Best RC (Remote control) Battle Tanks That Look Realistic!

f you are into remote control battle tanks, then you know how much realism matters. You want a battle tank that looks real, not just a toy.

Even when you are buying one for your kids, you want one that looks real so the kids can be even more immersed in their imagination when playing war games.

If that’s what you are looking for, the following is a compilation of the best RC tanks in the market.

The Best RC Tanks on the Market

1. Cheerwing German Tiger I Panzer Tank | Mini RC Tank

Are you looking for the best RC tank to get as a gift for a teenager or even an adult? This tank will do nicely. Packed with realistic details, this tank looks like the real Tiger tank. It is actually a 1:72 mini scale model of a Tiger tank.  The tank is palm size, a perfect gift.

Most tanks have a turret that only rotates partially – for instance, 180 degrees. This model does the whole circle: it rotates 360 degrees. The tank can move in every direction: front, back, left, right. The gun barrel moves vertically.

The realistic details of the tank are what make it worth having, even for adults who are fans of RC tanks. For instance, it features realistic firing sound effects, a realistic engine, and realistic turret movement. All these add up to give a thoroughly satisfying experience for someone who knows a thing or two about tanks.

• Dimensions: 3.54 x 1.97 x 1.57 inches
• Scale: 1: 72
• 360 degree rotating turret
• Built-in rechargeable 3.7 V 110 mAh battery

2. M1A2 Abrams RC Airsoft Military Battle Tank

If you are a lover of miniature battle tanks, this might be the best RC tank for you. It is a replica of the MIA2 Abrams USA battle tank. The details are beautifully captured. It also makes for a great gift to give a teenager or kid who is into battle tanks.

The effects are realistic, which helps create an emotional response in you when you operate the tank. One thrills at the realistic firing sounds and the beautiful recoil when you fire the cannons. It also features a simulative engine. The cumulative effect is one that gives pleasure.

The tank can move backward, forward, and is also able to spin. In addition, it has a rotating turret that can do a 360-degree rotation. The gun moves vertically and can do it up to a maximum angle of 20 degrees.

• Play time: 20 minutes
• Scale: 1:24
• Maximum climbing gradient (varies with different road surfaces) = approximately 30 degres
• Dimensions: 16 x 6 x 5 inches

3. Hq iPlay RC Battling Tanks

If your kids are about 12 years old, here is a great battle tank set to get them waging war. The seat features 2 infrared laser battle tanks each possessing 2 full-function controllers.

The kids can control the tanks using a transmitter. The transmitter enables rotation of the gun firing of a cannon. During firing, the tank produces a roar and an infrared beam signal to attack the opponent. When the laser hits the enemy tank, that tank becomes damaged – and that is represented by flashing lights. It’s all great fun for the children. In fact, even adults who are young at heart would enjoy the battling.

Each side of the battle has 4 lives – as represented by the 4 LED indicators. When your opponent hits your tank, you lose one life. The game ends when one of the tanks loses all its lives and the rival tank naturally becomes the victor.

Sound is very vital to war battling. These tanks feature sound effects from the engine, cannon fire, ignition, machine gun fire, and impact.

• Barrel moves vertically and turret turns 320 degrees
• Automatic demonstration function
• Rechargeable 408 V NI-CD battery
• 2 full-function controllers

. Best Choice Products Set of 2 RC Battle Tanks

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015NORKVE]

If you have kids that enjoy playing with battle tanks, this is a fun gift you can give them. The set contains 2 battle tanks, so the kids can enjoy a clash of battle tanks.

The tanks are operated using 2.4 GHz remote control – one for each tank. Two kids playing together will control one tank each and have a great battle. The overall remote distance is approximately 10 minutes. For a battle, however, the ideal distance is approximately 3 minutes.

Imagine a battle of 12 battle tanks. You can pair the two remotes to a maximum of 10 more remotes and achieve exactly that: an epic battle.

The tanks will provide playtime for up to about 15 minutes. They take up to about 2.5 minutes to charge – that is after the first charge. When fresh out of the box, the tanks take up to 4 or 5 hours to charge completely. Charger type: USB.

The tanks are fully able to maneuver during a battle. They have gripping caterpillar tracks just like real battle tanks. The turret swivels horizontally and vertically.

There is something about sound that makes it highly emotive. Kids love sound effects. Just watch and see how your kids will thrill every time a gun-shot noise is produced when a tank fires. 

• Package includes: 2 battle tanks, 2 remote controls, 4 AA batteries, USB charger
• No assembly required
• Remote frequency: 2.4 GHz
• Material: plastic

5. Haktoys HT502 RC 12” Fighting Battle Tanks

Do you want to help your younger kids work on their hand-eye coordination? Well, this fighting battle tank set is a fun way to do just that. 

With this set, you get not one but two awesome fighting battle tanks with two different looks, which is great for identification when you stage battles. One tank is woodland camo and the other is desert camo. They also operate in different frequencies: one at 27 MHz and the other at 40 MHz.

