The Best Girls Bikes for All Ages

Many girls bikes put too much emphasis on flashy decorations, while skimping on quality and performance – just walk through the bike aisle of any big-box store for proof. The best girls bikes prioritize a great riding experience over those flashy decorations.

After testing over 100 kids bikes with a wide range of testers, we’ve found great options for little girls bikes, older girls, and all types of riders – from neighborhood cruisers to school commuters. For a bike that will instill a passion for pedaling in your little girl, stick to the recos on this page, and stay out of Walmart.

In this article, we’ve selected a few of our favorite bikes for each wheel size. For a more in-depth list of all our top choices, be sure to check out our lists of favorite kids bikes by size.

Our Criteria

Great kids bikes are a combination of many different factors. While our kids bike buying guide breaks down what features we look for overall, for girls bikes we put a little more emphasis on some additional features.

COLOR AND DESIGN: While a girl can certainly ride any bike with any design or color, we understand that some kids want a bike with more traditional girl styling. Fun graphics and patterns are a plus in our book, especially on bikes for younger girls. Although we only provided the traditional girl colors in the descriptions below, many of these bikes also come in black, blue, or green.

LIGHTWEIGHT: On average, girls weigh less than boys, so finding a bike that is less than 40% of a child’s weight is even more of a challenge. Building a lightweight, quality bike is very expensive. As a result, in order to provide options at various price ranges, some bikes we selected are slightly heavier than we would like, but we believe they are the best option in their price range.

GEOMETRY: How upright or leaned in a child sits on a bike can greatly affect the comfort level and maneuverability of a bike. Traditional “girl bikes” position the rider in a more upright position, which is preferred by casual or more timid riders.

Aggressive riders prefer to be more leaned-in to help them really lean into and out of turns. As a result, for the larger 20″ and 24″ sizes, we provide options for timid riders who prefer to sit upright as well as aggressive riders who prefer to lean in.

FRAME DESIGN: Traditional girls bikes typically have step-through frames to allow for easier ons and offs. While step-through frames ARE easier to get on and off, they do not improve the overall performance of a bike. As a result, we did not give preference to bikes with step-through frames. Interestingly, all of the bikes on this list have gender-neutral diamond frames. The only difference is color!

12 and 14 Inch Girls Bikes

There is something unbelievably thrilling about watching your little one ride away on her first bike! 12″ and 14″ bikes are best for ages 2 to 4, for use with or without training wheels. If you are considering a little girls bike with training wheels, we highly recommend getting your daughter started out on a balance bike instead, like the Strider 14x listed below. They are an easier and much more natural way for a child to learn to ride a bike.

Want more options in all price-ranges? Check out our Best 12 and 14 Inch Bikes Article.

What We Love About the Guardian 14

At just $269, Guardian’s 14″ bike is an impressive bang for your buck. With quality components, very kid-friendly geometry, and adorable designs, Guardian offers great bikes at a reasonable price tag.

This smallest Guardian pedal bike greatly from its proprietary SureStop braking system. A single lever on the right hand sequentially engages both the rear and front wheel brakes. You get the power of dual handbrakes by pulling just one lever!

While we love SureStop on any size bike, its simplicity is particularly helpful to the littlest riders who are just learning to pedal. Less to worry about, less to think about, your little rider can gain confidence more quickly.

What We Love About the Biky

The ideal blend of size and nimbleness, the BIKY AIR 14 is our top pick for young riders eager to start pedaling. With a minimum seat height of just 15.5″ and weighing only 11.5 lb., the Biky accommodates even the smallest riders. At the taller end, its extended wheelbase ensures a stable fit for kids up to 43″ tall, offering ample room without feeling cramped.

The longer crank arms on the Biky are also benefical as they enable riders to achieve higher speeds without the need for excessively rapid pedaling—a challenge for many young kids.

In contrast to its competitors, the Biky 14 features just one hand brake, but our group of kid testers had no trouble bringing the bike to a stop.

What We Love About the woom 2

Simple and intuitive, the woom 2 is an outstanding first pedal bike for kids transitioning from balance bikes. In addition to its lightweight frame, the woom combines premium components, thoughtful geometry, lots of color options and well-designed brakes to create an enjoyable and natural riding experience.

The woom 2’s specialized geometry positions the child’s weight over their hips (similar to standing), promoting a comfortable, upright posture. This alignment allows the bike and the child’s movements to harmonize seamlessly, making the learning process smooth and natural.

16 Inch Girls Bikes

Kids ages 4 to 6 are typically the best fit for a 16″ bike. Whether your child is graduating from a balance bike or moving up from their first pedal bike, their 16″ bike needs to lightweight, easy to balance, and fun to ride! These bikes fit all three criteria and receive a seal of approval from our little miss testers.

