Child bike seats allow your little one to ride with you on biking excursions. The seats are mounted to the front or rear of the bicycle and can be used by children between the ages of 1 and 5 as long as the children meet the height and weight requirements. Don't forget to put a helmet on your child before placing him in a bicycle seat. Bike helmets greatly reduce the chances of the child sustaining brain trauma.
Features
Before you choose a bike seat for your child, you can run through a checklist in your head to determine the safest option. The bike seat should prevent the child from coming into contact with the wheels. The seat should be stable and include a secure mounting system. You should be able to get on and off the bicycle with ease while the seat is installed. The child bike seat should face forward and not to the rear of the bike.
Types
Safe-T-Seat and Co-Rider are examples of front-mounted child bike seats that are well rated and meet safety standards to keep your child secure during rides. The Safe-T-Seat was one of the top picks for child bike seats by the International Bicycle Fund website and the Galt website. The Safe-T-Seat includes features such as a pivoting lap bar, a three-point safety harness and solid leg wells, and it fits children up to 38 lbs. The Co-Rider is recommended by the International Bicycle Fund website since it has a very narrow profile to allow the child more knee clearance.
Considerations
A safe option for rear-mounted child bike seats is the Topeak BabySeat Child Bike Seat with Aluminum Rack. This seat, recommended by the Galt website, includes safety features such as a four-point harness, a padded safety bar, adjustable footrests and reflectors. The seat is appropriate for children as heavy as 40 lbs.
Warning
The safest child bike seats will be new and not purchased used. The problem with used bike seats is that you do not know if they were previously involved in a crash. Since impact may affect the safety of the seat, you should avoid them altogether. Also, the seat may have missing parts or excessive amounts of wear and tear that affects its performance.
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