The 10 Best Snow Sleds
Updated by · How we research
Toboggans, runner sleds, saucers, foam sleds and tubes compared by age, riders and durability. The Slippery Racer Downhill Xtreme suits most families. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Cheap plastic sleds usually fail the same way: thin plastic turns brittle in hard cold and cracks on the first good day. A thicker double-wall shell, or a flexible one with a cold-resistant coating, lasts longer. This guide covers everything from a toddler seat pulled across the yard to toboggans built to carry a parent and child together.
At a Glance
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1
Slippery Racer Downhill Xtreme
$64
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2
Lifetime Premium Snow Sled
$129
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3
Flexible Flyer Metal Runner
$149
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4
Flybar Husky Dog Foam Sled
$29
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5
Retrospec Retrorider
$29
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6
GoSports Heavy Duty Snow Sled
$119
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7
Slippery Racer Downhill Pro
$34
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8
EMSCO ESP Toddler Sled
$39
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9
Flexible Flyer Classic Wood Toboggan
$174
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10
Wolkek Snow Tube
$33
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The Slippery Racer Downhill Xtreme now leads the list. It seats a parent and child, comes with its rope attached and costs about what a family expects to spend, and Outside's fast-sled roundup named a Slippery Racer toboggan its best value. The Flexible Flyer Metal Runner, the Flexible Flyer Classic Wood Toboggan and the Slippery Racer Downhill Pro stay.
Six sleds are gone. The Zipfy Freestyle, GoFloats Inflatable and Lucky Bums Toboggan have disappeared from stores, while the Flexible Flyer Slider and Flexible Flyer Baby Pull have no current price. We also dropped the Best Choice Products Toboggan, whose thin shell does the same job as a cheaper pick. The EMSCO ESP Toddler Sled replaces the baby sled, and the new picks add double-wall plastic, a foam sled for young kids and a pair of snow tubes.
Sled makers publish little beyond length, rider count and an age range, so the deciding evidence was durability: how often owners report a shell cracking in the cold, and which makers back their sleds with a real warranty. None of these brands has a sled recall in the federal database.
October 16, 2020:
Today we added in the GoFloats Inflatable, which is sure to make for Instagram-worthy photos whenever you bring it to the sledding hills, and it comes in your choice of bright bold designs such as a rainbow unicorn, a pink flamingo, an ice dragon, a goggles-wearing polar bear, or a scarf-wearing penguin. Made of raft-grade vinyl, this blow-up option is thicker than many others to help it withstand bumps in the snow. It features a rapid-inflate valve and is easy to inflate if you’ve got an air mattress on hand. It’s 45 inches in diameter and, when deflated, is easy to fold up for compact storage in a drawer or a cabinet. Note that it can be a bit of a chore for kids to lug this one up a hill, however, as there is no tow rope. It replaces the A-Dudu Inflatable in this update, which is rather difficult to inflate and tends to lose air quickly.
For a classic wooden toboggan sled, we still think you can’t go wrong with the Flexible Flyer Runner. It’s got powder-coated steel runners that help it to glide quickly down slopes, and the steering bar helps give you control to carve turns. It doesn’t come with a rope, but it’s easy to attach one to this bar. For another wooden design that doesn’t include the runners, check out the Flexible Flyer Wood Toboggan, a six-foot-long option that can accommodate up to three riders, and its slats help to keep everyone in place safely. Our list wouldn’t be complete without an option or two for young tots, and the Flexible Flyer Baby Pull is made with safety in mind, thanks to a wide, stable base and crack-resistant polyethylene build. Parents are sure to appreciate the long tow rope so they won’t have to break their backs bending over to pull their kids. Speaking of which, the Zipfy Freestyle is another thoughtfully designed option that features a tall handle that makes it easy to push a child along in the snow. As noted in our last update, be sure to practice sled safety by going town the hills feet first, and always supervise children closely during sledding.