See our Best 16 Inch Bikes article to view more of our favorite 16″ bikes.

What We Love About the Guardian 16

The Guardian 16 is an exceptional bang for your buck. At this price point, you’re almost always stuck with a coaster brake (back pedal brake) on a 16″ bike. Not only does the Guardian 16 not have a coaster brake, but if features Guardian’s proprietary SureStop hand brake.

SureStop simplifies braking, which is particularly helpful for young riders. By pulling just one brake lever with the right hand, the v-brakes on the rear and then front wheels are activated for powerful, on-a-dime stopping. Knowing you can slow down or immediately stop with ease does wonders for a developing rider’s confidence.

What We Love About the Retrospec Koda

For families who just don’t want to spend more than $175 on a 16″ bike, the Retrospec Koda is hands down the best option on the market. Most bikes this cheap are poorly designed and difficult to ride, but Retrospec did an impressive job for the price point. Significantly better than brands like Huffy, Kent, and even Schwinn, our kid testers loved riding this Retrospec Koda.

Keep in mind that at this price point, you’re going to have a coaster brake (back pedal brake), which is one of the main reasons we encourage parents to spend a bit more for a bike like the Guardian which has hand brakes instead. Coaster brakes make learning to ride harder, but certainly not impossible if your budget won’t allow it.

What We Love About the Priority Start

With a lightweight frame, dual hand brakes, and no coaster brake, the Priority Start 16 is a wicked first girls bike for a very decent price.

Where Priority Bikes really shine is their belt drive, which replaces a traditional bike chain. This belt drive is grease-free, mess-free, rarely (if ever!) falls off, and is essentially maintenance-free.

What We Love About the woom 3

The 16 inch woom 3 is a slightly larger version of the 14 inch woom 2. Both of these bikes are the ideal bikes for beginners and timid riders, depending on the child’s size.

With a frame geometry that keeps a child in a natural, upright position, and their weight centered over their hips like when walking, riding the woom 3 is as natural and effortless as it gets.

20 Inch Girls Bikes

Kids ages 6 to 7 are typically a good fit for 20 inch girls bikes. If you’re looking for an 18 inch girls bike, you most likely need to look in this 20 inch size range instead. 18 inch girls bikes are generally cheap and low-quality. 20 inch girls bikes are similar in size, but made by much better bike companies.

Moving up to a 20″ bike is a big step for all child riders. While weight and performance are still concerns, gears are now on the table. To gear or not to gear, that is the question on most parents’ minds! For the average child rider, gears are fun to have, but not necessary.

As a result, we placed a few of our favorite single-speed 20″ bikes on the list. These bikes are fun to ride and MUCH easier to maintain that a geared bike. For those who want or need gears, we’ve included the Priority Start, which is a great introduction to gears.

For more options, check out our Best 20 Inch Bikes article.

What We Love About the Retrospec Koda

The team at Retrospec is laser-focused on delivering better quality kids’ bikes at incredibly low prices—and it shows. The Koda is a steel-framed, single-speed bike ideal for casual neighborhood riding, while the Koda Plus takes things up a notch with a lighter aluminum frame, dual hand brakes, and tool-free brake lever adjustments—all for a price lower than many big-box store bikes.

What impresses us most is that the Koda Plus 20” comes with good-quality dual hand brakes and NO coaster brake—a rare find under $300. Most bikes in this price range still rely on coaster brakes and heavier builds, making the Koda Plus a standout choice for budget-conscious families looking for real performance.

What We Love About the Guardian 20 Small

Guardian’s proprietary SureStop braking system is one of the brand’s most distinctive features. By connecting both the front and rear brakes to a single lever, SureStop simplifies stopping for young riders. When the lever is pulled, the rear brake engages first, followed by the front, giving kids smooth, controlled stopping power. For many kids, having just one lever to think about helps build confidence on the bike.

While some 20″ bikes have gears, the Guardian 20 Small keeps things simple as a single-speed bike. For most kids this age, gears add an extra layer of complexity that can make riding and maintaining the bike more difficult than it needs to be.

What We Love About the Co-op Cycles REV 20

REI Co-Op brand products have a strong reputation for offering solid quality at a more attainable price point. The REI REV 20 kids bike is durable, made with quality components, and comes with the peace of mind of the REI guarantee.

For a year after purchase, REI’s in-house bike shops will take care of any basic maintenance for free (but parts not included). And if you’re an REI member, they’ll fix your flats for free too… forever!

If you have a local REI, you can order online and choose to have it shipped to the store, where they will assemble it for you before you pick it up. While we don’t love the coaster brake, the REV 20 also has a single Tektro rear hand brake that is easy to pull and offers great stopping power.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE: Do not use these bikes with training wheels if purchased between 2022 and June 2024. The training wheels were faulty, which led to a recall by the CPSC.

