Nearly every time a parent asks us which bike to buy their child, we respond with “Woom!” Regardless of whether you are shopping for a 12 inch balance bike for zipping around the driveway or a 26 inch mountain bike for ripping up trails, a Woom bike is quite likely the best option for your child.
Woom makes extraordinarily nice bikes for kids. They are lightweight, have child-appropriate geometry, and top-shelf components. All of this makes for bikes that are easy to learn to ride, to progress on, and to develop a love for biking.
And before you chime-in with how expensive they are, yes, we are well aware that Woom bikes are not cheap. That said, I can promise you without reservation, that they are worth every penny.
We firmly believe, after years of testing bikes and helping other kids learn to ride, that you get what you pay for. And if you want your child to LOVE biking, you need to get them a bike that will facilitate that enjoyment.
In this article, we walk you through why we love Woom bikes so much. We’ve also included links to allthe reviews of Woom Bikes that we’ve done, and who we would (and wouldn’t) recommend the bikes for.
Also, in a full disclosure right up front, we are an affiliate of Woom Bikes. In other words, if you click thru one of our links and end up buying a Woom, we will get a percentage of the sale.
So why trust us? We are affiliates for LOTS of brands of bikes (as well as any bike on Amazon), so we have no incentive to recommend Woom over any other bike. We just truly believe Woom is one of the best kids bike brands around.
1) They are the LIGHTEST kids bikes around.
Woom somehow manages to consistently make the lightest bikes across all sizes and categories. Don’t believe me?
Go check out some of our comparison charts. Most of the time, a Woom bike is POUNDS lighter than it’s competitors.
Weight is a huge deal when it comes to kids’ bikes–particularly in the smaller sizes. I usually tell parents they should pick a bike based on budget first, weight second, and durability third. (Generally, the higher your budget the lighter and more durable the bike you can get).
Why is weight so important? Light bikes are easier for kids to handle, make learning to ride easier, and allow children to ride further, faster. The lighter a bike is the more likely your child is to have fun.
Unfortunately, most kids bikes are HEAVY. Kids don’t weigh that much so their body weight to bike weight ratio is way off. Let me do a little math for you to demonstrate.
An average adult bike might weight around 25 pounds. The average adult in the U.S. weighs 181 pounds. This means their bike weight to body weight ratio is about 1:7 or 14%.
The average weight of a 3-year-old, on the other hand, is only 31.5 pounds. The best-selling 14 inch on Amazon, The Royal Baby 14, weighs 22 pounds. That equates to a bike weight to body weight ratio of 1:1.4 or 70%. That’s crazy heavy!
The Woom 2, on the other hand, weighs only 12.3 pounds. That’s a much more reasonable bike weight to body weight ratio of 1:2.8 or 35%.
2) Their geometry is ideal for learning to ride (and then continuing to progress).
In addition to weight, bike geometry can have a huge impact on your child’s ability to learn to ride and progress. A lot of kids bikes have been terribly designed with a short wheelbase, high center of gravity and wide q-factor (the distance between pedals). If your child has struggled on bikes in the past, poor geometry is likely to blame.
Woom has done a great job of designing bikes with child-appropriate geometry. Especially in the smaller sizes, the geometry is upright. This allows kids to feel more confident on the bike and aids in stability.
The bike’s stability is further enhanced by a long wheelbase (the distance from front wheel to rear wheel) and a low center of gravity. Many kids bikes are designed for training wheels (the Woom is not) and sit high.
This messes with a child’s balance as well as their ability to reach the ground with their feet. On the Woom, kids who have previously struggled with balance and pedaling are likely to get the hang of it in no time!
All the Woom bikes also have what we call a narrow q-factor. This is the distance between pedals. Many kids bikes have a wide q-factor which causes a kids hips and knees to splay outward.
The distance on the Woom bikes is narrower than most which accounts for kids narrower hips and allows them to pedal in a more efficient manner with their knees pointed straight forward. Efficient pedaling is further assisted by short, appropriately-sized cranks.
