9 Best Toy Car Parks From Wood To Electronic
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There are so many different types of garages that it is difficult to decide.
That's why I put them to the test and put together this list of the best toy garages so you can see which one is right for your kid!
With this garage of Hape was played the longest. My son absolutely loves it, especially with an extra car or two. But the elevator is what makes it a great garage and greatly increases its replayability.
But all these garages are fun and colorful with great replayability. And all for a reasonable price too!
Whichever model you choose for your child, it's a great investment, with a 'wow' factor that will keep you playing for many months to come.
Let's take a quick look at them first, then I'll dive deeper into each of these choices:
Overall best toy parking garage
The gas station at the bottom is a nice addition for some pretend play. The hoses can go into the cars.
Best toy garage with light and sound
Pushing elevations onto the road some pins under the car so that he has a sentence that belongs to that spot on the garagesuch as the car wash.
Best toy garage for toddler
This set is made for the little ones who are going to start with a marble run and with the cheerful colors and the racing theme you can't miss it.
Most versatile car garage
It is really very big so you have to have the space, but the nice thing is that it can also be combined with extra Hot Wheels tracks to be part of it.
Best wooden toy garage
But what makes this one especially nice are the doors with locks that you can open. This gives it an extra element of play that none of the other garages have.
Best toy garage with car wash
Nice disassembly/rebuild aspect – and our testers had a lot of fun swapping out the wheels on the car too.
Best toy garage for preschoolers
There's a lot to do, but compact – a real plus, if you're short on space. And of course a surefire winner for any kid who loves Cars.
Best garage with a steep slope
A wooden garage with two huge steep ramps to each platform and the mega ramp straight down.
Best toy parking garage for toddlers
The brightly colored sliding doors are there to close off the parking garage. Your little one must be curious to see what's behind the garage doors.
I used the top 2 in this video, or read on for buying tips and an in-depth description of each of these 11 best garages:
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Buy at Bol.comWhat we discuss in this comprehensive post:
What should you pay attention to when buying a toy garage
There are a few different options for choosing a playset. This is what you should consider.
Age of your child
Age is an important factor. Younger children may not be ready for extensive play garage sets and instead need something that suits their cognitive and fine motor skills.
Older children are ready for other more elaborate functions such as sounds or light.
How much do you want to spend?
Fortunately, you don't have to spend a fortune on your playset if you don't want to. There are many affordable options for playsets.
They have good materials and features suitable for different ages.
Material of the garage
Wooden toys is excellent for low fi options, while plastic is lightweight and durable.
Whether you want sounds or not, you want something that is easy to clean and non-toxic to play with.
What's Included?
Simple accessories are all your kids need, but you can get some really good sets to play with.
Some are interactive and offer light and sound, while others are simple, imaginative options.
Pay particular attention to how many cars are included, because that is a common mistake to buy a set that you will probably have to get a lot of cars later on.
Best 9 toy garages reviewed
Hape E3002 Park And Go With Lift
- Sturdy wooden garage
- Good price
- Lift included
- Colors are not very attractive
Age: 3 years +
The first on the list is Hape's toy garage with elevator. I think this is a nice garage and the nicest elevator because it is a pulley elevator.
Furthermore, it is nice and high and both floors are equipped with a spiral slope, making it fun to drive down with one of the 2 included cars. A helicopter is also included.
The gas station at the bottom is a nice addition for some pretend play. The hoses can go into the cars.
What it is: a medium (42 x 93 x 43 centimeters), solid wood, 3-tier garage with road markings, a pulley lift, two spiral ramps, 3 cars and a ramp with a lever. Requires assembly with screwdriver (including instructions).
Why I like him: this is a good price for a sturdy wooden garage that is fairly easy to assemble (the instructions are good and clear).
Some reviews do state that the lift is a bit stiff and the ramp is a bit steep, but they all thought it was fun to play with.
VTech Toot-Toot Car Garage
- The car makes noise at different points on the track
- The garage also makes noise itself
- Nice car wash
- More fun when you have more Toet Toet Cars track pieces and cars
Age: 12 months +
The Vtech Toet Toet car garage is what we chose for our son. We already had a loose toot toot car got, I'm guessing at birth or when he turned 1 maybe.
