UK’s best kids go karts: top pedal go karts tested for two years!

Specification: Dimensions: 98 x 59 x 58 cm, Suitable for: 2.5 – 6 Years, Maximum Weight: ‎30 kg,

UPDATE after two years testing this: I have to say it is one of those rare kids toys that just keeps on going. When we bought it ourselves we checked the reviews. It had a fair few glowing reviews at the time but the problem I faced, the conundrum in fact – it was double the price of the HOMCOM Kids Children Pedal Go Kart. I was also initially not excited about the tyres that are quite hard and so slipped when turning up slippery concrete – ironically the hardish tyres are now proven to be one of the best things about this go kart as it really will last:

If you look at the seat you can see the adjustments too. This really will fit kids from 3 to 8. My kids at the time were that age and all used this comfortably.

As you can see the tyres have been worked really hard – this go kart has been used for literally hundreds of hours and the only sign of wear is the tyre. Very impressive in a world now sadly made of throw away toys! Apart from blasting it down once or twice with my petrol pressure washer we haven’t done anything maintenance wise:

So I know it’s pricey. But if you have more than one child (or you want to buy one for a young child knowing it will really last for many years) – this is one of those rare toys that you will successfully pass down, in fact all my kids are attaching ropes and towing each other with this thing. If there was such a thing as heavy duty kids go karts. This is definitely it.

Back to my original review: When I first wrote this review I bought my child the BERG Pedal Car Reppy Racer | Pedal Go Kart for his birthday and I’ve got to say the reviews didn’t disappoint. He absolutely loved it. The assembly was pretty easy and took around 30 minutes but I will say it’s better to use the tools provided than any cordless drill and impact driver like I did. I went right over the top and nearly sheared one of the bolts! This is in no way a fault with the go kart, I got a bit excited tensioning too much because I was overly excited myself 🙂

One of the coolest features for me is the seat is so easy to adjust in terms of its position. With only one nut its really easy to swap between the kids. The build has been superb and we’ve left this go kart outside in the recent snow and bad weather all winter. It’s stated as designed for kids 2.5 – 6 and I’d say that’s probably right – my four year old (his birthday) absolutely loved it and my 6 year old also sits in it nicely. Here’s a picture of how comfortably he’s seated.

Here’s a picture of my 6 year old using our BERG Pedal Car Reppy Racer Pedal Go Kart:

It drives lovely on concrete and tarmac – it’s quite difficult on grass as you would expect. The wheels slip a little if the steering is on full lock but as far as I am concerned this is easily the best kids go kart and I am glad I chose it.

The biggest complaint initially was no brakes though if your kids feet are on the pedals then they can control the speed this way – I would not recommend letting a three year old anywhere near step hills – firstly my youngest wouldn’t be able to use a brake and secondly wouldn’t understand how to use the pedals to slow themselves down. But for flat areas and gentle slopes this is superb. Hours and hours of fun.

The sales pitch is a bit much but you can always turn the sound off 😀 and to their credit I don’t need to start the intro video half a minute in, they go straight at it! Kids will love it though, that’s a promise:

Specification: Dimensions: 105 x 54 x 61 cm, Suitable for: 3-6 Years , Maximum Weight: ‎‎35 kg,

Update a couple of years after I first reviewed this go kart: This has proven to be a pretty reliable go kart and given we are all feeling the pinch I am moving this up to the top value pick. With the cost of living crisis even acknowledged widely by the gov, I think it’s time to take value seriously. With sensible tyres you get an authentic drive – not like a cheapest plastic wheeled toy that slips everywhere. In fact, it slips less than the Berg go kart that is considerably more money and still my top pick.

Remembering back to the assembly grief I had with the Berg, this is quite the same and probably my biggest complaint. Otherwise it’s proven to be a solid ride 🙂

What I really like about the HOMCOM Kids Children Pedal Go Kart apart from the price when you compare this to other top kids go karts, is the inflatable tyres. The stability around corners is excellent even when compared directly to the BERG Pedal Car Reppy Racer | Pedal Go Kart, the top pick. So that makes this a bargain then at the low price for top picks? Well yes and no. Firstly there’s not been as many sales with this brand as the others so it’s hard to be sure you’ll get looked after just as well for a start.

As with all typical imports the instructions aren’t the best. You’ll do better to take all the pieces out and have a good eyeball at the assembled design before delving into the actual instructions – you will get there but it’ll bug you no question, the good news is though that’s the main problem you’ll face. Despite being the well priced it ranks nicely on the top pick page. So if you’re on a budget this is well worth a punt.

