What age RC cars are for (the right RC for ages 3+)
Before buying an RC car, you need to understand that RC cars come in two forms hobby-grade and toy-grade RC cars.
Hobby-grade RC cars are best used by adults, while toy-grade ones are suitable for kids. But, here comes the tricky part; what age range is the RC car best for?
In this article, we learn all there is to know about RC cars and the age group to use them.
What is the age range for RC cars?
While manufacturers make different RC cars for different age ranges, the truth is that there is no age limit to using remote control cars. The age range will depend on whether or not you understand how to use an RC car.
Typically, people from 3 to 50 years and above can use an RC car.
Who uses remote control cars and what age can use them will depend on whether the person loves the hobby.
How old should a kid be for an RC car?
RC cars are a fun hobby, and anyone can use them. But, buying a remote-control car for a child not up to 2 years or someone with no love for the hobby will be a waste of money.
If you’re purchasing an RC car for your child, you want to make sure that they understand how the RC car works and generally understand the hobby.
Technically, children between age three to five years and above who understand how RC cars work can start with the toy-grade RC cars before advancing to hobby-grade RCs when they grow.
Are remote control cars good for kids?
One of the best reasons kids love RC cars is because they are fun. But that’s not all! There are far more important benefits RC cars offer your child.
- RC cars give your kids technical knowledge about assembling electronics.
- Playing with toy-grade remote control cars will help your child take responsibility for their belongings.
- RC cars also improve your child’s hand-eye coordination skills, helping them tune their visuals with their motor output.
- It also improves your child’s motor skills by getting them in-tune with the electronic functions at a young age.
- Owning an RC car will discipline your child and help them improve self-efficacy.
Overall, RC cars are an entertainment tool for kids. Yet, the work to boost your child’s mental and physical health while also ensuring they learn to be social. It also helps you build the learning skills your child will need in the long run.
Are RC cars for adults?
Just because you’re grown-up doesn’t mean RC cars aren’t meant for you. On the contrary, remote control cars are great for adults.
Adult RC cars are called hobby-grade RC vehicles. Unlike the toy-grade RC cars designed for your child’s safety, hobby grade RC cars take the remote-control hobby to the next level as they are designed with high-tech electronics like real cars.
RC cars designed for send pro adults are faster, can hold high-energy capacity lithium batteries, and have a longer run time. Even the prices vary.
Can adults benefit from RC cars?
There are so many benefits adults get from driving an RC car
- RC cars are a fun hobby for adults, but it gives them a sense of achievement when they know they build their own electric or nitro-powered cars themselves. In essence, it helps them develop and fine-tune their technical building skills.
- We live in a competitive world where competitions are sometimes unfair. RC cars help adults compete in a much healthier way.
- Most adults get deep in work, sometimes forgetting they have a social life. Racing an RC car with friends and family provides an avenue to socialize and relieve the stress of the 24/7 busy lifestyle.
Generally, like every other adult fun hobby, RC cars are fun. They help adults relieve stress, socialize more, compete healthily, and fine-tune their technical building skills.
At what age can you start RC racing?
RC enthusiasts can start racing with their RC vehicles no matter their age or experience level. Remote control cars are easy to use, so children as young as three can run them.
However, you want to make sure to get an RC scale that best suits your skills.
Do hobby-grade cars fit all ages?
Unlike toy-grade RCs, hobby-grade remote-control cars are designed with high-tech electronic components which can even be modified and upgraded to a much better function. This means is that hobby-grade vehicles aren’t meant for everyone or fit for all ages. Why?
The high-tech electronic components mean you’ll always have to worry about safety issues, from the RC car overheating to possible smoking and explosion. It also means you’ll have to know how to maintain and repair them when they get faulty. To drive hobby-grade RC cars, you need experience and skills.
What age is best to start with hobby grade RC car
People differ, and even at age 15, most RC enthusiasts still can’t get the hand of hobby-grade RCs and become frustrated.
Usually, one can start driving hobby-grade RC cars from 12 years, depending on their skills and how capable they are to maintain them.
However, you might only be able to drive an electric hobby-grade RC car at this age and never nitro-powered ones. Nitro engines are usually challenging to master, especially for young kids. Add that you might have to tune your nitro car constantly, and the task doubles.
Seasoned RC enthusiasts from age 20 and above will better handle nitro RC cars.
So, before buying a hobby-grade RC car, you have to consider if the person is mature enough to responsibly run one on their own, tune it, maintain the RC car, and repair electronic parts when they get faulty.
Can kids handle the speed and power of hobby-grade RC cars?
Kids get bored quickly; hence, they require a high level of mental stimulation, which is why the speed and power of hobby-grade RC vehicles make for a perfect fun pastime.
However, as a parent, you need to be careful when choosing hobby-grade RC cars for your child. Unlike toy-grade RCs designed with plastic and non-toxic materials, most hobby-grade RCs come engineered with aluminum and metal parts. Plus, hobby-grade RC cars are miniature models of real cars, meaning they have features like real cars.
If you’re considering getting hobby-grade RC cars for your child, especially ones with high speed and performance functions, you want to make sure to supervise them as they use them.
