The Best Kids Sled For Snow Fun

This is our review of the best sled for kids in 2024. 

Sledding is the quintessential winter family activity. Cries of joy from the hillsides have been heard since Germanic tribes first navigated the alps by sled. 

But, like any activity, to make it safe for everyone you need appropriate gear. Whether that’s a three-point harness or a sled that accommodates up to four people, we know sleds. That’s how we found what we regard as the best overall kids’ sled. 

Our overall pick for the best kids’ sled is the Zipfy snow sled. We like it because it prioritizes safety by giving your kid multiple ways to steer and slow the sled down. 

It’s also an excellent introductory sled for young kids since it can take hills quickly but not dangerously fast.  It also delivers a comfortable ride.

But it’s not the only great sled out there for your kid – we’ve compiled a list of our favorites.

Different sleds meet different requirements. Some go faster than others and some are better suited for a gentle tow over the ice and slush. From pull sled to traditional sleds, here are the sleds we think your family will enjoy this winter. 

Top Kids Snow Sleds Reviewed

Overall Best Kids Sled in 2024 : Zipfy Snow Sled Freestyle Luge

The Zipfy snow sled is a classic luge for up to two people. Instead of the traditional sled’s attached rope, it has a fixed center handle that helps you steer. 

For extra steering, the sledder can lean forward or back against the handle or dig their feet into the snow for extra traction and maneuverability. 

The feet-free design of this sled for kids also puts safety first. With feet free to help control the sled, kids experience less chance of injury as they race down hills.

It’s also a lightweight sled at three and a half pounds, making it easy to tow up hills. It carries up to 250lbs safely and is an ideal, affordable sled for kids ages five and older. 

This sled performs well in various snow types, ensuring winter-long enjoyment for sledding enthusiasts. They add that the lightweight and compact design makes it significantly easier to lug up a snowy hill. 

They also appreciate how budget-friendly this sled can be and how easily it stores between uses. However, they stress that because prices for these sleds for kids vary wildly, it’s worth shopping around to find it at a price that suits you.

Benefits:

• Suitable for multiple family members at once
• Handle for steering
• Kids can use feet to safely control snow sled
• Easy to carry and store

Best Snow Sleds for Babies and Toddlers: Flyer Baby Pull Sled

The thrill of sledding should be available to the whole family. And with the Flexible Flyer Infant Pull Sled, it is. 

This baby sled takes the classic toboggan design and modifies it to put safety first. It features a high-backed seat with raised support rails to give babies the comfort and security they need while sledding. 

For added safety, a lap belt helps keep your baby or toddler in place. The long attached rope facilitates towing your child, whether it’s up a hill or through the snow. 

While it won’t have babies or young toddlers tearing down hills, it’s perfect for giving children ages one to three their first taste of sledding. 

Other features include:

• Freeze and impact testing for sled safety
• Polished underside with reduced friction

Although the Baby Pull Sled says it can accommodate children up to three years old, this may depend on the child’s weight. Taller children’s feet may brush the hill or ground while sitting strapped upright, so it’s important to consider this when sizing a baby sled. 

Also, the rope may not be long enough for you, but you can easily add an extension if needed. 

Benefits:

• Safety belt keeps babies secure
• Easy to tow in all snow conditions
• Reduces friction through polished plastic underside
• High back seat and security rails 

Best Inflatable Sled: GoFloats Winter Snow Tube

We love the combination of winter fun and whimsy in the Gofloats Winter Snow Tube. 

The inflatable tube is suitable for kids and adults who still love the indulgence of snow days. You can choose from 5 different designs – I LOVE the penguin myself.

These inflatable sleds revolutionized the snow tube design. They use cold-weather treated material that not only outperforms its competitors but survives repeated slides down snowy hills. 

The inflatable sled is easy to set up. It fills rapidly from a discrete valve, so all the enthusiastic kid needs to do is inflate the tube and head out sledding. 

These inflatable sleds for kids are not only exhilarating to ride but comfortable and incredibly stable. They take up to roughly 250 pounds, and in some instances, can accommodate an adult and several children. 

They perform well in all kinds of snow and remain durable in extreme sub-zero temperatures. 

Benefits:

• Easy to set up 
• Heavy-duty material
• Highly durable in cold weather
• Suitable for range of ages

Best Snow Sleds for Speed: Slippery Racer Downhill Xtreme Toboggan Snow Sled

The Slippery Racer Downhill Xtreme Toboggan is the perfect plastic toboggan for racing down hills on snow days and winter weekends. 

Designed to accommodate multiple riders comfortably, the Slippery Racer Toboggan makes an excellent choice of tandem sled. It accommodates one adult and child for familial sledding or several children.  

A pull rope and lightweight build make the Slippery Racer easy to tow up hills for kids of all ages. Additionally, the pull rope provides easy steering and equally easy maneuvering.

This toboggan, made with slick-coated flex plastic, has a slick bottom that enables it to build up speed effortlessly. Little ones will love the thrill of racing through deeper snow, however cold the weather gets. 

Not only is this a super fun sled, but it is safe and well-balanced. Parents can appreciate the extra safety of being able to slide with children and toddlers too young to toboggan on their own. 

Benefits: 

• Suitable for multiple family members
• Speeds up easily but safely
• Rope handle for holding onto and to tow sled up/to hill
• Stays upright even at high speeds 
• Made with heavy-duty, cold-durable plastic

Best Traditional Snow Sled: Flexible Flyer Metal Runner Sled

If you’re looking for wooden, traditional sleds, then the Flexible Flyer Sled is hard to beat. Built like a traditional snow sled, it features:

• Steel runners
• Wooden seat 

The steel runners navigate deeper snow while kids lie flat on the wooden sled and slide with increasing speed down hills. Although the Flexible Flyer has no attached rope, you can quickly add an extension. 

