The Best Drift Karts For Kids & Adults

If you’ve ever been to a rental Go-karting facility, you would know that the pricing can be really high and adds up very quickly. Each race can cost $20-30 and barely lasts 10-15 minutes.

You race 2-3 rounds and you’re already out of budget, and if you’re like me, 2-3 rounds just aren’t enough! So how about buying a go-kart? Well, that isn’t cheap either! Then what is the next best thing? Yup, you can guess it from the title, Drift Karts.

Are they as fast as a Go-kart? Nope, not at all. But they are a different kind of fun to a go-kart. A drift-kart can… Drift! But that’s not all you can do with it. You can spin it, drive sideways, drive backward and so much more.

The best part about drift kart is that it’s available for everyone aged 6+, yes even for adults. Drift Karts can be an amazing gift for children.

When it comes to Drift Kart brands, Razor is the undisputed leader. In fact, they are your only option unless you can make your own drift-kart. Here are our picks for different age groups.

Best Drift Karts

1. Razor Crazy Cart Shift – Best for 5 to 9 year olds
2. Razor Crazy Cart – Best for 9 to 15 year olds
3. Razor Crazy Cart XL – Best for Adults
4. Razor Ground Force – Drift Karts with Handle Bars
5. EzyRoller Classic Ride On – Manually Powered
6. Razor Drift Trike – A Drift Tricyle (Cheap Alternative to Drift Carts)

1. Razor Crazy Cart Shift

First on our list is the Crazy Cart Shift from Razor, an electric-powered drift kart for 6+ years old kids. Its maximum speed is 8 mph and it can be limited to even lower speeds down to 2.5 mph, making this ideal for kids between ages 6 to 9 and since you can limit the speed to 2.5 mph, even children younger than 6 can drive it safely.

The electric motor in this cart can produce 90W, which isn’t a lot but since this is designed for kids, that is more than enough.

It has a single 12V battery which will last 40 minutes of usage after being fully charged and it can be fully charged in 2.5 hours. The battery will last a long time and can be replaced very easily.

The design is really simple and the kart is lightweight while at the same time very durable, which is very important because your kids will very likely run it into stuff.

The kart comes in completely built, the only assembly you’ll need to do is the flag, which is present for safety reasons (so that other drivers can notice this small kart).

Driving this is really simple, there is only a steering wheel and a peddle for acceleration. There is no brake peddle. This is very important to note, to stop the cart you need to turn the steering wheel to spin out and remove the foot from the peddle. It’s recommended to start learning at slow speeds.

Overall, this can be a perfect Birthday/Christmas present for kids. There are no complaints from buyers about the parts failing after a few use unlike the other drift karts in this list, the batteries also seem to last for a long time, and this model is relatively cheaper than other Crazy Carts.

2. Razor Crazy Cart

Let’s be honest, if the driver of a drift kart is 12-13 or older, they won’t enjoy the drift kart with a top speed of 8 mph. That’s where the Crazy Cart comes in.

The Razor Crazy Cart is perfect for 10 to 16 year old, and even though the recommended weight of the driver is 140 pounds, some adults do ride this without any issues.

This kart can reach a top speed of 12 mph and can be further modified to reach higher speeds. It has 2 12V batteries which can take up to 5 hours to fully charge and will last 40 minutes of usage.

In addition to the accelerator peddle and steering wheel of the “crazy cart shift” model, this kart also has a “drift bar”, which is like a handbrake right next to your seat. This bar is what will allow you to drift your cart.

The drift bar is really cool! If you keep the drift bar down, the crazy cart will act as a go-kart. If you pull it up, it will act as a drift cart. Learning to drive it and be fully in control will take a few attempts but you’ll get it eventually.

The one major downside of this product is the wheel! Many users report that their wheel didn’t last long and for some people, the front tires too blew up after a few uses.

These issues can be fixed though, you’ll need to find yourself longboard wheels for your rear wheel. They will last you a long time. There are other upgrades available in the market sold by Taxi-Garage.

You should be prepared to do some fixing work on this kart, but that’s the trade-off for fun! Here’s a video that will help you understand how to drive drift karts with a drift bar:

3. Razor Crazy Cart XL

Why should only kids get to enjoy these amazing karts, right? Who doesn’t like to drift? Age shouldn’t matter and it doesn’t. Razor designs a special Crazy Cart XL model for adults.

