Best Youth Compound Bows for the Kids [2022]

If you are in search of the best youth compound bows, it means that you have a child who is interested in archery. This is great as it means there is a chance that they will develop a lifelong love spending time outdoors and all of the sports that come along with that. Choosing a compound bow for your youth is going to be a very important decision that you will need to make.

When you are able to find a good youth compound bow that they are easily able to have fun with and shoot, there is a much higher chance that they will continue to be interested in archery for many years. You may even find that they enjoy going bowhunting with you once they have gotten more comfortable with their bow.

For this reason, this guide will help you discover how to find not only the best compound bow for kids, but the best youth compound bow for YOUR kids!

What Age is a Good Age to Start?

While you may feel that your youth is able to start practicing shooting with a youth compound bow as soon as they are able to hold one, you would be mistaken. According to the USA Archery organization, they actually don’t recommend you get your youth started with archery until they are 8 years old at the very earliest. The reason behind this is that most children will have the strength required in order to safely handle a compound bow for beginners. On top of that, they will also have the maturity to pay attention and better follow instructions.

Keeping that in mind, every youth is different and will develop at a different rate. So you could technically have a child who is younger than 8, but still has the maturity, strength and interest to get started with archery and compound bows. Essentially, while the recommended age to get started with a compound bow for kids is 8 years old, it is not a rule that is set in stone and should be used as more of a guideline.

How to Choose the Right Youth Compound Bow

When it comes to finding the right youth compound bow for your child, there are basically five main factors that you will need to consider. These five factors are:

1. Size and age of your child
2. The draw weight of the compound bow they will be using
3. The draw length of the compound bow they will be using
4. Total weight of the compound bow they will be using
5. The type of bow package they require

Here is a rundown of each of these factors and how to apply them to find your child the right youth compound bows possible.

Your Child’s Size and Age

When it comes to your child’s compound bow, it is not going to be manufactured with any considerations to the growth patterns or different ages of your children. This means that there is basically no ‘one size fits all’ in terms of a youth compound bow. What this means, is that you will need to pay a little more attention to the recommendations made by the manufacturers for size and age. Most archery product manufacturers do their best to design compound bows that will be suitable for children, but they are not always necessarily successful.

You are also going to want to make sure the bow you do decide on is able to adapt to your child and not the other way around. This means you will need to make sure the compound bow you end up getting fits your child. If it doesn’t, there is a good chance they will develop poor archery habits whenever they are using the bow. If you notice that your youth is having to adapt to their compound bow, it means that you should start looking into upgrading them to a larger one.

Draw Weight of Your Youth’s Compound Bow

The draw weight that the bow your child is using is going to be a very important factor that you will need to pay attention to. If you have a smaller child, you must make sure that they are using a compound bow with a draw weight they are able to manage but will also challenge them. The right draw weight will help them evolve their archery skills and progress them to the next level of compound bows with higher draw weights. 

Here are some of the basic draw weight recommendations that you should be following with your youth:

Youths with smaller frames

This is generally between the ages of 3-8, having a bodyweight of between 55-70 pounds should use a draw weight between 6-10 pounds.

Youths with an average sized frame

You'll be looking at the ages between 4-9 and a bodyweight of between 70-100 pounds should use a draw weight between 10-29 pounds.

Youths who are considered to have larger than normal frames

This is generally between the ages of 9-18 and a bodyweight of between 100-130 pounds should use a draw weight between 15-52 pounds.

Again, these are just guidelines that you can follow instead of ‘rules’, as the ages and weights mentioned above are subjective, you will need to make sure that your child’s compound bow has a draw weight that has been balanced with the draw length.

The Draw Length of Your Youth’s Compound Bow

In terms of draw length, most of the youth compound bows that your children will use are going to have a draw length that is between 14-25". This draw length should work great with most children between the ages of 3-10 years old. Now keep in mind that the bow’s draw length is similar to that of its draw weight, meaning that it also has no standard. So you will need to make sure and balance the draw weight and draw length with the size of your youth. 

A simple draw length guideline that you can follow for your child initially is:

However, if you have a child that is considered to be large for their age, you may want to think about using a bow that is 15-30". This is even more true if you have a child between 9-19 years old. These compound bows are going to be longer and have a larger draw length, allowing your taller children the opportunity to better develop the good shooting habits that they will need to improve their archery skills. On top of that, the larger sized bows will also fit your youth better as they continue to grow and increase their draw length and weight.