Finally, we appreciate that each of the Woom bikes has been designed with a swooped top-tube. This allows for a lower standover height, and lets kids maneuver on the bike and get on and off more easily.
3) They are built with high-quality components.
Now that we’ve touched on weight and geometry, we should mention that the Woom bikes are also built with high-quality components. This means that the bikes are durable, maintainable, and fast-rolling.
One of our favorite components on the Woom bikes is the brakes. Even the Woom 1 and Woom 1 Plus balance bikes come with dual color-coded handbrakes. These are easy to pull and easy to operate for young kids.
All of the Woom bikes come with a freewheel or the ability to add a rear freewheel. Don’t know what this means?
Most kids bikes in the U.S. are sold with a coaster brake (as required by law for smaller size bikes). We are NOT fans of coaster brakes. They make learning to pedal challenging and can actually be downright dangerous. We much prefer bikes with dual handbrakes (which all Woom bikes have) and a freewheel (a rear wheel without a coaster brake).
If you want to understand more about this topic, read our article on hand brakes vs coaster brakes.
The headset on each Woom bike is fully integrated and has sealed bearings–as do the hubs on the wheels. Speaking of wheels, all Woom bikes are built-up with in-house rims: the Soopa-Doopa-Hoops. These are lightweight aluminum rims and we’ve found that they’ve held up really well on all of the Woom bikes that we have.
There’s too much other good stuff on all the bikes to mention it all but you can expect high-quality parts like Jagwire cables, Schwalbe tires, and on the bigger bikes, a SRAM drivetrain.
4) Woom Bikes have good resale (or trade-in) value.
In most parts of the country, especially those with a healthy bike culture, Woom bikes are in demand on the used market. If you are worried about the price, consider the resale value when your child is done with the bike.
There is even a Facebook group dedicated to Woom buy and sell.
Another option with Woom bikes is the Woom trade-up program. This is a particularly good deal if you start your child on a balance bike and trade-up from there.
After buying an initial membership, you can trade-in your kiddo’s bike for the next size up and will be refunded 40% of the purchase price of your old bike. You can use the membership multiple times, i.e. from a Woom 1 to a Woom 2 to a Woom 3 and so on.
5) Colorful accessories make a great bike even more fun.
While we wouldn’t recommend buying a bike solely based on how it looks (we’ve seen way too many kids on awful bikes that were chosen for the princess or spiderman decals), we recognize that looks do matter.
Kids are more likely to ride a bike that they think looks cool. Fortunately, the Woom bikes come in a bunch of bright, fun colors, so no matter your little one’s favorite color, you can probably find a Woom bike that they are going to like.
We’ve also been impressed by the Woom helmet and gloves which you can get to match your child’s Woom bike (or pick a complementary color). There are a bunch of other accessories you can choose from including clothing, a lock, water bottle, and lights.
If your family does a lot of around-town commuting or even bike touring, Woom also offers a rack and fenders as add-ons, which makes the Woom bikes a great choice for serious bike families.
Product Line-Up And Woom Bikes Reviews
Regardless of your child’s age or ability level, there is most likely a Woom bike that is a good fit for them. Here’s a line-up of all the Woom bikes as well as links to the reviews that we’ve done.
The original Woom bikes are the best fit for the greatest number of families. If your family does a lot of mountain biking, go with the Woom OFF.
