Best Remote Control Cars for Kids & Toddlers [Updated 2021]

Updated: January 8, 2021

There’s a lot of great remote control car reviews and buyer’s guides on the market, but many of them cater to experienced racers. Kids remain one of the biggest audiences for RC cars, and as a parent you want to make sure you’re buying them the best toy you possibly can. That’s the purpose of this article: to review what we at Dronethusiast consider the best RC cars for kids and toddlers.

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Full reviews of each remote control kid car can be found below, but here’s a quick overview of our favorites:

BEST RC CARS FOR KIDS AND TODDLERS

RC For Toddlers

Cartoon RC Race Car

• Weight:.96 lb
• Age:18 months and up

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RC For Kids 5-10

Kid Galaxy Morphibian Amphibious

• Weight:.58 lb
• Age:5-10 years old

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RC For Kids 10-14

MKB RC Stunt Car

• Weight:2.29 lb
• Age:10-14 years old

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RC For Kids 14+

Altair Power Pro

• Weight:4.0 lb
• Age:14+

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Every RC kid car in this article was chosen for its price, safety, ease of use, and feature set, among other considerations. Dronethusiast is staffed by remote control vehicle experts who know our stuff, and these are the products we’ve had the best experience with and which are recommended for use by children and toddlers.

Remote Control Cars For Toddlers Reviews

Although most RC cars are not designed for toddlers, there are now a few manufacturers making battery cars for toddlers with remote control. As long as they’re made to be safe, and as long as they’re only used with adult supervision, these vehicles are a great way to encourage imaginative parallel play while teaching toddlers about hand-eye coordination and cause and effect.

Liberty Imports Cartoon R/C Race Car

This Liberty Imports brand Cartoon RC Race Car has been a favorite with parents of toddlers for many years now. For less than $50 USD you get three plastic figurines that can be put in the car as “drivers”, a controller, and the vehicle itself. The controller is specifically designed for toddler use and only uses two buttons to control the vehicle, while the battery car itself is made of non-toxic ABS plastic construction with soft edges.

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Features:

• 5 x 5 x 0.7 inch dimensions
• Comes with three removable driver figurines
• Controller and car are both made of non-toxic ABS plastic with soft edges
• Includes honking sounds, music and flashing headlights
• Recommended for children 18 months and older

Pros:
• Very safe
• Extremely easy to control
• A popular model with a great reputation

Cons:
• The lights and sounds made by the car can become annoying
• Short transmission range

Fisher Price Thomas & Friends Train

If your toddler already loves Thomas & Friends, they’ll love this remote control train. The remote has only a single button, which makes it easy for kids and toddlers of any age to control. It’s known to be highly durable and long-lasting by the standards of childrens’ toys. And it’s compatible with most TrackMaster track and train sets, so if you already have some of those toys then this is a great addition.

Features:

• 9.5 x 1.9 x 6 inch dimensions
• Designed to look like characters from the iconic book series and TV show
• Controller and car are both made of non-toxic ABS plastic
• Single-button controller
• Recommended for toddlers who are 2 years old and older

Pros:
• Extremely easy to control
• Modeled after the popular characters

Cons:
• Does not work on soft surfaces (such as carpet)

VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Speedway RC Racer

VTech makes a lot of great toys for small children, so it’s not surprising that they would get into the toddler remote control car game. The Go! Go! Smart Wheels Speedway RC Racer set comes with two small RC cars designed to stimulate motor skills and imaginative play in toddlers. They’re easy to control, built with safety in mind, and a lot of fun.

You can also buy a “VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate RC Speedway” playset to race the cars around on for even more fun.

Features:

• 8.2 x 7.5 x 3 inch dimensions
• Includes two cars and two controllers
• Controller and car are both made of non-toxic ABS plastic with soft edges
• Two-button controllers
• Lots of lights and sound effects
• Recommended for toddlers who are between 1 and 5 years old.

Pros:
• Two cars for the price of one
• Designed to make your toddlers smarter while they play with phrases like “R is for Race Car!”

Cons:
• The lights and sounds made by the car can become annoying
• Aggressive play can knock the wiring loose, which will require the cars to be repaired. Most users do not experience this problem, but it’s also not uncommon.

RC Cars For Kids Aged 5-10

These electric cars for kids with remote control are still built with safety and ease-of-use in mind, but they’re a little more interesting than the slow-moving one-button remote control cars for toddlers.