And he already played quite well with the car. If you press on the front, it makes a noise and of course he could drive around with it.
But what makes the cars really nice is that they have pins on the bottom that make it possible to say different sentences.
That is why it was time to give the garage a try, because it also has elevations and when the car drives over it, the pins on the bottom are pressed in a certain way.
Because some pins are pressed and others are not, the car says a certain sentence that belongs to that place on the garage:
- like parking,
- going to wash in the car wash
- ride the elevator to go up and down
- Stand on the repair platform ready for maintenance
Those kind of things.
The garage itself can also make noise by pushing the buttons and there is one tow truck that triggers songs, phrases and fun sound effects when it crosses one of the garage's 9 SmartPoints.
The only sad thing about it was that the car that comes with it is one of the least suitable for the garage because it is a bit high and does not slide off the garage slide so well, while the car we already had is much better off to drive.
Anyway, this is only a minor detail and immediately fixed if you buy several cars for it.
Why I like him: a well-priced, easy-to-assemble garage that is solidly set up for children under 3 and offers a lot for the money.
The buttons to press are nice and sturdy, and the sound effects are great, entertaining and educational, but not too overwhelming and fortunately it also has two volume levels.
Top Bright Racetrack
- Very very sturdy
- Nice first introduction to marble tracks and self-rolling cars
- You can't put anything together, but it's also for your toddler
- Cars often get stuck
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From: 1 years
-
Best: 2 – 3 years
-
Up to: 4 years
- Material: Wood, MDF
- Theme: Vehicles, Car
- Play Mode: Solo
- Price at time of writing: €19,99 – $19,99
- Durability: None
- Production: Manufacturing
- Storage: Normal
- Safety parts: Rounded corners
- Playtime: Short (<10 min)
- Gender inclusiveness: Gender neutral
Top Bright won't award for design, but it is a very functional and well-priced car ramp that children from 1 year old can enjoy. The ease of use could have been a bit higher because the cars often get stuck in the track, which can lead to the necessary frustration.
It also doesn't really appeal to the imagination and won't encourage a whole lot of social interaction.
But you shouldn't judge this toy on its play value alone. Thanks to the small wooden cars, it is also versatile, easy to combine and the construction is well put together. All of these things add up to tremendous replayability.
You don't need much for your toddler yet. A row of cars whizzing off a race track is actually enough. They can't yet think of a game where the cars have to go through the car wash, or where they have to be parked neatly.
And as soon as they get older, the supplied cars are a nice small size to participate in many fantasy games.
At least that was the case with us. Also, the racetrack often joined other pretend play and was often at the start of other road sections we had.
Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage
Age: 3 +
The most versatile car garage is this one from Hot Wheels.
It is really very big so you have to have the space, but the nice thing is that it can also be combined with extra Hot Wheels tracks to be part of it.
The garage has space for 23 cars and comes with 4 cars and an airplane, but while there is room for many more cars you will get the set with just a few and may seem a bit empty at first.
A lot of people indicated that this is not much of a problem because if your child wants a garage, it probably means that they already have a fair number of cars!
There is a motorized elevator and the gorilla tries to grab the cars which also makes it more of a game than just a garage.
That's what makes it so versatile with great replayability.
It is suitable from 3 years, but I would recommend it for slightly older children.
What it is: a 76,2 x 14,6 x 61 cm metal garage (it's LARGE) - it can be added to other Hot Wheels tracks.
Why I like himMost of the fun with this garage is how big it is. Yes, it is really huge.
Great for fun play IF you have the space.
Janod Bolid Key Box
- Lockable doors provide an extra play element
- Sturdy wooden construction
- Cheerful light colors
- Theme maybe a bit simple for children from toddler
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From: 2 years
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Best: 2 – 4 years
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Up to: 4 years
- Material: Wood, MDF
- Theme: Vehicles, Car
- Play Mode: Cooperative
- Price at time of writing: €59 – $84,99
- Sustainability: Sustainable production
- Production: Manufacturing
- Storage: Tricky
- Safety components: Non-toxic materials
- Playing Time: Longer (10 – 30 min)
- Gender inclusiveness: Gender neutral
It's really robust and sturdy, with ramps wide enough for larger cars. This makes it easy to combine with more toy cars and other fantasy materials. It is also very versatile due to a multi-functional design with keys.
