This article is from my beloved sister who has a 13 years old boy - written by me.
Finding how to buy skates for toddlers is not an easy task. It involves your toddler's safety.
Skating a is a great sport with plenty of benefits. However, as a parent, I also understand that many of you are hesitant about this art sport as it contains the potential dangers for your kids, such as a fall, injury, or fracture.
And I am concerned, too.
Deep down, I just want to put my child at home, where I can baby proof the entire place to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. But that is just not good for him.
So the first thing I did when he asked if he could get a pair of skates was to find a good pair for him.
How to buy skates for toddlers? Read on! I bet that my guide can save you much time and effort in the complicated skates selection task.
How to buy skates for toddlers: benefit of skating
Before getting down to choosing a pair of skates that best fit your toddlers, make sure you understand the basics as well as the benefits of skating to your kids.
Help children stay active
One thing that all sports have in common is that it helps people exercise. Not just that, skating is fun.
Your children will be able to exercise and train better and better through the sliding movements supported by the wheels. The gentle, fluid movements of skating will make your kids relax.
Increased agility
This applies well to my son. Skating requires combined limb, hip, and shoulder movements. The wheels roll continuously, pushing these parts to work at the same time to help increasing agility.
As your child is busy skating, he will not go for video games or smartphones. It is a win-win for all.
More confident
Tilting, falling, bumps or obstacles encountered while skating will help your child become more confident. In addition, skating with friends and teachers will help children enhance social interaction. Your toddlers can gradually build confidence through training sessions.
Learn persistence
Skating has many technical moves that require children to explore and pursue. Therefore, this is a subject that helps children learn persistence to pursue their passions as well as train themselves a personality to achieve a goal through the practice of conquering movements.
This sport also requires children to be highly focused, looking ahead so as to avoid obstacles when the body is always moving. It is no exaggeration to claim that skating is a sport that helps children practice more concentration.
How To Buy Skates For Toddlers - A Straight-to-the-point Guide For You
My advice on the most effective age for a child to start participating in this sport is 4 years old. However, it is not difficult to catch sight of many 3-year-olds manoeuvring skillfully on skates in parks or apartment complexes.
Young children's feet are weak and develop very quickly. Therefore, choosing the high-quality and suitable skates for the children’s feet may pose a great challenge for parents, especially those who are new to this sport.
Don't worry, please read the notes below, I have listed out some criterias you must take a look at when finding the answer for how to buy skates for toddlers.
Brand
Any product from well-known and reputable brands gives us a sense of peace of mind, and skates are no exception. When buying skates, you should prioritize the brand factor first in case you are a non-professional.
Some of the most famous brands that supply skates around the world and are present in many countries that I think you can place your trust in include Flying Eagle, Micro, or Dragun. These are the best-selling brands of skates in the market. And your job is just to choose the brand that's best for your budget.
On the market, there are many different models of skates with eye-catching and funny shapes to satisfy the children’s taste. However, don’t rush to buy them on the spur of the moment! They may be low-quality skates, which contain unsafe risks for the baby's developing feet and ankles (ankle flip, ankle pain changes in gait when using skates for a long time).
Let's take a closer look at a reputable brand, which is widely trusted by most parents, and you can make a wiser decision. Mark my words: Don’t spend money on a quack doctor and only get worse!
Some criterias to choose the best skates for your toddler:
Size and Weight
Because children's foot sizes often change quickly, parents should choose skates that can be adjusted to a large size easily so that they do not need to change continuously. A unique feature of children's skates is the ability to customize shoes ranging from 4 to 5 sizes, which can fit all foot sizes of toddlers. This condition is suitable for product lines for recreational and entertainment use.
If children practice intensively, professional skates will improve their ability to perform hard techniques. Professional product lines are usually single size.
For children 3 to 5 years old, if the kid weighs 44 pounds, their feet are usually ‘size S’. Children weighing more than 44 pounds to less than 66 pounds can fit 'size M' skates.
In case your child is between the ages of 6 and 8, choose ‘size L’ if he weighs 66 to 88 pounds.
What if the weight exceeds the above numbers?
In this case, parents should consider switching to adult models (not adjustable) for their children to bear a greater load.
A little note for you is that the instructions on choosing skates sizes are mostly based on age and weight. Many children are little but with big feet, so parents should consider the feet size as well.
