How Fast Are Power Wheels 8 Facts Need To Know

Ride on Power Wheels toy car

As any parent knows, it's always important to know that your children are safe. With that in mind, you might be wanting to know more about power wheels.

There are many types of these motorized vehicles available, from power wheel trucks to Barbie campers.

To be more specific, you might be asking yourself: "How fast are power wheels?" We're here to help you learn more about how fast power wheels are.

How Fast Are Power Wheels?

The first thing to note is that different types of power wheels have different speed settings. For instance, one power wheel might have a top speed of 6 mph, whereas another one's top speed might only be 2 mph.

Typical power wheel speeds can range from 1mph to 6mph.

To help you learn more about this subject, let's take a look at the most common power wheel speed settings.

Variable and Single-Speed Power Wheels

There are many options you'll have while choosing a power wheel. Considering that, these motorized vehicles sometimes have various speed settings.

Variable speed power wheels have multiple speed settings. Most of the time, this will be a low and high-speed option. Typically, the low-speed setting will be about half of the high-speed setting. For example, many power wheels have a high-speed setting that's 5 mph and a low-speed setting that's about 2.5 mph.

While not as common as variable speed power wheels, there are some models that offer a single speed. Single-speed power wheels that are safer for older children around the 4-6 year age range.

Power Wheel Speed Also Depends on Its Battery

Another important factor that can determine speed is your power wheel's battery. Power wheels are available in a wide range of battery strengths. It's common to find power wheels with:

  • 6-volt batteries
  • 12-volt batteries
  • 24-volt batteries
  • 36-volt batteries

As you find power wheels with stronger batteries, they'll typically go faster than ones with lower strength batteries. For instance, a power wheel with a 24-volt battery might have a top speed of 5 mph. However, this same vehicle with a 12-volt battery might only reach speeds of 2 mph.

The Surface a Child Travels On

Another factor that affects how fast your child travels is where they're driving. If your child is going to drive around in a driveway or a similar type of flat surface, achieving top speed shouldn't be too hard.

With that said, not every child will drive on smooth surfaces. Some children will want to drive their power wheels on grass or through the dirt. Most power wheels are capable of traveling on these surfaces. However, non-flat surfaces are likely to affect the top speed of your power wheel.

The Weight and Age of Your Child

Lastly, the weight of your child or children (if you're buying a multi-seat power wheel) can also affect a power wheel's top speed. Here's another example to help make this point a little clearer.

Let's say that your child is 20 pounds and their power wheel has a top speed of 3 mph. In this case, your child's weight probably isn't going to have much of an effect on this vehicle's speed.

Now, let's say you're getting a power wheel for your older child who weighs 45 pounds. Considering that this child is 2.5 times heavier, it might have a noticeable effect on a power wheel's speed. So, in this case, it might be best to buy a power wheel that's a little faster than average motorized vehicles.

Here's a recent post we created about the best power wheels for 4-year-olds that you might find interesting.

How Fast Are Power Wheels go?

How Can I Prevent a Child From Going Too Fast?

While learning about the top speed of power wheels, it's easy to feel a little stressed out about placing your child in one of these toys. Don't worry, power wheel manufacturers understand the importance of child safety. Here are a few ways to prevent your child from going too fast in a power wheel.

Also, make sure to visit our FAQ page to find answers to all types of questions related to power wheels.

1. Find a Power Wheel With a Remote Control

One of the best ways to have complete control over how fast a child goes in a power wheel is by having a remote control. With the remote control, you're able to choose both low and high-speed settings. You can also control the direction of a child's power wheel, perfectly convenient for keeping children safe.

For example, many popular Land Rover power wheels come with remote controls for adults.

2. Place Your Child's Power Wheel in a Low-Speed Setting

Another way to slow down a power wheel is by placing it in a low-speed setting. Most power wheels have variable speed settings. You can usually control the speed of the device by using a remote control. Regardless of how it happens, placing your child's power wheel in a low speed setting provides peace of mind for everybody.

3. Look for a Speed Limiter

If your child's power wheel doesn't have a low-speed setting, there might be another way to slow this motorized vehicle's speed. To do this, look inside and outside of the vehicle to find a speed limiter. Since the location of a limiter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, check the instructions shipped with this toy to find the limiter's location. In most cases, using the limiter is as simple as flipping a switch.

4. Walk With Your Child as They're Driving

There's also the possibility that your child's power wheel has either no low-speed setting, remote control, or speed limiter. If this is the case, your best possible option would be to walk closely with your child as they drive their power wheel.

In conclusion

it's understandably important to learn how fast power wheels are capable of going. If you're looking for more information about power wheels, we recommend that you visit bestpowerwheel.com. On this website, you'll find power wheel buyer's guides, safety tips, reviews, and much more information about power wheels.