Our boy is pretty small. He is 4 now but we gave him his first balance bike around 2.5 years old. He never was really super good with it though. His balance bike also had a brake. Reading online about bikes, I got a bit obsessed with finding the best light weight, long wheel base for him. American/European brands all seemed good, but I couldn’t get them here. Finally ordered him a bike from Wiggle for xmas when he was 3.5 years old. According to the website, it should have barely fit, but as it turned out it was way too big. He is 4.5 now and its only just starting to fit him. Anyway, shortly after xmas morning disappointment, my mate sent me a trashy tiny bike with rubber wheels which rubbed the brakes. It was one of those with side wheels and a handle on the back for the parent to push and steer, idea being to just let your kid pedal. It was also heavy being steel (but still small so not that heavy). However, this one, the handle had been cut off and the side support wheels were long gone. It had two wheels, a basket and it was blue. What’s more is that it was tiny and fit my kid perfectly. After a few guided hands on the saddle the first day, he rode it by himself with me running beside him in disbelief after about 30 minutes. Used to get lots of looks going around the neighbourhood on it as people always thought a bike like that was too small (as was he) to be riden with no support wheels. I guess the balance bike worked wonders.
Anyway - my point is. Don’t get too caught up in the brands, the specs, the lightness, the wheel base, or any of the stuff that drives the prices up and means very little in the end. Just get her something that fits her well and have her practice putting her feet up on the balance bike frame before you give her the bike and they she will fly along. The biggest part is getting both feet up on to the pedals to maintain momentum. Maybe one thing to avoid is a coaster brake though. Regular brakes and freewheel are the best. A basket also goes a long way to make a kid happy as they can put anything in there.
Also, that first bike is now too small so he finally rides his xmas present. yeah! My 2 year old is now eager to hop on the balance bike even though he has just turned 2.