The Flexible Flyer’s lightweight sled construction means that even without an attached rope, it’s easy to tow up hills. 

You will love the Flexible Flyer for the nostalgia value. It speeds up as it negotiates a snowy hill, but also evokes the wooden sleds of childhood. 

However, be careful with the quality of the sled, and look out for Flexible Flyers with cracked slats. 

Overall, you will be happy with the Flexible Flyer’s wooden pull sled, as it’s durable and super fun for kids and parents of all ages. 

Benefits:

• Heavy-duty steel runners
• Looks like traditional sled
• Lightweight
• Easy to carry

Best Saucer Style Sleds for Kids: Flexible Flyer Steel Saucer

The Flexible Flyer Steel Saucer is the company’s answer to the increased prevalence of snow saucers as an alternative to:

• Plastic sled
• Traditional sled
• Inflatable tube 

Flexible Flyer’s steel saucer is a heavy-duty saucer with a slick bottom for fast, exhilarating sledding. There are also two rope handles to hold onto as kids and children of various ages careen down snowy hillsides. 

The same two handles double as an effective way to tow the Flexible Flyer Metal Disc Steel Saucer back up hills. 

This Flexible Flyer metal disc saucer is suitable for kids ages five and up. It makes for an occasionally bumpy ride but still engenders hours of snow day fun. 

But they add that the saucer dents quickly and attribute this to roots, and other obstacles children can’t avoid. 

When it comes to safety tips, it’s best for your little ones to wear a helmet while sledding. These steel saucers gain momentum rapidly, and without a steering wheel, they often collide with:

• Other riders
• Trees

Or they send little ones flying. That said, all agree it’s a fun snow sled, just one that requires adult supervision. 

Benefits:

• Heavy-duty material
• Offers fast, fun ride down hill
• Keeps condition in extreme cold temperatures
• Handles for safety during ride and towing afterward

What to Look for in a Kids Sled

Sledding is a favorite family winter activity for a reason. Kids’ sleds come in all types, sizes, and shapes, and that makes your first consideration the type of sled you want. Options include:

• Baby sled
• Toddler sled

But they can also be determined by material. For instance, a child old enough to sled alone can choose from:

• Saucers
• Toboggans
• Tubes
• Carpets

Baby and Toddler Sleds

Typically baby and toddler sleds feature:

• Higher backs
• Lap belts
• Side railings 

These ensure babies and toddlers are secure and comfortable at all times. The model toddler sled allows parents to pull the sled on walks to and from a favorite sledding hill. Alternatively, more confident parents can pull a toddler sled down gentler hills and introduce their toddlers to sledding.

Steel Saucers

Saucers are recognizable by their distinctive metal shape. They’re round and more open than either plastic sleds or pull sleds. 

Because they’re difficult to control, they aren’t advisable for small children but are better suited to older kids with a healthy sense of adventure. 

For whole family participation, you require multiple saucers, as the single-person design prevents multiple people sledding down the hill together. 

Toboggans

When we hear the word toboggan it’s hard not to think of the traditional wooden snow sleds that feature in old photographs. 

But with time, the toboggan evolved. While the wooden sled design is still out there, and a favorite with traditionalists, there are also more budget-friendly toboggans and toboggans modeled on the plastic and pull sled.

This flexibility, coupled with the easy steering and increasingly lightweight styles, ensured toboggans never lost their popularity with small kids and adults alike. 

Snow Tube

Snow tubes are another alternative to the plastic and pull sled. It evokes a pool float but is built to survive cold weather and snow conditions. Like saucers, snow tubes are designed so that the child or adult riding can lean or lie back while sledding. 

They’re increasingly a favorite with small kids because of the extra comfort and support the tube offers. However, they’re not all created equal, and if you’re considering a tube for a child’s sledding enjoyment, look for one with handles. 

Not only will that help them navigate hills and snow, but it gives them something to hold onto and reduces the chances of falling out as they gain speed. 

Carpets

The plastic carpet is another reworking of the plastic sled. It features a slick underside and a long rectangular design. As winter gear goes, it’s hard to argue with. 

The flexibility of plastic carpets means they roll up for efficient, space-saving storage. Moreover, they convert into a toboggan when kids and toddlers pull the front half of the sled up to their knees and use it to steer. 

Like saucers, they can be hard to keep on an even keel, however, and a child who rides carpets frequently ends up in the snow. But then, that’s a significant part of the sledding experience. 

Consider a Cushion Set

While some snow sleds, like the snow tube, offer comfort as well as speed, not all sleds do.

Wooden sleds especially can be uncomfortable without a cushion set since the wooden slats can cut into the ribs of the sledding kid or toddler. 

This isn’t only true of wooden sleds. A toddler sled or baby sled typically is made of plastic, and plastic sleds can feel cold without extra insulation. 

Material

Finally, material plays a significant role in determining the best snow sled for kids. The most prevalent snow sled materials are:

• Plastic
• Foam
• Tubing 

While all of these are lightweight, each has advantages and disadvantages. For instance, if you want the best sleds for handling rough terrain, you need a toboggan or pull sled.

But if you live somewhere with deep, fluffy snow, the best sleds for kids is a tube or saucer.  

Our Verdict

From toboggans to carpets and tubes, you can choose from a wide selection of sleds. 

Our favorite is the ZIpfy Snow Sled. It offers a safe, fun ride for your kid, whatever the weather. Not only that, but it’s an affordable sled, making it suitable for all budgets. 

So, don’t wait! The cold weather is approaching and it won’t be long before everyone is searching for the best sled for their family. Go online or into your local store and find yours now.