In our opinion, there is no greater gift that you can bestow to your child or any youth for that matter, than a love of the outdoors. In our technology riddled society, it is not only good for a child but necessary for their development to connect with nature.
But how exactly do you compete to get their attention away from their technology habits? How can you help them to appreciate spending time in the outdoors, getting exercise, and making memories with friends and family?
Simple: you need to make these real experiences as interesting and fun as their technology. A great way to do that is to try archery. If you provide them with the best youth bow, you can define safety rules and procedures, and allow them to take aim at a target; their technology will be far from their mind.
In this article, we’ll help you select the bow that best fits your needs. We have found the ten best you bows on the market and offer an in-depth review of our top three picks.
Top 10 Youth Bows Comparison Chart
| Picture | Name | Draw Weight | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Barnett Outdoors Lil Banshee Jr. Compound Youth Archery Set | 18 lbs. | $ | 4.5 |
 | 2. Bear Archery Titan Bow | 20 lbs. – 29 lbs. | $$ | 4.5 |
 | 3. Bear Archery 1st Shot Bow Set | 8 lbs. – 12 lbs. | $ | 4.5 |
 | 4. Bear Archery Scout Bow Set | 8 lbs. – 13 lbs. | $$ | 4.3 |
 | 5. Barnett Lil' Sioux Archery Set Yellow 1071 | 15 lbs. | $ | 4.3 |
 | 6. Crosman Elkhorn Jr. Compound Bow | Up to 15 lbs. | $$ | 4.3 |
 | 7. Barnett Vortex 45-Pounds Youth Archery Bow (Camo) | 19 lbs. – 45 lbs. | $$$$ | 4.2 |
 | 8. Barnett Outdoors Team Realtree Banshee Quad Junior Compound Bow Archery Set | 25 lbs. | $$ | 4.2 |
 | 9. Bear Archery Brave Bow Set | 15 lbs. – 25 lbs. | $$$ | 4.1 |
 | 10. SA Sports Youth Majestic Recurve Compound Bow Set | 20 lbs. | $$$ | 4.0 |
Buying Information
So what should you look for to find the best youth bow? There are several factors that you need to keep in mind.
- Draw Weight. If you are just getting you child interested in archery, you want to make sure that you select a bow that will not be difficult for them to use. Therefore, try to stay towards lower draw weights for beginners, and only move up when they are physically ready for the challenge.
- Compound or Recurve? Again, you are trying to make this as fun and easy as possible. A compound bow offers much less resistance in pull than a recurve bow while offering just as much arrow velocity. Both types of bows can be outfitted for sights, which would make successfully striking the target that much simpler.
- Is the Bow Ambidextrous? You should always look for a bow that fits your child’s handedness. The best option, however, is a bow that can be used by either a right or left-handed child. That way multiple children and their friends will be able to use it accurately.
- Draw Length. If you select a bow with a draw length that is too long for your child, they will not be able to shoot their arrows with enough velocity or accuracy to strike their target.
Conversely, if you pick a bow that has too short of a draw length, your youth will have arm cramps from an uncomfortable shooting position in no time.
To find your child’s draw span, measure their outstretched arms from fingertip to fingertip. Take this measurement and divide it by 2.5 and you’ll have a ballpark figure for their draw length.
Top 3 Best Youth Bow Reviews
1. Barnett Lil Banshee Jr. Archery Set
Of all the bows that we looked at this is the one we feel is the best youth bow on the market. It is a compound bow, meaning that it has pulleys to reduce draw weight and aiming fatigue; this is a wonderful feature to have in a youth bow.
The draw weight of the bow is 18 lbs. Without the pulleys that a compound bow uses, this draw weight would be doubled. A bow with that kind of resistance is going to be able to shoot arrows with good velocity, so make sure that you have backstops in place when shooting.
It is also ambidextrous, meaning it can be utilized by either right or left handed archers; this is a great value feature since it allows the bow to be used by more than one person and doesn’t leave anyone out of the fun.
Summary. A fun easy to use bow, the Lil Banshee can be shot by both right and left handed archers. Since it is a compound bow, the draw weight is greatly reduced without giving up velocity or accuracy.
2. Bear Archery Titan Bow
Of our top three youth bows, this bow would be for the most advanced archers. It has a higher draw weight of our top three and thus would need an older child to be able to use it properly. The draw weight also makes it the most powerful bow, shooting at higher velocities than our other top picks.
This higher velocity makes it great for a multitude of activities, including target shooting and small game hunting. The ambidextrous handle is great for all archers, as it allows you to shoot either right or left handed.
The only downside of for the Titan is its heavier draw weight. For beginning archers, this may make the work too difficult for them to be able to truly enjoy the sport.
Summary. The Titan is a great bow for advanced youth archers. It offers a higher draw weight, which will allow for higher velocity shots; this makes it perfect for target shooting or small game hunting.
3. Bear Archery 1st Shot Bow Set
This bow is really easy to use and would be great for a younger child, like five-eight years old. The reason that this bow would be perfect for a child so young is that it has an extremely light draw weight. A younger child wouldn’t have too much of an issue drawing and firing the bow with accuracy.
The bow also offers the option to shoot it right or left handed. As we have previously discussed, this opens it up to all kids, instead of excluding some of them. Another reason that this is so helpful on this particular model is because of the age of the child that is using it. Some kids that young do not know which hand they prefer to use. The ambidextrous nature of the bow allows them to feel out which side is best for them.
While the draw weight will make this bow safe and easily accessible for younger archers, it will not be useful for any activity beyond target shooting. If you would like to take your youngster out hunting with it, this is not the bow for you.
Summary. A small, easily drawn bow, the Bear 1st Shot is great for introducing young children to archery. It would not, however, be of much use for anything beyond target shooting.