The two tanks are able to reach a fighting distance of up to 20 feet. If you include the extended barrel, the length of each tank is 12 inches.

The two tanks are both fully functioning. You can move them backwards and forwards, and you can also turn them right and left. The turret is designed to move horizontally while the cannon moves vertically.

If you want to bring out the big guns, you fire the cannon at the rival tank. For steady firing that whittles away at the enemy tank, fire the machine gun turret.

Each tank contains 4 lives. As a result, each tank has 4 LED indicators. When all 4 indicator lights are OFF, that signifies that the game has come to an end.

• For ages 3+
• Made of plastic (high quality)
• Includes: 2 RC battle tanks, 2 controllers, 2 antenna, 2 battery chargers, 4 AA 1.5 V batteries, 2 700 mAh Rechargeable batteries
• Dimensions: 12.5 x 4 x 4.5 inches

6. BlueFit German Tiger I Panzer Tank

Have you been cracking your mind trying to figure out what to buy your child for their birthday? Here is the best RC tank gift for children of 8 years of age and above.

Your child can operate this German Tiger I tank via remote control. You know how kids (and adult RC hobbyists) just love to watch something move at the click of a button. The tank is about the size of an iPhone, something your kid can easily hold and operate.

The beauty of this tank is in the details it captures of an actual tank. It is a 1:72 mini scale model of a real tank, highly detailed.

The tank takes an hour to charge and with that it can run for up to 15 minutes. That’s enough time for a kid to have some bit of fun.

The tank is able to move in all directions: forward, backward, left, and right. It also has a rotating turret. To make the play time even more fun, the tank has light and sound effects.

• Built-in rechargeable 3.7 V 110 mAh battery                            
• Dimensions: 2.0 x 3.6 x 1.6 inches
• 1:72 mini scale model of real tank
• Runtime: 15 minutes; charging time: 1 hour

7. Bo-Toys RC Building Bricks Shooting Tank

If you want to develop the motor skills of your kid, you should consider this RC tank. First of all, the tank is really cool in that it comes as 1276 pieces which you then assemble together to build into a tank. You can have your kid join you in building the tank – that’s fun. Don’t worry, it’s easy and intuitive to assemble pieces.

After the educational value of building the tank comes the pure, thrilling fun of staging combat scenes. It features moving parts like the turret and cannon rod. The fort turret is able to rotate up to 360 degrees – that’s how you mow down enemies on every direction. Furthermore, the tank itself can move forward, backward, and turn left or right.

The tank is radio-controlled, with the remote control operating at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. The remote control works up to a distance of 100 feet.

• Play time: 25 min; charge time: 1.5 hours
• Made of ABS plastic
• Dimensions: 21.5 x 6 x 14 inches
• USB rechargeable batteries for 2 motors

8. Bimonk 1:12 Scale Remote Control Police Tank Car

If you like realism in your RC battle tanks, you will like this one. It’s a 1:12 military tank car realistically detailed. The exterior design features a simulated cockpit, solid tank frame, gull-wing door, powerful motors, thickening bumper, and a realistic tank wheel design.

Speed is another thing that makes RC tanks fun. This one can reach a speed of up to 12 km/h thanks to its 380-motor off-road power. Furthermore, it has the capability of operating on various types of terrain.  It can do a climbing angle of up to 30 degrees. It can wade through a depth of 1.96 inches.

Thanks to the unique wheel design, this tank is able to do a full 360-degree spin. That is a testament to its strong steering ability.

Imagine being able to control the RC tank from a distance of up to 50 meters (164 feet). That is exactly what you are getting thanks to the product’s use of 2.4G remote control technology.

• Able to do 360-degree spin
• Rechargeable 7.4 V 1200 mAh lithium-ion battery
• 2.4 GHz radio system

9. Fisca Remote Control Tank

If you have been wondering what to get your ten-year old for their birthday or Christmas, this RC tank is an awesome choice.  Get this: it has simulated fire action. It is able to shoot 6 mm BB bullets. Instead of just shooting the bullets, it makes the fire action life-like. There is a recoil and tank sound effect, a great thrill for a kid.

Shooting angle is excellent, with a wide slewing area. The turret is designed to rotate up to 180 degrees vertically. The muzzle makes vertical movements up to an angle of 15 degrees.

Dig this: the air gun packs so much power that it is able 6 mm BB pellets a distance of up to 9 feet.

If several players are playing with remote control tanks together, they need not worry about frequency interference. That is because this RC tank features a high remote frequency of up to 2.4Ghz. That gives the remote enables a long remote control distance.

• Includes: 1 tank, 1 transmitter, 1 charger, 1 gun, 1 soldier
• Playing time: 15-20 min; charging time: 5-7 hours
• Dimensions: 14 x 7 x 6.7 inches
• scale: 1:20

10. E-Toysworld Infra-red Laser Battle Tank Set

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G8GG66]

This set contains two battle tanks, so you can partner up with a friend for a RC battle. Their bodies are camo-painted. They use infrared power. It’s a great birthday or Christmas gift for children or for adults who are young at heart.

