I’m an Olympic cyclist, gear editor, and dad who has spent years testing cycling gear at every level. For this guide, I chose the kids’ gear that has proven useful on real family rides, not just products that look good on a spec sheet.
My Top Five for Better Bike Rides
- Best Value Kids Helmet: Giro Tremor
- Best Riding Glove: Fox Dirtpaw
- Most Versatile Kids Riding Shoe: Keen Targhee 4
- Best Hydration Pack: Camelbak Mini M.U.L.E
- Best Adventure Saver: Tow-Whee Bungee
Click the links above for current pricing, or keep scrolling to see exactly why these pieces made the cut, along with full reviews on the rest of the best cycling gear for kids.
Gear That Makes Riding Easier
Good cycling gear removes small frustrations before they turn into reasons to stop riding.
Some of the gear on this list is designed for kids, while other items are for the adults supporting them. The common thread is that each piece makes riding more comfortable, practical, or enjoyable, whether that's on everyday rides, at races, on trails, or during longer days outside.
The pieces below are the ones I would start with first. They solve real problems without adding gear for gear’s sake.
This guide covers the essential apparel, protection, and accessories for your child. You can find all of our comprehensive, size-specific bike reviews and stage-by-stage buying guides in All Kids Bikes & Gear.
The Essentials: Protection & Apparel
Giro
TremorWhat We Love
- • Lightweight and well ventilated
- • Broad fit range adapts as kids grow
- • Comfortable enough for regular use
- • Available in a wide range of colors
- • Removable visor
Worth Knowing
- • Fit may last multiple seasons, but condition should dictate replacement
- • Any significant crash means immediate replacement
- • For frequent riders, replacing annually is a practical way to stay ahead of accumulated, invisible damage
The Giro Tremor is for kids who ride often and need a helmet that stays comfortable. It’s light, well ventilated, and has a wide fit range that can grow with your child. The removable visor adds coverage for trail riding, while the low-profile shape works just as well for neighborhood rides, bike paths, and everyday use.
What We Love
- • Easy to get on and off small hands
- • Proper finger length and fit for kids
- • Reinforced palm and knuckles handle crashes
- • Durable enough for regular MTB and BMX use
Worth Knowing
- • Limited color options
- • Not designed for cold-weather riding
The Fox Dirtpaw Gloves are for kids who ride MTB, BMX, or pump tracks often enough to need real hand protection. The fit is the main reason they work: they open wide, slide on easily, and have finger lengths that suit smaller hands without extra material bunching at the tips. Reinforced palms and padded knuckles help with crashes, bar contact, and regular riding abuse without making the gloves feel stiff. They are not cold-weather gloves, but for everyday riding protection, they do the job well. And best of all, they are really easy for even little kids to put on by themselves.
LiFschal
Kids Cycling Jersey SetWhat We Love
- • olds up through heavy use and multiple kids
- • More comfortable than regular clothes in warm weather
- • Available in a wide range of prints
- • Long sleeve options for cooler weather
Worth Knowing
- • Basic construction compared to higher-end cycling clothing
The Lifschall Kids Cycling Jersey Set is for kids who ride often enough that regular clothes start to feel hot, sweaty, or uncomfortable. The jersey breathes and dries faster than a T-shirt, and the padded shorts help reduce saddle friction during repeated rides. It is basic compared with higher-end cycling clothing, but it holds up well through heavy use. Our set made it through one kid and into the next without showing visible signs of wear. The wide range of prints also helps kids actually want to wear it.
Giro
Scamp IIWhat We Love
- • One of the smallest true bike helmets available
- • Comfortable enough that kids will actually wear it
- • Adjustable fit accommodates growth
- • Wide range of colors and designs
Worth Knowing
- • Base model $65; MIPS and LED versions $85
- • Giro Scamp II Vent Light ($30) can be added separately
The Giro Scamp II is for very young riders who need a real bike helmet in a very small size. It works especially well for balance-bike riders and early pedalers because it is light, comfortable, and easy to adjust as kids grow. The base model is $65, with Mips and LED versions available for $85. If you want the safety upgrade, choose the Mips version. If visibility is the priority, the LED version or add-on Scamp II Vent Light gives you a rear light.