Commute around town? Check out the Woom NOW. And if you enjoy heading out on big, long adventures, you’ll be interested in the Woom UP.
| Bike | Size/Bike Type | Price (MSRP) | Review |
| Woom 1* | 12″ Balance Bike | $249 | Read: Woom 1 Review |
| Woom 1 Plus* | 14″ Balance Bike | $299 | Read: Woom 1 Plus Review |
| Woom 2* | 14″ Pedal Bike | $399 | Read: Woom 2 Review |
| Woom 3* | 16″ Pedal Bike | $449 | Read: Woom 3 Review |
| Woom 4* | 20″ Pedal Bike | $599 | Read: Woom 4 Review |
| Woom 4 OFF* | 20″ Mountain Bike | $799+ | Read: Woom OFF Review |
| Woom 5* | 24″ Pedal Bike | $649 | Read: Woom 5 Review |
| Woom 5 OFF* | 24″ Mountain Bike | $849+ | Read: Woom OFF Review |
| Woom 6* | 26″ Pedal Bike | $699 | |
| Woom 6 OFF* | 26″ Mountain Bike | $899+ | Read: Woom OFF Review |
| Woom UP 5/6* | Electric MTB (24/26″) | $3,799+ | Read: Woom UP Review |
| Woom NOW* | Cargo Bike (20/24/26″) | $849+ | Read: Woom NOW Review |
Who We Recommend Woom Bikes For
If you or your child meet one of the following characteristics, a Woom is likely the perfect bike for your family.
- Your child is particularly petite and could benefit from an especially lightweight bike.
- Your kiddo has struggled to learn to ride or pedal on other bicycles.
- You have multiple kids to hand the bike down to and can benefit from a high-quality, durable bike that won’t fall apart before their all done with the bike.
- Your family values biking and spends a lot of time riding.
- You believe in buying high-quality products that will last a long time.
- You are a grandparent who simply likes spoiling your grandkids.
Who We Wouldn’t Recommend Woom Bikes For
Honestly, we think every kid could benefit from a Woom bike, but there are a couple of scenarios where you might think twice.
- You are on a budget. You might be better off looking for a used bike–although we still think you should try to find a used Woom if you can.
- Your child is a bit older and might be better served by a specialty bike, i.e. a road bike or full-suspension mountain bike.
- Your child is in between sizes. For instance, you have a 5 year old and would like to put them on a 20 inch bike, but the Woom 4 is still too big. In this case, you might be better off with a 20 inch bike with a lower standover height (like the Pello Reddi or Prevelo Alpha Three).
Woom Bikes Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions y’all send our way on a regular basis.
Where can you buy Woom bikes?
Woom Bikes are sold exclusively thru their website, WoomBikes.com*. You can not buy them in stores.
You can also search for used Woom Bikes in online groups like the Woom Buy, Sell, Trade group on Facebook.
Are Woom bikes worth it?
Yes, Woom bikes are worth it! They make biking easy to learn and enjoyable to continue.
Of all of the thousands of Woom bikes we’ve helped sell, we’ve never had a single parent come back with a complaint or regret.
Where are Woom bikes made?
Woom bikes are manufactured in Asia and assembled in Poland, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan and Bangladesh. Bikes sold in the USA are inspected in Austin, TX before being shipped to customers.
Do Woom bikes ever go on sale?
Woom bikes do not go on sale. From time to time, Woom will run promotions that give you a discount on a bundle of items.
Can you put training wheels on a Woom bike?
You can not put training wheels on a Woom bike–at least not without a bunch of additional effort. The bikes are not designed for use with training wheels and the rear axle is too short to accommodate them.
If you were really determined, you could replace the existing axle with a longer bolt-on one. This would likely void any warranty, and we wouldn’t recommend it.
Bottom-Line: High-Quality Kids Bikes That Will Help Your Child Have More Fun Biking
Whether you have a toddler and are shopping for their first balance bike or a pre-teen who loves zipping around town on their bicycle, a Woom bike will help them to have more fun. There’s nothing worse than seeing kids who are frustrated on heavy, ill-designed bikes. Do them a favor, and invest in a quality bike.
Do Even More Research Before Buying a Bike
While Woom makes our favorite kids bikes, they certainly aren’t the only good kids bike brand around. Below you’ll find info on other high quality brands, and tips on how to pick the best bike for YOUR child.
I am interested in getting a bike for my granddaughter who is 7yrs old, 48” tall and already a good road rider. Can you help me choose? Pink, purple or light blue. 😁