The Spryte is where we would start a young child. It is a 1:20 4WD monster truck with a steering-wheel controller and a speed switch, so you can keep it slow until they have the hang of it. Independent suspension and geared differentials mean it drives properly, indoors and out.

Best for: a first RC car that is easy to control and hard to hurt. Watch out for: batteries. The listing asks for two AA cells, so check what else is needed before a birthday morning.

A 1:24 rally car that fits on a kitchen floor. It is listed at 20 km/h, which is quick enough to be exciting and slow enough to stop before the skirting board, and the stability gyro helps it hold a line. Battery and charger are in the box.

Best for: hard floors, patios and smooth driveways. Watch out for: grass. It is two-wheel drive with tiny wheels, so it is strictly a smooth-surface car.

Not every child wants speed. This 1:24 crawler is about climbing over books, cushions and garden rocks at walking pace, with full proportional control. The doors, bonnet and boot open and the lights work, so it gets played with as a model as well as driven.

Best for: patient, careful children and anyone who likes detail. Watch out for: the small opening parts, which are not built for rough handling.

The Slyder is a proper small monster truck: 4WD shaft drive, independent suspension and waterproof electronics, with a 7.4V Li-ion battery and USB charger included. It is big enough for the lawn and tough enough to be driven the way an eight-year-old will drive it.

Best for: gardens and parks, and a first step up from toy-shop cars. Watch out for: charging. USB charging is slow, so a second battery saves arguments.

A larger crawler with a Land Rover-style body, proportional steering and throttle, working lights and realistic rubber tyres. It is slow by design, which makes it a good choice for woodland walks and for children who like building obstacle courses.

Best for: outdoor crawling and scale-model fans. Watch out for: expecting speed. It will not keep up with a buggy, and it is not meant to.

This is the point where an RC car starts to feel quick. The H16E is listed at 38 km/h with an all-metal transmission, and its phone app records top speed and route by GPS, which is exactly the kind of thing that keeps a ten-year-old coming back.

Best for: children who have outgrown a slower car. The rest of the range is in our MJX Hyper Go range explained guide. Watch out for: run time. The listing quotes about seven minutes per charge, so budget for a spare battery.

Our best-selling car, and a real hobby-grade machine: brushless motor, aluminium chassis, oil-filled shocks and a listed 75 km/h. Every part is available as a spare, so a crash is a repair job and a lesson, not the end of the car.

Best for: teenagers ready for a fast car and the responsibility that goes with it. Watch out for: the speed. Use the throttle limit on the transmitter at first, and keep it well away from roads, people and pets.