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Kids Bike Seats: Riding with kids from the start

A bike seat for kids is a great transport solution for everyday journeys. We'll show you what to look out for when making your choice.

For a ride to daycare, a shopping trip into town, or a quick detour to the lake: With a kids bike seat, you always have your little one with you. These seats are practical, affordable, and most importantly, space-saving. Unlike kids trailers, they hardly take up more space than your city bike – a plus in rental properties or at large bike parking areas. Plus, they're quick to install and easily removed when not needed. And they have relatively little impact on your bike's handling. 

Still, you should keep in mind that sudden movements from the child can become noticeable, especially when starting out or moving slowly. To avoid surprises, it's best to keep communicating with your child. This way, you know what's happening behind you, your child won’t get bored, and you can also explain important traffic situations. A wise move for independent cycling with the first balance bike or kids bike

When can my child start using the kids bike seat? 

Your child should only ride in the seat when it can sit up unaided. Therefore, most kids bike seats are approved for use from around nine months. Even if your child can sit up on their own earlier, you should adhere to this guideline. This is also because the safety straps are designed for body sizes from this age range. Since your offspring – just like you – is exposed to the elements during the ride, appropriate clothing is a must. But rain jackets, rain pants, or warm shoes are likely already in your child's wardrobe – if not, you'll find suitable gear with us. A suitable bike helmet is definitely advisable for cycling equipment. Most accidents with child seats happen when standing still during the buckling and unbuckling process, when the bike can sway and fall over. The potential fall height for the child is quite high in a child seat, and a falling bike can quickly lead to serious injury. Hence, it's crucial to protect their head. Many child helmets are designed with a slightly flattened back of the head for wearing in a bike child seat. Generally, you can prevent the bike from falling by using a stable rear kickstand, or – if structurally possible – a bipod kickstand to keep your bike as stable as possible. 

A kickstand keeps both hands free so that you can easily place your child in the seat and buckle up without the bike tipping over.
A kickstand keeps both hands free so that you can easily place your child in the seat and buckle up without the bike tipping over.

A kickstand keeps both hands free so that you can easily place your child in the seat and buckle up without the bike tipping over. © Thule

Kids bike seats are safe and comfortable

The main task of a child seat: It must guarantee maximum safety. The requirements for a bike child seat are regulated by the DIN EN 14344 standard. It provides information about material quality, the necessary safety straps, and the maximum permissible weight. All bike child seats in our range are tested based on this standard. We also focus on high-quality products from well-known manufacturers like Thule, bobike, and others. This way, you can be sure that safe materials are used and that your young passengers' comfort is taken care of. Many child seats feature suspension. This better protects the children's spine when riding over obstacles. However, you should avoid trails or bumpy roads with a child seat to prevent injuries. An exception is child seats specially designed for mountain biking. More on that below.

Kids bike seats can grow with your child 

For your child to sit as comfortably as possible, the backrest and footrests on common models can be adjusted in size. A five-point harness system ensures that your child is stable and secure in the seat. The straps can also be adjusted according to the size of the child. So the bike child seat grows with your child. rear kids seats, mounted on the seat post or the luggage carrier, are approved for a weight of up to 22 kilograms, which roughly corresponds to a child's age of up to about six years. By law, the seats must be designed so that feet or hands cannot get into the spokes. Therefore, the footrests are equipped with additional restraints to secure the feet. 

Front kids bike seats: Pros and cons

The installation of a child seat on the steering tube is perfectly legal – everything else is just rumors. The advantage is that you always have your child in clear view. Plus, they get to see more of the world than just your back. However, a child can only sit in front until they reach a maximum weight of 15 kilograms or about three years of age. Later, it would obstruct your field of view too much, and the load on the steering tube and the restriction of steering behavior would be too high due to the extra weight. To prevent your child from tipping forward while sleeping during the ride, some models feature a special hand rest. Thule optionally offers a handlebar padding so that your child can easily rest their head. 

Downside of this mode of transportation: Your child is directly exposed to the wind. That's why some manufacturers offer a windscreen as an optional accessory. It prevents spray and wind from hitting the face directly. However, significant criticisms of front-mounted child bike seats are the higher risk of accidents, for instance, if you crash during an emergency stop and go over the handlebars, as well as more challenging balancing. On the other hand, a practical everyday benefit is that you can mount and dismount more easily and you have the rack for panniers or baskets, or your back for a backpack free. 

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Small and lightweight children can also enjoy a full view of the road ahead when seated at the handlebars. A windshield keeps oncoming wind at bay.

