9 best remote control cars for kids that leave the competition in the dust

The all-terrain Monster Jam megalodon storm remote control car is a bit of a beast. This chunky shark-styled vehicle – a mini version of the full-size Monster Jam monster truck – has supersized foam wheels that make light work of mud, rocks, and grass. It can even drive on water, which means paddling pools, puddles, and even small streams are fair game.

We like the fact it’s rechargeable via a USB tucked away neatly in the base, so it doesn’t eat through batteries – although you will need two AAAs for the remote control. Speed-wise it’s amazingly nippy and capable of up to 8mph, plus, it’s light enough to perform rollovers and jumps.

The car is recommended for ages four and up and robust enough to withstand all the knocks and bumps you’d expect from this age group. Although, our 10-year-old tester also had a blast playing with it – as did the adults.

Top Gear fans and Lego Technic lovers alike will enjoy building this rally car inspired by The Stig. It’s aimed at ages nine and up, and with more than 400 pieces to assemble it’ll keep them busy for hours before they’re even ready to drive it. The build is fairly complex and its features are brilliantly detailed, so this is definitely one parents and kids will enjoy building together.

Once it’s ready to go, you’ll need to download the Lego technic control+ app to your phone to drive it. Our tester found the app controls easy to pick up, and liked the fact there are challenges to complete. While it’s not the speediest of remote control cars, this one was by far the most fun to build. It looks great on a shelf, too.

While the Red5 drift speed racer is suitable for kids aged eight and above, it’s also a nice gift option for older children, teens and adults. It has a spring suspension system, all-terrain tyres, and a 360-degree spin function, although it’s the sideways drift feature that really wowed our testers and sets this one apart from others we tested.

Ours took a while to charge up via USB initially, then nipped around at an impressive speed for about half an hour before it needed a recharge. While this remote control car looks fairly delicate, the anti-collision shell means it can stand up to a degree of rough and tumble outdoors. However, it does struggle on grass and performed much better on hard floor. It’s also not waterproof, which is another reason to keep it inside, but as one of the cheapest options on our list, it’s a brilliant choice for indoor play.

Our Playmobil-loving tester was delighted to find a remote control car that ties in with her other sets. It opened up a whole new level of imaginative play in her bedroom, although she was miffed that she couldn’t fit an entire Playmobil family in the back seat of the very swanky Porsche mission E.

The remote control handset that comes with it is nice and easy for young children to use, and gives them control over the lights as well as the speed and steering. The 10m range is more than enough for the average five-year-old’s bedroom, and our tester loved pretending to charge the car up using the little EV charge post. In reality you’ll need five AAA batteries to keep this little motor going, and make sure you stock up – ours ate through them pretty quickly.

The remote control car in this Hexmods pro series elite raceway set is hobby-grade, so it’s a big step up from a toy. You get the chassis plus absolutely loads of mods to build on it – so you can tweak everything from the body styles and hood, to bumpers, spoilers and rims.

Once you’ve settled on aesthetics, you can give it performance upgrades and tinker with everything from the suspension to the drivetrain setup. Our tester enjoyed trying different configurations but needed adult help, as it’s fiddly work with lots of tiny and delicate parts.

However, once it’s up and running it’s a nippy little thing, and we particularly liked the flexible raceway circuit. But the beauty of this one is definitely in the build, and the endless modification options.

Designed for kids aged two years and above, Brio’s remote control race car is nice and big at 26cm long, with a chunky remote control to match. Big buttons are easy for little fingers to operate, and our tester soon got the hang of the arrows. The speed is just right for a first model too, and the plastic chassis stands up to any unexpected crashes.

While the car itself is made from plastic, the little racing driver that sits inside is made from Brio’s trademark wood. Plus, the whole thing looks good enough to leave on display in their bedroom when it’s not being played with. It makes a great gift for a child’s first foray into remote control racing – just be sure to wrap it with seven AA batteries.

If your children are more into tractors than supercars, they’ll love this 1:16 scale case maxxum 150 from Tomy. Part of the big farm range by specialist toy brand, Britains, it’s suitable for kids aged three-plus and delightfully realistic. Our tester liked the fact he could put his own little figures into the cabin and drive them around – a feature that RC cars aimed at older kids don’t tend to have – and Batman and Luke Skywalker made fabulous farmers.

The remote control with this one was a little tricky for a three-year-old to handle, but our six-year-old tester soon got the hang of it. The cab lights and sound effects add a fun touch too, making this a great option for imaginative play.

Another that went down well with our younger tester, Dash the T-Rex is suitable for kids aged three-years and older. And while he might look like a dinosaur, he transforms surprisingly quickly into a remote control car at the touch of a button and comes complete with screechy – but volume-adjustable – sound effects.

You can customise the eyes on the little LCD screen while Dash is in dino mode, or choose your driver when he’s morphed into a motor. This is one of several different switch and go dinos from VTech, so your little one can build up a collection. Just stock up on AA batteries – you’ll need six to bring Dash to life.

This meaty remote control car is very similar to the Monster Jam megalodon storm (£50, Argos.co.uk), and the two are great fun to race side by side. The Batmobile has the same chunky design and supersized wheels that can drive across water, and it made light work of all the terrains we tested it on.

We found the shape of this one made it slightly less stable than the megalodon though, which is the only reason it missed out on the top spot. That said, we love the fact you can put a little 4in action figure in the driver’s seat for an added element of play – just bear in mind there are no figures included. And while the car itself is USB rechargeable, you’ll need two AAA batteries for the joystick remote control, which beeps when your Batmobile is out of range or needs a recharge.