There’s no shortage of ride-on toys that little kids can use to drive around the neighborhood sidewalks and driveways, allowing them to get the necessary practice at being the terrors of the road in the years ahead. And they’re getting crazier than ever, with ride-ons clad as Landspeeders, Mario Karts, and even McLarens. If your kid is more drawn to that traditional Big Wheel aesthetic, though, maybe you can get them this Droyd Romper instead.
Yes, it looks like a Big Wheel, with its tall handlebars, large front wheel, and a much smaller pair of wheels in the back. Except instead of pedals out front, it gets just a pair of footpads, since this is a ride-on propelled by a built-in motor, much like the electric bikes of today, albeit only capable of riding at much slower speeds.
The Droyd Romper takes the characteristics of the traditional Big Wheel trike and equips it with a motor that’s more suited for modern children’s rides. Designed for kids three and up, it’s powered by a brushed hub motor out front that can propel it to breakneck speeds of up to 6 mph. Yes, your kids won’t be burning the roads any time with this thing, but that’s enough speed to get toddlers all amped up for an afternoon snack later in the day. There’s also a low setting that keeps it at 3 mph for kids who just want to go on a relaxing cruise.
The motor, by the way, is hooked up to a 24V rechargeable battery that’s rated for a maximum ride time of 45 minutes. Yes, that’s likely on the low setting, so toddlers with the need for speed will probably have to recharge a lot sooner. Charging time, by the way, takes a whopping five hours to fully finish, so they best enjoy whatever time they have riding because they won’t get to go back on the road any time soon.
The Droyd Romper is made entirely of plastic (even the wheels), so this is not the kind of toy that’s likely to last long enough your toddler can pass it down to your future grandchild. It should hold up well enough for summer play, though, since they’re not wrecking this in a crash or anything at those speeds. Maximum weight capacity is 66 pounds, so it should ride any toddler (even with a bunch of toys in tow) without any problem.
It comes with a throttle, so kids can get their practice riding motorcycles (or ebikes at least) with this thing, with the throttle automatically starting slow to keep things perfectly safe. Parents also get a speed control key that you can use to limit the speed to the low setting, in case you don’t want your tykes speeding around at a horror-inducing 6 mph. Other features include motion-activated multicolor LED light on the front wheel (sadly, it doesn’t play sounds), multi-color taillights, a height-adjustable safety flag in the rear, and an adjustable seat.
The Droyd Romper is available now, priced at $139.99.