Best Kids' BMX Under £200 UK 2026: Zombie Infest vs Outbreak vs Plague vs Slackjaw

If your seven-, eight- or nine-year-old has decided a BMX is the only acceptable bike, you've got four Zombie models to choose between at Discounted Bikes: the Plague (18" wheels, £150.99), the Outbreak (20", £165.99), the Infest (20", £180.99) and the Slackjaw (20" mag wheels, £211.99). Three of them come in under £200; the Slackjaw sneaks over, and we'll explain why it might still be worth it.

All four share the same bones — a steel BMX frame, hi-tensile steel fork, single speed with a 36T chainring and KMC chain, V-brakes, a ping bell and a pair of steel stunt pegs in the box. The differences are in wheel size, crank length, brake hardware, whether you get a gyro (the thing that lets the bars spin without tangling the brake cable) and, inevitably, weight. We've built all four in the Shrewsbury team, so here's how they actually stack up.

Verdict at a glance

Key specs

What actually matters on a kids' BMX

A BMX is a simple bike, which is why cheap ones can be so good and why the details separate them. Here's what we look at on the bench:

Weight. These are steel bikes and none of them are light. The Outbreak at 13kg is the lightest 20" here; the Slackjaw's mag wheels push it to 14.6kg. For an average eight-year-old that's still fine — BMXs are ridden hard, not far — but it's worth knowing a 7-speed alloy bike like our Shyre Hopton 20 is nearly 5kg lighter.

Brakes and levers. The Outbreak and Plague use resin-bracket levers; the Infest and Slackjaw get alloy V-brakes with alloy levers. Alloy levers flex less and feel more positive for a child who's still learning to modulate a brake, and they survive being dropped on their side better. For the £15 between Outbreak and Infest, that alone justifies the upgrade.

Gyro. The Infest and Slackjaw have a gyro (detangler), so the bars can spin a full 360° without wrapping the rear brake cable round the head tube. If your child watches BMX videos and wants to learn bar spins, this is non-negotiable. If they just want to ride to the skate park and roll about, it's nice-to-have.

Cranks and gearing. The Plague and Outbreak run 140mm cranks with an 18T freewheel; the Infest and Slackjaw run 165mm cranks with a 16T freewheel. The longer crank and taller gear suit a bigger, stronger rider at the top of the 7–9 age band; the shorter crank and easier gear suit a smaller one. That's the honest reason the Outbreak isn't simply "the worse Infest" — for a slight seven-year-old it can be the better fit.

Pegs. All four come with two steel pegs. Fit them or don't — we'll leave them off if you ask, and a lot of parents do until the child's ready.

Model by model

Zombie Plague 18" — £150.99

The small one. 18" alloy rims on 1.95" tyres, 140mm cranks, 12.6kg, and Zombie quotes an inside leg of 46–53cm, which puts it squarely on five- to seven-year-olds. If you've a small child who's desperate for a BMX and a 20" is just too big, this is the only game in town. No gyro, resin levers, but it's the lightest bike here and it's the cheapest. The only catch is stock.

Zombie Outbreak 20" — £165.99

The sensible one. Same 140mm crank and 18T freewheel as the Plague on 20" alloy rims with 1.75" tyres, 660mm bars, 13kg. It's a proper 20" BMX for a seven-year-old with a 51cm-plus inside leg, and it's £15 cheaper than the Infest. What you give up is the gyro and the alloy levers. For a child who's going to ride it to school and round the park rather than attempt tricks, that's a fair trade.

Zombie Infest 20" — £180.99

Our pick. Alloy V-brakes and alloy levers, gyro, 165mm cranks on a 16T freewheel, 720mm bars, 20 x 2.00" tyres on alloy rims with 36-hole nutted hubs, hockey-stick chainguard, 13.9kg. It covers the widest inside-leg range (51–86cm) so it'll last from seven well into secondary school. At £180.99 it's the best-specced kids' BMX we sell under £200, and the one we'd put our own kids on.

Zombie Slackjaw 20" — £211.99

The Infest with mag wheels. Everything else like the gyro, alloy brakes and levers, 165mm cranks, 720mm bars  is identical, and the plastic mags add 0.7kg and about £30. Mags don't need truing and shrug off abuse, but they're heavier and they don't make the bike faster or better. Buy it because your child has seen one and won't be talked out of it. Buy the Infest if you're spending your own money on performance.

Comparison: which Zombie for which child?

Anything else in the BMX collection?

We're occasionally asked whether we stock Wethepeople, Salt or other freestyle brands. Right now our BMX collection is the four Zombies above, that's where the value is at this age, and it's what we can keep in stock and support. If you want a higher-end park bike for a teenager, ring us and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.

The trail alternative: our own Shyre Eastie 20

If your child says "BMX" but really means "a bike I can ride off kerbs, through the woods and down the muddy bit at the park", it's worth a look at our own Shyre Eastie 20. It's £339.99, so double the Outbreak but you're buying a 6061 aluminium frame, a 40mm-travel suspension fork, mechanical disc brakes front and rear, a 7-speed LTWOO drivetrain with a thumb shifter, 2.35" tyres on double-wall alloy rims and 140mm junior cranks. Ages 6–9, 115–135cm.

A BMX is the right bike for a skate park and for kids who want one simple thing they can throw around. The Eastie is the right bike for a child who's going to ride further and on rougher ground. Both are built.

Who is it for?

Good for: - 7–9 year olds who want a BMX and nothing else will do - Skate-park beginners — pegs and (on Infest/Slackjaw) a gyro are already there - Parents who want something simple, tough and cheap to keep running with one gear, V-brakes, KMC chain - Kids who'll grow — the Infest and Slackjaw cover 51–86cm inside leg

Not for: - Longer rides or anything with hills then the single speed, 36T x 16T/18T, and 13–14.6kg - Under-fives or small six-year-olds (unless the Plague is in stock) - Anyone who wants a light bike then look at the Shyre Eastie 20 or Hopton 20

Alternatives

• Shyre Eastie 20 — £339.99. Our own 7-speed, disc-braked trail bike for 6–9s.
• Shyre Hopton 20 — £319.99. 8.9kg, 7-speed, Tektro V-brakes — for the child who wants to go further.
• Shop all Zombie BMX bikes →

Final verdict

The Zombie Infest is the best kids' BMX under £200 we sell, full stop: alloy brakes and levers, a gyro, and a size range that'll see a child from seven to twelve. The Outbreak is the value pick for a smaller or more casual rider, the Plague is the answer for under-sevens if you can find one, and the Slackjaw is the Infest for kids who want mag wheels and parents who don't mind £30 and 700g for the privilege.

Every Zombie is delivered free across the UK — pegs on or off, your call — with free UK delivery, a a 12-month warranty and 90-day no-quibble returns.

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Ready to find your next bike?

Check the Zombie Infest price →

Check the Shyre Eastie 20 price →

Shop all Zombie BMX bikes →

Measure the inside leg, tell us whether you want the pegs fitted, and we'll do the rest.