7 Best RC Boats for Kids

1. HQQN RC Kid’s Boat for Pools & Lakes (Best Budget)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5.0

The Best Budget pick goes to the new mini RC boat from HQQN. This speedy palm-sized vessel is ideal for pools, ponds, and lakes, despite its low price and gift appeal. Let’s check it out.

• Best feature 1: Suitable for pools, ponds, and lakes
• Best feature 2: Palm-sized and super portable
• Plus points: ABS hull, easy to see, simple to control, capsize recovery, fast charging
• Minus points: Short playing time

HQQN RC Kid’s boat has a durable anti-tilt hull and uses environmentally friendly ABS. Harmless, non-toxic material is always welcome news for parents when choosing toys for their offspring.

Racing the HQQN Speedboat

This boat is tremendous fun for kids despite its tiny size, lightweight, and low price. They don’t need previous experience to enjoy racing the HQQNMini. It’s simple to control and even comes with capsize recovery. That means it won’t get stranded if the boat flips over in the water. The small controller is equally simple and doesn’t have an antenna sticking out, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

The Not So Good

The play time is a paltry 5–8 minutes on a fully charged battery. That wouldn’t be so bad if the 12-minute charging time were accurate, but it’s not. A realistic charging time is closer to 60 minutes. Short battery life is a problem with all toy-grade RC boats, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

2. UDI007 Voyager Kid’s RC Speedboat (Best Value)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0

The Best Value slot goes to the UDI007 Voyager, a brilliant RC speedboat gift for kids and adults. The fast 18mph top speed provides bucket loads of adrenaline-pumping fun on the water.

• Best feature 1: Fast top speed
• Best feature 2: Capsize Recovery
• Plus points: Easy to use, bonus battery, low battery warning, rudder correction, prop safety
• Minus points: Long charging time, spare batteries not always easy to source

There’s a lot to love about the UDI007 Voyager RC Boat for kids. It’s easy to race right off the bat and even comes with a bonus battery to extend the fun. That’s not something you get with all models.

Racing the UDI007 Voyager RC Speedboat

One of the Voyager’s standout features is its water-cooled single prop motor. That’s what drives the boat with such high-speed and steering precision. A self-correcting rudder fixes yaw (side-to-side movements) to help keep the vessel stable. The capsize recovery feature gets the boat back into the race if you happen to flip it. It really is a fast and exciting boat to play with on the water.

A low battery warning gives kids plenty of time to bring the boat in before the battery dies. And the propeller protection means it only works underwater and thus keeps little fingers from spinning parts.

The Not So Good

The playing time is a decent 15-minutes thanks to the bonus battery. That’s almost three times longer than the Best Budget pick above. Alas, you do have to let the vessel cool down for around 20 minutes at battery swaps. The other setback is the long 1.5 hr. charging time. And finally, some reviewers complain that spare batteries are not always easy to find when you need them.

3. Traxxas 1/10 Multi-Colored Blast RC Boat (Top Pick)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5.0

Meet the Traxxas 1/10 scale multi-colored Blast. Anyone who likes BLING—as well as high performance—is going to love this RC speedboat for Top Pick.

• Best feature 1: Incredible multicolored design
• Best feature 2: Water Cooling System
• Plus points: Easy to drive, fast, Stinger™ 20-turn electric motor, 24″ Deep-V hull
• Minus points: Car charger, price

The Traxxas Blast is a considerable step up from the previous pick and worlds apart from the Best Budget. It not only has a unique look but feels different too thanks to the precise engineering

Racing the Multi-Colored Traxxas Blast

It’s fast, easy to drive, and ultra-reliable on any pool, pond, or lake. The Blast boasts an efficient water cooling system, and that’s significant. Water-cooling keeps the temperature under control and contributes to longer running times. The Stinger™ 20-turn electric motor is 30% faster than most stock options. And a 24” deep-v hull keeps the boat stable as it cuts across the surface making waves.

Every new Traxxas Blast arrives ready-to-run (RTR) right out of its box. That includes the installed electronic speed control (ESC) and radio system. All you do is charge the battery and hit the waves.

The Not So Good

This model only comes with a car charger for some reason. That would be a useful “extra” accessory, but as the primary charging tool? It’s also among the slowest ways to charge. The cost of this remote-controlled boat for kids is the highest in the guide. That makes the car charger a more valid gripe.

4. Blomiky F1 11.5-Inch RC High-Speed Boat for Kids

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Editor’s Rating: 4.2/5.0

The Blomiky is a cracking little toy RC speedboat aimed at younger kids. Don’t let its low cost and unassuming design put you off though. This puppy is a fun, fast, self-balancing freshwater vessel.

• Best feature 1: Long playing time
• Best feature 2: Bonus batteries
• Plus points: Perfect toddler toy under supervision, easy to operate, fast on the water
• Minus points: Slow charging time, scant instructions

OK, the first thing to point out is that Blomiky’s F1 speedboat comes with two bonus batteries. That’s three batteries including the one in the model. This alone makes it an excellent value RC powerboat.

Racing the Blomiky F1 High-Speed RC Boat

Blomiky F1 RC high-speed boat provides up to 20 minutes playing time with its three batteries. You must remember to let the motor cool down for a few minutes after swapping the batteries. The maker’s suggested age for racing this powerboat is 12+ years. I think it has a much younger appeal providing the children are under supervision. It’s so easy to operate even at the toddler level.