The remote control enables you to rotate the turret as well as to fire. You can fire infrared beams up to a distance of about 25 meters. The turret can rotate horizontally up to an angle of 300 degrees. In addition, the turret can do a vertical lift of up to 30 degrees – this movement helps you gain more precision when aiming a target.

The battle tanks do up to 5 to 10 mph. They can maneuver in slanted terrain, provided the angle of the slant is not more than 30 degrees. They are also able to move in all directions: right left, forward, backward.

• Dimensions: 14.5 x 11 x 4.5 inches
• Weight: 6.2 pounds
• Top speed: 5-10 mph
• Shoots infrared beam up to 25 meters

How to Pick the Best RC Tank

When buying an RC tank, there are some things you must keep in mind to ensure you get what you are looking for. Consider this an RC tank buying guide – look out for:

Realistic Features, Details, and Sound Effects

Are you an RC hobbyist? If you are, then the main thing you are looking for when considering a set of choices is the one which has the most realistic details. You want an RC tank that closely mirrors the original tank as much as possible. RC hobbyists thrill in detailed design.

They want a tank that makes realistic sounds when it shoots. They want the tank to have barrel recoil just like a real tank does when it fires. The closer it is to the real thing, the more pleasing it is deemed to be.

If you are not a hobbyist and are buying a tank for your kid, this is still true. Kids love sound effects – they like to imagine that their toys are the real thing.

Hobbyist or Child

Before you buy an RC tank, it’s important to consider who you are buying it for. Is it for a hobbyist (yourself or someone else) or for a child?

Hobbyists are more attracted to miniatures of real life tanks. As we have mentioned above, hobbyists are more interested in the details and features – the more realistic, the better. RC hobbyists are collectors.

Children, on the other hand, want something to play with. They just want to have fun. When buying an RC tank for a child, look at the manufacturer’s product description. Is the tank marketed for children?

Scale Options

Scale represents to what level the RC tank is a miniaturization of a real tank. Typically, bigger scale tanks are more expensive than smaller scale tanks. For instance, a 1/8 scale is bigger than 1/16.

On the other hand, some RC hobbyists prefer smaller scales because they enable easier maneuvering and give you more control when you are staging RC battles.

Popular scales are 1/16 and 1/24/

Metal vs Plastic

This is a point of debate in RC tank circles. Should you go for a metal tank or a plastic tank? Well, with metal, the main advantage is durability. However, metal tanks are costlier.

On the other hand, plastic tanks are quick and agile.

Three parameters to determine your choice: price, durability, agility.

Play Time and Charging Time

This is one of the most important considerations, the one that can really give you a strong case of buyer’s remorse if you make the wrong decision.

How long does the tank take to charge and how long can you play with it before the battery gives out.

As you can see from the reviews we have done here, some will take as long as 5 to 7 hours to charge while others take only 1 hour. Most will give you about 15 to minutes before the battery dies.

Remote-Control Range

The farther away it is, the harder it is to control the RC with the remote. When it is out of range, you can’t control it at all. How large is that range? It varies. As an example, one of the RC tanks reviewed here can be controlled from a distance of up to 100 feet and another from up to 164 feet.

Barrel Rotation

 Some barrels will rotate up to 300 degrees and others can do as much as 360, which is the full circle. The larger the rotation angle, the wider is the tank’s shooting range. A 360 degree angle means that the tank can shoot at “enemies” in every- direction.

Full-rotation tanks cost more because they have additional wiring. Unless you are purchasing the tank to stage battles with, you really don’t need a tank with a fully-rotating barrel.

Shooting Capability

There are tanks which have zero firing capacity. Some feature laser capability – shooting with laser. Some only produce a sound. The most fun ones will shoot airsoft BB pellets so as to give a more realistic simulation of artillery fire.

The one you prefer will depend on whether you are buying a tank for war games or not.

If you have really young kids, actual BBs could be a safety problem. If your kids are really young, it’s better to buy tanks that simulate firing capacity using sound or light.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are RC tanks dangerous?

No, RC tanks are not dangerous. They are fun toys like remote control truck for both children and adults. You should however keep the BBs out of your toddler’s reach to ensure there are no accidents.

Q: Is an RC tank able to handle any terrain?

It depends on the particular model; how much power its engine has. There are models which can only handle smooth surfaces. There are others that can do tiles and carpets and soil. Some can even do a climb – for instance, one of the tanks we have reviewed is able to do a climb on a terrain slanted up to an angle of 30 degrees.

Final Verdict

Though some of these tanks are marketed for children, in the real sense they are suitable for people of all ages. We all enjoy seeing a well-detailed battle tank moving around and firing a cannon.

Furthermore, everyone enjoys operating a machine with remote control. RC is a whole culture – if you didn’t know that, you are welcome!

Having read that, you can now identify the tank you want. Go through the list again and pick what you consider the best RC tank. Buy that.