10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying A Kids Electric Ride On Car

young couple discussing purchasing a new kids ride on car Thanks for taking the time to read this article on the 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying A Kids Electric Car.

With any luck, this will help you in your journey to purchasing a new ride on for your child, grandchild, niece or nephew.

Some of these are shockling obvious while others you may find surprising. I have ordered them in importance or things I would most want to know before I made a purchase.

Just remember, all retail websites are different and what they cover and what they don’t cover will vary significantly.

Everything written here is on the basis that you’ll be purchasing a car from RiiRoo. You would need get in touch with the relevant retailer if you were purchasing from them on anything you were unsure about.

How to Look After the Battery

Here’s the list of things we need to do after purchase:

* The battery and the motors are the most expensive part of the toy.

* Charge the battery for the recommended stated time and never more than 24 hours!

* Charge the battery every 3 weeks - even if the battery is disconnected and is in long term storage.

* Visually inspect the battery monthly to make sure there isn’t any leakage or partially loose cables.

* Not to undercharge the battery. It will shorten the battery lifetime!

* Not to store the battery or the ride on in a cold and/or damp environment.

* Not to use the ride on if the battery voltage drops below the specified rating.

The Different Voltages

There are many different types of voltages from 6, 12, 24, and up to 36 volts. In fact there is a separate article here that goes through the differences.

The higher the voltage doesn’t necessarily mean that the toy will be more powerful. In fact, in most cases it doesn’t make that much difference at all. But, what does make the difference is how long the battery lasts on a full charge and how efficient it is during the lifetime of the battery.

The higher the voltage, the more expensive the toy will be, and if we are talking 24V upwards are likely talking about a toy that comes with two batteries instead of one.

The Size

The size of the toys shown on the website is either larger or smaller than you think. That’s why it’s so important to check the measurements of the toy before purchasing it.

Luckily, RiiRoo will provide the measurements of all of their ride ons in the description part of the product page under the headings “Dimensions and Weights.” which is really helpful.

This means you can kind of map the size of the toy in your house, cupboard or shed to ensure they will fit. Also, measuring the dimensions against your child.

Some of the ride on cars look like they have 2 seats which at first glance is true, but, when you look a bit closer you’ll notice it is only 1 seat and has headrests for design purposes rather than functionality.

If you do want a 2 seater ride on car, then you can use the filter options on the left-hand side of the RiiRoo website to filter different options such as maximum age, maximum height, how many seats, colours etc.

Colours & Pricing

You would assume that all of the cars come in a variety of colours and are the same price. However, this isn't the case.

With RiiRoo and most other retailers, certain colours don't sell as well for certain brands like Ferrari and BMW.

There's also a chance that popular colours like black, white, pink and blue will be more expensive. This isn't because they cost more to manufacture, but is based on the popularity and supply and demand. The faster a certain colour sells the fewer supply retailers will have which drives up the price.

The Finish Isn’t Silky Smooth

All ride-on cars/motorbikes have fabricated bodies without post-process; therefore, you are likely to see imperfections and blemishes on the body & windscreen.

Most people are expecting the car to be perfect without a spot or blemish, where in reality this is far from the case.

This is something the vast majority of people aren’t aware of and it should be stressed that RiiRoo are not unique and this issue happens in quite a few industries where plastic is fabricated without post-process.

How To Clean

It’s really important that we don’t use water directly on the product or let the motors or any other critical component get wet. This is because they are not waterproof.

The best way to clean the toy is with a damp cloth followed by a dry one to really give it a shine.

It’s also advised not to polish or use other chemicals to clean your toy. This is because the chemicals could be too strong, too abrasive or and may even take colour off the paintwork.

Delivery

Even though a lot of websites (inc RiiRoo) suggest a next day delivery. This isn’t actually guaranteed.

This is mainly because most online retailers work with 3rd party couriers and depending on their workload, the number of drivers available, weather etc they just can’t guarantee next day delivery. However, in 99% of the cases, most customers do receive their order the next day provided they order before 1pm the previous day.

I Could Personalise The Number Plate

There are so many websites that sell these ride on toys, but not all of them offer a service to personalise a free number plate or if they do, they charge you for the privilege.

So, before you purchase your next ride on, ensure that you check that the retailer will offer this cool service for free.

I Could Purchase An Extended Warranty

A lot of people don’t realise that you are able to purchase an extended battery warranty for your toy. This is because consumables such as batteries are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

If your battery fails to charge/recharge within the initial 12 months, then by purchasing a warranty you are covered for 1 battery replacement within 12 months of your purchase. Obviously, these are available via RiiRoo and you would need to check whether they are available from other retailers and also what their terms are.

That Most Had Media Players

This might be obvious to some people, but the vast majority of people aren’t aware that most electric ride on toys come installed with a media player.

Some have:

* Bluetooth (so you can play music via a bluetooth connected device, i.e.phone)

* a radio

* preset sounds

* usb input (so you can plug in your own USB)

* SD card slot (so you can plug in your own USB)

So there you have it. These are the 10 things I wish I knew before purchasing a ride on toy.

Note: If you need any further information or clarification on something, you may find more information on our website under the “help” section or contact our support team at hello@riiroo.com.