When it comes to safely and enjoyably cycling with your little one, selecting the right Child Seat On Bike is paramount. It’s not just about attaching any seat; it’s about ensuring compatibility with your bicycle, the comfort and safety of your child, and ultimately, fostering memorable family rides. At usabikers.net, our team of content creators and parents has rigorously tested over 60 child bike seats with our own children over 14 years. This hands-on experience allows us to provide you with a meticulously curated guide to help you navigate the options and choose the perfect child seat on bike for your family’s needs.
From understanding the different mounting styles – front versus rear, frame versus rack – to considering the appropriate age range for your child, we’ll cover all the essential aspects. If you’re specifically searching for a baby bike seat for a very young child, it’s crucial to exercise caution. Experts, including organizations like Kaiser Permanente, emphasize that infants must possess sufficient neck strength to support their head, especially while wearing a helmet. Generally, waiting until your baby is at least 12 months old is the safest recommendation before introducing them to the joys of cycling in a child seat on bike.
| Bike Seat Category | Key Feature | Recommended Age | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Bike Seat | Smaller fit for infants and toddlers | 1 – 3 years | $79 – $219 |
| Toddler Bike Seat | Versatile fit for growing toddlers | 1 – 4 years | $109 – $299 |
| Child Bike Seat | Harness height optimized for older toddlers | 2 – 4 years | $249 |
| Kids Bike Seat | Open style, higher weight capacity | 2 – 5 years | $95 – $229 |
Child Seat on Bike: Fit and Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing the right child seat on bike can seem daunting, but it boils down to addressing three fundamental questions that most parents have. We’ve broken down these questions to simplify your decision-making process:
1: Front or Back Seat? – Should I opt for a child bike seat that mounts at the front or the back of my bicycle?
2: Frame or Rack Mount? – What are the key differences between a frame-mounted and a rack-mounted child seat, and which is suitable for my bike?
3: Budget Considerations? – How much should I expect to invest to get a child seat on bike that balances quality, safety, and comfort?
If you’re new to the world of child seats on bikes and unsure about the answers, we highly recommend exploring our detailed “How to Choose” section before diving into our top seat recommendations. This will equip you with the foundational knowledge to make an informed choice.
Want to see our top picks in action? Don’t miss our 10 Best Child Bike Seats video below! It provides a visual guide to our favorite seats, showcasing them in use and highlighting the standout features of each model, helping you visualize the best child seat on bike for your family.
Top Baby Bike Seats: Prioritizing Comfort for the Youngest Riders
These baby bike seats are specifically designed to provide a snug and secure fit for the smallest passengers, typically aged 1 to 3 years. Offering both front and rear mounting options, these seats cater to different preferences and riding styles.
Front-mounted baby seats, while typically having a shorter lifespan in terms of child’s growth, excel in fostering interaction between parent and child during rides. They offer an intimate experience, allowing for easy communication and shared enjoyment of the scenery.
Best Budget Front Child Seat
Peg Perego Orion
Price: $79
Age Range: 12 months – 33 lbs
Mounting: Frame-mounted front seat, compatible with various frame styles.
Key Features: Suspension system, 3-position adjustable footrests, standard nylon shoulder straps, versatile mounting bracket.
Why We Recommend the Peg Perego Orion:
The Peg Perego Orion stands out as an exceptional value option in front-mounted child seats on bikes. Despite its budget-friendly price, it doesn’t compromise on essential features. Its unique frame mounting system is a major advantage, particularly for bikes with limited space on the headset for mounting. By attaching to the head tube instead of the headset, the Orion ensures the child seat on bike remains stable even when you turn the handlebars.
This consistent center of balance is beneficial for adult riders who might be less confident with balance, providing added stability. While the Orion is more compact than other front seats, making it potentially outgrown sooner, it remains an excellent entry point for parents seeking an affordable and functional front child seat on bike. The detachable handlebar is designed for children up to 22 lbs, which is a limitation to consider as your child grows.
Best Lightweight Front Child Seat
Thule Yepp Nexxt 2 Mini
Price: $219
Age Range: 12 months – 33 lbs
Mounting: Threaded headset mount, requires 0.83″ free space on the stem.
Key Features: Lightweight design, large ventilation ports, secure foot straps, adjustable sliding footrests, front handlebar, magnetic safety buckle.
