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Should I Buy My Child a 2 or 3-Wheeled Scooter?
If you purchase the right scooter, your child will want to ride from sunrise to sunset. You're off to a great start by browsing Micro Kickboard, as parents often attest that their kids just simply don’t want to hop off their Micro!
In this blog post, we’re tackling a popular question: Should I buy my child a traditional 2-wheeled Micro scooter or Micro’s 3-wheeled kickboard? Let’s look at the options together:
Often, parents of school-age children face this conundrum. They ask us which Micro scooter they should buy, and they want to know the pros and cons - which is more fun, what the differences are, and which will last the longest. These are all excellent considerations.
For comparison, we’ll be focusing on our favorite (and top-selling) 3-wheeled kickboard and our 2-wheeled Micro scooters: the Maxi Deluxe Kickboard (3 wheels) and the Sprite (2 wheels).
What are the highlights of these two scooters?
Maxi Deluxe
With its 3-wheels and kickboard-style ride, the Maxi is loved by virtually all school-age kids. The Maxi’s super-smooth glide and innovative steering is what makes it so much fun. The kickboard-style ride uses a system called ‘Lean-to-Steer’ because it involves kids shifting their body weight to turn.
Kids pick it up intuitively: for older kids (up to about age 12) the steering style offers a thrilling curving and carving action that is similar to a skateboard, while for younger kids who typically create gentler curves, it feels more stable than a 2-wheel scooter.
The Maxi essentially offers two levels of riding: more stability on urban sidewalks for younger riders (as it rolls over sidewalk cracks with ease), and an exciting action we call ‘surfing the sidewalks’ for older kids. The exceptionally strong Maxi helps all kids feel stable and confident when riding and also develops their balance and coordination in preparation for weight-shifting skills they will use for other sports throughout life.
An additional feature of the 3-wheel kickboards is that they stand up when kids hop off, making for a neater garage or mudroom, and makes it easy for kids to just keep on riding it - the Maxi is one of the scooters that kids just can’t stop riding.
Micro Sprite
The Micro Sprite is our top-selling 2-wheeler for kids for several reasons. The Sprite is super smooth-gliding and its precision Swiss design means it feels very solid and strong as you ride.
The Sprite holds up to 220lbs, which is surprising considering it is one of the lightest weight 2-wheel scooters on the market. It’s a great scooter for the ride to school because it is foldable, lightweight, and easy to carry. Virtually all kids love the Sprite’s smooth glide - there’s just no shake and rattle when you roll on a Micro - and it’s available in a carousel of colors, and with LED wheels!
Is one more of a “kiddie” scooter?
Nope! In fact the first Micro Kickboards were designed for adults. We recognized that it was both exceptionally stable for kids, and exceptionally fun, and created the first Mini. While we recommend the Maxi for children as young as age 5, and our recommended age for the Sprite is 6+, we encourage parents to recognize that the Kickboard is simply a different riding style, rather than a "training wheel."
Below, our Customer Service Director, David, offers his insights from parents and answers some of the questions that are frequently asked by parents:
“Believe it or not, the 3rd wheel on our 3-wheelers is far from a training wheel— in fact, the first Micro 3-wheelers were designed for teens and adults!
Rather than the 3-wheelers being for beginners, they are instead a completely different style of ride— the way you steer a 3-wheeler is closer to the way you would *lean* to steer a snowboard or surfboard.”
At this point, you may be thinking those adult kickboards don't sound too shabby. In fact, they actually sound pretty fun! We have kickboards for you too. Shop our adult Kickboards here.
Another misconception is that 2-wheeled scooters are just “cooler” for older kids. Have you seen kids riding a kickboard-style scooter? Not only do kids feel confident and cool because they can master their scooter, they can also have fun curving and carving down the sidewalk. It really is just a matter of difference in ride feel.
What are the differences I should consider?
Customer Service Director David’s take on the 3-wheeled "kickboard" ride:
“Going with a 3-wheeler, known as a "kickboard," will offer you the greatest stability along with the lean-to-steer method; this means you actually lean your body to steer the kickboard. A 3-wheeled kickboard can stand on its own without the aid of a kickstand; conversely, a 2-wheeled scooter cannot, thus exemplifying the added stability of a kickboard. Due to a kickboard's 3-wheel design, riders cannot make as sharp of turns on a kickboard as they can on a scooter.”
This has its pros and cons. The kickboards requires slightly more planning to turn, as the rider will curve into the turn. It’s also more stable and eliminates the jerky turns that can sometimes occur on a 2-wheeler.
Overall, the main trade off for a kickboard-style scooter is stability and ease of ride vs. the inability to make sharp, athletic turns.
Here’s what David thinks about our 2-wheeled Sprite:
“Going with a 2-wheeler like the Sprite will offer portability and convenience. Our 2-wheelers definitely require more rider balance than their 3-wheeled counterparts; this comes with the benefit of being able to make sharper, more athletic turns and an increase in overall maneuverability.”
Overall, the main trade off for the Sprite is portability and convenience, vs. added attention to balance and (added) physical requirements.
Differences in age and weight
One essential to consider when choosing between a 2-wheeled and 3-wheeled scooter is your child’s age. We recommend our 2-wheeled kids scooters for ages 6+ because often previous to this age, children don’t quite have the necessary balance and coordination skills to master this style of ride. The result is that children don’t feel confident and in-control, and in turn, their scooter simply isn’t as fun.
We recommend that parents focus on riding style, as it is the main difference between a 3-wheeled and a 2-wheeled scooter. After all, by choosing the right scooter for your child, you can be sure you’ve made a great investment! The good news is that you’re already on the right track by considering a Micro Kickboard product, the trusted and quality choice in scooters.
Hopefully you feel confident in your decision to choose either a 2-wheeled or 3-wheeled scooter for your child. Ready to shop? Click below!
Shop Micro Scooters for Children
Our award-winning customer service team is happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Need further recommendations? Wondering about accessories? Feel free to drop us a line!
