UKayed Swing Car Review

My children are very lucky to have a lot of lovely toys, but there is one toy that is more popular than any other with visiting children (and even some adults!) and that is our UKayed swing cars.

What are Swing Cars?

The UKayed swing cars are ride on cars that are self-propelling. They have no motor and require no batteries- all you need to do to move them is jiggle the steering wheel from side to side. If you are familiar with didicars, then the UKayed swing cars are virtually identical but have a smaller price tag.

What is so good about swing cars?

There is very little assembly needed when your swing cars arrive. The instructions which come with them are good and putting on the wheels is straightforward. A tool is included to tighten the steering wheel. The finished product feels reassuringly sturdy and robust, and because the design is so simple I doubt there is much that could ever go wrong with the cars.

From a kids point of view swing cars are fun because it feels a little bit like driving your own real car. There is no pedals or pushing yourself along involved, you simply sit down, put your feet up and steer and the cars move along on their own (I'm not sure why wiggling the steering wheel is enough to propel them, maybe it's witchcraft). I love the fact that there are no batteries involved! To reverse you turn the steering wheel 180 degrees and to stop all you need to do is stop moving the steering wheel and put your feet down.

My children have been able to use them from the age of 2 because learning to manoeuvre them is so simple, and I should imagine they'll be using them for many years to come because swing cars are much bigger and more 'grown up' than your average ride on toy. In fact, Mr Toy Reviewer and I are able to sit quite happily on them and drive around with the boys as the swing cars are a good size and can take a weight of up to 220 lbs. I've met very few people who can resist having a go on them, regardless of age!

Any negatives?

The biggest negative with swing cars is that they really need a smooth surface to run well. They can be used outside, but are best restricted to concrete, tarmac or really smooth pavements - actually, children can build up great speeds on them outdoors so be wary of safety! Mostly we use them indoors though and they do work very well on laminate. But the downside of restricting them to being an indoor ride on is that they are a large toy and two of them take up quite a bit of space in our playroom!

A bit about the new generation swing cars...

There isn't a great deal of difference between the swing cars we have reviewed here and the latest version. Our swing cars are pretty much identical to didicars, but the new ones have moved away from that design slightly with a different shaped steering wheel and - more interestingly - flashing wheels. Other than that, all the pros and cons of this toy remain the same and can be applied to the new generation of UKayed swing cars.

Verdict

UKayed swing cars are really good value for money. Prices start from £25 (Amazon are significantly cheaper than all other online stockists) and you will be getting a fantastically fun toy which transcends gender and age.