Why We Recommend the Thule Yepp Nexxt 2 Mini:
The Thule Yepp Nexxt 2 Mini is a top-tier front child seat on bike, celebrated for its lightweight construction and premium features. Thule’s renowned quality and user-friendly design are evident throughout this seat, including a unique, child-proof magnetic buckle that enhances safety and ease of use. The generous air vents are a thoughtful addition, ensuring your baby stays cool and comfortable, especially in warmer climates.
The quick-release bracket is a standout feature, allowing you to effortlessly attach or detach the child seat on bike in seconds. This is incredibly convenient for spontaneous bike rides. The integrated handlebar provides entertainment for your little one and keeps their hands safely away from your handlebars, enhancing control and safety for the adult rider.
Best Rear Child Seat with Unique Storage
Burley Dash
Price: $169 (frame or rack mount), $179 (MIK compatible), $199 (X reclining model), $219 (rack mount + rack)
Age Range: 12 months – 40 lbs
Frame Mounting: Requires 4.1″ on seat tube, clear of wires.
Rack Mounting: Available with or without a rack, MIK-specific version available.
Key Features: Rear storage pocket, 5-point adjustable harness, optional recline feature, easy-to-clean padding, adjustable footrests.
View on Burley View on Amazon Our Review
Why We Recommend the Burley Dash:
If you’re a fan of Burley bike trailers, the Burley Dash child seat on bike will not disappoint. It combines durability and thoughtful design at a competitive price point. Both mounting and daily use are simplified with the Dash.
Burley distinguishes its child seats on bikes with two exceptional features. Firstly, the integrated rear storage pocket is a game-changer for short trips, offering convenient space for essentials like keys and wallets without needing an extra bag. This feature is unique among the seats in this category. Secondly, the 5-point harness system offers unparalleled adjustability, adapting in length from the top, bottom, and sides. This comprehensive adjustability allows you to position the buckle optimally on your child’s chest, enhancing security and preventing clever toddlers from escaping.
For those seeking a rack-mounted child seat on bike, Burley streamlines the process by offering a proprietary rack specifically designed for the Dash. They also provide a MIK-compatible version, ideal for cargo e-bikes with built-in rack systems, further broadening the Dash’s compatibility.
Best Universal Fit Rear Child Seat
Hamax Caress
Price: $169 (frame and rack)
Age Range: 12 months – 40 lbs
Frame Mounting: Requires 3″ on seat tube, compatible with bikes with seat tube wires.
Rack Mounting: Rack not included.
Key Features: Variable reclining, dual suspension (frame and rack options), helmet recess for comfort, adjustable backrest height, non-slip shoulder straps, adjustable footrests, theft-protection lock.
View on Hamax View on Amazon Our Review
Why We Recommend the Hamax Caress:
The Hamax Caress child seat on bike is distinguished by its remarkably universal mounting system. Many bikes have wires running along the seat tube, which often pose a challenge for frame-mounted seats. However, the ingenious design of the Hamax Caress’ mounting block effectively circumvents this issue, making it compatible with a significantly wider range of bikes compared to typical frame-mounted options. And if frame mounting isn’t feasible, the rack-mounted version provides an alternative solution.
Beyond compatibility, the Hamax Caress is built for durability and ease of use. It offers quick and straightforward adjustments, a recline feature up to 20 degrees, suspension for a smoother ride, and soft, slightly textured foam shoulder straps that prevent slipping. These comfort and safety features make the Hamax Caress a worthwhile investment. Notably, the Hamax Caress Rack Mounted version includes suspension, a rare and valuable feature in rack-mounted child seats on bikes, enhancing ride quality for your little passenger.
Top Toddler Bike Seats: Adaptable Comfort for Growing Children
Toddler bike seats are engineered with highly adjustable harnesses, making them ideally suited for children from approximately 12 months up to 4 or 5 years old. These versatile child seats on bikes are all designed for rear mounting, either on a rack or directly to the bike frame, positioning the child securely behind the adult rider.
Best Value Ventilated Toddler Seat
Bellelli Pepe
Price: $110 (frame), $95 (rack)
Age Range: 12 months – 48.5 lbs
Frame Mounting: Requires ~4″ on seat tube, clear of wires.
Rack Mounting: Rack not included.
Key Features: Lightweight construction, adjustable sliding footrests, two buckle depth settings, superior ventilation design.
Why We Recommend the Bellelli Pepe:
The Bellelli Pepe child seat on bike offers excellent value, providing a comfortable and safe ride without breaking the bank. Its standout feature is the exceptional ventilation system, ensuring your toddler stays cool even on warmer days. Combined with high sideboards for enhanced security and adjustable footrest height, the Pepe is designed with your toddler’s comfort and safety in mind.
