Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow… because we’ve found the best sledges around for all the family to enjoy. Leave granny’s tea tray at home and go for something altogether more fun instead. It’s all downhill from here.
1. Extreme Freestyler Snow Scooter: £20, cotswoldoutdoor.com
Our older tester kids made a beeline for this cool piece of kit, but it wasn’t quite tall or sturdy enough for most of the adults. Takes a bit of getting used to, but great fun for wannabe snowboarders. The handle is hinged, so it packs flat for ease of transport.
2. Dragon Glide Sledge: £69.99, gooutdoors.co.uk
Mean and green, this is such great fun. A sledge with a steering wheel? You’re king of the hill! Steer the front ski for pretty accurate direction – those days of ‘push off and hope for the best’ are gone. The only down side is the tricky assembly when it’s first delivered.
3. Boyz Toys Warp Speed Slider: £99.99, gooutdoors.co.uk
You’ve got to be brave to master this one. Basically, run for it, throw yourself down chest first on the mesh platform and hurtle down the hill with your face about a foot off the snow, clinging to the moulded handles for dear life. It’s thrilling, fast and you really should wear a helmet.
4. Hot Sheet Sledge: £8.99, surfdome.com
Toddlers can start on this simple slider. Like a modern-day tea tray, it’s a lot of laughs for £8.99. Lightweight and easy to carry, you have to be pretty slight to get up a speed – up to 60kg, according to the manufacturer. Stand down, parents, this one’s for the kids.
5. Swordfish Sledge: £9, plasticboxshop.co.uk
This basic, moulded sledge has a rope pull-tie, a raised seat and foot ridges at the front to help steel yourself as you hurtle downhill. Nothing fancy, but functional. The main advantage versus some of the showier sledges is that it’s not too heavy on the trudge back up again.
6. Snow Groover Penguin Sledge: £24.99, johnlewis.com
It seems that the store which made us fall in love with a penguin, now wants us to pile on top of him and drag him through the slush. This is great for children as it’s made from sturdy foam rather than plastic so it’s really easy to lug around. Sorry, Monty.
7. Hamax Lillehammer Maxi: £99.01, snowandrock.com
This gorgeous sledge could become a family heirloom. Well-constructed and with a clever, foldable seat, it won’t take up too much room in the car. Perfect for a two-person slide, which is handy if you might like a hand getting it back to the top of your hill.
8. Wham-O Snow Boogie Air Disc: £15.99, amazon.co.uk
This foam, go-faster striped disc has a ‘slick skin bottom’ which aids supersonic speeds and probable vertigo. Great for when there is only a fine sprinkling of snow as there’s a bit of padding there to smooth over bumpy ground.
9. Baby Owl: £29.99, snowandrock.com
Toddlers will love this safe and secure little sledge for gentle slopes. A low centre of gravity means they won’t topple and they’re strapped into a padded seat securely. There’s a long leash for parents to control movement or pull Junior home in the snow.
10. S Oliver Zibob 41: £22.99, sportsdirect.com
Yes, it looks a bit otherworldly, but the Zibob carves corners well and gathers quite a pace. Slowing down is a cinch – just lean back and pull on the handle. Suits all ages and weights up to 110 kg. A cult favourite on ski-slopes everywhere – check out some of the races on YouTube.
Verdict: Sledges spend most of their lives languishing in the garage, so for our money, something sturdy like the Lillehammer wooden sledge is perfect as it’ll probably be around for your grandkids too. (For info, hipsters have been known to use them as coffee tables in warmer months.) For cheap thrills and spills, though, it’s the Zibob every time. Whoosh!
IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing
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