The world of RC cars is wider than you think.
They're not just simple little plastic toys at the department store packaged up with a remote for children. In fact, there's a large melting pot of options that can take you from a cruise-controlled street driver to an off-road champion.
Whether you want to go fast and race or be durable and take to the hills and woods, a good RC car can deliver.
Today, we're going to take a look at some of the options you need to consider when looking to get one.
What is an RC Car?
RC, or "radio-controlled," cars date back to the 1960s.
Sometimes, they're called remote-controlled cars, but it's basically the same thing. It's a small version of a car meant to be controlled by you remotely.
Everything from the brand, to the type, to the batteries, and more all need to be considered carefully first. We'll start exploring some of that now.
Brand of RC Cars
There are plenty of brands of RC cars out there to consider. It can probably feel overwhelming if we're being honest.
The top choices are:
- HPI
- Exceed
- Tamiya
- Red Cat
- Arma
- Traxxas
A lot of people tend to swear by Traxxas RC Cars for all of the different options they provide, so if you're looking for one of those, check out this website.
Types of RC Cars
Even more so than the brand, the biggest question you need to ask yourself is what will you be using this RC car for. Particularly, consider whether you want to drive on-road or off-road.
Street Cars :
If you're planning on going fast and primarily driving on pavement, look into typical street RC cars.
They're the "bread and butter" if you want the best remote control car.
Truck Cars :
Much like the trucks you'd see at something like Monster Jam, these RC cars are big and have beefy tires perfect for off-road conditions.
They'll handle grass, rocks, sticks, and hills like a champ, but they won't be as fast on the smooth pavement like street cars.
Electric and Nitro Operated
Your RC car can either be operated by electronics or a fuel containing nitromethane.
Simply put, if you're a beginner, stick to electric RC cars; if you're more advanced or looking to modify, then consider nitro options.
Nitro gives a more realistic feel and sound to the remote-controlled car--much like a real car--but electric cars are cheaper, cleaner, and require less maintenance.
Batteries
Assuming you are a beginner and are choosing to go with an electric RC car, you need to consider batteries.
Just like you need to charge your smartphone, you also need to charge batteries for an RC car.
The main options to consider are lithium-polymer (or Li-Po) and nickel metal hydride (or Ni-Mh).
Here, you just need to make sure that the battery is in your price range and fits your car.
The capacity of the battery is measured in milliamp hours (or mAh), and the higher the number is the longer the battery will last.
Exploring the Wide World of RC Cars
An RC car can be more than just a toy you buy in a store and break in less than a year.
They're still fun to drive with your children, but the hobbyist in you might find yourself sinking down the rabbit hole of options.
Hopefully, this guide gave you an idea of the big choices you need to consider. If you're interested in exploring other technologies, check out some more of our gadget blogs!
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