Peg Perego vs Power Wheels
2 Top Ride-on Toy Brands Compared
The one toy every adult remembers from their childhood is the power wheels jeep they had (or didn’t have in my case). Besides a video game system, this is the biggest toy-related purchase most parents probably make for their children. Twenty years ago, it seemed there was only one choice, and that was Power Wheels. But today, there are many brands offering great ride-on toys for our kiddos. We’re going to compare and discuss the differences of two of our favorites, Peg Perego and Power Wheels.
To determine who makes the best ride-on toys, we’ll analyze the two brands from a parent’s perspective, so we’ll compare battery life, rider weight capacity, speed, and cost.
Battery Life
We’ll start with battery life as it’s one of the most important deciding factors when purchasing a ride-on toy for your kids. Why? Well, how do you think they’re going to react when they’re having a blast and the battery dies after just a few minutes? Not good :).
Having a long-lasting battery is imperative here, so let’s compare who between Peg Perego and Power Wheels has the better (longer-lasting) battery. Note, not all models have the same battery, so for the sake of comparison here, we’re going to select popular models from each brand and make the assumption they are representative of the brand’s battery capacity.
Peg Perego Battery
Peg Perego offers a 12-volt battery that will last up to two hours on a single charge. This is significantly longer than Power Wheels’ six-volt battery, which only lasts for about 30 minutes of playtime. However, there’s a game-changer here. Peg Perego offers a 2-hour quick charger for their 12v batteries. This is a must!
Product Recommendation!
Peg Perego 12v Quick Charger
The Peg Pergo 12v quick charger is the perfect way to extend your child’s playtime on their Peg Perego vehicle, charging your Peg Perego batteries in as little as 2 hours!
Power Wheels Battery
A Power Wheels 12-volt 9.5-amp battery lasts between 1-2 hours, depending on rider weight, speed, and terrain. This battery must be charged for approximately 14 hours to recharge fully.
Peg Perego vs Power Wheels: Battery
Our winner here is Peg Perego because of the quick charger.
There are a few important notes about ride-on toy batteries. First, always buy a spare battery so you can be using one battery while the other is charging. Second, you can extend the battery’s useful life by maintaining it according to manufacture guidelines and storing it in the correct environment. Finally, battery recharge times can vary and you should follow all manufacture guidance in their respective manuals.
Rider Weight Capacity
The weight capacity tells us two things about a ride-on toy. One of course, is which riders it can support and that’s most important. But the weight the toy can hold also tells us roughly how well-built it is. If it’s built for larger children, it’s also more heavy-duty, right?
Peg Perego Rider/Weight Capacity
Peg Perego makes ride-on toys that support either one or two riders. We realize this is a large generalization, but it appears to us that at least most of the current one-rider toys hold up to 85lbs of weight and the two-rider toys hold up to 130lbs of rider weight. Compared to the ride-on toy market as a hole, these are better numbers than most.
Power Wheels Rider/Weight Capacity
Power Wheels also makes one and two-rider ride on toys. We’ll make the same generalization here, and it appears that their one-rider ATV line holds 65lbs and their two-rider jeeps can hold 130lbs of rider weight. Again, the 2-rider capacity is great. However, the 1-rider capacity is about average.
Peg Perego vs Power Wheels: Rider Capacity
Our winner here is Peg Perego because of the increased weight capacity of their one-rider toys.
Both of these great brands exceed the market average for weight capacity. They both also offer toys that appeal to both one and two riders at a time, which is great. The real reason any of this matters is because you want your investment to last as long as possible. These aren’t cheap toys with the average ride-on car priced between $250-$600.
Speed Comparison
If your kids have a need for speed, this category is important to you. All kids want to zip around the yard and parents want them to do it safely. So, which of these brands can get your child to their desired velocity the quickest?
Peg Perego Ride-on Toy Speeds
I guess due to different weights, not all their ride-on toys have the same top speeds. In general, it looks like their 2-seater toys (i.e. Polaris RZR and John Deere Gator) have 2 max. speed levels, 2.5 mph and 5 mph. Their 1-seater toy (John Deere Tractor) has similar, yet slightly lower maximum speeds of 2.25 mph and 4.5 mph.
Power Wheels Ride-on Toy Speeds
The same goes for Power Wheels’ toys. They aren’t all the same, but to give a couple of examples, their 2-seater Jeep Wrangler has a max. speed of 5 mph and their 1-seater ATV has 2 settings, a maximum of either 3 mph or 6 mph on that one.
Power Wheels vs Peg Perego: Toy Speed
Our winner here is Power Wheels by a small margin.
The most popular 2-seater ride-on toys actually have the same top speed, but Power Wheels edged out Peg Perego in the 1-seater division.
Ride-on Car Pricing Comparison
Now, what you’ve all been waiting for, a pricing comparison between Power Wheels and Peg Perego. What’s the difference in price, and which brand provides a better value with their ride-on toy selection?
Power Wheels vs Peg Perego: Toy Speed
Our winner for better pricing is Power Wheels.
Pricing on these toys can change fairly regularly, especially as of late, so I don’t want to discuss actual prices here in fear they will no longer be accurate when you’re reading this.
What I can say is this, Peg Perego ride-on toys are typically more expensive than Power Wheels on average when comparing two similar models, say the RZR vs Jeep.