A thoughtful detail is the inclusion of two depth settings in the seat’s center, allowing for a more customized and snug fit, especially for smaller or younger children. This feature helps compensate for the standard nylon shoulder straps, which can sometimes be prone to slipping. The Pepe also offers three shoulder height slots, surpassing even pricier models like the Thule Yepp Maxi in adjustability.
Best Rack-Included Toddler Seat
Topeak BabySeat II
Price: $209 (rack mount only, includes rack)
Age Range: 12 months – 48.5 lbs
Rack Mounting: Rack included for mounting; options for standard or disc brakes. Frame mounting not available.
Key Features: Wrap-around protective design, suspension system, soft mesh padding, adjustable footrest height, easy and quick mounting/unmounting.
View on Amazon Our Review
Why We Recommend the Topeak BabySeat II:
If you’ve determined that a rack-mounted child seat on bike is the best option for your bicycle, the Topeak BabySeat II is an uncomplicated and highly recommended choice. It uniquely includes its own rack, eliminating the common hassle of finding a compatible rack for your chosen seat. Topeak simplifies the setup by providing everything you need in one package.
The BabySeat II also features a proprietary mounting system that clicks securely onto the rack, making installation and removal significantly faster and easier than with many other rack-mounted child seats on bikes.
Most Comfortable and Adjustable Toddler Seat
Thule RideAlong
Price: $299
Age Range: 1 year – 48.5 lbs
Mounting: Requires >6″ on seat tube for bracket mounting, clear of wires.
Key Features: 5-position recline, suspension system, color-coded adjustment points, adjustable sliding footrests, premium, stay-in-place shoulder straps.
Why We Recommend the Thule RideAlong:
The Thule RideAlong is the epitome of luxury in child seats on bikes. It’s a high-quality, robust seat constructed with top-of-the-line components, designed for ultimate comfort and convenience. The harness system is the best in its class, featuring exceptionally comfortable, padded shoulder straps that reliably stay in place. These straps also offer sliding height adjustments, ensuring a perfect, secure, and comfortable fit as your child grows from 1 to 5 years old.
A standout feature is the RideAlong’s five recline positions, easily adjustable on the go to accommodate your toddler’s napping needs. The DualBeam suspension system further enhances comfort by minimizing road bumps. Additionally, the unique low-saddle adapter broadens compatibility, allowing the RideAlong to be safely mounted even on bikes with lower saddles that typically pose fitting challenges for child seats on bikes.
Top Child Bike Seats: Optimized for Older Toddlers and Preschoolers
These child seats on bikes are designed with harness systems that adjust to a higher starting point, making them optimally suited for children aged approximately 2 years and older. Both models offer the flexibility of rear frame or rear rack mounting options.
Most Lightweight Child Seat Option
Thule Yepp Nexxt 2 Maxi
Price: $249 (rack mount), $279 (frame mount)
Age Range: 1 year – 40 lbs (48.5 lbs in Europe)
Mounting: Requires >6″ on seat tube or rack eyelets.
Key Features: Lightweight design, large ventilation ports, secure foot straps, adjustable sliding footrests, 5-point harness, magnetic safety buckle.
Why We Recommend the Yepp Nexxt 2 Maxi:
The Thule Yepp Nexxt 2 Maxi child seat on bike is praised for its lightweight design and low center of gravity, which minimally affects the adult rider’s balance. It features ample ventilation to keep your child’s back cool in warm weather and a soft, dense foam pad for enhanced seating comfort.
Parents will appreciate the user-friendly, child-proof magnetic buckle and the foot straps, which are significantly more effective than most at keeping little feet securely positioned. As a Thule product, it upholds the brand’s reputation for top-notch quality and ease of use in child seats on bikes.
Comfortable and Secure Child Seat
Thule Yepp 2 Maxi
Price: $229 (rack mount), $195 (frame mount)
Age Range: 1 year to 40 lbs (48.5 lbs in Europe)
Mounting: Requires >6″ on seat tube or rack eyelets.
Key Features: 5-point harness, adjustable sliding footrests, suspension on all models.
Why We Recommend the Thule Yepp 2 Maxi:
The Thule Yepp 2 Maxi child seat on bike is recognized for its exceptional quality and user-friendliness across the board. While it excels in most aspects, it’s worth noting that the buckle design on the Yepp 2 is not entirely child-proof. Testers aged 3 and older were able to unbuckle themselves.
