Best All-Around Family Electric Bike with Child Seat: Aventon Level E-Bike

Looking for the best electric bike with a child seat to make carting kids around both fun and easy? Then check out the Aventon Level! It easily fits a child seat, has a super smooth ride, and plenty of power to make biking up hills a breeze. It’s one of the most affordable e-bikes on the market to boot. 

If you’re in the market for an ebike, there are more choices than ever. We researched for a few months online, asked people we knew with ebikes, and visited a local bike shop before deciding on the best electric bike for us. Our goals was to find an affordable electric bike that easily fit a child seat since we now have a baby in tow. We wanted an ebike that would be good for everything from weekend family bike rides to handling a daily work commute. 

What I was looking for in an electric bike with child seat 

Before I explain what I was looking for, I’ll note that I was not looking for. I was not looking for a large cargo bike that would completely replace a car. For me, those types of bikes were too large, too heavy, and not what I would want to use for an easy bike ride. Cargo ebikes are typically much more expensive too. 

While I am trying to minimize my car use, I still wanted the traditional size and feel of a bike that was really easy to ride and maneuver.  

I wanted the ebike option to make hills easier, my overall pace faster, and to not tire out from riding around with my child in the back.  

I still wanted to be able to ride it like a regular bike too. The larger cargo bikes are typically heavy enough that the electric assist function has to be used fairly regularly. Plus, they just don’t seem as fun to take out for a recreational ride. 

When my child outgrows the seat and is ready to bike themselves, I wanted to be able to remove the child seat and keep using the bike on my own.  

What makes the Aventon Level a great electric bike with a child seat? 

We decided on the Aventon Level for the fact that this hybrid/commuter bike is great for both recreational use, daily commuting, and easily fits a child seat.  

Since I was planning on biking around with my baby, my first priority was safety. I wanted to make sure the bike I chose had a good track record (no malfunction issues), was easy to control, and had good safety features. 

Here is how the Aventon Level stacks up with everything we considered for a family electric bike with a child seat.  

1 Rear Rack supports up to 50lbs 

The Aventon Level ebike comes with a rear rack that supports up to 50 lbs. You can attach side saddles to carry gear for a bike packing trip, or attach a child seat to the rack. I like that bike was made to carry weight at the back, so I’m not adding stress to the bike that shouldn’t be there. 

Some child seats will directly attach to the existing rear rack, while other child seats may come with a rear rack specifically made for the child seat (like this one). Either will usually work with the Aventon Level.  

2 Step-Through version is very easy to mount  

The Aventon Level comes in two versions: The Standard and the Step-Through. While I opted for the Step Through Level, my husband got the Standard Level. Both versions of this ebike work well with child seats. 

Since I was planning on being the main bike rider with the child seat, I wanted my bike to be really easy to mount. Not having to throw my leg up and over a bar is just one more feature that makes the Level Step Through convenient to ride and easy control with a baby seat.  

The Step-Through version on the Level also has the space to accommodate a front-mounted child seat, so if I ever felt that a front seat would suit us better, then I would have that option. 

3 Powerful enough for the hills, but easy to control 

One super nice feature of the Aventon Level is that it uses both pedal assist technology and has a throttle. I didn’t think I would use the throttle function that much before riding the bike, but have since found out that it’s really nice to have when you’re starting off in the middle of a hill. With pedal assist, it can be more of a struggle to maintain control while starting on a hill, because you have get moving before the motor kicks in. With the throttle, you can simply push it down and give yourself that little push to get going without having to balance and pedal first.  

While the throttle is great for getting started, the pedal assist makes the rest of the bike ride super easy. It kicks in when you pedal, so you don’t even have to think about it.  

The first level on the electric motor gives you just that extra little bit of push to make biking really easy and fun, especially when you now have the added weight of a child. After the first level, you can really start feeling the speed.  

No matter the speed level I’m in, it doesn’t feel like a huge jolt when I start pedaling after I’ve stopped. There’s a bit of a ramp up period, so I’ve never felt like the bike is jumping out from under me. I really appreciate this because I always feel like I’m in control, and can safely maneuver the bike. 

The Level reaches speeds of up to 28mph with the motor. On throttle alone, you can reach 20mph. 

4 Suspension fork for a smooth ride 

Not only is this good for the driver, but better for the passenger as well. Even if you’re going over bumps or rocks, the front suspension fork makes it a really smooth ride. 

5 Hybrid/commuter tires 

The tires on the Level are wide enough to make biking down gravel or dirt roads easy and smooth. Overall another plus when looking for an electric bike to use with a child seat.  

6 Hydraulic disc brakes 

The Aventon Level uses hydraulic disc brakes. This felt like an important safety feature because hydraulic disk brakes need less pressure to stop the bike. This means I could stop the bike easily and quickly.  