Small and lightweight children can also enjoy a full view of the road ahead when seated at the handlebars. A windshield keeps oncoming wind at bay. © Thule

Rear-mounted kids bike seats: Attaching to the seat tube

Most child seats for mounting behind the rider are now attached to the seat tube. The attachment is simple and stable. With these models, you are not dependent on a rack, and you can even take your child on a gravel bike – but only with aluminum or steel frames. Mounting on carbon frames can lead to serious damage since the child seat, with its two rods, requires a bracket to be bolted to the seat tube. Please pay attention to the allowed tube diameter, which typically ranges from 28 to 40 millimeters. Basic advantages of rear mounting include that the child seats offer more safety, less impact on handling, and also allow for sleeping positions. The benefit of this attachment is that you can still use bags on the pannier rack. Alternatively, you can retrofit a front carrier or mount a handlebar basket or frame bag. No matter how you solve your luggage problem, please don't shove your fully packed backpack in your child's face or force them to limbo under your messenger bag. Unfortunately, you still see this all too often. Also, it might feel unusual at first not having your child in sight. Tip: Here, a rear-view mirror on the handlebar can help. 

Rear-mounted kids bike seats: Attaching to the carrier rack 

If your seat tube is not suitable, for instance, if you ride a small frame size and the attachment bar is too long, you can also use child bike seats that attach directly to the carrier rack. It's important to pay attention to your rack's width when mounting and choose a child seat with the appropriate dimensions. Generally, however, the seats are suitable for carrier racks with a width of 110 to 170 millimeters, thus fitting most common models. Also, keep an eye on the maximum load of your carrier rack! Some are only rated for a maximum load of 20 kilograms and therefore not suitable for carrying older children. Information about this is often directly embossed on your rack. 

Carrying two children on the bike is possible 

As you might have already guessed, you can typically only carry one child in a designated seat. However, there are alternatives to a child trailer for transporting two kids. For instance, there are now cargo bikes equipped with a longer carrier rack. On these so-called mid- or longtails, you can attach two child bike seats in a row. However, this is not permitted on all bike models. So, please check in advance! If one of your kids can already ride a bike, you could add a FollowMe tandem coupling to your bike. The child's bike can then be hitched when its rider gets tired or at dangerous points in traffic, allowing you to continue your trip as a threesome. Lastly, you can also attach a child bike seat at the front and one at the back. But do pay close attention to the permissible total weight of your bike and familiarize yourself with the extra weight in a safe area. It's best to practice first with inanimate extra weights.

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Legal issues: From bike standards to kids seat lighting

By the way, even with just one child seat on the bike, you should also keep an eye on the total weight. Some bikes are only approved for a total weight of 100 kilograms according to standards, with e-bikes often allowed up to 120 kilograms. This total weight already includes the empty weight of the bike. So, if you want to transport a four-kilogram child seat plus a 20-kilogram child on a ten-kilogram sports bike, you yourself should only weigh roughly 66 kilograms. Therefore, please check the manufacturer's specifications regarding the maximum system weight of your bike in advance! You can find this information in the manual. Legally, you also need to be at least 16 years old to ride with a child bike seat. Regarding lights, you don't need to do anything if your bike already has a StVZO-compliant rear light on the carrier rack or the mudguard. However, a rear child seat may block the rear light if it's battery-powered and attached to the seat post, requiring you to look for an alternative, e.g. mounting it on the seat stay. The child seat itself does not need a rear light, but some models are equipped with additional reflectors and a mount for a battery-operated rear light. 

Everyday tips: Rain protection and luggage transport 

Generally, you should not take long journeys with your little one at the beginning. For your child, the unfamiliar sitting still can quickly become uncomfortable. Therefore, take a few breaks on longer journeys. If you ride a saddle with suspension, be sure to cover the springs. Your child could pinch their fingers there. And another tip for parking: A rain cover helps to keep the child seat dry in the rain. Your child will thank you. 
One last point: When transporting a lot of luggage, a trailer that you can attach to the rear axle makes sense. Though then the question arises why not just buy a kids trailer

The Shotgun kids bicycle seat is a great way to get your child interested in mountain biking at an early age.

The Shotgun kids bicycle seat is a great way to get your child interested in mountain biking at an early age. © bc GmbH & Co. KG

Leisure tip: Kids seats for mountain bikes 

If you're keen to share your passion for mountain biking with your little one, then MTB child seats are a fantastic way to do it. Your kid sits on a seat right behind your handlebar, getting a front-row seat to the action. Child seats for mountain biking either mount to the frame or use a support bar that attaches to the seat post and the fork steerer tube. Besides the seat, there's also footrests for the kiddo, and optionally, a small handlebar that mounts to yours, letting them get even more involved in the experience. Many systems feature a quick-release mechanism, so you can attach the child seat whenever needed on the fly. Just be mindful of weight limits, age recommendations, and whether your bike is compatible with the seat mount! 

Since there's no backrest, your child needs to stay awake and alert at all times on an MTB child seat. The trail's probably exciting enough, but keep that in mind when planning the length of your rides together. Also, remember to dress them appropriately on warmer days and don't forget the gloves! Their fingers can get really cold from the wind chill on the handlebars. Speaking of planning your rides: sticking to simple trails without jumps and drops keeps things on the safer side.

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