We are currently addressing this concern with Thule. In the meantime, for parents prioritizing a completely childproof buckle, we recommend considering the Thule Yepp Nexxt or Thule RideAlong as alternative child seats on bikes.
Top Kids Bike Seats: Open-Style for Older Children
Open-style child seats on bikes are characterized by higher weight capacities, making them an excellent choice for parents who wish to cycle with older children. Due to the absence of a harness, these seats are best suited for older toddlers or preschoolers who can reliably hold onto the handlebars throughout the ride. If you are interested in exploring other open-style front kids bike seats, we recommend checking out our 8 Best Front Child Bike Seats comparison list.
Easiest to Use Open-Style Seat
Mac Ride
Price: $229
Age Range: 24 months – 5 years (up to 60 lbs)
Mounting: Headset and seat post mount, headset spacer required.
Key Features: Open design, low-profile saddle for rider space, U-shaped saddle for stability, no frame contact.
View on Amazon View on Mac Ride Our Review
Why We Recommend the Mac Ride:
The Mac Ride child seat on bike is a unique “mid-mount” option, positioning children centrally while riding. Originally engineered for mountain bikes, the Mac Ride is adaptable to a wide range of frames, from trail bikes to full-suspension downhill mountain bikes.
The Mac Ride is ideal for families who enjoy trail riding, but it’s equally suitable for urban cycling. It can also be fitted to cruiser-style bikes with a quill stem adapter. Its distinctive mounting system allows for incredibly quick attachment and detachment, and easy transfer between bikes, making it a highly versatile child seat on bike.
Best Budget-Friendly Open-Style Seat
UrRider
Price: $95
Age Range: 24 months – 5 years (up to 60 lbs)
Mounting: Headset and seat post mount, headset spacer required.
Key Features: Open design, low-profile saddle for rider space, U-shaped saddle for stability, no frame contact.
Why We Recommend the UrRider:
The UrRider child seat on bike provides a comfortable riding experience for children with its soft saddle, handlebar grips, and footrests. Parents will appreciate the rubber-lined legs, which protect the bike frame from scratches. It’s a budget-friendly option that doesn’t compromise on essential comfort and protection features for a child seat on bike.
How to Choose the Best Child Seat on Bike for Your Bicycle
With over 60 child seats on bikes tested, we’ve gained extensive firsthand knowledge on selecting the ideal seat for your child and bike setup. The key is to understand the available options and how they align with your specific needs. Let’s break down the decision process:
STEP 1: Front or Back Child Bike Seat? {#front-or-back-child-bike-seat}
Choosing between a front or back child seat on bike is largely based on personal preference, but should also consider your child’s age, weight, and your comfort level as a rider.
Rear vs Front Harness vs Front No Harness
Rear Mounted Child Seat
- Age and Weight Capacity: Rear child seats on bikes are generally suitable for children aged 12 months to 40 lbs (and up to 48 lbs in Europe). They are typically larger than front-mounted seats and offer a longer usable lifespan. However, they might not be the best fit for children under 18 months old.
- Mounting Options: Rear seats can be mounted to the bike frame or to a rack, which we will discuss in more detail below.
- Features: Rear child seats on bikes often include comfort-enhancing features like recline options, suspension for smoother rides, and adjustable shoulder straps for improved fit and security.
- Biggest Benefit: Longevity. Rear-mounted seats can often accommodate your child for 3 to 4 years, significantly longer than the 1.5 to 2 years typical of front-mounted seats. If you’re looking for a child seat on bike that will grow with your child, rear-mounted is the way to go.
- Biggest Drawback: Balance. The weight of both the seat and your child positioned behind you can noticeably affect your balance, especially as your child gets heavier. This can make rear-mounted child seats on bikes slightly more challenging to handle, particularly for less experienced cyclists.
Front Mounted Child Seat (with Harness)
- Weight Capacity: Traditional front-mounted child seats on bikes are smaller and generally designed for children from 12 months up to around 2.5 years old, with a weight limit of about 33 lbs.
- Mounting Position: These seats mount near the handlebars, typically to a threadless headset or the bike’s head tube. This position provides a close and interactive riding experience for both parent and child.
- Biggest Benefit: Proximity and Interaction. Front-mounted child seats on bikes are ideal for parents who want to keep their child close. Having your little one between your arms allows for better visibility and easier bike handling compared to rear seats. Children often feel more secure and enjoy the unobstructed view, while parents appreciate the close interaction.