December 16, 2019:
Whether you prefer a disc-shaped model, a toboggan design, an inner tube, or a classic wooden style, our list of the best snow sleds has something for you. Five new models join our selection in this update. The A-Dudu Inflatable can be blown up in mere seconds using an air pump and, although it reaches a 47-inch diameter when fully inflated, it’s easy to deflate and fold it up to a compact size for storage, making it great for apartment dwellers or anyone with limited space in their home. You can choose from two festive, wintry designs.
The Slippery Racer Xtreme Toboggan accommodates one to two riders and has two sets of cutouts for hand grips. It’s coated with the manufacturer’s proprietary IceVex treatment that helps prevent cracking and scratching. Its attached rope makes it easy to pull a youngster or to make your way back up a hill for another run. Another toboggan-style model is the Best Choice Products Toboggan, which doesn’t feature cutouts to grab onto; rather, it’s got a ridge on both sides designed for gripping, so you’re not limited as to where you can place your hands. It can comfortably accommodate multiple small children or a teenager, and is good for those up to age 15.
For a toboggan with the classic curved front style and wooden construction, look to the Flexible Flyer Wood Toboggan, which can hold up to three riders at a time and features crosswise slats to keep everyone in place during each run. It’s handcrafted in Canada using the wood from maple trees and features a simple, elegant design. Its durable yellow pull cord actually runs the entire length, giving everyone a place to hold on. A cushion that’s made for this sled is sold separately from the manufacturer.
If you’ve got a toddler who’s ready to get in on some sledding fun, the Flexible Flyer Baby Pull is a great way to tow those up to three years of age through snow of up to four inches deep. Its safety-minded features include a wide stable base, an adjustable seatbelt, and an extra-high back for support. It comes with a long rope so you can pull your little one comfortably.
For more choices made of wood, check out our list of the best wooden sleds. Some feature a classic toboggan design, while others are equipped with sturdy metal runners to cut effortlessly through the snow.
No matter which model catches your eye, for safety’s sake, it’s best to always sled facing forward and with your feet first, to avoid head injuries. Spend time with your kids teaching them the best ways to slow down or stop, when needed. When sledding, children should be supervised by an adult at all times.
Special Honors
L.L.Bean Sonic Snow Tube Wirecutter's young testers chose this tube as their favorite sled. It's built like the tubes at commercial tubing hills, with a hard plastic bottom over the inflatable tube that helps it glide and protects it from punctures, plus handles and a tow strap for the walk back up. L.L.Bean sells it through its own stores and website rather than other retailers. llbean.com
Mad River Rocket This kneeling sled from Warren, Vermont, was designed for deep powder. The rider straps in at the knees and leans to steer, the way a bicycle tilts into a turn, which lets it weave around trees and other sledders. Its maker notes that plastic sleds, its own included, need care on ice and hard-packed trails. It's sold through the company's website. madriverrocket.com
Match The Sled To The Rider
Toddlers belong in a pull sled with a high back and a belt, towed by an adult across flat, packed snow rather than sent down a hill.
Start with who's riding. Toddlers belong in a pull sled with a high back and a belt, towed by an adult across flat, packed snow rather than sent down a hill. Flexible Flyer and Flybar both rate their runner and foam sleds for kids 5 and up, and that's a sensible floor for any sled a child steers alone.
For young kids, a foam sled is the gentlest start. Flybar builds its foam sleds over a plastic core with a slick bottom and caps riders at 110 pounds, so they're for children, not parents. Older kids and adults need a longer toboggan with a stated rider count: Lifetime says its 4-foot Premium Snow Sled fits one adult and one child, and Slippery Racer sells its Downhill Xtreme for one or two riders.
If the whole family wants to go at once, a classic wood toboggan carries up to three. The word comes from an Algonquian term for a hauling sled made of thin boards (Wikipedia), and the shape hasn't changed much: a flat deck with a curled front that rides on top of the snow.
