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What to consider when buying a children’s bike seat?

A solid, safe children’s bike seat must meet the requirements stated in the EN 14344 European safety standard. But that’s not all you should be looking for when shopping for a children’s bike seat. A children’s bike seat should have safety straps, for example, to keep your little one securely strapped in their seat.
The best safety straps are at least 20 millimeters wide, keep children safely fastened at the shoulders and groin, and are difficult (if not impossible) to unfasten by the child itself. Most seats feature a three-point or five-point safety harness, ensuring that at least two separate actions are needed to unfasten the harness. Foot protection is also an important feature: foot guards with clasps (for securing active little feet) keep children from accidentally getting their toes caught in the wheel and also provide great foot support. Speaking of support, a firm backrest that supports your child’s back and sides is essential.
Things that a solid children’s bike seat should never have? Sharp corners, ridges and holes.

What children’s bike seat fits on my bicycle?

This mostly depends on the type of bicycle you have. You can mount a children’s bike seat on most city bikes, with or without using an adapter. The so-called mother’s bike (or, parent bicycle) is especially perfect for children’s bike seats thanks to its extra-wide handlebar, designed for effortless steering and getting off and on the bicycle without a hassle, even with two occupied bike seats. Mother’s bicycles are designed specifically to provide solidity and stability when you’re transporting one or several children. They often feature a double kickstand for stable parking even when the children are still seated.
For sportive bicycles, mounting a children’s bike seat can be a challenge. Unlike regular bicycle handlebars, the handlebars on sportive bicycles are often located not above but in front of the handlebar stem, causing significant problems when you’re trying to mount a children’s bike seat. If you own a sportive bicycle, be sure to research your possibilities before purchasing a children’s bike seat.

What children’s bike seat fits on an electric bicycle?

If you’re shopping for a children’s bike seat for your e-bike, think about the location of the seat. Whether a children’s bike seat is front-mounted or rear-mounted can mean there are different factors to consider.
With front-mounted children’s bike seats, consider the location of the e-bike display. Can you still see it and read information from it once the seat is installed? And how easy is it for the child to touch the display or fiddle with the controls?
You may also need to take the handlebar stem into account. If this is a non-standard stem, you might need an adapter to install the children’s bike seat. Examples of gorgeous, practical children’s bike seats for front-mounting on the e-bike are the Urban Iki Mini seat and Bobike Go Mini seats.
For a rear-mounted children’s bike seat, be sure to check whether the seat is meant for seat tube-mounting or mounting on the luggage carrier. If your rear-mounted seat is designed for seat tube installment, like this Yepp Maxi Easyfit seat, then “space” is key: there should be enough room to mount the seat on the seat tube and enough space between the children’s bike seat and the saddle. Make sure there is enough space to install the children’s bike seat, without compromising your freedom of movement or that of your child. If there is wiring along the seat tube, this may make mounting your children’s bike seat difficult, if not impossible.
When you have a children’s bike seat luggage carrier-mounting, like the Urban Iki Maxi or a Qibbel rear seat, and the e-bike battery is located underneath the luggage carrier, there should be enough space between said battery and the luggage carrier, so there’s enough space to install the seat. The maximum loading capacity and width of the luggage carrier are decisive factors, though. If the carrier is too wide, mounting a children’s bike seat is not possible.

What children’s bike seat at what age?

The following seats are suitable for children at these different ages:

•   Children aged 0 to 9 months: a baby safety seat inside a bicycle trailer, or a baby/toddler safety seat inside a cargo bike.
•   Children aged 9 months to 3 years: Children’s bike seats for front-mounting
•   Children aged 3 to 6 years: Children’s bike seats for rear-mounting
•   Children aged 6 to 10 years: Junior bicycle seats, rear-mounted

Children who can sit upright without any assistance are considered old enough to use a children’s bike seat. This is usually when they’re between 9 to 12 months old. Children can continue using a front bike seat up to the age of 3 years or weighing up to 15 kilograms. With children aged 3 to 6 years, switching to a rear-mounted seat is recommended (they should weigh a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 22 kilos).
Since cycling with an infant that can't sit upright by itself isn’t recommend, there are great alternatives for transporting your baby or toddler, like a bicycle trailer (in which you can easily install a Maxi Cosi or baby safety seat).

How long can you keep transporting a child on the back of the bicycle?

Once children reach the age of 6, they're usually capable of riding their own bicycles and will prefer pedaling independently to being put in a rear-mounted children’s bike seat.
When children (aged 6 years and up) sometimes still need to go with you on your bicycle, but they no longer fit in a “regular” children’s bike seat, try a junior bike seat! Junior bike seats are rear-mounted and have a backrest and seat with straps and removable footrests.

How do you mount a children’s bike seat?

This may differ per brand, although it’s safe to assume that most children’s bike seats have a special support bracket (for easy installment on your bicycle). This is usually included with the seat and rarely requires special tools, aside perhaps from a set of Allen keys. Children’s bike seats for front-mounting can be installed either on the handlebar stem or the top frame tube. Always check the seat’s measurements as provided in the product information, to make sure that the children’s bike seat fits your bicycle. Also check the seat’s maximum weight allowance or age limit.

How do you mount a children’s rear bike seat?

With rear-mounted children’s bike seats, one seat may be designed for mounting on the seat tube, while another seat is intended for mounting on the luggage carrier. You’ll often need a special adapter for luggage carrier installment, like when your bicycle has a luggage carrier that isn’t found on most (city) bikes. The advantage to these adapters is that when you have more than one of them (one on your bicycle and one on your partner’s bicycle, for example), it’s super easy to switch the children’s bike seat from one bicycle to another.

What is a safe children’s bike seat?

Everyone want a solid, safety children’s bike seat for their little one. Make sure you don’t just look at a seat’s many features, but also check whether it meets the EN 14344 European safety standard requirements. You can find evidence of this mark of approval on the children’s bike seat itself, either printed on the plastic or on a sticker.

Hollandbikeshop.com is a dealer of the most beautiful, safe children’s bike seats. You’ll often find children’s bike seats on sale at Hollandbikeshop.com by top brands like GMG Yepp, Qibbel, Bobike, Polisport, Thule and Urban Iki. Hollandbikeshop.com is the number 1 bike shop for your bicycle seats and parts. We have the largest range of bicycle parts (over 100,000) available from stock.