What We Love
- • Comfortable and easy for kids to use
- • Durable closed-toe design
- • Good grip for mixed use
- • Works across multiple activities
Worth Knowing
- • Heavier than lightweight sneakers
- • Bulkier fit than minimalist shoes
The KEEN Kids’ Targhee 4 Low Height is for kids who need one outdoor shoe for hiking, biking, playgrounds, school, and everyday use. The tread grips well on dirt, rocks, and pedals, while the reinforced toe adds protection without making the shoe feel overly stiff. It is heavier than a lightweight sneaker, but far more versatile.
What We Love
- • Affordable and easy to replace
- • Handles mixed light conditions well enough
- • Lightweight and comfortable
- • Good basic eye protection
- • Adjustable nose pads improve fit
Worth Knowing
- • Best fit for ages 8–14, but can work younger
- • Lens transitions are slower and less pronounced than premium options
- • Fit may vary depending on face shape
The ROCKBROS Photochromic Kids Sunglasses are for kids who need basic eye protection without premium-sunglasses pricing. They’re sized mostly for ages 8–14, though we found they still fit well and stay in place with kids as young as five. The photochromic lenses adjust to changing light, which helps when riding in and out of shade, but the transition is slower and less dramatic than higher-end lenses. They’re light, comfortable, and affordable enough that scratches, loss, or breakage do not feel catastrophic.
Packs & Bags
What We Love
- • Works on bikes without bottle space
- • Easy to drink from while moving
- • Useful for cycling, skiing, and short hikes
- • Small pocket for snacks and essentials
- • Built-in safety whistle on sternum strap
- • Replacement parts are easy to find
Worth Knowing
- • Limited storage compared to larger packs
- • Requires regular cleaning to prevent buildup
- • Hose can freeze in very cold conditions
The CamelBak Mini M.U.L.E. is for kids who need easy access to water on bike rides, ski days, and short hikes. It solves a common bike problem: many kids’ frames do not have room for a usable bottle, and kids rarely stop just to drink. The 50-ounce reservoir is enough for most shorter outings, with a small pocket for snacks or essentials and a safety whistle on the sternum strap.
Fidlock
Hip BeltWhat We Love
- • Enough capacity for kid-focused rides without feeling oversized
- • Comfortable, easy-to-adjust waistband
- • Well-placed side pockets for quick access
- • Dual Fidlock bottle mounts add flexibility
Worth Knowing
- • Bottle mounts are proprietary (Fidlock only)
The Fidlock Hip Belt is for parents riding with kids who need quick access to snacks, wipes, a phone, wallet, tow strap, or an extra bottle for a child whose bike does not have one. It has enough capacity for kid-focused rides without feeling oversized, and the side pockets are easy to reach while stopping and starting. The dual Fidlock mounts let you carry extra water on the belt, which helps when your kid’s bike does not have room for a bottle. Just know the bottle mounts are proprietary, so standard bottles will not work there.
Fidlock
Twist Bottle 15 oz.What We Love
- • Fits where standard bottles won’t
- • Secure, low-profile mounting system
- • Good solution for small frames and tight spaces
Worth Knowing
- • May require minor modification on very small bikes
- • Proprietary system (bottle and mount are not interchangeable with other brands)
- • More expensive than a standard cage and bottle
The FIDLOCK Twist Bottle 450ml is great for small bike frames where a standard bottle and cage will not fit. Instead of sliding straight in and out, the bottle uses a magnetic-mechanical mount that locks into place and releases with a twist. Once mounted, it is secure and low profile. It also works with the FIDLOCK Hip Belt listed above. It costs more than a standard cage and bottle, and you are locked into FIDLOCK parts. Very small frames may need some tinkering to make the mount sit cleanly.
Pure Cycles
SNACK! BagWhat We Love
- • Lets kids carry their own snacks and small items
- • Keeps gear easy to access when stopped
- • Designs that appeal to both kids and adults
Worth Knowing
- • Difficult to access while riding
- • Limited capacity
- • Can bounce on rough terrain
- • Not suited for heavier items
The Pure Cycles SNACK! Handlebar Bag is for kids big and small who want to carry their own snacks, gloves, or small treasures on the bike. It straps to the handlebars and keeps small items easy to find when stopped. The structured shape helps it hold its form, but it has limited capacity and can bounce on rough terrain, so keep it light. The designs are the real hook: donuts, pizza, and other playful options make it something kids (and grown-ups) want on their bike.