The seats adjust just like the top models, there’s variable gears which is actually an improvement in some cases and yes, the variable speed gears actually does make a difference!

If you put up with the fact it has a few flaws and assembly can send you round the twist then there’s sensible money to be had here (remember I had assembly grief with the top pick, it’s direct competitor) – most feedback around the internet is positive and I’d say that’s justifiable based on my experience too. Overall this Christmas you can give your kid a quality go kart experience for a shade over half the price of the top models. Food for thought.

New to the list is the COSTWAY Kids Go Kart – it’s here on nothing more than decent build quality for the money and actually not a bad ride either. I wouldn’t say as good as the top picks but you generally get what you pay for. It doesn’t look half bad either – the racing stripes will have your kids excited for sure.

For me the biggest thing about this go-kart is the price. You can’t know the experience to value for money you’re getting from this unit. I don’t like the tyres as much as the top picks and invariably they will slip more. But the drive chain feels decent quality and a couple of years use isn’t unheard of with this particular model.

The seat adjustment is pretty straight forward as there are only two positions. This to me limits the usability a little when compared to the higher end models but again, we roll back to costs 🙂

You’ll have no complaint with the solid build of the frame. This is pretty heavy actually. And naturally you’ll be battling with these heavy components on assembly. This is sadly the norm though from my extensive testing and exactly the same is it’s direct competitor in the bargain category (the HOMCOM)

One thing that is very well thought out: the design of the seat is very comfortable – kids will have no trouble getting in and staying put for an hour at a time. Ideal if you’re planning a long walk or trip and want to find a way to keep them occupied – saying that, when you tie a couple of ropes to the front poles you’ll be quite content pulling them along. My oldest son now does this with the youngest and they spend hours dragging each other about 🙂 Overall this is a solid buy and with the costs being an issue this year I would have no problem telling you your child will love this go kart 🙂

Specification: Dimensions: 83 x 49 x 50 cm, Suitable for: 2-5 Years , Maximum Weight: ‎‎30 kg,

Berg has a lot of experience when it comes to making quality go karts, and over the last 30 years or so have produced some excellent products, including this one- the buzzy nitro go kart for children.

The most important part of that name is the last part where you read ‘for children’. This go kart has been specially designed as a very first go kart for 2-5 year olds, but I would argue that it might be a little too much for anyone younger than 3, and the perfect age group would be 3 to 5 years old once you have adjusted the seat and steering column for comfort.

The eye-catching design of this product is somewhere between a traditional go kart and a trike, with large BMX bicycle style handlebars to do the steering with instead of a steering wheel. Again, these handlebars are obviously aimed at really young kids and helping them get to grips with steering faster than they would with a wheel.

The overall look of this go kart can also be called eye catching thanks to bright orange tyres with black spokes, and bright blue seat attached to the modern shaped, black frame. The look is polished off by two blue coil springs that connect to the front axle from the main steering column.

The buzzy nitro go kart is fitted with 4 ‘EVA whisper tyres’ that are made of strong plastic but with a soft rubber outer layer. This makes it impossible to get a flat tyre like you often get with pneumatic ones, but because of the outer layer, still makes them much quieter than normal plastic tyres that can be quite noisy at times.

These tyres, along with the swing axle do a great job at keeping the go kart stable, even when your child has grown in confidence and is tackling tighter turns at higher speeds.
There is no gear lever or brake handle with the buzzy nitro go kart and instead the pedals control everything. Pedal forwards to go that way, reverse by pedalling backwards, and stop pedaling to brake. It’s very intuitive and kids will get the hang of it in no time at all and be whizzing around the park, pulling off manoeuvres.

This product arrives in several parts but is extremely easy to put together and will only take you about 10-15 minutes, but is surprisingly solid once fully assembled, easily sturdy enough to take a thrashing from a 5 year old.

The price point is actually very reasonable considering what other Brands are asking for products that are vastly inferior to this one, but I wouldn’t buy it for a five year old as they would grow out of it in no time. Still, for a 3 or 4 year old, this is an amazing toy that will put a huge smile on their faces.

Specification: Dimensions: 199 x 78 x 88 cm, Suitable for: 6+ Years, Maximum Weight: for ‎rear seat is 25 kg,

My brother and I are only 3 years apart in age so you can imagine the fights we would have over who plays with large toys such as go karts first.

Had we had the TecTake go kart this wouldn’t have been a problem because it has an extra seat located directly behind the driver for a passenger to come along for the ride. The passenger seat is positioned a little higher too so that both kids can easily see what is going on.