These types of breaks typically don’t need as much maintenance as other types (like cable disc brakes), so they tend to be more reliable and last longer. 

7 Rear Fenders 

The rear fender on the Level is a nice feature, since it will stop dirt, mud or water from spraying off the rear wheel and onto my backseat passenger.  

8 Higher Weight Limit 

The Level ebike has an overall 300 lb weight limit. I felt comfortable knowing me plus a child was well within the limits of what the bike was safely meant to handle. 

9 Long Battery Life 

The battery on this ebike is a removable Lithium Ion 48V battery. The batteries integrate into the bike frame really well; it gives the bike a sleek look, and you may not even notice it’s an ebike at first.  

The batteries last for up to 40 miles. In our experience, we rode more than 40 miles on a full battery, but we weren’t engaging the motor the entire time.  

The batteries are easy to pop out and charge. They also lock into the bike so they can’t easily be removed by someone else.  

How to pick the right size for your Aventon Level E-Bike

After deciding that the Aventon Level was our ebike of choice, we then had to figure out sizing.  

If you have an Aventon dealer near you, then great – head on over and give the bike a test drive. If you don’t have a dealer nearby then, here are my tips for choosing the best size for your Aventon ebike.  

The Aventon Level and Aventon Level Step through use different sizing: 

• The Level comes in three sizes: small, medium and large
• The Level Step-Through come in two sizes: S/M and M/L

Consider both your overall height and your inseam. Aventon’s website gives general recommendations based on overall height, so that is a good place to start. However, you’re going to want to think about how long your legs are vs how long your arms are. Here are a few examples: 

• I (Kelly) am 5’7” with and 29” inseam. I decided on the S/M Level Step Through. I’m on the upper end of the S/M size recommendation, but I have longer legs vs a shorter torso. I felt like the smaller size would fit better as I could easily adjust the seat height taller on the S/M, but wouldn’t be able to adjust the seat distance from the handle bars on the M/L.  

• Aaron is about 6’ with a 30.5” inseam and went with the medium Level. I found another user online that had similar measurements, and also found the medium frame to fit best. 

• Rider Example 1 is 5’10” with a 32” inseam: This person tried both the medium and large Level, and found the Large Level more comfortable than the medium size. On the medium, he had to raise the seat post close to its height limit, but on the large, he could leave the seat closer to the frame.   

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The Best Child Seat for an Electric bike 

Now that we’ve told you all about why the Aventon Level is a great electric bike with child seat, picking out the child seat is next. 

For the Aventon Level, you’ll need a rack mount child seat. The frame widens where most frame mounted child seats attach. I checked to see if this popular frame mount baby seat was compatible with the Level, and the frame circumference was too large for it.  

Both of these rack mount baby seats are great options to use with the Aventon Level electric bike. 

Topeak Babyseat II with Disc Compatible Rack 

The Topeak baby seat has several features that really made it stand out. 

This baby seat has its own suspension system to cushions bumps and jolts. That’s in additional to the suspension on the Level itself.  

Includes its own heavy-duty disc mount rack that has an attachment to make it super easy to attach and remove the seat from the rack without any tools. This was something unique to the Topeak Babyseat. It’s really nice to have the option to quickly unlatch and remove the baby seat if I’m going to be riding solo without having to use any tools.  

Safety features including a wrap-around seat structure for added protection, integrated roll bar, and adjustable foot rests.  

Max weight capacity is 48.5lbs. 

Overall, we’ve really like using the Topeak Babyseat. My baby is comfortable in the seat, and most importantly it has great safety features.  

Burley Dash Rack Mount Child Seat 

The Burley Dash Child Seat is another great option for a rack mount child seat on an ebike. It’s slightly more affordable; part of this is because it doesn’t not come with a separate rack mount. Since the Level’s already come with a rack mount, you can attach it to the one included.  

Dash seat also has great features, including tool-free installation, a rear storage compartment, and adjustable foot rests. The harness system is adjustable for children up to 40lbs. 

Bike Helmets 

In most states, helmets are required by law when driving a Class III ebike like the Aventon Level. And even if it’s not, if obviously a smart idea anyway. 

We’ve really loved the look and comfort of these Thousand Heritage bike helmets. They have a fun, retro look, are really comfortable, and the magnetic clasp make them super easy to snap on. 

Thousand brand bike helmets also have a built-in anti-theft feature; the secret Poplock allows you to thread your bike lock through both your helmet and bike which is pretty cool! 

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We’ve been riding our Aventon Level electric bikes for a few months now. We love how fun they are to ride, and especially that we can go all together as a family. If you’re looking for an electric bike with child seat, I think the Aventon Level is the best option!