Radio Flyer Star Wars Landspeeder Review
I had the opportunity to review the Radio Flyer Landspeeder (from Star Wars) this late Fall, and I must say: It's pretty neat. It's not the sort of thing you'd buy if you're looking to roll out on the road – it's not big enough for that. It's not the sort of thing you buy if your kid is reckless – it is a vehicle, after all. This machine is, instead, the worlds most adorable Star Wars gift on wheels.
The folks at Radio Flyer have this electric childrens vehicle game down. They've been doing it since I was a kid, and they already made awesome machines back then. Coming from the most trusted name in red wagons, this "Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder" is just about the best brand connection Lucasfilm could have made for such a craft.
Below you'll find the product specs for this electric vehicle. The machine is mostly put together in the box you'll get when you buy it, and the parts you DO have to put together are extremely self-explanatory and simple. This machine took me about 20 minutes to set up, from unboxing to operational.
• Exterior (Overall) height/length/width: 22.75"/62"/40"
• Seat to pedal (range, from the front and back of seat): 11"-18"
• Product weight: 59.9lbs
• Package dimensions: 50" X 30.25" X 15.75"
• Package weight: 63.9lbs
• Wheel Dimensions: 7.25" X 3.00" (Front) / 8.5" X 3.00" (Rear)
• Distance from back of seat to the steering wheel: 15.5"
• Speed: 5 mph or 2 mph forward, 2 mph reverse
The battery for this vehicle lasts well over a half-hour session. I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility that it'd roll for closer to an hour if we ever stressed it out to its full abilities. As it stands, my tiny test partners never wanted to keep driving for longer than a 30 minute session in a single afternoon.
Charging is done with a simple wire/power-plug included with the vehicle. I've left it plugged in overnight each time we've used the vehicle, and we've not yet run out of power.
I worked with two miniature family members of mine on this Landspeeder review. Before we moved the craft outside to pavement, we used it as the most decadent set of Star Wars movie-watching seats ever construed. For that, this Landspeeder is exquisite. It's not particularly comfortable, but it is most certainly the most legit place to sit for watching A New Hope.
Once we had a few days without snow*, we fired up the engine and let 'er rip. True to the specs word, this machine cruises at around 5 mph forward and 2 mph in reverse. This Landspeeder has a gear lever that switches between the two forward gears and one reverse – the slower forward gear is also 2 mph, just like the standard back.
*NOTE: We did indeed use this machine after it'd snowed out, which I do not recommend. Even though this vehicle isn't meant for such conditions, it was still fully operational. It's only when my test associates tried to drive up a steep incline that the vehicle, sort of, slipped a little. Otherwise it was a winner!
In the cockpit are a set of colorful buttons that activate sounds from the movies. In our tests, the sounds weren't so extremely loud as to be heard by people outside the Landspeeder while the Landspeeder is in motion. These sounds were able to be heard by everyone inside the moving vehicle just fine. You can hear the whole collection of sounds over at Radio Flyer right this minute.
The detailing on the landspeeder could be better. For a kid, they're amazing. They're super fantastic and couldn't be better. But for someone paying $500 USD for this vehicle, the details could stand to be a little more extreme.
The attention to detail in the mould is excellent. The dent up front, the grilles on the jets, the "cushions" on the seats – all of these are super great. If Radio Flyer wasn't a brand that'd successfully been making and selling vehicles like this for a significant amount of time, I'd suggest the brand could improve the vehicle in a few minor ways. I'd add real cushions for the seats, I'd place a hidden compartment or two for power converters (Luke needs to store them somewhere,) and I'd make the back jet a bit more robust.
There were two places where this Landspeeder failed due to child-related stress. One was the back jet, which does not stand up well to a child of any significant amount of weight foolishly sits upon it. The other failure point is at the apex of the windshield. A rather small amount of pressure made a crack in ours.
Otherwise, this vehicle is a real piece of magic. There's really nothing that can compare to having a tiny electric vehicle such as this in the childhood of a kid. This vehicle has real potential to be a memory-maker. This being a Star Wars Landspeeder only increases that likelihood.
If you're considering buying this Radio Flyer Landspeeder now, you already know you're willing to spend the $500 at which it's priced. If you're looking for a reviewer to push you one direction or the other, let me push you toward purchase. But ONLY if you're buying this Landspeeder for a child. The idea that you'd buy this Landspeeder for yourself to ride around a comic book convention as a 30-year-old nerd person – that's just nutty!