- Biggest Drawback: Shorter Lifespan. Children typically outgrow standard front child seats on bikes much faster than rear seats.
Front Mounted Child Seat (No Harness, No Seat Back)
- Age and Weight Capacity: Without a harness or seat back, these mid-mount child seats on bikes are suitable for children aged 2 to 6 years. At the younger end of the spectrum, the child must be old enough to confidently hold onto your handlebars. Many of these seats have a high weight limit of 60 pounds!
- Mounting Position: This newer style of front child seat on bike is mounted midway between your bike saddle and handlebars.
- Biggest Benefit: Longest Comfortable Lifespan. These seats offer the longest comfortable use – we have even ridden with a 60-pound, 6-year-old on one! Additionally, because the weight is centered on the bike, the impact on balance is minimal, even with a heavier child in the child seat on bike.
- Biggest Drawback: No Harness. Some parents may be uncomfortable with smaller toddlers riding without the security of a harness.
STEP 2: Bike Compatibility – Frame or Rack Mounted Child Seat? {#frame-or-rack-mounted-child-seat}
Given the variety of child seat on bike styles and adult bike frame designs, compatibility is a significant consideration. In fact, compatibility issues are often the cause of negative reviews for otherwise good seats. After deciding between front and rear mounting, you need to assess your bicycle to determine whether you can mount the seat to the frame or if you’ll need a rack.
Rear Frame Mounted Child Bike Seat
Mounting a rear child seat on bike to the bike’s frame is generally more economical as it avoids the additional cost of purchasing a rack. However, many bikes are not compatible with frame-mounted seats.
Two Key Compatibility Questions:
(1) Is your bike’s seat tube compatible with a child bike seat?
(2) Is your saddle (seat) set too close to the frame of the bike?
1) Is your bike’s seat tube compatible?
The mounting bracket for a rear frame-mounted child seat on bike attaches to the seat tube. This tube must be round and have at least 4″ to 6″ of unobstructed space. This area must be free of water bottle mount studs, wire mounts, and, for most child seats on bikes, completely clear of any wires.
Interfering Cables for Rear Frame-mounted Seats
2) Saddle Height and Frame Clearance
Even if your bike frame provides adequate clearance for the mounting block, you may still encounter fitting issues if your saddle is set low on the bike frame. If your saddle is positioned at its lowest setting or very close to touching the bike frame, mounting a rear frame-mounted child seat on bike might be problematic.
Rear Rack Mounted Child Bike Seat
Rear rack-mounted child seats on bikes are attached to a rack that is mounted to the adult bike frame above the rear tire. Typically, child seats on bikes do not include a rack. If your bike is capable of accommodating a rack, most rack-mounted child seats on bikes will be compatible. The rack should have a weight capacity of at least 60 lbs.
Two Key Rack Compatibility Questions:
(1) Does your bike have eyelets for mounting a rack?
(2) Does your bike have disc brakes?
1) Does your bike have rack mounting eyelets?
Eyelets on your bike frame are essential for mounting a rack. Without these eyelets, you cannot securely attach a rack to your bike for a rack-mounted child seat on bike.
Rack-compatible bikes have two sets of eyelets on the frame – two near the rear wheel axle and two higher up on the rear triangle. The upper eyelets are usually easier to locate and their presence generally indicates that the lower eyelets are also present.
2) Does your bike have disc brakes?
Bikes equipped with disc brakes have a prominent rotor located around the wheel’s hub. If your bike has disc brakes, it’s imperative to choose a rack specifically designed to be compatible with disc brakes for your child seat on bike setup.
Front Frame Child Bike Seat
Traditional front-mounted baby bike seats (those with a harness and seat back) can vary considerably in their attachment methods. We will focus on the two most common attachment types: threaded stem and head tube mounting for child seats on bikes.
Two Key Front Seat Compatibility Questions:
(1) Is your bike frame large enough to comfortably accommodate a front-mounted seat?
(2) What type of headset does your bike have: Threaded/Quill or Threadless/Ahead?
These questions can be easily answered with a tape measure and a visual inspection—no professional assistance needed!
1) Bike Frame Size and Front Seat Clearance
Front-mounted child seats on bikes typically require approximately 10″ of space between the stem and saddle of your bike. If the top tube length (the distance between your handlebars and seat tube) is less than 20″, you might find that your chest and knees come into contact with the child seat on bike, making for an uncomfortable ride.