What We Love About the Priority Start 20

If you think your little girl would benefit from having a geared bike, but you’re not sure she’s ready to tackle that challenge, the Priority Start 20 is for you!

With just three gears, the Priority Start is a perfectly simple introduction to the world of shifting. As an added bonus, Priority Bikes have internally geared hubs. These hubs are enclosed and much less likely to be damaged than the chain derailleurs found on most geared bikes.

24 Inch Girls Bikes

From riding around the neighborhood to longer family bike rides, a child’s 24″ bike can take them just about anywhere! These geared bikes are all suitable for miles of adventures and are also stylized to look a little “older” for kids ages 7 to 10.

For more options check out our Best 24 Inch Bikes for Kids article.

What We Love About the Retrospec Dart

Cheap 24″ girls bikes are uniquely problematic. They usually are either a single-speed cruiser (which limits going fast or climbing hills), or have two derailleurs and two shifters (which makes the bike heavier, maintaining it much more difficult, and shifting more confusing).

The Retrospec Dart 24 has 7 speeds and just one derailleur; it’s an uncommon find at this price point, but a great combination for a kid rider.

What We Love About the Guardian 24

Guardian’s proprietary SureStop braking system is one of the brand’s most distinctive features. By connecting both the front and rear brakes to a single lever, SureStop simplifies stopping for young riders. When the lever is pulled, the rear brake engages first, followed by the front, giving kids smooth, controlled stopping power. For many kids, having just one lever to think about helps build confidence on the bike.

As seen in the image above, the Guardian 24 accommodates a wide range of riders. The rider on the left is 49″ tall and the rider on the right is 57″, giving you a good sense of the bike’s fit range.

What We Love About the Guardian 24

Kids are hard on their bikes and regular maintenance is a must! If you’re looking for a high-end bike that requires less maintenance, Priority is for you.

The chains and derailleurs on standard bikes require regular cleaning and can be damaged easily. The grease-free belt drive of a Priority Bicycle is basically maintenance-free. And with the gearing mechanism enclosed in a sturdy hub, your bike’s gearing system isn’t exposed to easy damage like with a derailleur.

What We Love About the woom 5 Explore

The woom 5 Explore takes everything we love about the standard woom 5 and pushes it a step further for kids who are ready to adventure beyond the neighborhood. While still one of the lightest 24″ bikes you’ll find, the Explore adds features that make it more trail-worthy and versatile.

Outfitted with wider all-terrain tires, ergonomic grips, and a 9-speed drivetrain, the Explore gives young riders the range they need to tackle climbs, flats, and descents with confidence. The upright geometry keeps the ride comfortable on longer outings, while the gearing and tires make it capable of handling dirt, gravel, and light singletrack.

For families who want a bike that transitions seamlessly from school rides to weekend trail outings, the woom 5 Explore is an excellent match. It’s still approachable for newer riders but offers enough performance to grow with them as their skills and stamina expand.

Accessorize with Girls Cycling Clothes

While wearing designated riding clothes certainly isn’t necessary to have fun on a bike, it definitely can be more fun to have special riding outfits. Check out the Littles collection high-quality and adorable girls’ riding clothes and accessories.

Fun *Bling* Bike Accessories

A lot of bikes marketed towards girls have adorable combinations of streamers, baskets, and bells. While these accessories are cute, they aren’t worth buying a bike for. Most heavily “decorated” bikes are very poorly made and will likely cause an equally poor riding experience for your child.

Instead of buying a bike simply for the way it looks, why not buy an amazing bike and accessorize it? Better yet, if you happen to already have a bike, but it’s not quite what your daughter had in mind, blinging it out can help give it a new life!

That’s exactly what we did with one of our green 16″ bikes that was on its way to a young girl in need of a bike. Her mom said she wanted a pretty bike and green wasn’t exactly her favorite color. With a few accessories onboard, the “boring green” bike became a green beauty! We’ve got plenty of ideas for accessorizing any kids bike, girls bike, and even balance bikes.

If you’re specifically looking for baskets, check out our list of 11 Best Kids Bike baskets.

“BORING GREEN” BIKE BEFORE:

“FUN BIKE” AFTER:

Here’s what we added to the bike:

HANDLEBAR STREAMERS: These streamers attached by inserting a long plastic plug through the end cap of the bike’s grips. If your bike’s grip ends are solid, the DrBike streamers won’t work, but these Windmill Streamers will!

WHEEL SPOKE BEADS: Bike Wheel Flower Spokies by Ride Along Dolly, $8 and Wheel Spoke Luminous Beads by Kloud City, $6

BASKET: Emoji Basket by Biria, $17.50

FLOWER BELL (not shown in picture): Flower Bell, $10. For other great options for kids bikes bells, check our the list of our 9 favorites!