What age is old enough for kit RC cars?
One benefit children enjoy when they use RC cars is that they improve their technical knowledge, especially when building their RC models.
So, if you have a child as young as three years old, you can get an RC Kit car for them.
Is there an age for nitro vs. electric, or can you start at the same age?
Nitro RC cars use an expensive high-performance engine and require expert tuning techniques to maintain them. On the other hand, electric RCs only need a battery and motor to power them easily replaceable.
Regardless of this, maintaining and tuning a nitro engine can be difficult even for a seasoned enthusiast up to 15 years. RC fans from age 12 who own electric RC vehicles better understand their models. It’s always best to get a nitro-powered RC car model at age 20 since you have had more years to master maintenance and tuning techniques.
Is there an age too old for RC cars?
Since we’ve established that there’s no age limit to who can use an RC car. It simply means there’s also no age too old for driving remote control cars.
The only difference between toy-grade RC cars is their pricing and advanced electronics. The electronic upgrades make RC cars more exciting. Many adults even love racing these upgraded RC vehicles because they are fun and a great hobby.
So, while people may think a 60 years person is too old for RC cars, as long as the hobby helps you relax and take a break from the busy adult life, it doesn’t matter how old you are;
you are never too old for RC cars!
Can 3-year old use remote control cars?
Remote control cars are excellent play buddies for children at age three. It helps them train their hand-eye coordination skills to learn about the cause and effect of an action. The cause is when they press the controller buttons, and the effect they get is the RC car’s movement.
This process helps the three-year-old child understand that for everything they do, there is a result. When they press the forward button, the car goes forward.
RC cars segments by ages
Plan to surprise your child with an RC car? Here are some models that would suit your kids from 3 to 10 years and above.
Remote control car for 3-year-old
- kolegend Remote Control Dump Truck RC
Features
- Powerful 4 Wheel Drive
- Weighs 3.14 pounds
- 2.4Ghz Radio Control
- 1/14 scale
- 30 minutes runtime
- 4 AA Batteries
- Speed range up to 2.5km/h
Remote control car for 4-year-old
- DEERC 2.4GHz STEM Build RC Car
Features
- 2.4GHz remote control function
- Has Speed range up to 2.5km/h
- Weighs 1.75 pounds
- 1/18 scale
- 3*AA batteries
- Playing time of about 30min
- Led lighting design
- 360° rotating, retractable and adjustable height.
Remote control car for 5-year-old
- EpochAir Wall Climbing Car
Features
- Wall climbing RC car with 360 Stunt Rotation capabilities
- It uses a 6 A As battery
- 30 minutes playing time
- Remote-controlled distance: 20 meters
- Weighs 11.7 ounces
- 1/28 scale
- Speed limits up to 2mph
Remote control car for 6-year-old
- JJ Rock Wheels Licensed Bentley EXP12
Features
- Weighs 32 pounds
- High-performance 12V battery for more extended performance
- Equipped with 4-wheel suspension
- Speed limits between 1.25 to 3.1 mph
- Has a run time of 1-2 hours
Remote control car for 7-year-old
- Amicool 4WD 2.4Ghz RC car
Features
- 360 Degree Spins and Flips
- Weighs 1.3 pounds
- 1/28 scale
- It can be used on off-road RC vehicle
- It comes with a 2.4GHz transmitter
- Reaches max speed of 7.5mph 12km/h
- It uses a 6v 800mAh battery
- It has a total runtime of 25minutes
Remote control car for 10+ years old
- Double 1/12 Off-Road RC Truck
Features
- 2.4 GHz frequency with a range of up to 100 feet
- 4WD suspension
- 2.4GHz High-Speed RC Car
- 1/12 scale
- Capable of speed up to 15km/h
- It has a runtime of 30minutes
- Weighs 3.21 pounds
- It uses a battery of 6v 800mAh
| RC Cars Age Group | Transmitter | Weight | Scale | Speed | Runtime | Battery |
| 3-years-old | 2.4ghz | 3.14 pounds | 1/14 | 2.5km/h | 30 minutes | 4 AA Batteries |
| 4-years-old | “ | 1.75 pounds | 1/18 | 2.5km/h | 30minutes | 3*AA batteries |
| 5-years-old | “ | 11.7 ounces | 1/28 | 2mph | 30 minutes | 6 A As battery |
| 6-years-old | “ | 32 pounds | EXP 12 | 1.25 to 3.1 mph | 1-2 hours | 12V battery |
| 7-years-old | “ | 1.3llbs | 1/28 | 7.5mph 12km/h | 25minutes | 6v 800mAh |
| 10+ years old | “ | 3.21llbs | 1/12 | 15km/h | 30 minutes | 6v 800mAh |
Conclusion
RC cars are a great hobby for anyone regardless of age. However, children aged 15 and below won’t find running hobby-grade RC vehicles easy, especially the nitro-powered ones, since they are hard to maintain and tune. If you’re considering getting an RC car for your child, you want to make sure to get one within their age range that they can handle. Regardless of this, RC cars will help your child bond socially, become responsible, improve hand-eye coordination and technical skills.