Cruisers, hybrid bikes, or other bikes that promote a more upright riding posture can often accommodate a front seat with a top tube length of around 18″. However, forward-leaning road bikes are generally not suitable for front-mounted child seats on bikes as the rider’s chest will likely interfere with the seat.
Photo Source: Dutch Trading Company (Brighton UK)
2) Headset Type: Threaded/Quill or Threadless/Ahead?
Adult bikes primarily use two main types of headsets – threaded/quill and threadless/ahead. Front child seats on bikes that attach to the headset are generally compatible only with threaded headsets.
Threaded/Quill Headsets
For quill stems, the mounting bracket is clamped around the stem itself. These mounting brackets typically range from 0.5″ to 1.5″ in height, requiring that much free space on the stem. If you lack sufficient space, you can often loosen the locknut and slightly raise the handlebars to create the necessary room for mounting your child seat on bike.
Threadless/Ahead Headsets
If your bike has a threadless headset, you still have options for front child seats on bikes. The Peg Perego Orion seat offers four unique mounting configurations to attach to your bike’s head tube (not the headset itself). Additionally, the Hamax Observer provides a threadless/ahead adapter to facilitate mounting.
Front Mount Seat – No Harness
Front child seats on bikes that mount midway between your saddle and handlebars are significantly easier to fit on a wide variety of bikes compared to rear and traditional front-mounted seats. Most mid-mount seats attach by “squeezing” the top tube and bottom tube of the bike frame or by mounting to the seat post. This design adaptability makes them compatible with a broader range of bicycle types for a child seat on bike setup.
There are two primary styles of mid-mount seats, each designed for distinct purposes. Recreational seats are intended for casual, short rides around town, while mountain bike child seats on bikes are built for more rugged terrain but can also be used recreationally.
Because each brand utilizes its own unique mounting method, we recommend consulting the detailed reviews on our website. For specific fitting requirements for each seat, please refer to their individual reviews: Do Little, Tyke Toter, Mac Ride and Kids Ride Shotgun.
Baby Bike Seat Age and Safety Considerations
While many baby and child seats on bikes are technically safety-rated for infants as young as 9 months, it is not generally recommended to place a 9-month-old on a bike. Many jurisdictions legally restrict placing children under 12 months in a child seat on bike.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises waiting until a child is 12 months old and can sit upright unassisted before using a child seat on bike. Numerous other safety organizations, including the CPSC, concur with this recommendation. You can review the CPSC’s guidelines for babies on bikes for more information.
ASTM and EN Safety Certifications
What is the maximum weight limit for a rear child seat on bike? This depends on the safety standards applicable in your region.
In the US, these seats are safety-rated up to 40 pounds according to ASTM F1625, while in Europe, the standard is 48.5 pounds, as per EN 14344.
However, the situation can be confusing because many seats sold in the US are certified to both US and European standards. This means the same child seat on bike might be rated to 40 pounds in the US but 48.5 pounds in Europe.
For instance, consider the popular Topeak BabySeat II. It is safety certified in the US by ASTM (40 pounds) and also meets the European EN 14344 standard (48.5 pounds).
Why is this distinction important? Often, US parents may choose a child seat on bike believing it has a higher weight capacity, attracted by a “max weight capacity of 48.5 pounds.”
If a standard rear child seat on bike marketed in the US lists a 48.5-pound weight capacity, it almost certainly refers to the European safety rating.
If you are looking for a rear child seat on bike to carry a child over 40 pounds, there is no safety rating for this in the US for standard rear-mounted seats. Choosing to adhere to the European standard is a personal decision.
For transporting children over 40 pounds, consider open-style front child seats on bikes like the MacRide or Kids Ride Shotgun Pro, which have weight capacities up to 60 pounds.
When considering safety certifications, always ensure that your rear child seat on bike has either an ASTM or EN certification. While not all seats are certified (and ASTM compliance is not legally mandated in the US), choosing a certified seat is a prudent safety measure.
It’s worth noting that there is currently no ASTM certification standard for front-mounted child seats on bikes.
Related Articles on Child Bike Seats
Child Bike Seats: How to Choose: Navigating the complexities of child seats on bikes requires education on proper fit for both your child and your bicycle.
Child Bike Seats: Comparison Chart: Explore, compare, and read reviews on a wider selection of child seats on bikes.
If you are also in the market for a new adult bike, we’ve tested numerous models and compiled our top recommendations on our 10 Best Women’s Bikes page.
