RC toys under 50 francs: are these three bestsellers any good?
10.12.2025
Translation: Elicia Payne
Video: Valentina Sproge-Werndli
Cutter: Davide Arizzoli
Pictures: Valentina Sproge-Werndli
By Christmas Eve at the very latest they’ll be climbing, flying and driving through many families’ homes – yes, I’m talking about a gecko, a drone and two bumper cars. Are they just cheap or are the bestsellers actually a good deal? I made it my mission to find out.
We all know the phrase «You get what you pay for.» You see a bargain and can’t resist getting one, so you get two. Only to give one away to the children of friends and relatives. At least that’s what I suspect when I look at the top sellers in the remote-controlled toy category for children. Lots of plastic usually means fleeting fun. You can’t exactly expect more when you’re paying less than 50 francs. Or can you? I gave it a go with three toys. You’ll hear my thoughts in the video above or here in the text. For English subtitles, click the gear icon, «Subtitles/CC» and «Auto-translate».
No matter who you’re gifting them to, remember: the batteries! Pop some in the box. There’s nothing more disappointing than a new remote-controlled toy you can’t try out straight away. You usually need two to ten AA/AAA batteries to even get going – these three inexpensive models don’t come with any, at least not for the remote controls.
The Hexbots gecko
The number one bestseller is neither a car nor an airplane, neither a boat nor a drone, but a gecko. Because the low price tag isn’t the only attractive thing about this toy, it’s unique too. Everyone likes to give unusual gifts. And I admit, the little climbing king’s really fun at first. It sucks itself onto walls and ceilings, scurries out from behind the sofa with glowing red eyes and even manages woodchip wallpaper without immediately falling off. If it falls down, it survives with no broken bones.
However, adults might find the noisy combination of suction and tapping hard on the nerves whereas children simply drown out the noise level. Video producer, Valentina Sproge-Werndli, gets quite annoyed by the hectic reptile during filming. It’s a good thing it runs out of power quite quickly and needs to be plugged into the USB-C socket to refuel. It’s not always the battery’s that empty, though. The remote control needs two AAA batteries and a clear line of sight. One finger in the wrong place or an armchair in front of the gecko and it stops responding.
It’s quieter and more reliable on the ground. You have the option to switch the suction mode off, but then the Gecko’s comparatively boring. If a toy’s built to go up the walls, then it should do exactly that. Time is unforgiving, too. Sooner or later, the gecko will suffer defects. At least it didn’t have it’s first dropouts for an entire Future Day.
Fun level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Endurance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Robustness:⭐️⭐️
Verdict: On the first day the gecko’s centre stage, on the second the excitement starts to wear off, and on the third potentially slightly broken already. That makes it the perfect souvenir: by the time things get annoying and difficult, you’ll be long over it.
The Silverlit Bumper Drone
The unknown flying object comes with several warnings: a small screwdriver, spare rotors and a thin charging cable you’re best not losing. For a toy designed for 8+ years of age, the Bumper Drone requires a relatively high level of dexterity and patience: after four to five minutes of flight time, it needs to be plugged in for around an hour. As the battery’s permanently installed, you can’t limit little one’s playing time.
If you can put up with that, you get a softly padded drone with rotors that can still easily catch fingers or get stuck in tinsel. My colleague Davide Arizzoli, a full-time video producer and part-time Christmas tree, experienced this first-hand.
The hard plastic remote control is easy enough to operate, but has an annoying beep and a button that I can’t really figure out. «If you press «auto return», it doesn’t come back to the starting point, but seems to fly straight to China.» This comment now makes sense, but I still don’t get why the customer awarded the drone five stars.
The detachable camera works in combination with the (iOS/Android) app, but the image quality (480p) doesn’t impress and transmission occasionally breaks off even at short distances. I’d love to see how it lands in the factory in Shenzhen.
Fun level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Endurance: ⭐️
Robustness:⭐️⭐️
Verdict: For under fifty francs, you can’t expect much more. The drone flies, looks okay and even has a working camera. The short flight time and long charging time aren’t the only reasons why it’s not an ideal gift for children aged eight and over. Children under the age of 12 can only fly the drone under the supervision of a person who is at least 16 years old and has the necessary knowledge. If a camera’s installed, the drone must be registered (link in German).
The Gear2Play bumper cars
At first glance, the bumper cars look like they’re from the 80s. Colourful hard plastic, no flashing LEDs – good old mechanics instead. You play in pairs and the aim is to ram into the other vehicle sideways. There are two yellow surfaces on the edges that trigger the ejector seat with a click and plunge the round Playmobil character into the air.
The mechanism behind it being a plastic pin that pops up – you press it down again and lock into place before the next round. Instead of having a complicated steering system, the wheels turn in opposite directions when cornering. If you turn the steering wheel too quickly, the vehicles spin around like a bumper car.
The simple game principle is a reliable source of fun, regardless of age. It’s only slightly let down by the fact that the figures don’t sit firmly enough and fly out in collisions without the ejector seat being triggered. Plus, hair and lint get caught in the wheels, which you’ll have to remove sooner or later in a minor operation. This is one of the reasons why the two vehicles don’t always drive equally well.
Nevertheless, they have the best prerequisites for being used even after weeks and months. That is, if you have fresh batteries to hand. Three AA batteries are installed in each vehicle and two AAA batteries in each remote control.
Fun level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Endurance:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Robustness:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Conclusion: Aaaaah! The bumper cars provided a good amount of fun and frustration in my home. The vehicles are based on simple technology, so there’s little to break and the basic idea will appeal to children of all ages who like to play duels. In my opinion, they’re the best deal among the bestsellers.
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
Guide
Practical solutions for everyday problems with technology, household hacks and much more.
Show allThese articles might also interest you
2 comments
later