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Choosing the best RC toys could mean the difference between sluggish acceleration or quick, zippy movement for hours and hours of entertainment. Our evaluation focused on construction, controls, range, and battery life.
After more than 12 hours of research and testing, our pick for the best RC toy goes to the LEGO Technic Remote-Controlled Stunt Racer RC Toys. This stunt racer is very well rounded, featuring large rear sprockets for smooth acceleration, 200 pieces for customization, and compatibility with original LEGO sets to add even more dimension to your finished product. Keep reading to learn more about the LEGO Technic Remote-Controlled Stunt Racer RC Toys and other best RC Toys available for purchase.
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This RC toy features a 2-in-1 vehicle/racer hybrid combo and 324 pieces, a great choice for kids who want to customize the look and feel of their vehicles.
Aside from the LEGO name, we really enjoy how well this RC toy is put together. A bulky remote with two joystick controls also help nail wheelies and high stunts with turns and spins. Rubberized wheel tracks help provide shock resistance, with our testing easily clearly three feet. Kudos for being compatible with original LEGO sets which allows more diversification of pieces. If you want to get your children some fun trucks, then check out our best RC trucks for kids.
Our favorite feature with this RC toy is its large rear sprockets, which really make acceleration a blast just like with the best remote control boat for kids. Given the complexity with 200 pieces and the need to adjust pieces to maximize physics, we recommend this toy for kids ages 9 and up with a better understanding of STEM principles. All in all, we were very impressed with how well this unit is built.
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is one of the best remote control toys for kids, thanks to a 50-task programming function and hand gesture controls which can control the direction it moves in.
This RC toy is really entertaining. Gesture controls allow users to control the robot in all directions and a series of commands input into the remote can have the robot carry out up to 50 consecutive actions. For example, hitting the left arrow several times could make it slide to turn left for the same number of times. It can also sing and dance to pre-recorded tunes. With a lack of STEM education, consider this idea for kids ages six and under.
This playful robot is cool looking with a classic white and blue color scheme along with large eyes, oversized feet, and flexible multi-joints for snake-like movement. It can also be connected to a power bank for a 2-hour charging time from empty for roughly an hour’s worth of playing time. Kudos for intuitive remote control, which carries simple functions for left, right, forward, and backward arrows as well as programming, dance, and music buttons. The best remote control cars also offer pretty smart controls.
Award: BEST FOR PULLING
WHY WE LIKE IT: This RC toy is built like a construction dump truck with large rubber tires, a full swinging flatbed, and 25-pound weight capacity to lug dirt around, making it a neat choice for truck hobbyists.
This remote construction truck is true to life with a 1:14 scale. A simple two joystick remote controls this 18-inch machine, swinging flatbeds up and down, popping headlights, and controls a front-loaded and excavator. This RC toy’s flatbed has a weight capacity of 22 pounds to lug dirt, loose soil, and do the objects to mimic the real world.
We like how agile this construction RC truck moves, just like some of the best RC boats. With strong rubber sties, this RC truck can move in all directions, even up inclines with durable double tires. Kudos for a favorable run to charge time ratio (up to 50 minutes of play with a 2-hour charge using a single 400mAh 7.2v Ni-CD rechargeable battery).
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: This high-speed drift car RC toys come with a rugged, ABS plastic body and a top speed of six miles per hour, making it a great choice for racing on all types of terrain.
This remote control RC toy would be definitely enjoyed by racing enthusiasts. It’s true to life (1:16 scale), featuring elastic rubber tires, glowing LED headlights, and a durable ABS plastic body to withstand heavy wear and tear, regardless of the terrain. Its omnidirectional controller is very intuitive, with a large antenna and simple left/right and up/down arrow buttons, ready to race.
Thanks to a strong frequency, multiple cars can run on the same frequency, which is great for ghardcore racers. It also runs on 3 AA batteries (car’s battery box) and two AA batteries (remote), which are good for pro. Consider this a great gift for kids 9 and under. And you can also compare it to 7 of the best RC cars for kids.
Award: BEST WIRELESS RANGE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This 1:20 scale remote control excavator RC toy comes with three separate motors and a 2.4GHz transmitter to control it more than 100 feet away, making it a great choice for construction enthusiasts.
This RC truck is very thoughtfully built. Large heavy rubber track tires allow it to glide smoothly and three motors control its digging arm for a full range of motion. Its cab can also rotate as tightly as 660 degrees and range is good for more than 100 feet, making it a great choice for the outdoors.
Kudos for an intuitive remote control scheme, which heavily resembles a PlayStation 4 controlled with dual joysticks along with light and sound functions. 11 channels also make it easy to play multiple excavators using the same channel with no interference. It also comes with a rechargeable battery and a USB charger. Our only knock is that battery life is on the downside, lasting roughly 30 minutes on a full charge. This is still one of the best RC trucks on the market.
