If you’re looking to introduce your kids to the world of archery, getting the right bow is the first step that you need to do. Although there are other types of bow like compound bow, for first-timer young archers, recurve bow is simply the best.
Recurve bows will let your kid develop the strength and skill needed to move to adult bows later on. To help parents have a better buying experience, I found the best youth recurve bows in 2024
Our Picks for The Best Youth Recurve Bows
- SAS Spirit Jr 54″ Beginner Youth Wooden Archery Bow – Top Pick
- Bear Archery Wizard – Best for 5 to 10-Year-Olds
- Bear Archery Titan Bow – Best for 12 Years Old and Up
- TopArchery Youth Bow and Arrow Set – Best Takedown Recurve Bow for Youth
- Bear Archery Firebird Youth Bow – Best for Hunting
1. SAS Spirit Jr 54″ Beginner Youth Wooden Archery Bow
If you’re looking for a high-quality youth bow, the SAS Spirit Jr 54″ Beginner Youth Wooden Archery Bow is my top choice. This bow is made from quality lamination wood and strong fiberglass, ensuring both flexibility and durability. With a recommended shooter height of up to 5’4″, it is perfect for beginners.
The bow comes with pre-installed brass bushings for stabilizer, bow sight, and more, which makes it easy to customize and upgrade as you progress in your archery skills. Additionally, the bow comes with a 3-year warranty, which is the best in the industry (string excluded), giving you peace of mind and assurance that your investment is protected.
The riser is crafted from chuglam, gmelina arborea, and beech wood, giving the bow a unique and aesthetically pleasing pale yellow to cream colored look. The bow is available for both right and left-handed shooters, making it versatile for a variety of archers.
One downside of the SAS Spirit Jr 54″ Beginner Youth Wooden Archery Bow is that it does not come with a nock point on the bowstring. This means that the user will have to level and crimp the nock point on their own, which may require the assistance of a professional or an experienced archer.
Pros:
- Made from quality lamination wood and strong fiberglass, providing both flexibility and durability.
- Recommended shooter height of up to 5’4″, perfect for beginners.
- Comes with pre-installed brass bushings for easy customization and upgrading as skills progress.
- 3-year warranty (string excluded), providing peace of mind and investment protection.
- Riser crafted from chuglam, gmelina arborea, and beech wood, giving the bow a unique and aesthetically pleasing look.
- Available for both right and left-handed shooters, making it versatile for a variety of archers.
Cons:
- Does not come with a nock point on the bowstring, requiring the user to level and crimp the nock point on their own, which may require the assistance of a professional or an experienced archer.
2. Bear Archery Wizard
The Bear Archery Wizard is a great starter bow for children between the ages of five and ten. Just like the Bear Archery 1st Bow Set, this model also comes with everything your youth needs to fire their first bow.
The bow is not too tough to pull and is ambidextrous, so it can be used by either left- or right-handed archers. Some parents say it is too easy to pull back. While other kids may have to work out a bit before they have the strength to pull it back, but it should come with practice.
Its length is 44 inches with a 17- to 24-inch draw length and 10 to 18 lbs draw weight. The bow is solid and certainly worth the price; however, the accessories included such as arm guard and arrow rest are mostly useless, and you will eventually toss them.
Pros:
- Great starter bow for children between the ages of five and ten.
- Comes with everything the youth needs to fire their first bow.
- Ambidextrous, can be used by both left- and right-handed archers.
- Length is 44 inches with a 17- to 24-inch draw length and 10 to 18 lbs draw weight.
- Easy to pull for some children, making it perfect for young beginners.
Cons:
- Too easy to pull back for some children, which may not provide enough challenge.
- Accessories included, such as arm guard and arrow rest, are mostly useless and will eventually need to be replaced.
- Limited draw weight may not be suitable for older children or those with more advanced archery skills.
3. Bear Archery Titan Bow
The Bear Archery Titan Bow is a good inexpensive bow that boy scouts often use and makes an excellent starter bow until your 12-year-old kid is ready for a more powerful intermediate bow.
With a 20 to 30 lbs draw weight, this bow packs enough power. If you don’t want to risk the arrows putting holes in your fence, don’t use the paper target that comes with it as my son have put a couple of arrows through our fence. I suggest using a good foam backstop.
What surprised me was how well it spat out arrows. It was faster than I had expected. The grip is also quite comfortable to hold and designed to minimize hand fatigue so that your children can enjoy hours of fun shooting their Titan bow.
This bow’s main weak point is the string, which is a cheap, inexpensive polyester string that can break easily after a few shots. If you buy this, make sure to get a replacement string with it.
Pros:
- Good inexpensive bow, often used by boy scouts as a starter bow.
- Packs enough power with a 20 to 30 lbs draw weight.
- Comfortable grip designed to minimize hand fatigue.
- Surprisingly fast arrow speed, making it fun and enjoyable to use.
- Excellent starter bow until a child is ready for a more powerful intermediate bow.
Cons:
- The paper target that comes with the bow may not be strong enough and could potentially cause damage to a fence or other objects.