Kid Galaxy Morphibian Amphibious RC Car

Kid Galaxy is a highly trusted name in the remote control car space, known for producing quality products that are reasonably priced. Their “Morphibians” line of remote control cars for kids can drive in land or water, and are very popular with children in the 5-10 range. They come in several styles and are extremely easy to control.

Features:

• 7 x 5.8 x 5.8 inch dimensions
• 25 minute battery life
• Durable plastic design with rounded edges and pinch-free parts
• Easy-to-Control Skid Steering
• Recommended for kids aged 5 and up

Pros:
• Great battery life
• Very easy to drive
• Can be used indoors, outdoors, or even in water

Cons:
• Very slow (though for some parents, this might be a “pro”)

Jada Toys GIRLMAZING Big Foot Jeep

Here at Dronethusiast, we firmly believe remote control cars are for everyone. Even though many RC cars for kids are marketed towards boys, there’s no reason girls can’t have just as much fun with a great toy car for sale. Still, even though any of the cars listed elsewhere in this article are gender-neutral in our minds, we wanted to highlight this remote control car for girls who like more traditionally feminine designs.

The Jada Toys GIRLMAZING Big Foot Jeep is a stylish-looking and well-made remote control jeep with simple controls. It also comes with a sheet of cool stickers, so that your little girl can customize the vehicle for herself.

Features:

• 11.5 x 5.5 x 6.5 inch dimensions
• 20 minute battery life
• Durable plastic design with rounded edges and pinch-free parts
• Comes with a sheet of stickers for colorful customization
• Recommended for girls aged 5 and up

Pros:
• Super stylish design
• Easy to drive
• Can be used indoors or outdoors

Cons:
• Uses a lot of batteries
• Multiple cars in this series share the same control frequency, meaning you can’t use more than one at the same time

LEGO Superheroes App-Controlled RC Batmobile

This is a great toy that we’ve recommended before on the site, but it’s definitely worth bringing up again. I mean, what kid wouldn’t love a cool Batmobile toy, that you get you build yourself, and that you can then drive around using a remote controller? It’s controlled using an app that you can get for free on any smartphone or tablet.

RC Cars For Kids Aged 10-14

These battery cars for kids with remote control are a little more advanced at this age range, with some features that are fun for anyone of any age. Safety is still important, but the focus is now more on playability. Many plastic stunt cars are also recommended for the 10 and up age range.

MKB Remote Control Stunt Car

This is another electric car for kids with remote control that we’ve recommended in other articles. If you want to do cool stunts with an RC car, there’s simply no better option. This vehicle has a unique design with 5 wheels that allows it to spin, dance, flip, and roll in all kinds of exciting ways that other stunt cars for kids just can’t.

Features:

• 38.5 x 14.8 x 8.5 centimeter dimensions
• 15 minute battery life
• Unique 5 wheel drive
• Highly durable plastic shell and high traction tires
• Recommended for kids aged 10 and up

Pros:
• Can perform tons of unique stunts that no four-wheeled car could even attempt
• Cheap RC car for kids

Cons:
• Slower than other vehicles at this range

Distianert 4WD Off-Road Buggy

This off-road buggy can be used in any environment and in any weather, thanks to powerful tires and full four-wheel drive

Features:

• 9.5 x 8.9 x 6.5 inch dimensions
• 25-30 minute battery life
• Two batteries included
• Made of extremely tough PVC that is both a thick chassis and an explosion-proof shell
• Recommended for kids aged 10 and up

Pros:
• Long battery life
• Can drive in any environment and weather conditions

Cons:
• The vehicle can overheat if you drive it at top speed for too long

Maisto RC Extreme

Maisto is a good brand that makes off-road RC cars for kids. Their RC Rock Crawler Extreme is our personal favorite – a tough off-road performer with four-wheel drive, full suspension, and large tires. Its small, simple transmitter is perfect for kids who want to drive a cool RC car but who don’t have a lot of experience!

Features:
• 12.5 x 7 x 8.5 inch dimensions
• 35 minute battery life
• Very accurate handling
• Lightweight, tough vac-formed body
• Recommended for kids aged 10 to 15

Pros:
• Longest battery life
• Can drive in any environment and weather conditions

Cons:
• Top speed of 5 miles per hour
• Thin casing may not stand up to aggressive play

RC Cars For Kids Aged 14+

There are many remote control cars in this category, many of which are covered in our overall “Best RC Cars” article. However, we’ve picked out two that are still simple enough for first-time users to enjoy.