Award: BEST FOR TRICKS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This 1:28 scale RC toy comes with monstrous rubber wheels and performs 360-degree spins and flips, a great choice for both kids and adults.
This RC toy is very well rounded with a solid base, four monstrous wheels, and double-sided riding ability. It uses a pretty intuitive, Playstation 4-lite controller with directional joysticks, power switch, and power indicator. It is a great choice for people of all ages in performing stunts off steps and uneven terrain.
Our favorite feature with this RC toy is its TRP tires, which uses a vacuum design for tight traction on rough terrain and steep inclines up to 45 degrees. It uses a concave-convex texture for grip. These wheels also form an independent suspension system which means each wheel operates independently to really amplify stunts such as rotating spins and flips. Consider this one a master rock crawler with crazy rock crawls.
Award: BEST LUXURY REPLICA
WHY WE LIKE IT: Thanks to a built-in spring suspension system and an up to 98-foot range, we love this RC Ferrari replica for luxury car enthusiasts.
This Ferrari replica is true to life, constructed in a 1:14 scale with the all-too-familiar butterfly doors, cat-eye tail lights, and a neat interior replica of its leather seats. It’s also very durable, constructed using ABS plastic with rubber tires and an independent suspension system that handles once on rough terrain really well.
Kudos for a 98-foot range, which really amplifies the competitive spirit. Paired with optional 27 MHz or 40 MHz frequencies, two players can race against each other without any interference. Its remote controller is also very intuitive, shaped like a large steering wheel with up/down and forward/backward directional buttons.
Award: MOST DURABLE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This 1:14 scale remote control truck comes with an ultra-tough alloy body, top speeds of 15 miles per hour, and large rubber tires, making it an excellent choice for outdoor racing.
We love this remote control car’s construction and build. Its alloy body and large rubber wheels work well with shock absorbers for dampening power, especially on rough terrain. A crash-proof front and rear bumper also keep the body and frame from getting wrecked when smashing into picnic tables and rocks. Large rubber wheels also give it plenty of crawling power, even on steep inclines.
The run to charge time ratio on his beast is solid, going roughly 20 minutes to full speed for a 3 hour charge time. Its range is phenomenal (up to 164 feet). Kudos for including a 6.0V/800mAh rechargeable battery, which eliminates the need to purchase multiple batteries as with other RC toys. You can compare it to 7 of the best RC trucks for kids.
Award: BEST AVIATION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This remote helicopter comes with altitude hold controls and a two -speed flight ranging, making it a nice choice for enterprising pilots.
This RC toy is really well thought out with intuitive dual joystick controls for forward/backward/up/down and spin controls with 1-key lift and land. The actual helicopter is an overall winner, with solid drifting and tilting controls, especially with its altitude hold function which allows it to remain hovering in one place for the life of the charge.
Aside from the Syma name, our favorite feature with this RC toy is its 65-foot flight range, which should easily cover the length of most rooms indoors. Our only criticism is that its charge to run-time ratio is the lowest on our list (1-hour charge for a 5-minute flight). Although this helicopter includes a rechargeable 3.7V battery, we recommend purchasing several of them to keep on standby. This is one of the best RC helicopters, which is why you should consider this a neat gift for adults and kids alike.
Award: BEST MULTIPLAYER
WHY WE LIKE IT: This RC plane comes with 2.4Ghz technology and a range of up to 320 feet, making it an excellent choice as a multiplayer racer.
This RC toy is very well crafted throughout. It uses a built-in 6-axis gyro system which offers excellent acceleration and stabilization indoors or outdoors. 2.4Ghz technology allows up to 20 airplanes to fly within range at the same time, making it great for large groups to run the skies. On the build side, it is pretty durable with steel control rods and an EPP shock-resistant body.
The charge time to run time ratio with this RC toy is pretty good for an airplane, good for up to 15 minutes of flight time on a 90-minute charge. Its controller is also simple enough with dual joystick controls for forwarding/backward/up/down as well as a large antenna for coverage.
In determining the best RC toys to buy, we explored construction, controls, range, and battery life.
We are big fans of solid construction road vehicles for impact and shock resistance. For truck excavators and dump trucks, large track tires and rubber tires offer outstanding dampening power on rough terrain. Alloy bodies help absorb impact a lot better than plastic.
The best remote control cars should have intuitive controls. Most of our RC toys come with the all-too-familiar dual joystick controls for forward/backward and up/down movement. Some include dedicated buttons such as one-button lift-off and landing for better control. They should be simple enough for children and adults to learn in less than a minute. Kudos for controls with attached antennas which help tremendously with range.
Look for the best remote control toys with at least a 50-foot range. This should help maximize your open air and space without having to constantly trip forward in chasing your toy. Our top picks max out at 100 -plus feet, which should easily cover most rooms indoors.
Battery life is a very important consideration. Run to charge time ratio should be favorable to avoid having to constantly purchase new batteries or recharging rechargeable batteries. Look to increase battery life with car and robot RC toys and less with flight toys.
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