This Cart can carry anyone up to weight 240 pounds! It has a 500 W motor and 36V battery and can go as fast as 14 mph. The numbers don’t seem super fast but in reality, you’ll feel very fast The acceleration is also amazing, you’ll feel yourself forced back during the take-off.

The design is really similar to the Crazy Cart (for kids) version, this also has a drift bar to control the drift.

The same problems exist in this model as the Crazy Cart model, the wheel can come off after a few uses, upgrade parts can be found for this Cart as well. 

Since these Karts are so popular, You can also find some Facebook groups of people who are experts. You’ll be able to solve almost every problem with their help.

But if you’re not the type of person who wants to deal with these issues, it’s best to avoid this product, because it is really expensive. Check our detailed review of Crazy Cart XL to learn more about their upgrades.

4. Razor Ground Force

The Ground Force Drifter Kart is similar to the Crazy Cart in terms of batteries, motor, and speed. But they work quite differently.

The ground force drifter has the accelerator in the handlebar as opposed to a paddle. It also has a handbrake to stop the Kart.

The only major disadvantage of this kart is that they do not have a drift bar. So you cannot drive it like a go-kart, you can still do 360-degree spins though, but the lack of a drift bar puts it at a disadvantage and is therefore low on our list.

It does however have a “spark bar” instead of the drift bar, if you pull the spark bar up, it produces some cool-looking sparks.

The other problem of this kart just like most other Razor drift karts is that it requires some fixing from time to time.

5. EzyRoller Classic Ride On

Okay, this isn’t exactly a “drift kart”, it’s more of a toy for kids. Till now, all the products on our list have been electrically powered drift karts made by Razor. They are fun and all, but how about some manual work to move instead of the motor?

This product is a great way to exercise for kids, it is driven only with the help of feet’s back and forth motion but has no paddle. It’s a very simple design and very simple to drive, you only need to use your feet! There is also a handbrake right next to the seat so you can stop at any time.

Ideal for kids of the age of 4-8 but can be driven by anyone under the weight of 150 lbs.

6. Razor Drift Rider

And finally, to finish off our list, we have chosen Razor’s Drift Rider. It is electrically powered Trikes, an alternative to karts.

It’s very similar to the Razor’s Ground force kart but the design of Drift Rider is like a tricycle instead of a kart. It has an accelerator in the handle to control the speed.

Drifting it is also very simple, just rotate the handle and all the wheels will rotate with it, making the tricycle drift.

Buying Guide (How to Choose)

When it comes to choosing the right drift kart, there really isn’t much to say. These karts are all very simplistic in design and all made by the same company (Razor).

The best way to choose is based on the age range mentioned in our list. Some karts are slow and low-powered, better for kids (such as crazy kart shift), some are high-power and higher speed better for teens and adults(such as Crazy Kart).

One thing to keep in mind is that Crazy Karts might require fixing from time to time and after a year or 2 you’ll need to even replace batteries. If you do not want to deal with those issues, it might be better to not buy.

We have also included some toy karts, that require manual work to be driven. There are also paddle tricycles available that can drift. If you want your kids to get good exercise while they drift, then manual karts and trikes are the way to go (they are slower and might not be as fun as electric-powered karts and trikes)

FAQs

Can Adults Drive the Kid’s Karts?

Even though it isn’t recommended to drive with more weight on the karts than recommended by the manufacturers, there are many adults who drive smaller karts, it can get uncomfortable though and it’s better to buy the Crazy Cart XL if you’re going to ride it regularly.

Are Drift karts safe for kids?

If driving in a safe environment and with protective equipment such as a helmet (we recommend using a skateboarding helmet) the drift karts are very safe to use.

Some drift karts such as “Crazy Kart Shift” can be speed restricted to speeds as low as 2 mph.

How to Drift a Drift Kart?

Razor karts have 2 different mechanisms, depending on which model you choose. Either they have a handlebar to control drifting or they are always in ‘drifting’ mode.

The adult version has a handlebar for example, which can be used to switch between drifting mode and go-kart mode. If you pull the handle, the rear wheel frees up and allows the drifting to take place, while in the ‘go-kart’ mode the rear wheel behaves like in a car or go-kart and allows for you to drive it like a car.

Is there a Weight Limit?

Yes, the manufacturer does have a weight limit on all their drift karts, so before purchasing, make sure you’re not going to go over the limit!

For Adults and Teens, we recommend the 24V Razor Crazy Cart, if you’re under 240 lbs, this drift kart can manage your weight without a problem.