We sell go carts for £70 to £700 which not only differ in size, but also specification, so what should you look for in choosing the right cart?

Size of Cart

Each cart that we sell gives an age recommendation, but more importantly a height of child guide. Look for a go cart with an adjustable seat or frame so that it grows with your child. Also bear in mind that the bigger a cart, the heavier it is and therefore the harder to pedal, so though it may be tempting to get a cart that your child is just big enough for and consequently will last a long time, if your child is not particularly strong they may struggle with the pedalling for a while.

Air tyres

On average, air tyres will add £20-30 to the price of a cart, but they make the wheels have more grip and consequently far easier to pedal. They are also far quieter than plastic wheels, a point well worth bearing in mind if the cart will be used a lot on pavements. None of the carts that we sell have hard plastic tyres, they are all either air tyres or rubber compound.

Free wheel mechanism

A free wheel mechanism means that the pedals do not go round if the child stops pedalling. For going down hill or for when your child decides that they don't want to pedal anymore, it is especially handy. Some of our ranges, such as Puky have auto free wheel ie the freewheel mechanism engages the moment that the user stops pedalling, whilst on other ranges such as Kettler the user moves a lever to engage the free wheel. One pays slightly more for auto freewheel.

Gears

As with any wheeled toy, gears help the pedalling action to be more productive, especially when going up or down a hill. If the cart is going to be used a lot on hills or off road, gears, as featured on carts such as the Puky F1 are a definite advantage.

The Drive chain

As a rough guide, the more you pay for a go cart, the better the quality of the pedal crank and the chain-ring , so again, if the cart is going to be used a lot off road or on hills, it will be worth spending that bit more so that the pedalling action is as efficient as possible.

If you need further advice, please email advice@outdoortoycompany.co.uk or call us on 01276 855 600