Accessories
What We Love
- • Keeps bottles, toys, and snack cups from getting dropped
- • Works across a wide range of situations
- • Simple and easy to use
Worth Knowing
- • Not load-bearing; meant for lightweight items
- • Another small item to keep track of
The Toy Safety Straps are cheap tethers that keep small items from hitting the ground or disappearing mid-ride. They work for bottles, pacifiers, snack cups, and small toys in bike trailers, strollers, high chairs, airplanes, and restaurant seats. There is nothing technical here: they are simple silicone straps that keep kid essentials within reach without requiring you to retrieve them every two minutes. They are meant for lightweight items only, but for the price, they solve an annoying problem extremely well.
MTB Hopper
IntroWhat We Love
- • Adjustable height supports skill progression
- • Packs down for transport and storage
- • Strong enough for kids and adults
- • Consistent shape and stable construction
Worth Knowing
- • Expensive for a single-purpose tool
- • Still takes up space, even when stored
- • Requires appropriate space to use safely
The MTB Hopper Intro 4 is for kids learning to jump and parents who want a controlled, adjustable ramp instead of a sketchy plywood experiment. The height adjusts as confidence and skill builds, and the ramp packs down for storage or transport. It is strong enough for adults too, so it is not just a kid-only tool. We’ve used it with a 6-year-old on 20-inch wheels, and adding a small landing ramp helped reduce hesitation. It is expensive and single-purpose, but the consistency is the value.
Helmet Flair
MagNeatOhz Cat EarsWhat We Love
- • Makes kids more willing to wear a helmet
- • Magnetic attachment is quick and easy
- • Wide range of designs kids will care about
Worth Knowing
- • Requires sticking a magnet base to the helmet
- • Decorative only, no impact on safety
- • Can get knocked off in falls or rough use
The Helmet Flair Magnetohz Cat Ears are for kids who need a little more motivation to wear a helmet. They attach magnetically, so you can add or remove them quickly, and the designs are the draw. If a kid likes how their helmet looks, they are more likely to put it on without a fight. Cat ears are only one option; the line also includes unicorn horns and other novelty shapes. They are decorative only and can get knocked off in rough use.
Redbubble
StickersWhat We Love
- • Huge range of designs
- • Easy way for kids to personalize gear
- • Durable enough for to hold up to kids' abuse
Worth Knowing
- • Durability varies by design and use
- • Some surfaces (like helmets) may require more care for adhesion
The Redbubble Stickers are for kids who want to make their gear feel like theirs. Water bottles, helmets, laptops, race bins, bike racks, if it sits still long enough, it’s getting a sticker. The design range is huge, so kids can find something tied to their sport, favorite animal, inside joke, or current obsession. The vinyl material holds up well enough for everyday use, though durability depends on the surface, placement, and how hard the gear gets used.
Pack Unicorn
Unicorn Bike BellWhat We Love
- • Encourages kids to actually use a bell
- • Simple, clear sound
- • Easy to install
Worth Knowing
- • You will hear it often
- • Sound isn’t as loud as adult commuter bells
- • Designs won’t appeal to every kid
The Unicorn Bike Bell works because kids actually want to ring it. The playful design gives them a reason to use the bell on shared paths, parks, and neighborhood rides, where a little warning helps. It installs easily and has a clear sound for casual riding, though it is not as loud as a full-size commuter bell. You will hear it often, but that is also how you know they are using it.
The Parent Toolkit: Racks, Trailers & Tow Lines
Thule
OutpaceWhat We Love
- • Very light and easy to install or remove
- • Compact and easy to store
- • Works with both 1.25" and 2" receivers
- • Handles a wide range of bike sizes and frame shapes
- • Practical for families with mixed bikes
- • Available in 2- and 3-bike configurations
Worth Knowing
- • Takes a bit more care to position bikes without contact
- • Not as fast to load as heavier, fixed-arm racks
- • Two-bike capacity
The Thule Outpace is for families who want a tray-style hitch rack without leaving a heavy rack on the car all season. At about 28 pounds, it is light enough to install, remove, and store easily. The adjustable frame arm and wheel straps work with small kids’ bikes, adult road bikes, and mountain bikes, and the adapter fits both 1.25-inch and 2-inch receivers. Loading takes more care than heavier fixed-arm racks, but the low weight and compact storage make it much easier to live with.
