10 Best Remote Control Boats for the Pool in 2022 (Force1, Yezi, and More)

The boat’s top speed might be the most important point. For example, if you plan to race your boat, you will need a fast option that goes 20 miles per hour or more. On the other hand, if you plan to buy it as a gift for a child, you may want to choose a slower speed, such as 10 miles per hour.

Higher-speed boats require more precision to control and will capsize easily. While the slower ones can't pick up as much speed, they can stop faster and are easier to control. Slower boats are good if you don’t have a private area to use them in since you don’t want to run into anyone or damage the boat.

The signal range lets you know how far away you can stand from the boat and still use it. Some boats will have a signal range of over 150 meters. You will need a higher range for racing or use on larger bodies of water.

Note that the signal will weaken as the boat gets farther away, so you will start to lose control of your boat when it goes too far. On the other hand, if you stick with pools or small lakes, you won't have to worry about the range as much.

Remember that many of the products will state the signal range in meters rather than feet. A meter is roughly 3.28 feet, so you can use that conversion to get a rough idea of its range.

Some remote control boats will include cooling systems to prevent the motor from overheating. These cooling systems use the water your boat glides on to cool down the motor. 

When motors overheat, they can damage the electronics around them and even the motor itself. If a motor overheats completely, it may shut off or begin to weaken, causing your boat to stop in the middle of the lake. Cooling systems matter since they can help the motor last longer, which is important if you plan to use your boat often.

However, if you only plan to use the boat every once in a while, you may not need to worry about a cooling system.

Some boats will use a wheel controller that consists of a hand grip, a trigger, and a wheel on the right side of it. You move the trigger forward to move the boat forward, and you pull the trigger back to put it in reverse. You turn the wheel counter-clockwise to turn the boat left and clockwise to turn it right.

This controller works well if you want to avoid bulky controllers and use a lightweight option. However, you may struggle with it at first since the wheel is on the side, so you have to think about how you turn it. However, the wheel provides a wider range of motion, so it's easier to make small adjustments.

As the name implies, a dual-stick controller has two joysticks on either side. You use the left stick to move the boat forward and backward and the right stick to turn the boat. This option is straightforward to use and understand since the directions correspond with the movement of the sticks.

However, this controller is noticeably larger and heavier than a wheel controller, making it more difficult to store and hold. On the other hand, it only requires you to use your thumbs to control it, while a wheel controller requires a finger and your entire hand.

Some dual-stick controllers will include LED or LCD screens. These screens display information about the boat’s condition, like the battery life, signal strength, trim, and other information. The trim refers to the boat's position on the water, such as the bottom being parallel with the water or the nose pointing upward. 

These screens only appear on dual-stick controllers since wheel controllers don't have enough space for them. You should get a controller with a screen if you want to see this information at a glance or if you plan on racing with your boat.

Due to its speed, size, and material, your boat will sometimes capsize when you take sharp turns. If your boat ends up in the middle of the water, you may struggle to retrieve it without getting in the water. A rotation feature key for these situations!

The rotation feature lets your boat spin 180 degrees, making it face upright again so that you can keep using it. You can find out if a boat has a rotation feature by checking its product page. Generally speaking, the only downside to a rotation feature is if you accidentally activate it while controlling your boat.

Since your remote control boat will spend its time on the water, you should look for bright colors that stand out, such as red, yellow, and neon colors. You will want to avoid blue, gray, and darker tones that may blend in with the water.

Bright colors matter even more if you plan to use the remote control boat during the evening. You will also want a bright-colored boat if you plan on using it with other boats.

If you plan to use your boat around other ones, you need to pick one with multiple channels. Since many remote-controlled boats use radio frequencies, you could end up intercepting other signals. This will lead to you either losing control of your boat or affecting someone else's boat.

Having a boat with multiple channels allows you to pick a separate frequency, lowering the risk of interference. This especially matters if you and your friends have the same brand of boat since you're more likely to interfere with each other.

While you can use remote control boats on most types of water, it doesn’t hurt to double-check this before you buy them. Most boats can be used in pools, lakes, and rivers. You can find out which types of water they can go in by checking the boat's product page.

Keep in mind that these boats aren’t designed for saltwater, so don’t take them to the ocean. Most of these boats are designed for calm water that doesn't get too many waves or disturbances, too.