Total Weight of the Bow

If you have ever held a compound bow before, you already know how much of a workout it can become. The same is true when it comes to youth compound bows as well. Even the best ones will eventually become heavy. Now factor in that children typically start to experience fatigue much quicker than adults and the total weight of your child’s compound bow will make a difference. It is for this reason the total weight of their compound bow is considered prior to actually purchasing that particular compound bow.

As with all of the other dynamics of a youth compound bow, a general guideline for the total weight of your child’s compound bow is:

• A child is between 3-8 years old and is average size for their age, they will typically be able to handle a compound bow between 1.3-2 pounds in total weight.
• Children between the ages of 4-10 who are considered to be above average in size should be able to handle a bow between 2.3-2.8 pounds in total weight. 

Again, while the guidelines above are subjective, you must realize that any child that is younger than 4 years old will struggle severely with a compound bow if it is over 2 pounds. On the other hand, a 10-year-old will have no problem quickly outgrowing their bow that only weighs 2 pounds. Ultimately, when it comes to deciding on the right compound bow for your child, you must factor in their age, height, and strength level.

A Package Deal

What makes a youth bow set so much better than an ‘adult’ bow set is the fact that most beginner bow sets will come as a package deal. This means that you can expect all of the standard equipment that your child needs in order to learn archery and shoot properly will all be included. Most packages will specialize according to the purpose of taking up archery, so this means you will need to have an idea of why they are starting with archery in the first place.

• Will they be small game hunting?
• Will they be deer or big game hunting?
• Are they only going to be doing target practice?
• Will they be doing archery competitions eventually?

These are all different questions that will eventually need to be answered, the sooner they are the better. This is because each of the packages will have the archery gear tailored to that particular style of archery. The main differences coming in the type of arrows that are included with the archery kit. Most bowhunting kits will either include broadheads or even a variety of different arrow points. A regular archery kit will typically contain only bullet point arrows.

Once you do have an idea of why your youth wants to start archery with compound bows, make sure that you get a package tailored for that goal.

Other Factors to Consider

While the five main factors mentioned above are normally considered to be the most important for starting archery with your youth, there are a couple of other things that you should consider before trying to find the right bow for them.

Brace Height

The brace height is the measurement between the deepest part of your bow's grip (which should be near your throat) and the bowstring while you have your arrow at rest.

A Left Handed or Right Handed Bow?

This is a very important decision that will need to be made at an early age. In order to develop the best archery skills that they can, your child will need to choose if they want to shoot a right handed bow or a left handed bow. The main differences between a right handed and left handed bow are which hand holds the bow and which one is shooting the arrows.

If they decide to go with a left handed compound bow, they will hold the bow with their right hand and shoot with their left hand. If they decide to shoot with their right hand, they will hold the bow with their left hand and shoot with their right hand. Youth bows can be found in both left and right handed variations.

Extra Accessories

While a package is a great way to get your youth started with archery, there may be other accessories that you want to think about getting. While they are not necessarily required, they do have the potential to help your child learn shooting more quickly and easily. Some of the accessories to consider include:

Finger Tab

A finger tab is a piece of fabric (typically leather) that helps protect your fingers while you are shooting your bow. 

Arm Guard

An arm guard is a special sheath or strap that was designed to protect the inside surface of your arm when you shoot your bow.

Whisker Biscuit 

A whisker biscuit is not necessarily required but will help teach your child how to shoot their bow more quickly. A whisker biscuit works by holding the arrow in synthetic bristles that allow for some very accurate shooting. It is ideal for youth bow shooters.

Arrow Rest

An arrow rest is exactly what it sounds like and holds your arrow. Different than a whisker biscuit, an arrow rest will hold your arrow in the correct position until the youth bow is fired. An arrow rest is something that will help your child learn to shoot their compound bow better and the best ones will have some type of arrow rest built in.

Pin Sight

A pin sight is what your youth bow shooter will use to aim at their target. A pin sight should be included with the bow and will help teach your child how to aim their bow. 