- The string is a cheap, inexpensive polyester string that can break easily after a few shots, so it is recommended to buy a replacement string.
- Limited draw weight may not be suitable for older children or those with more advanced archery skills.
- May not have all the features and customization options that more expensive bows have.
4. TopArchery Youth Bow and Arrow Set
The TopArchery Youth Bow Set is half-way between toy and adult bow. The limbs are takedown, so it is easy to store and can be taken on a road trip with ease.
Don’t worry, there’s nothing complicated about putting together or using this bow. Your children should be able to have it assembled out of the box within only a few short minutes.
With 15 to 20 lbs draw weight, this bow is light enough for kids, but strong enough to send an arrow a fair distance. As a comparison, I have a 30 lbs adult recurve bow, so this bow can clearly do some damage and not for unattended children to play with.
Pros:
- Takedown limbs make it easy to store and transport.
- Easy to assemble and use, making it perfect for children.
- Lightweight with a 15 to 20 lbs draw weight, making it easy for kids to handle.
- Strong enough to send an arrow a fair distance, providing an enjoyable and satisfying archery experience.
- A good choice for children who want a more serious bow than a toy bow.
Cons:
- May not have all the features and customization options that more expensive bows have.
- Limited draw weight may not be suitable for older children or those with more advanced archery skills.
- Not recommended for unattended children to play with due to its ability to do some damage.
5. Bear Archery Firebird Youth Bow
If you’re looking to teach your kids to hunt, The Bear Archery Firebird Youth Bow is powerful enough and accurate enough for small game hunting such as rabbits or small upland birds.
It features a 60-inch overall bow and length, an average draw weight of 30-35 pounds, and a draw length range of 22 to 28 inches. The draw weight is actually quite good for a bow of this price.
To show how confident the manufacturer is in their product, they offer a limited lifetime warranty on the risers and cams. Meanwhile, the limbs are covered for the first five years at no charge, and at 50% of replacement cost after that.
Pros:
- Powerful and accurate enough for small game hunting such as rabbits or small upland birds.
- 60-inch overall bow and length, providing a comfortable and secure grip.
- Average draw weight of 30-35 pounds, making it suitable for older children and young adults.
- Draw length range of 22 to 28 inches, accommodating a wide range of archer sizes.
- Limited lifetime warranty on the risers and cams, with limbs covered for the first five years at no charge, and 50% of replacement cost after that.
Cons:
- May be too powerful or advanced for younger or beginner archers.
- Does not come with accessories or pre-installed bushings, making it less customizable than some other bows.
- Some users report that the string and arrow rest need to be upgraded for better performance.
Best Recurve Bow for Youth Buying Guide
Draw Weight
It can be surprising how much you have to check when getting a bow for your child. For one thing, you don’t want to make the mistake of buying a bow with a draw weight that is too heavy or too light.
If the draw weight is too light, they won’t develop the strength required to use a stronger bow. On the other hand, if the draw weight is too heavy, they will struggle to fully draw the bow.
The quick and safest way to determine the correct draw length for children is to look at the manufacturer’s recommended age range.
It is true that some kids are stronger than others. Your kid may be strong enough to already handle a higher draw weight bow. Still, if this is your kid’s first bow, I would recommend sticking with the recommended age guidelines. For the first time archers, practicing a correct posture, stance, and technique is more important.
Draw Length
Draw length is another important point to look for. Incorrect draw length can cause all kinds of form or torque problems, which will result in poor accuracy and, over a long time, can damage the bow.
Fortunately, determining the correct draw length for kids is much easier than for adults. Just follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, and you’ll be fine.
Bow Weight
The total weight of the bow will influence how steady your kid can hold it. If the bow is too heavy, your kids will experience fatigue faster. If your son or daughter can hold the bow steady for at least 10 to 15 seconds at zero draw, then that bow will be the right weight for them.
Generally speaking, a 3 to 8-year-old should be able to handle a 1.3-2 pound recurve bow. While kids who are older than 8-year-old can usually manage a 2.3-3 pound recurve.
Bear in mind that this is just a general rule. If your son or daughter is above average size for their age, they surely would be able to wield a heavier bow than the usual.
Design and Color
To keep your child motivated to learn archery, you may also want to consider picking a bow that has an attractive design and color that appeal to them.
Accessories
To be honest, all the extras that come with every youth bow is actually quite useless. So don’t expect too much from them. Fortunately, youth bow accessories are not expensive. You can find good arrows or strings for youth bows at a fair price at Amazon or other online retailers.
Conclusion
You can’t go wrong with any of the above-discussed youth recurve bows; it all depends on your kid’s age, weight, and size. Remember to check the suggested age listed in the buying guide above to make sure.
When it comes to youth recurve bow, I found that the Bear Archery is the best. With over 50 years of experience, they clearly know how to make a bow. That’s the reason why most of my picks are from them.
Some youth bows, such as the Bear Archery Firebird, pack a hell of a punch despite being rated as a youth bow so you should always supervise your kids when they are shooting their bows to avoid possible injury.
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