For premium support please call:
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Squeeze Stress Ball
It doesn’t matter if you’re an adult, toddler, or a curious baby: RC toys are fun to play around with. Whether you’re looking for a new gadget to play with on the neighborhood sidewalk or you just need something to occupy those kids at home, remote control toys are truly one of the cheapest thrills you can enjoy just about anywhere.
From cars and boats to helicopters and drones, RC gizmos come in a wide variety of vehicles, figures, and robots, and have a long list of diverse functions. If you’re a parent looking to keep their child’s hands busy, or even an adult just curious about the power that these small toys can hold, we’ve picked out the best RC toys for you to check out down below and pump some new joy into that typical routine.
Looking for more gadgets to gift young ones for a special occasion? Check out our picks for Star Wars toys, popping toys, and educational toys.
Best Overall: BEZGAR TB141 RC Car
Best Budget: Sky Viper Dash Nano Drone
Best for Superhero Fans: DC Comics Batman Stunt Force Batmobile
Best for Education: Apitor Robot X
Best Animal: Skyrocket Mega Chomp Remote Control Shark
Many toys operate via remote control, but not all are cars. RC toys can range from water-shredding boats to aerial drones. When searching for an RC toy, consider what kind of vehicle or figure you’d like to control with a remote, and note what it takes to operate it. A drone, for example, may require proper licensing, depending on its use.
Adults searching for reliable RC toys may remember that these gadgets sometimes require many batteries to operate, and they can die pretty fast. That’s not always the case today. Many modern RC toys rely on rechargeable batteries that you can recharge using a USB-C cable or similar. Take battery life and operation into consideration when shopping for RC toys to understand how much playtime you can get with them.
It’s vital to pay attention to the suggested age recommendations for each product and consider potentially sharp edges of the toy if you’re buying one for a child. Anything that’s jagged may pose a risk of injury, but there are plenty of rounded toys that are kid-friendly.
To find the best remote control toys out there, we consulted our own guides to the best remote control boats, cars, and helicopters. As verified tinkerers, the Popular Mechanics staff is no stranger to a battery-operated vehicle, so we used our expansive knowledge of this space to inform our choices. We also checked out guides from Best Products, taking critical and user reviews into consideration, and scoured through thousands of reviews to find the most accessible, family-friendly toys on the market today.
The most ridiculous toy on this list, and the one our editors had the most fun with, is the Mega Chomp—a shark that wheels around to chomp on toes, furniture, and maybe even pets. This 18-inch-long shark lacks a bottom jaw, and its upper teeth continuously move up and down while in motion, giving it the appearance of biting objects on the floor. Its tail also snakes around as if it were swimming in the ocean, plus it’s surprisingly speedy.
We’ve had this toy in our office for weeks, and it’s a hit: folks love how silly it looks, and its wide remote range makes it perfect for large, open spaces. The shark-themed remote is simple to use and feels great in hand, but we wish the shark wasn’t designed to look so mean—after all, sharks are more scared of us than we are of them.
Mega Chomp Remote Control Shark Toy
This RC car is a terrific toy for beginners and enthusiasts alike. With a sturdy, reinforced frame, this RC car is 1/14 scale, and it has squishy rubber tires and suspension that makes it super bouncy.
It’s our pick for Best Overall due to its incredible speed of 12 mph and its 2.4 GHz non-interference remote, which allows it to be operated from up to 50 meters away without lag. The battery lasts up to 15 minutes, but with the extra included set, you can play it for up to 30. It also sports working headlights and comes in five colors, including pink, green, and yellow.
The Robot X is a popular STEM toy from Apitor that uses motors, sensors, and building blocks to show children that they can have fun while learning how to code. Buying this set allows children to build one of 12 pre-designed robots, including designs for cars, dinosaurs, helicopters, and more. How do they control these robots? An app, of course.
The free Apitor Kit app lets children and adults control their custom robot with powerful motors and move it in all directions. The catch: You just have to program it to move by writing very basic lines of code. Many praise the customizable aspects of the Robot X, as well as its compatibility with Lego products.
This stunt-heavy RC Batmobile is perfect for fans of the Dark Knight. This supremely lightweight RC car has a large plastic grill to prevent it from accumulating dents, plus large foam wheels that help roll over carpets and hard surfaces.
It’s stunt-forward and fast, so it can flip, topple, and ram into objects without taking heavy damage. Drive it off a table or even down a staircase, and it’ll survive just fine. Its cockpit is compatible with 4-inch Batman figures, sold separately, for even more action.
We had some hands-on experience with it and found its four-wheel drive and dual motors give plenty of speed and power.
Batman Stunt Force Batmobile RC Toy
With a simple-to-use controller, integrated GPS, and an auto-pilot mode that flies it back to its controller, this drone is one of the easiest toys to fly.
It has an integrated camera that provides a live feed via a smartphone app, plus it has flight assist features that let the drone automatically launch, land, and hover at the push of a button. The camera also records video footage and takes photos you can view later.
We’ve piloted this around our office and found the battery life impressive, with a flight time between 15 to 20 minutes (that rivals even some professional drones). It’s super lightweight and easy to use, and its app is especially useful. It’s not very kid-friendly, however, as its plastic propellers are sharp and its controller knobs are sensitive, making accidental flight too easy.
V2900 Pro Drone RC Toy
Here’s a drone to keep both adults and kids happy. This RC quadcopter can flip and roll in the air, and an altitude hold mode lets it hover in place. It also has an anti-impact design that allows it to withstand harsh tumbles, crashes, and accidents. Many user reviews say it works directly out of the packaging, and that it’s easy enough for a toddler to operate.
Keep in mind, however, that like many drones, this won’t last very long up in the air. After a 60-minute charging time, you’ll only be able to enjoy 7 minutes of flight. But at this price, it’s not so bad.
The Vector Stunt Plane has tiny wheels for a runway-supported liftoff, plus a simplified controller that lets it perform barrel rolls and flips. Its long-range transmitter reaches up to 600 feet away. It also has a six-axis gyro design that auto-stabilizes its body while in flight. With an incredible speed of up to 35 mph, this is one of the fastest RC toys we’ve tested.
The plane is made mostly of foam, which we loved while testing, as we frequently ran into walls and didn’t have to worry about damage that would ruin the fun. That also makes it feel fairly safe when powered on. It also automatically lands if it flies out of range, preventing the headache of retrieving it from afar. Though we love that it’s made of foam, the material does make it distinctly flimsy compared to other flying RC toys.
Mario Kart and Nintendo fans will love playing with this RC car. This little toy puts Mario in his signature kart racer, waiting for input and direction from a controller that also sports the “M” emblem. It can receive input from up to 100 feet away, and you can easily drift, slide, and do 360-degree spins with the push of a button.
It also has an anti-gravity mode which flips each wheel 90 degrees for driving up the side of a wall. Several fans praise this RC car for its surprising durability and ease of use. However, some say the number of batteries it needs is excessive—six for the car and two for the remote.
Super Mario Kart Anti-Gravity Mini RC Racer
The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Painter’s Tape
The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere
Squishy Cat Stress Toy Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?