Ride on cars is really picking up popularity over the years. And there are reasons behind it. It’s so fun and exciting for kids that parents can see why it’s a thousand times better alternative to smartphones or other digital devices.
However, buying a ride-on car isn’t the easiest job in the world as the market is flooded with different manufacturers and models. Picking a random one isn’t necessarily going to ensure the best value for your money. You must consider a few things before you put your money on the table for a kid’s ride on car.
Let’s check out how you can get the best pick for your kid and the best value for your money buying a ride-on vehicle.
The right car for the right age
Your first priority before picking a ride-on car for your kid should be choosing an age-appropriate one. That will single-handedly help to determine the level of safety and fun experience that your kid is going to get from the car. If you get a mickey mouse race car for your kid, he’s likely to love it. But that can go the other way around as well.
So, how do you pick the right car for the right age? You can always rely on a chart that’s most likely provided by manufacturers. Moreover, you can simply check the labels to find out the specific age range that the ride-on car has. That way there will be no room for mistakes.
However, you need to remember that not every kid has the same height and weight, and so you need to keep other things in consideration before you select a car for your kid. Just choosing by the age group isn’t really the best idea. Let’s go over a few of the things that you also need to keep in mind to ensure the perfect ride-on car for your kid.
Pick the right car size
This is the step where you find out the ultimate fit for the ride-on car for your kid. As we discussed earlier, you can’t guarantee a perfect fit only by looking at the age group of a toy ride-on car. Picking the right size is perhaps one of the most important components that you need to take care of.
In that case, you can take help from various sizing charts. However, as long as you don’t pick something too big, you are fine. But remember, picking a too-small car will hinder your kid’s experience as well.
A great thing to do here would be to test the car out before you buy it. You can go to any local toy store to get such test experiences, which will help you incredibly to find out the best-sized ride-on vehicle for your kid. All you have to do is ask for a trial, and they will be more than happy to do that for you.
Don’t hesitate to try out a few options to find the perfect one that fits your kid. There is no better way to do it. However, if you’re shopping online, you won’t have such advantages. Then you should follow the labels more thoroughly as they will reveal a lot about whether it’s a good fit or not.
Safety over features
Once you’ve got the size down, it’s time to focus on testing the safety of the ride-on vehicle. As it’s a kid’s toy, safety is something you need to put a lot of emphasis on. These ride-on toys might seem small in size. But it doesn’t mean that there is no risk of accidents. So, you basically want to make sure you get the safest toy for your kid possible.
Toxic material is the biggest red flag here. You must not get anything toxic. In most cases, cheaper toys will have such materials, which might be super harmful to your kid. You might get a mickey mouse electric car that your kid loves, but if it’s made of unsafe materials, it can get him sick. So, it’s very important to go for a good quality ride-on toy rather than a cheaper one.If you want to save money, then you can go for fewer features or even less engine power. For instance, you can go for a mickey mouse electric car that is tested and qualified for its safety feathers.
But it’s all better than compromising safety. So, make sure to keep that in mind when you are choosing a ride-on car for your kid. It will make sure that he doesn’t get injured while playing with the car, which is quite an essential thing to consider.
Read More About Toy Safety Guidelines for Parents – Keep Child Safe.
Build Quality
Let’s get real for a second; kids are rough with their toys. It’s not going to be an exception for their ride-on cars. So, you better get a sturdy one if you want it to last for a long time.
Many people overlook the importance of build quality when selecting a ride-on vehicle for their kids. And as a result, they might get a cheaper deal, but it doesn’t last nearly as long. That also ruins the wholesome experience for your kid.
So, it’s better to pay a bit extra upfront, which in the end pays off pretty well. However, that doesn’t mean you need all-aluminum construction for a kid’s car. That’ll cost you a fortune, and it’s not practical at all. You might get a frozen ride on toy that breaks after a while, which is pretty much a big waste of money.
What you need is a sturdy build quality that can hold your kid’s weight comfortably and also can take a few beatings. And of course, the more money you choose to pay, the better the build quality will get. While you don’t need to break your bank for the build quality, don’t overlook this aspect as well. You might get a pink sports car, but the build quality must be solid.
Speed limit
This is not too concerning when it comes to choosing a ride-on vehicle for your kid. That’s because nearly all the models come with a moderately safe engine which is not very powerful. As a result, speeding should not be an issue in most cases.
But it’s always better to double-check everything as it’s a matter of safety for your kid. In most cases, you want to aim for something that’s inside 2.5 to 5 miles per hour speed.
