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Most kids grow out of a 14-inch bike in about eighteen months, which makes spending $200 on one feel like a bad trade. The RoyalBaby Astro argues otherwise: it uses a cast magnesium frame instead of steel, keeps the weight near 20 pounds, and adds a rear V-brake that actually works with small hands. We spent three weeks with the 14-inch build on sidewalks, a gravel path and one very steep driveway to find out whether the premium is real or just marketing.
Quick verdict
Score: 8.2/10 — Recommended for most families. The Astro 14 is the lightest sub-$250 kids bike we have handled in this size, and that single fact changes how a four- or five-year-old rides. A child who can lift their own bike off the ground will ride it more, complain less and recover from a tip-over without help. The magnesium frame is not a gimmick; it is the reason the bike works.
What holds it back from a higher score is the price relative to a two-year useful life, plus a saddle that is too firm for long rides and pedals that feel plasticky next to the rest of the build. If you have two children close in age, or you plan to resell, the math improves considerably.
Key specs
| Frame | Cast magnesium alloy, one-piece |
| Wheel size | 14 inch (also sold in 16 and 18 inch builds) |
| Brakes | Rear V-brake with kid-length lever reach |
| Weight | Approximately 20 lb / 9 kg as tested |
| Rider range | Roughly 3’1″ to 3’7″ (95–110 cm) |
| Extras | Training wheels, full chainguard, kickstand |
| List price | $219.99 for the 14-inch build |
| Owner rating | 4.6/5 from about 448 ratings at the time of writing |
What we like
- It is genuinely light. At roughly 20 pounds it sits closer to a balance bike than to the 26–28 pound steel 16-inch bikes most families buy first. A five-year-old can right it after a fall without an adult, which removes the main reason small riders give up.
- The magnesium frame absorbs pavement chatter. Cast frames are stiffer than steel in the drivetrain and slightly more forgiving over cracked sidewalk slabs. On a 20-minute ride our tester finished noticeably less rattled than on an aluminium comparison bike.
- The brake lever is sized for children. Most kids bikes borrow adult lever geometry and expect a 40-pound rider to squeeze it. The Astro’s lever sits closer to the grip, so stopping does not depend on hand strength.
- Nothing is exposed. The full chainguard means no grease on socks and no laces in the chain, and the frame has no sharp stamped edges to catch a shin.
- Assembly is short. Handlebars, front wheel, pedals and training wheels — we were riding in about 25 minutes with one adult and a basic hex set. The included tools are usable, which is not always true at this price.
What we don’t like
- Twenty-two hundredths of a child’s life. At $219.99 the Astro costs roughly what a decent 16-inch bike costs, but a typical four-year-old will fit it for 18 months to two years. Per year of use it is one of the more expensive options in the category.
- The saddle is hard. It is narrow and firm, fine for a 15-minute loop, less fine for a family ride to the park. A $25 padded saddle fixes it, but you should not have to.
- The pedals are the weakest part. Plastic bodies with a narrow platform; they spin freely enough but feel cheap next to the frame. They also collect grit, and after two weeks of gravel they were noticeably noisier.
- Training wheels are basic. They bolt on and off easily, but they are the flat stamped type that flexes under a leaning rider. If your child is still learning balance, start without them on grass.
- No quick-release seat clamp. Adjusting saddle height as your child grows means finding a hex key. On a bike designed to be outgrown, that is an odd omission.
How we tested
We built the 14-inch Astro and put it under a rider just over three and a half feet tall for three weeks: daily sidewalk loops, two gravel-path rides, one long driveway climb repeated until the rider was tired, and a dozen deliberate tip-overs on grass to see how the bike behaved when dropped.
We weighed the complete bike on a bathroom scale, checked frame and brake hardware for loosening after every ride, and compared it back-to-back against a steel 16-inch bike that weighs about seven pounds more. We also tracked how often the rider needed help lifting or righting the bike, because that is the variable parents actually feel.