Thule
Chariot Sport 2What We Love
- • Disc brakes and integrated tail light
- • Padded seats
- • Vented windows
- • Jogging and ski attachments available (sold seperately)
- • Available infant sling and baby support for safely transporting the newest members of your family
Worth Knowing
- • Very expensive
The Thule Chariot Sport 2 is for families who will actually use a trailer across seasons: biking, jogging, skiing, gravel paths, and long days outside. It is expensive, but the durability is unparalleled. We put more than 10,000 miles on an earlier Chariot over five years and two kids without it falling apart. The Sport 2 adds disc brakes, padded seats, vented windows, an integrated tail light, and optional jogging, ski, infant, and baby-support accessories. It is overkill for occasional use, but built to last.
Kids Ride Shotgun
Child Bike SeatWhat We Love
- • Fits most modern bikes, including carbon frames and dropper posts
- • Front-mounted position keeps kids engaged and aware of the ride
- • Optional handlebar adds stability for young riders
Worth Knowing
- • Expensive accessory
Best for Keeping Them Close
The Kids Ride Shotgun seat is for parents who want their smallest rider engaged in the ride, not tucked away in a trailer. It puts your child between your arms so they can see the trail, feel the terrain, and be part of the experience. The updated mount works with most modern mountain bikes, including carbon frames and dropper posts, and the optional handlebar adds stability. It is expensive, but it opens up real trail time before kids are ready to pedal. For older bikes with narrow top tubes, the original version may be the better buy.
Tow-Whee
Adventure Tow BungeeWhat We Love
- • Strong enough to tow an adult
- • Packs small enough to fit in a hip pack or large jersey pocket
- • Stem loop for the child's bike is easy for them to manage
Worth Knowing
- • Only safe for riding on uphill for flat terrain–not on downhills or at higher speeds
The TowWhee is for kids who can ride but still need help with climbs, long distances, or a little boost when legs get tired. One end loops to the parent’s bike, the other to the child’s stem, letting you tow when needed and disconnect when they’re ready to pedal again. It packs small enough for a hip pack and can save longer family rides from ending in a trailside meltdown far from the car.
Why Most Kids’ Cycling Gear Misses the Mark
But nothing recalibrated my understanding of kids’ gear quite like teaching my own children, now three and six, to ride.
A lifetime on bikes turns out to mean very little when you are kneeling in a driveway next to a frustrated three-year-old.
I proved to be good at surrounding my kids with bikes. I could nudge them down gentle slopes and immerse them in everything cycling-related. What I was not good at, at least at first, was recognizing how small equipment mismatches quietly undermine confidence. I made avoidable mistakes. I put them in gloves that were too bulky to brake comfortably and frustrating to pull on. Shoes that looked like scaled-down versions of high-end adult models but worked terribly for kids. Glasses that were too large to stay on little faces.
None of it seemed dramatic. But each detail made learning harder than it needed to be.
Kids Are Not Scaled-Down Adults
That experience reinforced something I have seen repeatedly in coaching and product testing. Kids are not scaled-down adults. Their strength-to-weight ratios are different. Their hand size and leverage are different. Their frustration threshold is different. When a child is learning to balance, steer, and pedal at the same time, even minor friction from poorly scaled gear compounds quickly. A pair of glasses that keeps sliding down can be enough to derail focus entirely.
The good news is that kids’ cycling equipment has improved dramatically over the past decade. More brands are investing in properly scaled components, lighter materials, and designs that support stability and control. But the market remains fragmented, leaving parents to guess which details actually matter and to track down niche products that often feel accessible only to industry insiders.
How We Chose This Gear
Riding season is here, so it's worth getting the setup right. Whether your child has outgrown last year’s gear or is preparing for their first rides of the spring, these are the pieces we trust for our families and our community.
We organized this guide to make it easy to find what matters most. If you have gear that has worked well for your family, we want to hear about it. Use the recommendation form at the top of the page. Parent feedback has already shaped this guide, and you will see those suggestions highlighted throughout.
Everything at Kitli is built on real-world use, not spec sheets. We test gear in driveways, on neighborhood paths, and on muddy trail loops. We pay attention to what holds up and what quietly undermines confidence.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Kitli earns from qualifying purchases. This supports our work and does not influence our recommendations.
The Kitli Promise
We earn commissions through affiliate links. That’s how we fund our testing and keep Kitli free. But commissions never influence what we recommend.
“If we wouldn't use it with our own families, we don't recommend it to yours.”
Read Our Story →Bobby Lea
View Profile →
