All the best ride-on types include:
- Kids bumper cars, cars, trucks, tractors, jeeps
- ATV (quads), UTV
- Push cars
- Pedal cars
- Motorbikes, Mini Motorcycles
- Go-karts
- Ebikes
- Scooters
- Hoverboards
- and more listed below
Electric car batteries can have a voltage of 6, 12, 24, or 36 volts. This list is useful from the time a child is two years old all the way through the teenage years.
What kinds of pretend cars are available for preteens and teens? This is a question you may be asking yourself as a parent.
The finest one for your kid can be found among the many options discussed in this article.
Ride On Toys Push Cars & Trucks
Children use a wide variety of transportation options, including vehicles they may push or are pushed in. Your little one may easily move around the living room or playroom by pushing with their legs while sitting in this ride-on.
These are best utilized inside but can be taken outside and used on smooth pavement. They let first-timers get their bearings and experience what it’s like to “drive” a car without actually doing either.
Ride On Toys Pedal Cars & Trucks
Ride-on Pedal cars are just that. You peddle like a bike but not as much balance is needed since most of these have four wheels. You don’t have to worry; these are not battery-powered, and with that said, they will last a long time for your kid to ride.
I recommend the Paw Patrol 15″ Fly Wheel, which we purchased and did a full review on. For older kids, check out the best pedal cars for 10 year olds.
It’s an excellent source of building up a child’s leg muscles as they pedal and learn motor skills.
Ride On Electric Cars & Trucks
Kids Electric cars is a huge area and is the main focus of this site. More often you hear this category be called “Power Wheels” however; Power Wheels is a specific brand of ride-on cars.
They are the most popular and most modified vehicles. Parents love to do projects to souped up Power Wheels and get them moving faster as their kids grow up and need more speed to stay interested.
Let’s start by giving you an idea of what an electric car is. Kid’s electric cars are battery-powered and work similarly to a car.
They have motors, gears, batteries, a steering wheel, and a foot pedal. Some battery-powered ride-on vehicles have a bunch of flashy things like lights, horns, and even a radio.
Ride On 6 Volt
Starting with the basics, the voltage of the rechargeable battery tells how fast the car will go. For younger kids, start at age 2; most kids will go with a 6-volt battery until about 4-5 years old.
These ride-on toys car comes with remote control. The remote control is perfect for parents who can drive their children around until they are able to drive themselves.
If your child is from the age 1.5 – 6 years old we strongly recommend the Kidzone bumper cars. They are perfect for beginners and they do drive on carpet.
You can completely customize them with color and numbered stickers, even purchase more than one so the kids can bump around together but don’t worry, they are not that fast.
It’s important to know kids must be able to sit up on their own to use ride-on type vehicles. This usually happens around 1 year old. Not all come with safety features, so make sure you find the right vehicle for your kid’s age group.
There are cheaper 6V electric car models and if you are going to go with a 6V, I personally will go the cheaper route.
A lot of these vehicles also have a lock-out screw governor, which basically means you can set the car to only go half the speed when they are ready to drive it themselves. In the future, you can then use a screwdriver to change it to full speed.
This is a great option but unfortunately, at 6 volts, you won’t get as much out of them as the batteries are not that strong, and if you are able to drive in the grass it won’t last for long.
Looking for a pink ride-on car?
Ride On 12 Volt
A toy car with a 12 volt battery is a great place to start where you won’t have to worry about the vehicle not driving on grass, for example.
There are also usually remotes for parents to use and speed limits installed in the vehicle.
The remote is useful not only as a means of transportation, but also in case of an unexpected emergency, such as when you require the child to make a sharp turn or stop (as long as the control allows this). A 12V battery is superior for an electric vehicle in terms of both runtime and output.
People typically shop for them with a target age of 7, however they can be given to children as young as 2. These are a hit with kids, and you can even find accurate representations of vehicles like police cruisers, fire trucks, and tractors among them.
Towards the top of this age, you will also find kids’ motorbikes that may have extra wheels for balance. If you have two kids of similar age you can find 2 seater ride-on cars so the children can play together.
There are many electric car designs but for 2 seaters you are mainly looking at cars, trucks, or jeeps. Jeeps are the most popular.
It’s important to pay attention to the maximum weight limit when purchasing any electric ride but when going with 2 seats you have to add the two children together and this will also cause the battery to be depleted faster, not to mention if the terrain is tough that will lower it even more.
I recommend getting an extra battery that way you can just change the battery out when one stops working and then the crying doesn’t start.
Ride On 24 Volt
Now we are really starting to get up there! An electric car that has a 24 Volt battery can really go and handle larger kids.
