kristen is a licensed USA Cycling coach and NICA coach, and loves to share her passion for biking with other families. Blair is a bike geek, mechanic, and mountain bike junkie. Parker is 13 now and is our resident shredder.
If you see us out on the trail, make sure to say hi!
IG: @rascal_rides
YT: @rascalrides
We have that bell in purple! Even I love how you can see inside of it. And, streamers! What kid doesn’t love streamers on their bike? I’m all for girly bikes, so long as it means more girls/women on bikes.
What about Guardian Bikes?
I am a tall large woman with a long torso. Often bikes are too short front to back. My cannondale fits well that way but as I age I am less able to be stable while standing and need a curb to mount the bike. It’s really too big to stand over. Is it possible to use smaller wheels? I’m also looking at a 19” Schwinn that is a step thru. Will it be too short front to back?
Since you are tall, I wouldnt go with smaller wheels. Opt for a step-thru frame instead.