The Top Compound Bows for Kids

Trying to find the compound bow that is right for your child can very easily become overwhelming. With all of the different draw weights, draw length, and accessories that you will need to choose from, finding the right youth bow can actually leave your head spinning.

Luckily all of the hard work has been done for you and finding the best youth compound bow is no longer going to be a pain in your behind.

Here are the top rated youth bows that should be at the top of your list when it comes to finding the best youth compound bow for your child.

1. Bear Archery Cruzer Lite

The Bear Archery Cruzer Lite is the perfect compound bow package for youths between the ages of 8-18. With a weight of 3.2 pounds, this youth bow is not ideal for any smaller sized bow shooters. Coming in both left and right handed options, the Bear Archery Cruzer Lite will appeal to a very wide range of young shooters. 

Ready to shoot straight out of the box, the Bear Archery Cruzer Lite has an adjustable draw weight that goes from 5 to 45 pounds, and a draw weight that ranges between 12-30”. Not to be taken lightly, this is one youth compound bow with power. At full power, this Bear Archery bow is able to shoot arrows up to 290 feet per second. Overall, this Bear Archery bow is a great way to introduce your child to the wonderful world of archery.

2. Barnett Vortex Lite

Ideal for the 10–13-year-old child, the Barnett Vortex Lite is a compound bow that provides a great intro to shooting. While not necessarily recommended for the more experienced youth bow shooter, the Barnett Vortex Lite is a high-quality bow that does not have many complicated add-ons. This is basically the ideal first bow that leaves your child some room to grow.

While this is a bow that works great for the beginner shooter, there is a limited amount of adjustable draw weight that maxes out at just 29 pounds. So if you are considering this bow for your child, just know that they will need to upgrade to a bow with a higher amount of adjustable draw weight once they hit those early teen years.

3. Diamond Infinite Edge

What makes the Diamond Infinite Edge the best youth target compound bow is the fact that it comes as a complete package. Ideal for left or right handed shooters, it comes with everything required to start shooting right out of the box. From the 3 pin sight, quiver, nock loop, stabilizer, or peep sight, it is all included with this package.

Adjustable to fit a variety of different heights and strengths, you can expect to experience a fast draw and clean release with every single shot. The draw weight can be varied between 5-70 pounds, while the draw length varies between 13-31”. With all of the included accessories and adjustable draw weight and draw length, this is an overall great bow for your shooter who is considered a beginner to mid-level.

4. Diamond Atomic Youth Compound Bow

If you are trying to get your child started with bow shooting, this is the perfect bow! Designed to make adjustments as quick and easy as possible, means that you can expect this bow to grow as your child does.   

With a draw weight that starts at only 6 pounds, this bow can be adjusted to a draw weight of up to 29 pounds. As if that weren’t enough, the draw length is also very easily adjustable. Now factor in that it has the ideal brace height and the entire bow only weighs 1.9 total pounds, and you have the perfect starter bow for your child. 

To sum the Diamond Atomic bow up, it essentially is a complete package that has everything your child will need to get started with shooting. The bow, the accessories, and even the arrows are all included, meaning that this bow is ready to shoot right out of the box. Definitely worth taking a look at if you are serious about your kids starting with a bow.

5. PSE RTS Mini Burner

This bow has been specifically designed with the young shooter in mind. While not necessarily ideal for the very young child, the PSE Mini is ideal for children between the ages of 8-12 years old. 

Some features that this bow has include an adjustable draw weight that ranges between 16-26.5", as well as a draw weight between 29-40 pounds. This all means that this bow is perfect for the smaller to mid-size shooter.

With features that some adult bow users will be jealous of, the Mini Burner comes as a complete package, meaning that it too can be used right out of the box. Sporting a brace height of 6” and a total weight of just 2.7 pounds, your child will love shooting with this bow no matter what hand they prefer to use.

Final Thoughts – Which Bow is Best?

When it comes to finding the best youth compound bows for your child, it can very quickly become an overwhelming task. With all the different bow options and accessories available, it can be hard to know which bow will best serve your child’s shooting needs. After our thorough research, the best compound bow that you can get your child started with is going to be the Diamond Atomic Bow. This bow will not only grow with your child as they grow in size and skill, but it also comes with all of the different accessories required to get your little shooter started as soon as possible. It is for this reason that the Diamond Atomic Bow is the recommended bow for getting your child shooter started!