Fresh Powder, Packed Snow And Ice
Snow conditions decide which design feels fast. On fresh powder, a wide plastic toboggan or a tube floats on top and makes the first runs easy, while runner sleds sink. Once the hill packs down and turns icy, runner sleds pull ahead, because their narrow steel blades cut through and can be steered (Wikipedia: Sledding).
Saucers are the simplest ride and they spin, which kids enjoy, but nobody can steer one, so they need a wide, open hill. Inflatable tubes give the softest landing on bumps and are what commercial tubing hills use. Wirecutter's young testers picked a hard-bottomed tube from L.L.Bean as their favorite sled overall (Wirecutter). Cheap PVC tubes puncture, so carry a patch kit.
Serious powder riders sometimes move to a kneeling sled. The Mad River Rocket straps the rider in at the knees and steers by leaning, though its maker warns that any plastic sled needs care on hard-packed trails and ice.
Safer Runs And A Sled That Lasts
Most sledding injuries come from hitting something, so the hill matters more than the sled. Pick a slope with a long, flat run-out and nothing at the bottom: no road, parking lot, fence, trees or open water. Ride sitting up and feet first, not head first, and send riders down one at a time. A helmet is a good idea for kids. Never tow a sled behind a car, ATV or snowmobile; GoSports prints that warning on its own sled.
We checked each brand here against the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall records and found no sled recalls. The last notable one was the Kwik Tek Hammer Head in 2016, whose steering handlebar could break (CPSC).
Plastic sleds crack from sun damage and cold. Store them out of direct sunlight and out of a hot attic in summer, wipe off grit after use, and keep them off bare gravel. A rub of wax on the bottom adds speed. Dry wood decks and steel runners before storing, and retire a plastic sled once a crack reaches the rim.
How we researched this
We compared 22 sleds, from toddler pull sleds and foam sleds to saucers, plastic and wood toboggans, steel-runner sleds and snow tubes. We read makers' specs, age ratings, rider limits and warranty terms, reviewed the published picks of independent roundups from Outside and Wirecutter, analyzed owner feedback for patterns such as cracking in the cold, and checked every brand against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall records. Updated October 26, 2026 by Ezvid Wiki Admin.
Sources (12)
- Slippery Racer: maker site
- Lifetime Products: maker site
- Flybar: maker site
- Retrospec: maker site
- EMSCO Group: maker site
- Mad River Rocket: maker site
- Outside: I Found the Ultimate Sled for Going Fast
- Wirecutter: The Best Sleds
- Wikipedia: Sledding
- Wikipedia: Toboggan
- CPSC: Kwik Tek recalls Hammer Head sleds (2016)
- CPSC SaferProducts.gov recall data
Frequently asked questions
What kind of sled is best for kids?
It depends on age. Toddlers ride in a pull sled with a seat belt on flat ground. Kids around 5 to 8 do well on a foam sled or a small plastic toboggan with handles. Older kids can handle a steerable runner sled or a longer toboggan.
Can adults ride a kids' sled?
Only if the rider limit allows it. Foam sleds are often capped near 110 pounds, so they're for children. Look for a 4-foot toboggan rated for two riders, or one the maker says fits an adult and a child.
Is a toddler sled safe to ride downhill?
Toddler sleds are built for an adult to pull across flat, packed snow. Keep the belt fastened and skip hills until the child can sit up, hold on and steer clear of others on their own.
Which sled is fastest?
On packed snow and ice, a steel-runner sled is usually quickest. On fresh powder, a wide plastic toboggan or a tube floats and stays faster. A coat of wax on a plastic bottom helps either way.
How do I keep a plastic sled from cracking?
Keep it out of the sun and away from a hot attic or car in the off-season, wipe off grit after use and avoid bare gravel. Double-wall or coated plastic resists cold cracking better than thin single-wall shells.
Can I tow a sled behind a car or snowmobile?
No. Sled makers, including GoSports, warn against towing with any vehicle. A sled can't stop or steer at that speed, and a rider who falls off has no protection.