When you compare the Tec to other models, you have to say the extra seat really does workout to not only be great value but promote teamwork with the kids and also helps them with sharing, taking turns to be the driver and passenger. It’s a great way to learn social skills. Surprisingly despite the comparatively larger spec, there is still four adjustments for the front passenger and two for the rear, which puts them right up there even with my top pick the Berg:

Both seats can also be adjusted to suit the length of your child’s legs. The driver’s seat has 4 possible positions to choose from, and for the passenger there are two. This is a good feature to have as it means that your kids can continue to use the go kart even as they grow, and if your child would rather drive solo, the back seat is easily removed.

This Go Kart rides really smoothly thanks to both the axle and the wheels having ball bearings and the front swing axle makes sure that handling is excellent. To keep the go kart stuck to the road tecTake have fitted pneumatic tyres with good grip patterns on them onto sturdy steel rims.

For safety reasons, and also to ensure that the chain doesn’t get damaged by dirt and stones, the TecTake go kart has a plastic chain guard that fully encloses it. Now, this also means that you will have to remove it from time to time to grease the chain, but it doesn’t take much effort to do so and the extra safety for you children is worth it.

The handles for the handbrake and for changing from forward to reverse gear are both a good size and therefore easy to reach. You don’t have to worry about them breaking off any time soon either as, just like the rest of the frame, they are incredibly well built out of strong metal materials.

However, due to this strong and durable design, it does make this go kart too heavy for most children younger than 6 years old to pedal comfortably and is ideally suited more for kids over the age of 8.

There is some assembly involved with this TecTake go kart but the instructions are pretty easy to follow so it shouldn’t prove too much of a problem for most people, and the parts arrived in well protected packaging that prevented anything being damaged en-route.

While this isn’t the cheapest kid’s go kart out there, it does offer a level of quality and durability that cheaper models just can’t match. It would be an especially good buy for families with more than one child because when the older child grows out of it, the go kart would still be in good condition for the younger child to use.

Specification: Dimensions: 101 x 62 x 63 cm, Suitable for: 3+ Years, Maximum Weight: ‎30 kg,

I’ve decided to include the Oypla Red Kids Childrens Pedal Racing Go-Kart this year as it is the exact same product as the HOMCOM Kids Children Pedal Go Kart Cart Air Inflatable Tyres Motor Racing. It’s absolutely clear they come from the same factory – just check the design to be sure. Actually, Oypla are pricing it more expensive. The reason for the inclusion though is as we head towards Christmas and things go out of stock. This is going to be a trustable alternative to the HOMCOM. Whilst there are less purchases, the quality remains the same and it appears customer services aren’t bad either. So you can buy in confidence.

This model has inflatable tyres. Something to watch out for if you don’t like maintenance. I will say though, solid rubber tyres are far more expensive and so it’s easy to see why go the inflated route to keep the same excellent riding experience without the cost of solid rubber!

You’ll find this go kart is absolutely ideal for 3 to 8 year olds. I wouldn’t think you would want it for children much older – they are certainly going to be looking at bigger, better things. Once you’re child weighs more than 4 and a half stone they are already at the max weight rating for this go kart.

Talking of weight, the kart itself weighs 13kg and its a metre long and in its first package looks great, just the ticket if this is something for Christmas or as a present and you don’t want to assemble beforehand:

It’s a metre long and 65cm wide. Worth considering if you plan to take the kids to a park or whatever nearby. You’ll need a big boot!

On the downside it simply costs more money than the exact same HOMCOM, but if that goes out of stock, an alternative options is always better than no option!

Specification: Dimensions: 112 x 64 x 63 cm, Suitable for: 4-8 Years / 100 to 130 cm heigh , Maximum Weight: ‎N/A,

The Kettler Daytona Air go kart is an excellent choice if your children are too small to handle compared with the TecTake model above. At 112cm long, 63cmk high, and 64cm wide, it is much more compact and therefore suited to 4-8 year olds who should have no problem getting the 14 kilogram weight of this go kart moving without any help from mum or dad.

Your kids will love the sporty looking design, complete with big bucket seats and race car style front fairing, and even the gear lever has been given a sportier feel with Kettler’s choice of handle. It all gives this go kart an overall look that is sure to be a hit with anyone who sees it.

As your child grows, you can easily adjust the seat position to keep it comfortable to pedal and drive, and it can all be done without the need of tools. You might even be tempted to squeeze in and give this a try yourself but I wouldn’t advise it as the maximum amount of weight for this go kart is around 50 kilograms.

