We still love our balance bike here - it's Aldi one. I think the key to the cheaper ones is just to take good care of them. A friend of ours hates them because theirs fell to pieces when their daughter was riding it but it was left outside in the rain all the time. Ours is always kept undercover, and DS knows if it starts raining to check outside to make sure it isn't getting wet. He also knows not to be too rough with it and throw it on the ground after he gets off. It is still in great condition and gets used every day (even though he has a 'big bike' now, he still prefers the balance bike).