Buying a scooter for the first time is a daunting task with a list of things that have to be accounted for. Check it out here if you want to make sure that you are doing the best job possible, regardless of the person you are buying it for.
One or more than one of the commonly found questions are related to height. What is the perfect height for the scooter, the wheels, the handlebars, everything? The handlebars are of particular importance because this is how you keep control of the scooter and help the magic happen. If you are also wondering about this, keep on reading to educate yourself on the matter.
General thoughts on the subject
One of the most frequent questions asked by parents or young riders just starting into the scooter world is “What height and width are the bars that I should get for my/my child’s scooter?”. Unfortunately, the truth is there is no exact, easy answer to this due to a large number of variables that have to be taken into consideration.
While this is not something most parents love to hear, it is the actual truth. Different models of scooters all come with their own size bars, not to mention the fact that you can even order custom height/width pro scooter bars if none of the regular ones work for you. Remember that bar size is usually 100% a matter of preference and these are just some guidelines for you.
Establishing the width
A pro tip for finding out the ideal width for you is to measure your shoulder width. It’s a great way to find out what will work best because if you end up getting bars that are not a good fit you may end up feeling uncomfortable while riding.
For instance, if your shoulder width is 18” you don’t want to order 12” wide bars because they will look and feel too small for your body. A general rule of thumb would be to get bars which are a little bigger or a little smaller than your shoulder width.
If the person you’re buying the scooter for is 5 feet or under, you wanna aim for 18” bars and under. Between 5 and 5’5 feet you wanna go for 19-21”. After that, until a height of 6 feet, your bar should be between 21-23” and anything over 6 feet tall will require 22” bars or even wider.
Establishing the height
Just like you used shoulder width to find out the accurate bar width, you can use your waist height to measure the proper bar height. Ideally, the bars should sit just below the waist while standing on the scooter so make sure to measure from the top of your headset down to the waist before ordering those bars.
This way, when you stand, your bars will end up just below the waist and provide the best control and comfort when riding. However, keep in mind that everyone is different and this may not work for everybody. Some people like taller bars for added comfort while riders who are into tricks will go for the smaller bars as a choice.
We’re going to go with the same standards just to keep up a regular pace. If you’re 5 feet or under, you need your bars to be 18” tall or even smaller. Up to 5’5 feet, you can opt for bars between 19-23”, from 5’5 to 6 feet order bars that are between 20 and 24”, while anybody over 6 feet will need some that are 23” or taller.
Advantages to each type of bars
As we said, there is a crowd for every type of bars out there. For knowledgeable folk, smaller bars are easier for your bri-flip and scooter flip tricks and also mean less total scooter weight while being much easier to fit in a car for your trips to tournaments and other things like these.
When opting for taller bars, you can rest assured you will deal with less back pain in the long run, more comfort when riding as well as less speed wobble.
It’s important to never choose larger scooter handlebars for your child thinking that he/she will get older and grow into them. Remember that if a scooter is too large it will be difficult for the kid to handle it and thus the risk of injuries will greatly increase. Even if accidents won’t be a part of the experience, it can still destroy confidence and make him/her want to give up riding.
It all comes down to the comfort you feel when sitting on it. Do you feel comfortable when taking it for a test ride? Do you feel you can safely control it without causing any accidents? If so, you have probably figured out the right fit and we are happy for you.
Scooters for children
Everything written above can apply for adults and children alike. However, picking a scooter for your child will require that you take into consideration things that you wouldn’t for yourself, such as the fact that children need, beyond anything else, a perfect position while riding. Their bodies are still developing so anything that will interfere with that should be a no-go on your side.
These days, the market is flooded with different shapes, sizes, types, anything you’d like. Therefore, it is quite important that you know what to look for when buying a scooter for your little one. Just like adults, finding the right position will primarily depend on his/her height and the scooter’s height.
Since kids have a lot of free time, riding an improper scooter for extended periods of time is likely to hurt the arms and back muscles, which is something you want to prevent. There should be no bending the back when it comes to child scooters. The arms have to be as straight as possible but still slightly bent at the elbow.
The handlebars have to be right about your child’s chest height, not while riding but when standing beside the scooter. Before buying it, check if the scooter has adjustable handlebars or use our numbers above to get some accurate measurements.
If you’re in a hurry and have no time for this – even though we think you should really make some – then the chest height we talked about is a good point to start your search from. This way, the ride will be very stable and the child will feel comfortable without putting any strain on his/her back or shoulders.
Final pointers
Remember that nothing is set in stone, and even if you went ahead and bought handlebars which are too large, they can always get trimmed down for the comfort of the rider.
If you have tall children, your best bet is to probably go for longer ones and use our measurements to figure out the exact one that is needed. For smaller boys and girls, you’ll probably end up noticing custom made parts are your best bet if you can find nothing that will be a good fit.
A wider deck is also a good place to start from, especially for beginner children and adults alike. This way, the rider will get used to the feeling of being on a scooter without sacrificing security for it.
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