Shopping for Your Child’s Wagon

Ask people what some of their favorite childhood toys were and a lot of them are going to mention wagons. As simple as they are, wagons can provide hours of fun for children, and they have been doing so for many years. Some children’s toys have come and gone, but the simple little wagons have stood the test of time. Their construction may have changed over time to reflect innovations in safety and design, but at the core they are still very much the same. Children still love them just as much as they always have.

Radio Flyer used to be the brand name that you saw on almost all wagons, but today you will see a few more brand names on some of them. Radio Flyer still sits fairly comfortably at the top of the heap, but there are definitely some strong contenders. The old metal wagons have given way to mostly plastic now, for obvious safety reasons, but it’s still possible to get the metal kind, and they’re usually well treated to guard against rust for an impressive amount of time. Designs have been modified to adapt to different children’s ages, once again with safety in mind, and they come in many more colors than red these days. How children use them, however, has pretty much stayed the same, and it is still the major consensus that every child should have a least one wagon while they are growing up. There’s just so much that children can do with them, and they are great for their imaginations.

Top Radio Flyer Wagons

Radio Flyer still makes their classic metal wagon, appropriately called the Classic. It has remained so popular that there has never been any reason for them to stop making it. The shape remains the same as it has always been, and the construction is also just as sturdy. Their metal wagons are built for strength; they can stand up to a lot of weight and punishment without buckling or coming apart. They are specially treated to help avoid rust damage; though eventually, with normal wear and tear, they will succumb to it. In reasonable conditions that usually doesn’t happen for years, though.

John Deere Wagons

John Deere also makes the classically shaped metal wagon for children, which they simply call the Steel. Understandably, it doesn’t come in red but rather the trademark green and yellow that identifies the John Deere brand. There is also a John Deere wagon with the slats up the side called the Stake, a dump-box wagon called the Big Farm, and of course they make little plastic wagons that can be towed behind their toy tractors. Their wagons reflect their hugely popular tractors and other farm equipment; they are strong, sturdy and long lasting.

Wagons for Tiny Tots

Little Tikes make a few wagons, mostly for toddlers and preschoolers. One of their most popular models is the Cozy Cruisin Wagon. This little deluxe model is like a luxury SUV for very young children. It has deep sides, high backrests on both ends, a cup holder and even a storage compartment for food or other things. This could keep young children happy for hours. Little Tikes has a few more children’s wagons as well, such as the plastic Ride and Relax and Adventure wagons for babies to preschoolers. Their Explorer wagon is for kids that are starting to grow out of their baby toys. It still has the deep slatted sides but it’s longer, wider, and the wheels are bigger, all of which means it can handle bigger children, more weight and more punishment.

Believe it or not, Jeep makes a little plastic wagon for babies to preschoolers. It also has the deep slatted sides, a cup holder and oversized thick plastic wheels for sturdiness. Step 2 makes an all-plastic canopy wagon that seats two toddlers or preschoolers comfortably, and its whimsical design actually reminds one of a carriage. Willow Green carries an all plastic deep-sided wagon for toddlers to preschoolers as well, with a door on the side for easy entrance and exit.

Making Your Choice

These wagons are all the cream of the crop. Though there are several brands of children’s wagons, these are the ones that have proven their worth over time and have satisfied more children and parents. Radio Flyer still leads the pack, and there’s no indication that it won’t keep doing so for a very long time. This isn’t surprising to anyone. The rest of these manufacturers and their well-designed wagons hold comfortable places as far as popularity and their portions of the market. With Radio Flyer almost always being the top choice, the rest of the wagon brands can be adequate choices as well. Be sure to keep your children’s ages and abilities in mind when choosing so that they can get the most enjoyable and the safest experience.