Different Types of Kids Ride-on Toy Accessories and Features

There are several types of ride-on toy accessories that you can get for your child.

These include leather-style seats to Bluetooth enabled players. The list of available accessories is growing by the day.

Take a look at our list of the different types of ride-on toy accessories that you can get for your child today.

Personalised Number Plate

Some ride-on toy retailers will give you the option of personalising your child's number plate.

Depending on which retailer you purchase from, they may give you the option of choosing a national flag of the country your child is from or you are from.

Material - They are normally printable stickers that allow you to attach them to the front of your child's ride-on toy.

Benefits:

This helps add a special touch to the ride-on toy and make it feel truly unique for your child.

Soft EVA tyres

A Soft EVA Tyre is a foam rubber tyre that has recently become quite popular among children's ride-on toys. These tyres provide good grip while remaining very soft and quiet.

These are normally an upgrade from the Grippmoz tyre and can be purchased separately.

Benefits:

• Prevents scratching of floors and doors

- Good durability.

• Vibrations are significantly reduced thanks to the softness of the foam rubber compound used in tyres.

Padded leather style seats

Most ride-on toys come with basic plastic seats. However, you have the opportunity to upgrade your seat on most models to a padded leather style one.

Note: Leather style is imitation leather and not the real thing. There are no ride-on toys that are supplied with real leather unless they are ultra-premium toys.

Benefits:

• Much more comfortable ride
• Some styling resembles the real thing making the toy look more authentic (by including stitching etc).

Parental remote control units

Most toys are operated by your child. However, some toys allow you to control them from a distance using a handheld parental remote control unit.

This means you are able to move left or right, forwards or reverse and accelerate and brake.

Note: There are generally no brake pedals. You can stop the toy by releasing the accelerator pedal or button.

Benefits:

• You can have access and then be in control at all times
• You can navigate the toy if your child is too young to control it themselves.

Light-up dashboard

A lot of the cheaper models of ride-on toys will have a sticker with a picture of a dashboard. However, some have dashboards that light up behind a plastic perspex panel.

Not only is this a really nice feature, but it also looks awesome in the dark.

Benefits:

• Looks cool in the dark.
• Often has additional buttons that may control the radio or media player.

Opening bonnet or boot

Many ride-on cars have bonnets and boots that open and close, but this isn't standard.

It is much cheaper for the manufacturers to manufacture ride on cars where the bonnet and boot do not open (since there will be no mechanisms and the mould will be cheaper to produce).

Note: Before you purchase a ride-on car, if this is a feature you would like, check the description to see if the ride on car has this feature.

Benefits:

• Boots and bonnets that open allow your child to store things.
• Oftentimes, the battery is housed in a small compartment under the bonnet or boot. This provides more space inside the car.

Transport Handle

What is a transport handle?

A transport handle is an additional handle that can be mounted to the back of most ride-on toys so you can carry it around with you.

It makes it a lot easier to move the toy around or simply pick it up to pack away.

Benefits:

• Provides extra grip when carrying the toy (since there is another handle).
• Allows you to pull your child in their ride-on toy like a trolley (this may only be done in residential areas and not on roads or in car parks where riding toys are prohibited).

Adjustable steering

There are not many ride-on toys that allow you to adjust the steering. However, there are a few.

In most cases, you will have the ability to adjust the steering up or down so that it is more comfortable for your child and will allow them to manoeuvre the car better.

Suspension

Depending on the model, some toys come with active suspension.

There are three types:

• The front suspension only (suspension on the front wheels).
• The back suspension only (suspension on the back wheels).
• All-round suspension.

Active suspension isn't necessary, but it can improve the overall drive experience for your children.

Two or four-wheel drive

Battery electric ride-on toys are operated by a battery and a motor. They are either two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive just like larger real-life vehicles.

Built-in radio

Some ride-ons come preinstalled with built-in radios. This means you can pick up local and national stations via the radio receiver on the ride-on toy.

Functioning lights

The vast majority of battery-electric ride-ons now come installed with functioning lights.

They will either have:

• Functioning front lights only
• Functioning back lights only
• Functioning all-around lights.

Some will come with an on/off switch while others will remain on as long as the toy is switched on.