The thing that impressed me about this go kart was, for a product in this price bracket, it has some very nice features and good build quality. The metal frame feels nice and firm, the plastic used for the seats is thick and strong, and unusually for a lower cost model, the tyres are pneumatic and nice and wide.

These tyres help to give the Kettler Daytona air a good area of contact with the ground and this improves both grip and handling which makes it easier for your children to steer it around.

The chain area is completely encased in a plastic cover so you don’t have to worry about your little darlings getting their fingers or skin caught in there, and the pedals have a decent amount of grip on them to prevent their feet slipping off too easily.

Honestly, if I had been given this go kart for my birthday or Christmas when I was 8 years old or under, I would have been over the moon with it, just as I’m sure your kids will be.

Specification: Dimensions: 102 x 60 x 64 cm, Suitable for: 3-8 Years , Maximum Weight: ‎‎N/A,

Some children are fascinated by pictures and colours while others love hearing new and different sounds. If your child is one of the latter, then this Air runner go kart from Ferbedo might interest you.

The reason for this is that the steering wheel on this go kart has four little buttons that each make a sound when you push them. One is the sound of a car starting up, another is it revving up into high RPM, then there’s one that sounds like wheels spinning as a car speeds away, and finally a car horn. I thought these are actually a good selection of effects and can really help with your kid’s imagination. Be aware though that this feature requires three AAA batteries that don’t come with the go kart.

As for the rest of the go kart, it is similar in design to the excellent Kettler Daytona Air model with a sporty looking front end and wheels. It also shares the handbrake and pneumatic tyres, which makes it easier for the go kart to be peddled over softer terrain like gravel.

Where Air Runner differs from the Kettler is that it doesn’t have separate gears for forward and reverse or a lever for changing between them. Instead it uses the same freewheeling mechanism as the Berg Buzzy Nitro where the pedals are connected directly to the rear axle and the direction you travel is controlled by them.

All the other things you expect from a good go kart are here. There’s a high quality metal frame that’ll take loads of up to 50 kilograms, a high backed ergonomic driving seat that can be adjusted, and a covered chain guard.

It is for sale for a reasonable price too, around the same as the Kettler Daytona Air, but if I was to choose between them, I would go for the Kettler product and I’ll tell you why. It comes down to assembly. This go kart was much harder to put together due largely to the terrible instructions that came with it. I managed it in the end but it certainly took more than a few hours to do it alone.

Apart from that little setback, I can’t really fault this go kart. It feels like it would last a while, has good tyres, and of course has the extra sound effects that some kids will absolutely love. Just get someone to help you build it that’s all, or your kids might pick up a few bad words from listening to you trying to do it alone.

Specification: Dimensions: 100 x 55 x 30 cm, Suitable for: children / adults, Maximum Weight: ‎‎100 kg,

This new kind of product is an interesting take on the whole go kart idea. Do you know those hover boards that have become so popular in recent years? You know, the ones that kids stand on and then make it move by leaning forwards, backwards etc.

Well, frames like this can turn those into a crazily fun type of electric go kart and they’re really easy to use.

All you have to do is put the frame together which doesn’t take long at all, and then fit your hoverboard under the seat. This part is adjustable so you can connect most hoverboard makes and sizes including 6.5, 8, and 10 inch boards.

Once connected, you use the large handles that are situated at either side of the seat to control the go kart. Push both down to go forward, lift them both to reverse, or lift one side up and push one down to turn. Really simple and because you are sat down in a high backed chair, and supported by the frame, there is no way of losing your balance like you can on the hoverboard.

This go kart frame is very well built for the price and I was surprised at how strong it is. I sat on it myself after adjusting the footrest and seat and it easily held my 90 kilogram weight. Despite my reservations towards the small, rubber front wheel, it actually did a good job of keeping the go kart stable while moving at speeds of around 15kph over terrain that wasn’t completely flat. I don’t think it would fare that well over soft ground though.

You have a choice of colours to pick from, either black, blue, red, or pink, although all of them have a black plastic seat.

The frame comes with a free pair of replacement straps for holding the hoverboard in place so I suspect that they might be the weakest link in this package, but under poor testing they held firm and didn’t look to be too weak or close to breaking.

With prices going as low as under 40 pounds, it is easy to see why thousands of people have bought this product from Amazon and with a very large percent of them giving favourable reviews, this is definitely a product to consider, especially if you have a hover board already.