Power Pro 4×4 RC Car for Teenagers

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Most kids love cars and trucks and the Power Pro 4×4 is an awesome RC toy car that is perfect for kids and is a ton of fun. The best thing about this RC car is that it comes with plenty of beginner friendly features that will make it easy for any child to get the hang of and have a blast playing with.

The Power Pro 4×4 RC Car comes with two speed modes to help get you or your child started with driver. You can start with the slower mode to grasp the controls and as you or your child becomes more confident with driving, you can graduate to the faster speed mode. This will help whoever is driving feel in control at all times and help prevent the car from becoming damaged.

Plus, this RC car will run for about 15 minutes before needing to recharge the battery which is plenty of time to practice and have fun driving. You can race the Power Pro 4×4 at speeds up to nearly 30 mph at a range of 250 feet. This is great for any kid that loves exploring and has an adventurous side.

Traxxas Rustler

This fast RC car for kids is one of our absolute electric cars with remote control ever. Traxxas makes professional-quality remote control vehicles for drivers of all ages, but even among their many great products the Rustler stands out for its great hardware, relatively low price, impressive speed, and great durability.

Features:

• 20 x 12.9 x 9.6 inch dimensions
• 10 minute battery life
• 25 mile per hour top speed
• Waterproof electronics for all-weather driving in water, mud and snow
• Recommended for users aged 14 and up

Pros:
• Superior hardware at a reasonable price
• Very durable body
• Incredibly precise controls, but they’re still easy to learn

Cons:
• Short battery life

Redcat Racing Volcano EPX

The Redcat brand Racing Volcano EPX doesn’t have the highest speeds or the longest battery life, but it does feature great performance in all weather and environment conditions, and is a better off road option than the Traxxas Rustler. Its handling and drive capabilities push it far beyond the competition in this age range.

Features:
• 15.8 x 12.2 x 7.5 inch dimensions
• 7 minute battery life
• 19 mile per hour top speed
• Lightweight plastic chassis, eight aluminum capped oil filled coil over shocks, and independent suspension
• Recommended for users aged 14 and up

Pros:
• Great off-road performance
• Most accurate handling on the market

Cons:
• Very short battery life
• Battery not included

Kids Remote Control Cars FAQ

What is the best RC car for kids?

This is a question with many answers! Children of different ages will prefer different remote control cars. And even children of the same age may be looking for different types of experiences. Do you want a car that can go off-road, or one designed mainly for indoor use? Would you prefer to go fast, or to be safe? That’s why we have highlighted many different electric remote control vehicles above that we think could be considered the best RC car for kids in different circumstances.

Is there a ride-on remote control car for toddlers?

Yes, there are a few electric ride-on remote control cars for toddlers, but that’s not what this article is about. These are about toys that the kids themselves can drive.

What is the best RC car for under 100 dollars?

Many of the battery cars for kids with remote control that we recommend above can be purchased for under 100 dollars. The best is probably the Distianert 4WD Off-Road Buggy, but we don’t recommend that remote control car for kids who are younger than 10 years of age.

How do remote control toy cars work?

Battery cars for kids with remote control work when the transmitter or mobile device being used sends a radio signal to a receiver on the car itself. This receiver interprets the signal and reads whatever the command’s supposed to be – go forward, turn right, etc. That command is then sent to the car’s motor, which does whatever you told it to do.

Cars for kids work the same way as any other electric remote controlled car, but they tend to have a greater emphasis on safety and simple controls.

Where can you buy remote control cars for kids?

Remote control cars for kids can be purchased from brick-and-mortar stores like Target or Wal-Mart, but the best prices are usually found on Amazon.com. For your convenience, we’ve included an Amazon link to every product we reviewed in this article.

Finding The Best RC Car For Kids

Finding the best RC car for kids is easy when you know where to look. Remote control cars are tons of fun for drivers of all ages as long as you stay safe and buy a model that’s easy to learn how to use. Be sure not to let a child drive an RC car without adult supervision. And if you have a favorite remote control car for toddlers or kids that we forgot to mention, be sure to let us know about it in the comments!

Other Great Reviews For Kids

Read our reviews on the best Remote Control Boats for Kids here!
We also have the Best Hot Wheels Track Reviews!

Kennedy Martinez

kennedy@dronethusiast.com

Kennedy Martinez is a resident writer who joined Dronethusiast at the beginning of 2019. She has years of experience reviewing drones and other tech products. When it comes to flying drones, Kennedy loves the ability to create artistic videos from a unique point of view. Kennedy enjoys researching new drones and other exciting products that are available to consumers which is why she is committed to creating the best buyer's guides for our readers.