Emergency lights

Ride-on toys that are linked to the emergency services will likely come with working emergency lights. These are normally flashing at the top of the toy or with the mesh of the radiator cover.

Emergency siren

Similar to emergency lights, ride-on toys with the theme of emergency vehicles will come with an emergency siren that they can switch on or off with a button on the dashboard or steering wheel.

Functioning horn

The vast majority of ride-ons now come with a functioning horn on the steering wheel or handlebars.

The toys without this feature are normally cheaper ride-ons.

Start-up engine sounds

Start-up engine sounds really allow your children to imagine they are in the real thing.

That's why over 80% of ride-on toys are now supplied with start-up engine sounds.

Low/high-speed settings

Some toys have different speed settings. This allows you to alter the speed of the toy depending on where your child is riding it.

It commonly has a low-speed setting as well as a high-speed setting.

A low speed means the battery will last longer, whereas a high speed provides more power and fun for your child.

Key start or button start

Some ride-on toys come with either button or key start.

Most of them have a simple on/off button to switch the toy on and off. However, others have a button that needs to be held down for a few seconds before it will engage with the battery and turn the toy on.

Opening doors

Not all ride-on toys have doors that open and close, but there is a growing number.

It's certainly something that adds to the fun and realism of having a toy ride-on.

Check the description to see if your ride on has openable doors or not.

Battery display

Some ride-on toys have a handy battery display so you can see when the battery is low.

This way, you know when to charge it up or change the batteries in order to keep your children riding for longer.

Safety seat belts/harnesses

Any ride on toy that travels at speed will either have the safety of seat belts or harnesses.

The belt, in most cases, wraps around the waist of your child and comes with simple clips that attach to clips on the toy.

This means they cannot fall out during use.

No matter which type of seat belt or harness the toy comes with. Both are equally safe.

USB Port

Some ride on toys come with a USB port so you are able to plug in different devices.

This could be anything from your children's tablets to their MP3 Players.

The USB port is normally situated in the dashboard of the toy for easy access.

Music player

Although it's not something to look for specifically when buying ride-on toys, some come with built-in music players.

These will play everything from pop to dance music.

The type of music player will vary from toy to toy, but they typically come with a built-in speaker for clear sound.

3.5mm Aux input port

A 3.5mm will come in handy if your child starts to get bored of the music player.

You can simply plug in their MP3 player and play whatever they want through its speaker system.

The vast majority of kids ride on toys that come with a 3.5mm aux input port for this very reason.

MP3 Player or radio tuner

If you are looking to buy the best type of ride-on toy, then one with an MP3 player is important.

It will provide your children with hours of entertainment as they play their favourite songs through the built-in speakers.

Many of these toys come with an FM/AM radio tuner.

They will operate through the speakers on the toy and play the music of choice.

Bluetooth connectivity

Bluetooth connectivity is a relatively new feature on ride-on toys.

It allows you to connect your child's smartphone or tablet through the toy music player.

This is done by either Bluetooth connection or through an Aux input port that will require you to plug in your device.

Although not all ride-on toys come with Bluetooth connectivity, it is definitely something worth looking out for.

Dual Audio Jacks

Dual audio jacks are something that is unique to ride on toys. They allow you to connect two different devices at the same time.

So your child can listen to music through their MP3 player while you play even more of their favourite tunes via the built-in speakers.

Allowing dual audio jacks means your child can listen to their favourite music without you having to play it for them.

Smart LCD screen

Very few ride-on toys come with a smart LCD screen.

They typically feature in toys that are a little bit more expensive, but they can really heighten the entertainment value of any toy.

The smart LCD screen lets you play movies, TV shows and even games on it.

It gives your child hours of fun as they watch their favourite characters on the built-in LCD screen.

Kids Driving License

Yes, you did read that right.

You have the possibility of buying a dummy driving license for your kids.

This will be their very own driving license if they are younger than 12.

The fake ID will have all the necessary information on it, such as full name and address, so they feel like a real winner when they get to drive their toy car.

Practice Driving Cones

In order for your kids to practice their driving skills, you're going to need some practice cones.

You can now buy plastic cones (normally orange in colour) so your children can get to grips with the concept of driving.

The practice cones will give them something to place around their toys when they are learning how to drive, so they stay on track.