The toy has a powerful 280 motor that can drive it to a top speed of over 12mph in ideal conditions. That may not sound much, but it’s as fast as hell on the water. And the 50-meter range is more than adequate for a lightweight RC speedboat like this one. The Blomiky F1 is an excellent choice for younger kids who want to try RC powerboat racing for the first time.

The Not So Good

It’s not fair to nitpick considering the low cost and extra batteries that come with this toy RC boat. There is a couple of cons that needs pointing out, though. One is the long charging time. Three hours seems extreme for such a small setup. The other is the scant user manual. It looks like a typical case of a poor Chinese-to-English translation. Alas, that’s a common issue with cheaper RC models.

5. Haehne Sleek H102 Radio Controlled Powerboat

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

A sleek design and 370rpm powerful motor makes the Haehne RC speedboata serious contender. The double-sealed construction adds to user-confidence as he or she battles the waves.

• Best feature 1: 370rpm/s powerful motor
• Best feature 2: Auto-flipping feature
• Plus points: Easy to control, fast top speed, RC LCD screen, high-quality ABS, battery alarm
• Minus points: Short running time, long charging

The Haehne RC powerboat offers a lot of style and oomph for a model costing less than 50 dollars. It comes with a water-cooled system and single-prop setup to ensure safe, consistent performance.

Racing the Haehne H102 RC PowerBoat

This is an easy-to-run RC powerboat that can race through the water at an incredible 18mph. The 4-channel (CH) controller has a built-in LCD screen. The LCD is useful as it provides captains with relative real-time data. The controller also has a low-battery alarm to let you know when it’s time to bring the boat back to shore.

The high speed of this boat means it must be sturdy enough to handle potential crashes and collisions. Tests suggest the impact-resistant ABS material does an excellent job at protecting it. The double hatch adds further to its defense by providing a double-sealed construction.

The Not So Good

There’s little to gripe about when it comes to performance and cost. Alas, the H102 powerboat suffers from those common battery issues. The short 8-minute play time is bad enough, but the long 120+ minute charging adds insult to injury. Extra batteries are must-have extras to extend the fun.

6. UDI001 Venom Lightening Fast Remote Control Boat

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Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5.0

There’s something about bright red and white when it comes to all things racing. So, can the UDI001 Venom speedboat live up to its lightning fast reputation and sporty colors? Let’s find out.

• Best feature 1: Fast top speed for its class
• Best feature 2: Bonus battery included
• Plus points: Easy to control at high speed, capsize recovery, low battery alarm, emergency stop
• Minus points: Short playing time, potential steering issues

The rattlesnake red UDI001 4-channel powerboat has broad appeal but attracts older kids more. It comes with a bonus battery and a plethora of impressive features to boot.

Racing the UDI001 Venom RC Powerboat

The Venom is a 4-channel water-cooled model that uses a single prop motor. It can maintain a top speed of 15mph in ideal conditions. There’s lots of water spray left behind this aggressive racer to intimidate rivals. Steering is easy thanks to the precision rudder system that auto-corrects side-to-side movements. And the impact-resistant ABS and anti-tilt design make this beauty both safe and reliable.

Another essential feature is the capsize recovery that uprights the boat in a nanosecond if it flips. Failsafe and safety protection includes the 1-minute low battery alarm and emergency stop.

The Not So Good

The playing time is poor at just 7-minutes max per fully-charged battery. The bonus battery is a welcome extra, but new buyers may want to order one or two more. The 90-minute charging time isn’t too bad for a model of this caliber, but it’s not overly impressive either.

Some folks report unresponsive steering issues. I must point out that not all users experience this. Still, there are enough reports to at least add it here as a “potential” issue.

7. FeiLun FT012 Radio Controlled Fast Racing Boat

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0

Last of the picks is the Feilun RC Racing Boat FT012 with its razor sharp “V” hull. It’s a boat for speed freaks, and this beauty’s like a bullet skimming across the water. The question is, can you handle it?

• Best feature 1: Top speed of almost 28mph
• Best feature 2: Powerful brushless motors
• Plus points: Novice-friendly, triple seal cabin, water cooling system, self-righting
• Minus points: Disappointing play time, long charging time

The FeiLun FT012 is novice-friendly,but it won’t suit all. Most kids like to drive their boats fast on the water, but there’s fast, and there’s insanely fast. This mini beast fits into the latter category.

Racing the FeiLun FT012 RC High-Speed Powerboat

It’s easy to go flat out in a straight line. It’s not so easy when you need to perform other moves at high speeds. That’s where the real skill comes in. Those who can control this powerboat are sure to be the center of attention and envy. Seriously, there’s not much out there in this price category that offers so much. You get a 28mph speedboat with a fine-adjustment gear and a triple-covered cabin.

It’s good to know the boat has full protection from the water when it capsizes. The efficient self-righting function flips it back up in the blink of an eye. The FT012 also has an effective water cooling system. Water cooling helps to prevent the powerful brushless motors from overheating and prolongs running time. Brushless motors are notably superior compared to their brushed counterparts.

The Not So Good

It’s a shame that such a glowing review must end with the usual RC speedboat disappointments. The running time of the FeiLun FT012 is a miserable 6-minutes top. The long charging time is equally disappointing at 150+ minutes or 2.5 hours.