4 Best Wheel Drones for Kids

1. Mini-Drone Rolling Quad W/ Wheels (Best Budget)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0

The Best Budget pick is not a drone-car, but it does have wheels. It’s a racer too and has lots of fun features to light up the faces of those just getting into flying robots.

• Best feature 1: Stunt racing capable wheel drone
• Best feature 2: Indoor/outdoor use
• Plus points: Multi-functions, hand launch, roller wheels, durable build, LED lights, blade guards
• Minus points: Takes practice, short flight time

The Mini Wheel-Drone Highlights

The best way to describe this mini/micro drone is as a rolling quadcopter. It’s fast, agile, and helps kids to develop hand-to-eye coordination skills. You can even launch it by hand. The quad can roll up walls with its big wheels and walk across ceilings. It’s also easy to operate. Kids can perform stunts and tricks like rolls, flips, dodges, and dives after a little practice.

This drone is tough and can stand up to plenty of nocks and collisions without causing damage. It has protective blade guards to keep the props and little fingers out of harm’s way. The cool blue and red LED’s add to the excitement and let the fun continue in the dark.

The Not So Good

The Top Race Micro Mini Rolling Quadcopter is for little and big kids (adults), but not toddlers. It’s a small stunt racing drone, and it’s super-quick and agile for a model in its class. That also means it takes some practice to grasp, so only buy this wheel drone for those with the patience to learn.

Unfortunately, these toys don’t last too long on a full charge. The model here is lucky to get 6 minutes of playing time. The good news is the ultra-fast 9-minute charging. That’s how long you’d want to give the motors to cool down between flights anyway, so the timing is perfect.

2. Syma X9 RC Flying Car/Quad for Kids (Best Value)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0

The Best Value pick goes to a flying car that has radio-controlled land and a fly modes. Meet the Syma X9. It’s an indoor/outdoor model that’s surprisingly wind-resistant for a toy in its class.

• Best feature 1: Easy-to-switch flight and land modes
• Best feature 2: Fully-assembled ready to fly (RTF), ready to run (RTR)
• Plus points: Dual land and air modes, 2 speed modes, responsive to controls, stable flier
• Minus points: Cheap tires,long charging time, short flight time

The Syma X9 Highlights

Syma’s X9 looks like a racing car from a bygone age, but appearance is deceptive. It’s a futuristic hybrid model with four props on each corner. It looks gimmicky with its skinny wheels, but this puppy flies smoothly through the air and drives well on the ground. Takeoff and landings are the most exciting as it transitions from car to drone and vice versa. That’s not something regular quads can do.

The high and low-speed modes provide a safe learner experience for beginners on land and in the air. The high-speed mode adds more fun and excitement once the youngsters gain a little confidence. The remote controller (RC) is responsive though restricted to only basic commands.

The Not So Good

The tires on the X9 are low-density foam and do a decent job of absorbing impact. What they’re not so good at, though, is gripping. They may even come off with a little aggressive driving. Still, the X9 is all about compromises as a hybrid toy. It does exactly what it claims and no more. The battery life is disappointing (see specs below) though typical. And the charging time takes a frustrating 100 minutes.

3. JJRC H23 Flying Chariot RC Drone Car (Top Pick)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5.0

This flying car is the GordVE GV008 JJRC H23, but don’t let the name put you off. It’s what the makers like to call their Flying Chariot. It also has a few more novice-friendly features than the other picks.

• Best feature 1: Beginner-friendly Flycar
• Best feature 2: High/Mid/Low-speed switch
• Plus points: Easy to control, headless mode, 6-axis gyro, 1-key return, 360° flips, LED lights
• Minus points: Vague instructions, short playing time

The Flying Chariot Highlights

The FLYCAR’s four wheels use a coreless motor drive. That translates to a vehicle with efficient power and full-direction ground control. The speed switch provides users with High, Mid, and Low-speed options. The lower speeds and sponge wheels are ideal for driving and flying the model safely indoors. The driver can become the pilot whenever he or she decides it’s time to take off.

Headless mode lets kids fly the drone without knowing its orientation. The one-key return is a GPS failsafe feature that brings the quad back at the touch of a button. A 3D flips and rolls function makes flying more fun and challenging. The bright LED’s allow kids to fly in the dark. And the 6-axis gyro helps to keep the quadcopter stable and thus more comfortable to control during flights.

The Not So Good

There are some complaints from users about the vague instructions. Unclear user guides are often the result of poor translations. The good news is that there are plenty of YouTube video tutorials uploaded by other users. The short 8-minute playing time is another gripe though quite typical.

4. Syma X9S RC Mini Flying Car Nerf Quad

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

Last on this list is another Syma, only this time it’s the X9S Air Wheels RC Mini Flying Car. This model is an upgrade version to the original X9 and so costs a little more.

• Best feature 1: Racing craft with Land/Air fly modes
• Best feature 2: Headless mode
• Plus points: 6-axis gyroscope, two speed modes, modular design, sturdy build, night lights
• Minus points: Exaggerated flight time, long charging, restricted tire grip

The Syma X9S Highlights

They call it the Flying Car Nerf Quadcopter; a 4-channel RC racing craft with land and air fly modes. This version comes with a headless mode to make flying easier for novice users. The 360° 3D eversion flips provide lots of excitement for kids in flight mode. And the 6-axis gyro keeps the quad stable in the air. This model has a modular design that makes maintenance quick and easy.

The X9S uses sturdy, high-strength plastic that’s quite crash-resistant. Its two speed modes are valuable for newbie drivers/pilots. The low speed lets them get familiar with the FLYCAR before switching to high speed. It’s reasonably nifty on land and in the air—for a toy. This flying car is sure to provide kids with lots of fun times indoors and outside. The product is available in two colors.

The Not So Good

Syma advertise the playing time at 10 minutes. A more realistic number is around 7-minutes on a full charge. The battery charging time is long at 100 minutes. The upgraded plastic tires are more durable than the original hard foam. Alas, they still have gripping limitations on smooth surfaces despite the upgrade. They are better, though, and they don’t come away, so a definite improvement nonetheless.