The weight of a skate is extremely important in regard to technique when playing. Skates, when held in hand, must be compacted, not too light. When worn on the feet, it is gentle and easy to move.
Material
The choice of the material of the skates is of paramount importance, especially for children. To completely avoid the risk of affecting the joint and causing deformation of the feet, parents should choose skates with molded plastic material, or carbon composite. These are the two best and hardest materials for skates.
If choosing a fabric skates pattern, parents should pay attention to the thickness and rigidity of the fabric layer. Toddlers will not have the best experience if you buy the wrong kind of fabric. This can make it difficult for your kids to practice, directly affecting their feet. The worst case scenario is causing an unwanted accident for them.
Boot liner
Parents should choose skates with smooth and thick liner to ensure the child's foot bones are fully protected. In addition, if you are in financial stability, give preference to high-end skates because they have boot liners with close-to-foot technology, making it easy for your toddlers to perform the technique.
Frame
This part is created with the function of holding the wheels and fixing them to the boot. When it comes to the frame, you should preferably choose thick and sturdy aluminum-alloy frame skates. The hardest type is Aluminum frame made by CNC monolithic.
Wheels
Wheels are also a factor that you should not ignore when choosing a pair of skates for your toddlers. A good PU rubber wheel is a great choice for toddlers skates. They ensure good elasticity and withstand impact on all terrain. The bearings are manufactured to quality standards to ensure rapid failure due to abrasion from friction.
Some Recommended Skates For Toddlers
Lenexa Sonic Cruiser Rebound Wheels
The Lenexa Sonic Cruiser will make a big impression on your toddler with its eye-catching sneaker design. With a size of 2.2 inches and made of high elastic urethane, Lenexa Sonic Cruiser wheels will give your child a moderate speed experience. Plus, these skates offer excellent maneuverability and direction control.
Roller Derby Trac-Star
Roller Derby Trac-Star will be such a great gift for your little daughter. As girls are often afraid of high speed, this pair of skates offer moderate speed thanks to the tightened wheels.
The pink color of Roller Derby Trac-Star will surely strike the little girl’s eyes! If your little daughter loves pink, give this to her!
Otw-Cool Adjustable Roller Skates
If your child is passionate about indoor skating or he is afraid of outdoor activities, then Otw-Cool Adjustable Roller Skates is the gift that you should buy him.
Considered the perfect companion for growing kids, the Otw-Cool Adjustable Roller Skates feature one-button sizing, which your kids can easily do on their own. Plus, the eight wheels of these skates can light up when your kid skates. How lovely they are! And we all know that the colorful lights always please the eyes of our kids, right?
Don't worry if you are not satisfied with this product! The manufacturer guarantees 100% money back if that happens!
Circle Society Classic Adjustable Indoor and Outdoor Childrens Roller Skates
Pinky pinky! The cool design of these skates can blow your mind away! With textured reinforced leather, these skates provide maximum safety for your little daughter. This pair of skates features dual front brakes, which make it easier for kids to stop.
What we really appreciate about this product is its design. Besides the beautiful and girly pink, these skates also have angel-wing patterns. They make little girls feel like angels gliding through the clouds.
However, you need to keep in mind that though created for both indoor and outdoor skating, these skates are recommended for indoor use as their lifespan will be longer.
Crazy Skates Rocket Roller Skates for Girls and Boys
Little skaters need a true companion, and Crazy Skates Rocket Roller Skates for Girls and Boys does that role brilliantly. These skates can be tightened or loosened at will, giving children the most comfort possible.
One highlight that this product possesses is that toe stops are made of solid urethane instead of plastic like other conventional products. In addition, its padded collars, as well as lined boots, are also soft, cherishing children's feet when skating.
In Conclusion
Skating is a healthy and beneficial sport that helps meet your child's needs. Involving your child in the outside world will be a great help for them to develop. The world outside is large and there are so many things for kids to explore and learn, and skating would be a sidekick in that process.
In this article, we have provided you with some useful information on how to buy skates for toddlers. You need to choose a good brand, focus on the feet size of your kids, and prioritize good materials.
Hope you can bring home a nice pair of skates. Do not forget to let children wear protective gear such as helmets, gloves to ensure safety!