To make sure that the speed limit is in check, you have to check the engine power. Anything that’s labeled as 12V or 24V ride-on cars is usually safe for kids. You won’t have to worry about too much here with this amount of power. If you get cars like a disney frozen 6v battery powered ride-on quad which falls in that range, it will be safe for your kid.
But it’s always better to check as we mentioned earlier. You don’t want to overlook anything when it comes to checking the ride-on vehicle that you’re going to get for your kid. That will not only provide better overall safety, but it’ll help to give your kid the best possible experience as well. So, it’s definitely worth spending some time on that.
Comfort is vital
Till now, we talked about how you can choose the best fit for your kid’s ride-on car. That will help to ensure safety and provide a better experience for your kid. However, comfort is another great aspect that you need to take care of.
Basically, you need to check the seats and cushions to see if it’s comfortable or not. If the material used there is too stiff, it’s going to be very uncomfortable in longer sessions. So, you kid might get hurt after playing with it for a long time. And as ride-on cars are super fun to play with, that issue can quickly escalate.
One of the most popular seat materials that are actually comfortable includes leather or even pu materials. While leather is pretty expensive, you can go for cheaper quality materials. However, testing out is quite important here. If you can, you should always choose a ride-on car after checking if it’s comfortable for your kid. That way, you can get an amazing one that he is going to absolutely love.
Appearance also matters!
This is pretty obvious, but not everybody cares to put enough emphasis on this. Kids like shiny colors and fancy patterns. So, if you plan to buy a ride-on car for your kid, it better have a few of these to make it appealing to your kid as well.
Also, you need to consider what type of color and design he likes. That will help you get the best possible results in this. And if you get the design perfectly, it’s going to amplify the whole experience for your kid. So, make sure to put some effort into this as well, and it’ll definitely pay off big times. A spiderman four wheeler can be a great gift for a kid that loves spiderman.
Just pick a well-known brand
As you went through all the tips, you can probably feel like it’s too much information. However, these are also pretty simple to keep in mind. And the effort you are putting in is very minimal. Yet, the output is just way too great to overlook. Whether you buy a dodge charger power wheels car or bulldozer toys, it’s not the best idea to pick at random.
But if you are someone who doesn’t want to put in that effort or is not sure how to decide which one to get, then there are methods for you as well.
The best way for you would be to pick a well-renowned brand. Typically, they provide quality over anything, and that’s how they gain reputation and brand image. So, by picking their products, you basically get a no-brainer pick.
However, one thing you need to keep in mind is that it’ll cost you a bit more. If you don’t want to spend time picking between products, then go for a ride-on car that’s manufactured by a reputed brand. For instance, a mickey mouse battery powered ride on toy might cost you extra, but if your kid loves it at the end of the day, it’s well worth the money. So, be mindful about that while you go to pick a ride-on car for your kid.
Additional Tips
These were some of the things you need to consider picking a ride-on car for your kid. But you can probably tell that these are some of the most basic things you need to keep in mind when you go to pick one.
There is so much more you can do to get even a better toy ride-on car for your kid that he’s going to absolutely love. Let’s check out some extra tips down below that are super effective and some very critical as well.
- Don’t hesitate to spend a little extra for your kid’s ride-on car. That investment will go big time in the future and you will get the best value for your money.
- Brakes are very important for ride-on vehicles. So, make sure to check the braking mechanism of the toy before you put your money on the table for it. That will keep your kid safe from injuries and teach them how to use brakes.
- Maintenance check-ups are a thing! You probably know that ride-on cars do require battery power and an engine to run. Like most other devices made with identical parts, they need checkups to see if everything is in perfect working order. So, you should take the toy car for a quick check at least twice a year.
- Built-in radio and music system is quite a cool feature to have. What’s surprising is that most modern ride-on cars have this and it’s gaining popularity pretty fast. Meaning, you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money to get such toys.
- Make sure to go through the instructions properly. Every part of the assembly process must be perfect. If you are confused and don’t want to deal with all that, you can simply take it to a local sports store to fix that issue for you.
To Wrap Up
These were some of the things that you need to consider when you go to buy a kid’s ride on car. As you saw, some of them are pretty obvious when it comes to the experience your kid is going to get from the vehicle. But there are a few subtle things as well, and you need to pay special attention to these as well if you want to get the best possible ride-on car for your kid.
Remember, cheaping out on a kid’s toy is never a great idea. The same applies here, and it’s super important that you get a good quality ride-on car for your kid even if it costs a bit more than average.
