Whether you’re buying an ATV for the first time, or you already own one, ATV accessories are extremely important to maintain any ATV and to ensure safety for the rider – especially if it is a young child.
This list goes through the ATV accessories that I recommend based on years of riding that are essential for ATV owners, or for parents that have bought an ATV for their children.
ATV Helmets
Wearing a helmet is an essential ATV accessory for any rider, especially a child. Always go for a helmet that has been DOT approved and is not used.
My personal preference for helmets are Fox Racing – they are excellent for safety, ventilation and look amazing.
I go into more detail on how to size a helmet, when to replace one and more in my article on Kids ATV Helmets Guide here.
ATV Goggles, Gloves & Armor
Like helmets, protective clothing and eyewear are all essential ATV accessories and are required for riding any ATV.
A good pair of goggles that are tough, don’t steam up and are well ventilated is needed if your child’s helmet (or yours) doesn’t have a visor. You don’t want mud, dirt, stones or worse flicking in your eyes when you’re riding at speed, traversing terrain or mid jump…
Gloves are needed for obvious reasons – to grip the handlebars, protect your digits and keep your hands warm and dry.
Armor is an optional depending on where you’re riding, however having tough protection on your kids upper body makes sure they’re less likely to have an injury of they fall off and hit the ground. Plus kids love the way it looks, like something out of a movie!
I go into loads of detail on which is the best Kids ATV Gear here.
ATV Cameras
Perhaps not an ‘essential’, but helmet cameras are great fun. Capturing the ride from yours or your kids perspective is excellent, giving a new way of collecting family memories using the latest technology, which isn’t expensive anymore.
There are a few cameras I recommend in my ATV Helmet Camera Guide here for different budgets, however overall I would go for the Yi 4K pictured here for a mid range option.
ATV Covers
I always recommend keeping your ATV in a garage, but if you can’t, you need an ATV cover.
If you don’t use one and leave your ATV or your kids ATV outside for weeks, then you’re subjecting it to the elements of the rain, cold, sun damage and heat.
A decent ATV cover like the Mad Dog on Amazon is waterproof and protects from UV. It also is elasticated at the bottom, so it grips the ATV and doesn’t blow off.
ATV Tire Repair Kit
As far as ATV Accessories go, this is a must have.
Despite how tough and durable ATV tires are, accidents do happen and you’ll need to know how to fix a puncture, unless you want to be buying new tires all the time.
Plus if you and your kids are out on a trail ride and someone gets a flat, you’re going to want to repair that on the go with a handy ATV tire repair kit.
If you want something for on the go, the small Tooluxe Repair Kit is compact and works for any tires. For something for the garage that has a load of extras, I’d recommend the Boulder Tools Kit.
ATV Tools
With anything mechanical, you’re going to need tools.
If you’ve already got socket sets, spanners, screwdrivers etc, then you’re good to go. If not and you’ve just bought a new ATV, then get down to your hardware store, because they are essential ATV accessories.
It’s handy to have an ATV toolkit on the trails too, just incase you need to do any adjustments or repairs to the vehicle. You can get compact tool kits that are about 9″ by 5″, perfect for a backpack or ATV box. The one I use isn’t available any more, but a good one is the Kolpin on Amazon.
ATV Oils, Chemicals & Lubricants
Like tools, you’re going to need the ‘liquids’ also. Oils, lubricants and other chemicals are essential for maintaining and ATV and making it run as it is supposed to.
An essential requirement is an oil change – Polaris have one here that does what you need.
As for these ATV Accessories, there are plenty to choose from and you should be able to get these in most online stores or your local gas station.
ATV Racks & Storage Box
This is really for adult ATVs – whilst kids ATVs can come with racks, it is not advisable for them to be carrying anything due to balance issues.
Racks on adult ATVs are usually ATV specific, so I’d advise you go to a local dealer to get these and not buy one online.
As for ATV Boxes, these are typically generic in terms of fittings and are designed to attach itself to the front or rear rack (or both) to transport equipment, gear, lunch, rifles or whatever you want to haul.
Black Boar do a good range on Amazon of various ATV Boxes and get great reviews.
ATV Loading Ramp
If you’re taking your kids ATV to a trail or track, you’re going to need to get it onto the back of your truck. I wouldn’t advise lifting it, even if you can pick it up. You’re either going to injury yourself or damage the ATV or your vehicle.
Instead, get a loading ramp. They are lightweight, durable and last a lifetime. The Yurtax ATV loading ramp is purposely designed for ATVs and is all you would need.
ATV Lights
I don’t advise any child to be riding in the dark, ever. Usually the lights on an ATV for kids is for other riders to see the vehicle, not for the rider to see where they are going. The lights on a kids ATV are good but not great to see all the terrain they are riding over.
If it is a case where you’re heading home or back to the truck and it is getting dark, some of the mounted lights are really good, such as the Blazer Spotlight. It’s cheap, powerful and you can clamp it onto anything.
ATV Cleaning
Keeping your kids ATV clean is necessary to stop it from being clogged up with mud, rusting and degrading.
Water will do a quick job for rinsing, but to keep the motor properly clean you’re going to need some cleaning gear.
Slick ATV Cleaning is made by people who ride ATVs. If you want a full cleaning guide on how to wash your or your kids ATV properly, then check out my article on Washing An ATV The Right Way here.
ATV Snow Plow
As far as ATV Accessories go, the snow plow is great for adult ATVs (they don’t make snowplows for kids ATVs, I’ve checked!).
If you live in a snowy State, clearing the driveway or a large backyard is easy with one of these. Also, if you’re wanting to clear a path or make a track for your kids ATV in the winter, then this is what you need.
Only thing you need to be aware of is that you need to make sure the mounting bracket is right for your ATV before you purchase one. I went for the Warn Plow Range on Amazon because it fits most ATVs and is a Front Mount (these lift higher than center mounts).
ATV Winches
Similar to the snow plow, this isn’t something you should mount on a child’s ATV, only a full size adult’s ATV.
Again, like the snow plow, whether or not you need this really does depend on where you are riding.
If you’re taking the family out riding their ATVs, or you’re with a large group of riders and the terrain is very muddy or boggy, someone with an ATV winch can help people get unstuck very easily.
One that I would recommend is the Champion 3000lbs. It’s powerful and great value – just make sure when you are pulling another ATV out of the mud, make sure you attach the hook to a solid part of the frame.
ATV Hitches
And finally, another gadget for the Adult ATV is the tow hitch.
If you’re doing a lot of yard work and have a trailer, then you’ll need a tow hitch to attach it to.
These things are relatively cheap – I found this one called the Black Boar on Amazon which is similar to the one I’ve got (they all do the same thing after all).