Hornit AIRO balance bike review

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Introducing our review of the Hornit AIRO 12" Balance Bike, a standout in the world of children's cycling.

Known for its lightweight design, the Hornit AIRO has quickly become a favourite among parents and young riders and this review dives into the features and performance of this popular balance bike, highlighting what makes it a top choice for those starting their cycling journey- and if it is worth the money!

Whether you're considering this as your child's first bike or upgrading from an older model, our comprehensive review will help you make an informed decision.

If you’ve not heard of Hornit before, they are known for their loud bike horns and fun, safety-focused accessories, Hornit has now ventured into the world of children's bikes.

They've sent us the Hornit AIRO to put through its paces, and we've handed it over to a keen 2-year-old Cycle Sprog for a thorough test. Read on to discover our thoughts on this exciting new balance bike!

Disclosure: Cycle Sprog were sent the Hornit AIRO balance bike to review. We were not paid to write this review, and all opinions are our own. We do use affiliate links so may get a small commission if you choose to buy through the links on this page. This funds the website, and we thank you for your support.

Assembly of the Hornit AIRO

When the box arrived at HQ, we were convinced it was empty, and that somehow Hornit had forgotten to put a bike inside! Given the weight of this little bike, it's no surprise, and that weight or lack of it is the first and most striking aspect of the Hornit AIRO.

Assembly of the Hornit AIRO was simple, as it arrived in the box with everything already in place. The only work on our part was to align the handlebars into the correct position and set the height of the saddle. We also checked the tyre pressures were correct and used the supplied hex key to ensure that the wheel bolts on the bike were sufficiently tight. And that was it – ready to ride!

First impressions of the Hornit AIRO

There is of course more to the bike than simply a lack of mass, and the beautifully formed shapes of the frame giving an aesthetically pleasing look. It's not carbon, however, which is good news for the bank balance, but a magnesium alloy.

Magnesium frames have never really taken off in the cycling world, but their lightweight and ability to be shaped into complex curves means it's well suited to the Hornit AIRO.

The frame is a sleek, one-piece affair that features two footrests for little feet when they get confident. The fork is also the same material, has proper headset bearings installed to assist steering.

The saddle and handlebars are all neat and small for little hands and a little neoprene cover adds some padding to the stem for extra protection.

Hornit claims this bike requires zero maintenance, which, given the lack of moving parts would seem reasonable. They also offer a lifetime warranty, which is good for peace of mind, especially if you're planning to pass it on down through multiple children.

To get moving, the AIRO rolls on 12.5″ diameter wheels. These are built using aluminium rims and have sealed bearing hubs to help keep out debris that tends to shorten bearing life and lead to that nasty grating sensation you can get with cheap bikes.

Wheels on kids bikes don’t need as many spokes as on adults because children don’t weigh much. So the AIRO has a low spoke count (12 per wheel) that should be plenty strong enough for intended use but will also keep the weight down. The “proper” air-filled rubber tyres mean comfort shouldn’t be a problem either. Hornit really has put a lot of thought into the AIRO and it’s interesting to see that in order to comply with EN71 testing for toys the Hornit AIRO does not come with valve caps on the tyres ‘because they are a choking hazard for young children’.

Safety is at the heart of everything that Hornit do (after all they make helmets and horns) so they’ve also added in a padded protector for the stem, so if your child happens to have an incident where they come off their bike, then they get some cushioning.

One thing to note is that there aren’t any brakes on the Hornit AIRO. There are two schools of thought about whether you should put brakes on a balance bike. Some brands do add in one or two brakes to give children the opportunity to learn to use them before transitioning to a pedal bike. They certainly aren’t essential and younger children won’t be able to use them. This is because the way to stop when riding a balance bike is to use your feet – very simple!

The Hornit AIRO in use

The arrival of the Hornit AIRO was timed perfectly for our 2-year-old to get going on a proper balance bike.

He is quite tall for his age, being 95cm tall with an inside leg measurement of 36cm (click here to learn how to easily measure your child for a bike)

What was immediately noticeable compared to our old balance bike was the seat height.

With the Hornit AIRO the saddle would go lower and he could confidently get going immediately and more comfortably.

Hornit's recommended inside leg measurement is 30cm to 48cm which gives a lot of growing room.

The low weight of the Hornit AIRO really came to the fore when he started to ride, as it allowed him to have independence with the bike, lifting it and turning it around with ease.

For him, this seemed like a toy, something he could play with on his terms and experiment with.

This bike is however far from a toy and is exceptionally well thought out.

The shape of the bike, with its low seat and frame makes getting on and off very easy and smooth. The fast-rolling wheels and tyres make moving the bike forward effortless.

Durability was on my mind with such a light bike, but I have had no issues with it other than scratching on the footrests which stick out on each side so are the first thing to take an impact when the bike gets dropped. Elsewhere the wheels are running perfectly and I see no reason that the Hornit AIRO won't continue running smoothly for years to come.

My only issue with the frame is that I struggle to see the need for the plastic insert in the frame which adds nothing to the quality of the frame and seems to be there purely for cosmetic reasons.

Alternatives to the Hornit AIRO balance bike

At 2.95kg the low weight is obviously a big plus point for the Hornit AIRO, but it's also very competitively priced at £139 against some of the big name players in the balance bike market.

The Kidvelo Rookie 12 is probably the biggest competitor for this bike, our reviewers also loved this balance bike, which comes in slightly lighter than the Hornit AIRO.

If you're on the hunt for a balance bike with a brake, the woom Original 1 is another brilliant balance bike, but is nearly £100 more expensive.

If you are looking for a balance bike for an older child, Hornit has recently added the AIRO 14" balance bike to their range, which includes a rear brake.

Overall verdict of the Hornit AIRO

The Hornit AIRO has been a massive hit with our youngest sprog and has been an ideal bike to get him out on two wheels. It's very light, well designed and good value for money and as such is hard to fault. With plenty of seat post left to extend I can see this lasting easily until he is ready to jump on to a pedal bike.

Hornit has hit a sweet spot in terms of price, style, functionality and weight and then topped it off by adding in a lifetime guarantee too.

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Where to buy the Hornit AIRO balance bike

Hornit sell direct through their own website. The Hornit AIRO balance bike comes in a range of five other bright and vibrant colours as well as the white we tested - red, yellow, pink, blue and turquoise.

They also sell a fun range of kids bike helmets with themes such as sloths, unicorns, spiders, icecreams, flamingos, llamas and sharks so it's easy to accessorise to match your choice of balance bike.

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This article was first published in 2021 and updated in August 2024 to reflect changes to the Hornit range and prices