The design has been kept simple and therefore the appearance has remained very calm. This simple design also appeals to the imagination and helps open-ended play. The combination of simple design and the keys with doors makes the set suitable up to about 4 years old. After that, toddlers will get bored of it.
The toy score could have been slightly higher if the set could have appealed to a wider audience and perhaps used better quality wood. Now the price-quality ratio is on the low side. However, you will not find a set where the small cars also have rubber wheels. So they can also be used outside.
Also read about the best wooden toys for kids
Theo Klein Bosch Car Repair
- Only garage where the car can really be taken apart
- Nice car wash with garage
- No toy garage to park cars
Age: 3 +
What it is: not strictly a garage, this is a 41 cm x 31 cm x 13 cm petrol station, with a lifting platform and a car wash with movable brushes.
Comes with a car (with 4 spare wheels) and a screwdriver to take the whole thing apart and put it back in.
Why we love itWe really appreciate the dismantling / rebuilding aspect - and our testers also had a blast changing the wheels on the car.
Although that is a bit too difficult for the 3-year-olds, this is a great addition to the collection of slightly older children and a nice addition to one of the other parking garages in our selection.
Disney Cars Piston Cup Florida 500 Race Garage
- Disney Cars theme will appeal to preschoolers
- Cheap plastic
Age: 4 +
What it is: a garage measuring 30 cm x 10 cm x 33 cm with a theme from the popular Disney Cars movies. Features a wide ramp and a lift.
Comes with a Lightning McQueen character car.
Why we like it: There's a lot to do, but compact – a real plus, if you're short on space.
And of course a surefire winner for any child who loves Cars.
Kidkraft Mega Ramp Race Set
- Well built
- Steep slope rides really well
- Sturdy wood but also a lot of plastic
- Cars really go in all directions so be warned
Age: 3 +
What it is: a wooden garage with two huge steep ramps to each platform and the mega ramp straight down.
Comes with 3 vehicles, a helicopter and a helipad.
Why we love itFirst, you should know that this garage needs to be put together a bit before your kid can play with it - you'll want to give it half an hour.
But if you're ready - we think it's worth it. This garage is super sturdy (if built right) and absolutely stands the test of time.
If you like wooden toys this is also an added bonus.
Melissa & Doug Service station
- Nice sliding doors and barrier
- Including cars
- Not very educational outside of pretend play
Age: 3 years +
What it is: A garage theme (6cm x 14cm x 30cm). Comes with different colored cars from Melissa & Doug.
Why we love it: the sliding doors are really fun to play with. It's a basic garage if you want to keep it small, not too expensive, but still want quality.
For example, Melissa & Doug also features in our top construction toys.
Can't they wait to actually drive somewhere? View these toy kids cars out there nowadays
Frequently asked questions about toy garages
How do I take care of the garage?
Most playsets just need to be wiped with some water and the batteries replaced every now and then.
Check battery cases for corrosion and make sure you keep them free of dust and dirt.
Also, make sure your child is not standing or leaning on the playsets as they could break.
I know that my son wants to do that with his Toet Toet garage, so something to watch out for.
Are toy garages expensive?
Fortunately, you have a large budget to choose from. Elaborate sets will cost more, as will some non-toxic wooden sets.
A well-made garage kit can withstand quite a bit of enthusiasm without breaking, but make sure to pay attention and monitor what your child is doing with it.
Some cheap sets can end up being expensive when they break quickly, and that's a shame.
Do I have to buy accessories with it?
Most sets come with a few starter accessories, so your child can get started right away.
For full capabilities, you may eventually want to add some to the set so your child can expand and keep things interesting.
Make sure in advance, for example, that the accessories are not too expensive, or that you can easily use other types of cars with them.
All those cars and a parking garage can be quite a mess, but they might also want to help you with one of them these top rated toy vacuum cleaners
Always something to do for the holidays or rainy day?
Play Choice now has the ultimate activity book collection, with over 60 pages of fun coloring pages and educational puzzles.
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.