We did not run instrumented brake-distance tests. What we can say is that a small rider who had previously dragged their feet to slow down started using the brake on their own within the first week, which is the outcome that matters.
How it compares
| Bike | Weight | Brake | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RoyalBaby Astro 14 | ~20 lb | Rear V-brake | $219.99 | Lightest option for a cautious 4–5 year old |
| RoyalBaby EZ 14 | ~21 lb | Coaster + hand brake | $189.99 | Families who want balance-to-pedal conversion |
| Typical steel 16-inch | ~27 lb | Coaster brake | $110–$150 | Budget first bike on flat ground |
| Woom 2 (14-inch) | ~17 lb | Dual hand brakes | $400+ | Buyers who want the absolute lightest |
The honest comparison is with the RoyalBaby EZ 14: it is $30 cheaper and converts from balance mode to pedal mode, but it is heavier and its brake setup is less confidence-inspiring for a beginner. If your child has already ridden a balance bike, the Astro is the better second step. If they have never balanced, the EZ buys you an extra stage.
What owners report
The 4.6 average from roughly 448 ratings is a strong signal for a kids bike, because the reviews come from parents who have lived with the frame for months rather than minutes. The consistent positives are weight and build: children ride it more, and it survives being dropped. The consistent negatives are price and the saddle, which is exactly where we landed.
One theme worth knowing before you buy: several owners note that the bike ships with the brakes needing adjustment out of the box. Ours needed a quarter turn on the barrel adjuster before the rear brake felt right. Budget five minutes for that during assembly rather than discovering it at the end of the driveway.
Living with it as your child grows
A 14-inch bike is a two-year purchase at best, so the resale and hand-me-down maths matter more than they do on adult gear. The magnesium frame holds up well enough that a used Astro still commands a real price, and the components are standard enough that a second child can inherit it without a rebuild. Keep the box and the manual if you plan to sell.
Watch the seatpost and handlebar limits as your rider grows. When the minimum insertion marks are reached, the bike is done — continuing to ride it at the limit is unsafe and is the point at which a 16-inch bike becomes the right answer. In our experience that happens somewhere around the child’s fifth or sixth birthday, depending on inseam.
Who should buy it
Buy it if your rider is between roughly 3’1″ and 3’7″, you are upgrading from a balance bike, and you will keep the bike for a younger sibling afterwards. The weight advantage is worth real money to a small, tentative rider.
Skip it if your child is already close to four feet tall — they will fit a 16-inch bike now, and the Astro will be outgrown in a season. Skip it too if the bike will live outdoors year-round; magnesium frames resist corrosion well but the hardware and saddle will not survive neglect.
FAQ
Is a magnesium frame actually better than steel?
For a child, the benefit is weight, not strength. Cast magnesium lets RoyalBaby build a frame around 20 pounds without thin-wall tubing. It is not dramatically more durable than steel, and it dents rather than bends in a hard impact. The weight saving is the point.
What age is the 14-inch Astro for?
Most children fit it between four and six years old, depending on inseam. Stand your child against the bike: they should be able to put both feet flat on the ground while straddling the frame, with an inch or two of clearance.
Can I add training wheels?
Yes, they are included. We would still start on grass without them for a week if your child has balance-bike experience.
Does it hold resale value?
Better than most budget kids bikes. RoyalBaby frames are recognizable and the magnesium models sell used for a meaningful fraction of retail, which is part of how we justify the price.
Where to buy
Update log
October 19, 2026 — published after three weeks of use. Price and rating checked against the live listing on the same date.
By Chloe Bennett
I am a field tester first and a writer second. Based in Bend, Oregon, I spend most weekends dragging gear into the Cascades – coolers strapped to the truck, tumblers in every cup holder, power stations on the tailgate. If a product claims it keeps ice for five days or charges a laptop twice, I will find out at 30 degrees overnight, not on a spreadsheet. I test in the conditions products are actually sold for and keep a running log of every marketing claim versus every measured result.