Every kid out there craves adventure in some form. It’s inherent in a child’s DNA. It’s no surprise to me when I look at a kid’s wish list for Christmas. Action Figures? They want to act out scenes from their favorite movies and shows, if not come up with their own. Bikes? They want the freedom that a bicycle entails, and to feel the wind in their hair. It doesn’t matter what the toy is, they want to feel the adrenaline in their system, even if they don’t quite know what adrenaline actually is.

This is what pure joy looks like on a child’s face!

So when the opportunity came up to review the ACTEV Arrow Smart-Kart, you better believe we were all for it!  For those who don’t know, the Arrow is a go-kart geared for kids ages 5-9.  I know what you’re thinking, ‘Go-karts and little kids shouldn’t mix!‘  I had a similar thought, but first off, ACTEV spent a pretty penny on safety when it came to designing this puppy!  For example, the Arrow Smart-Kart is NOT gas powered.  You don’t have to worry about mixing gasoline, and pouring it right into the tank.  Your child won’t notice it however because there is a speaker embedded into the seat to give them that engine revving feeling!  So what does it run on?  It’s powered by a smart lithium battery.  It’s similar to other battery-powered kid vehicles.  It plugs into an outlet and takes a while to charge.  One feature I was absolutely floored with however, was that you can monitor the charging status of the battery with an application on your phone!  No more walking out just to check the status!  That’s amazing in and of itself, but I will cover the application further down below.

The logo turns red and device stops to help avoid collisions.

Once it’s charged, your child is ready to hit the road!  The Arrow Smart-Kart is designed for traveling on flat surfaces.  Unlike competitors, it has real rubber gripping tires that afford it excellent traction.  Your kid can hug a corner like a professional NASCAR driver!  It’s a step up from the other battery-powered kid vehicles because your kid is ready to take to the streets.  Now again, I know what you’re thinking.  ‘Why would I want them out on the streets?!‘  First off, I’m not suggesting you take them out to the nearest highway.   The Arrow Smart-Kart can go up to 12 miles per hour.  That’s a safe speed that most kids can handle, and if they can’t, parents can adjust their speed via the application.  The power is actually in your hands, though they will feel like it’s in theirs.

Here is really where the application truly shines.  Parents can monitor the speed of the Arrow Smart-Kart right on their phone.  If they’re nervous their child is going too fast, they can tone it down, or they can open it up to let their child test his or her skills!  ‘But what about cars?!‘  This application is truly worth its weight in gold!  You can create geographical boundaries that keep the Arrow Smart-Kart within safe driving areas.  Imagine an electric fence for your kid!  How amazing is that?!  Plus, a parent should be monitoring their child, and if something awful is about to happen, you can stop the go-kart with a swift tap of the emergency stop button.

Now if your fear is about them running into things, the Arrow Smart-Kart has auto collision detection.  Yep, you heard me, it  will stop itself before your child collides with anything.  It accomplishes that feat thanks to the proximity sensors.  They measure both speed and distance to prevent accidents.  That’s a spectacular feature that sets parents at ease.  You can’t say the same for a bike.  Why, I remember my initial forays without training wheels.  The first time I kept angling my way right into the nearest trees, and on the second day, I swore the garage jumped out at me!

Now I want to take the time to point something out.  The lower recommended age is five years old, but the Arrow Smart-Kart will definitely grow with your kid.  The pedals themselves are adjustable to make it a comfortable fit for their tiny little feet.  We are talking a slight push, a twist, and then you can slot it down a notch or two to truly customize the experience for your child.  It’s also very easy to turn.  Their little hands can grip the wheel and turn the machine with confidence.  If they haven’t quite mastered the shifting between drive, park, neutral and reverse, you can make the adjustments for them with the app.  If you have multiple kids, don’t worry, you can even set them up with different profiles to meet their skills.  When your child is old enough, and able to handle it, you can turn off supervised mode for them and let them go.

There are also different accessories you can get like the helmet, some driving gloves, drift kits, and some really awesome looking body kits to make them feel like race car drivers!  There are even different types of batteries to give prolonged drive times, and chargers that can drastically cut down on the charge times.  I feel ACTEV really got everything right when it came to the Arrow Smart-Kart!

It is above and beyond the best gift you can give them this Christmas.  That’s not a claim I will often make.  It’s safe.  It’s durable.  It will stand the test of time.  Most importantly, it’s something your child will want to use again and again, and won’t get tired of after a few weeks.  If you want to wow them, this is it.

BUY:

You can purchase the Arrow Smart-Kart for $999.95 at ActevMotors.com.  Also check out the Formula Racecar Body Kits, helmets, drift kits, and more!

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*The Quirky Mom Next Door received the above item(s) in exchange for our honest review. All opinions and experiences are our own only.