Now you are entering an area where the kid’s electric speed is going up even more. Safety equipment is needed from here on out, you can use it before this if you desire.
With 24V electric cars you can expect speeds around 5 MPH and even up but we will save the faster cars for the next section. You will not see remote control as an option as much as we go up from here.
An electric car kind of fades out from here as we look at other types of ride-on vehicles where the control is all up to the kid.
What’s Next After Power Wheels?
This is where it starts to really take off and you will find your child turning into a young adult. Let’s go over some of the options, most of these will be 24V if they are electric.
ATV – All-Terrain Vehicle
An ATV is a 4-wheelers for kids also known as quads for off-roading in the dirt and they can go up to 10 MPH and beyond. Ages here can really vary depending on what you are interested in, I have a full guide on 4×4 ATVs with rubber wheels that can really give you a good idea of what is available.
Safety equipment is required and the age is between 6 years old to 21 years old. However; you can find ATVs for all ages as they change the models a bit more to give them more power for different ages.
Adults really enjoy ATVs as well, with the kids on their own ATVs it’s a great way to get outdoors and spend quality time.
UTV – Utility Terrain Vehicle
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UTVs are a great kind of transportation. These can be found in a wide variety of sizes and some might even be compared to golf carts.
These utility vehicles (UTVs) serve practical purposes but may also be driven for recreation; they even feature safety features like rollbars. The most obvious distinction between an ATV and a UTV is the presence or absence of a steering wheel and a foot pedal in the former.
Go Kart – Radio Flyer
Go Karts are designed more for speed and to be on a track or driveway typesetting though there are off-road ones as well. Most go-karts are well made and they really cling to the ground, depending on the kind. We have the best go kart designs, it’s a must-see!
Electric Motorbikes / Dirt Bikes
These things really fly! They can hit speeds of 15 MPH.
Electric motorbikes are the last phase before real motorbikes and you are looking at batteries that are 12V, 24V, or 36V.
The age group is all over the place on these. It depends on what you are looking for but I have a guide of 10 that are over 100 LBS in weight limit, hitting upwards of 175 LBS.
If you have a younger child, here is how to tell if a dirt bike is a great fit for your child.
Mini Electric Bikes / Minibikes
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Similar to the Electric Motorbikes, these are the same but miniaturized. These are not only for kids but these minibikes can be used by adults who make for fun times as you see a full-sized adult driving around on a mini motorcycle.
Electric Scooters
Scooters are amazing to travel with as they fold up and are easy to carry. The batteries last a long time and they are really lightweight.
There are a lot of benefits of electric scooters and the ages start at 2 and go up into adulthood though most scooters are for kids 6 and up. They are also low-cost and hold lots of weight.
Electric Bikes (EBikes)
There are three different types of electric bikes which we explain in more detail in the link. These bikes are great as you can just use the throttle to move forward without peddling up to a certain speed but you can always help the bike along and peddle.
This will allow the battery to last even longer. Ebikes start for kids at age 5 and go all the way through adulthood.
You can really find some high-quality Ebikes but you will pay for them.
Hoverboards
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Hoverboards were all the rage for a while until the batteries started to explode. There are so many on the market and they have definitely improved them to be much safer.
These have a balance board with two wheels that are controlled by moving your feet and are battery-powered. Hoverboards light up and are for ages 6 – 12 years old on average.
They come with a bunch of strobing lights and music too.
Segways
Segways are trusted by a large group of people, nowadays you even see cops driving around on them to keep the peace. They are similar to hoverboards but have bars to control steering and you must balance on them.
They can get very expensive but are more of a commercial-grade product that will last a long very long time.
Worth Mentioning Ride On Options
There are a few others that I want to mention just to keep in mind though they don’t fit as well in the above area.
Balance Bike
A balance bike is the first bike a toddler will use to learn balance. It’s not a full-on bike but it’s great for the kids to gauge their balance and prepare for the real thing.
Bicycle
When it’s time bicycles are amazing though they are all-natural and have no extra power like the electric bike above. I feel everyone should ride a bike at some point in their childhood.
When starting out it is important that you know how to measure a kid’s bike so it is the perfect fit.
Mobility Scooters
Individuals who are unable or have trouble walking on their own can benefit greatly from mobility scooters. There are handlebars and a front basket on these sturdy scooters.
When the weather is nice, these let those who cannot use scooters to get out and go shopping or for a ride on the sidewalk.
Conclusion
There are so many options from an electric car to a hoverboard toy to riding a motorcycle. It really all depends on the age, weight, and experience of driving for the child.
These toys can easily give hours of fun with many types of ride-on vehicles.
We have a ride-on guide that is directly associated with the age groups best suited, please have a look.
Please be careful and use at your own risk
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