Best Inflatable Water Slides

During the long summer vacation, bored kids can be a recipe for disaster. A child is naturally full of energy and is always looking for something to keep them occupied. An inflatable water slide is something that will both give them a way of getting out all that pent-up energy while letting them cooling off as well. You can get water slides that can accommodate anywhere from 3-6 children. It will also give your child an opportunity to have some fun with their friends as well!

There is quite a bit of variation among water slides. Besides the slide, they’ll also have a climbing wall, and perhaps a ball pit and basketball hoop. Some can be used without any water as well--and can even be inflated indoors, if you have enough space. They can be set up in a matter of minutes--and when you’re finished, they collapse down to a size that can fit in an average size box, to store away for the winter. You just have to hook it up to the blower and hook up the water slide’s hose to your garden hose.

Let’s look at some features that we see on inflatable water slides:

• Climbing wall: These will have places for your child’s hands and feet to climb up the slide.

Climbing wall on the H2OGO! Mount Splashmore Water Slide

• Water slide: You’ll see water slides of various heights. The Action Air Shark Bounce Water Slide has an 8’ high slide.

Action Air Shark Bounce Water Slide

• Water gun: Some models include a water gun that emits water towards the kids going down the slide:

Water Gun on the H2OGO! Mount Splashmore Water Slide

Some will also have additional features, like a ball pit and jumping area.

• Suitable for indoors and outdoors: Many of these inflatable water slides can be used inside as well. They still offer fun things for your kids, even if you just don’t fill them up with water. An example is the Action Air Inflatable Water Slide. It includes an extra-thick jumping area, a slide, and a climbing wall Others, like the Bounceland Inflatable Bounce House and Water Slide, include a multi-colored ball pit, where your children can jump and play-wrestle with each other!

Action Air Inflatable Water Slide

• Mesh safety walls: Some water slides will have mesh safety walls to prevent your child from falling when they ascend the climbing ladder. That’s a feature in the Bestway Hurricane Tunnel Blast Mega Water Park.

Mesh safety walls to prevent falling

• Cushioning: Ensure that your child will land softly. The Bountech Inflatable Water Slide has a cushioned landing pad at the base of the climbing wall, so that they won’t fall hard if they should happen to slip.

Cushion at the base of the Bountech Inflatable Water Slide

• Blower: The inflatable water slide has to have a blower that is keeping it constantly inflated. For safety, make sure that it has GFCI (= ground fault circuit interrupter) protection--this will ensure that the power shuts off immediately if there is any risk of a short circuit and electric shock. Take note that not all models come with a blower, so you may have to buy it separately.

• Air circulation: The blower has to be on all the time to keep the slide inflated. You may see streams of air bubbles in the water as the blower is running. This is not because of a defect in the pool, but because there are pinholes in the seams of the inflatable pool that release air. So the pump has to be replacing the air all the time.

• Recommended ages and weight limit: Take note of the recommended ages and the weight limit of the water slide. We saw that most are geared for children from 5-10 years of age. Typically, they’ll allow a child of up to 100 lbs. The total weight allowed can vary from 200-600 pounds. One of the sturdiest and largest is the Bestway H2OGO! Mount Spashmore, with a large pool, slide, and water gun.

Bestway H2OGO! Mount Spashmore

• Ground stakes: There are ground stakes that you use to position the water slide, so that it won’t move from all of the kids bouncing around inside.

• The Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer measures 161.00''L x 169.00''W x 103.00''H and weighs 50 pounds. It can accommodate 4 children from ages 5-10, with a weight limit of 350 pounds. It includes a climbing wall, two slides, and a splash pool. The slide has two spray hoods that keep the surface slippery, and a dump bucket that lets you pour water as your children go up the climbing wall. It has double-stitched seams to resist tearing.

Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer

• The Bestway Hurricane Tunnel Blast Inflatable Water Park Play Center includes a water slide, a water blob to ensure a soft landing, a climbing wall, and a pool area. When inflated, it measures 163” x 124” x 100”, and can accommodate up to 7 children at a time, and hold up to 425 pounds. It has mesh safety walls, to ensure that no one suffers a nasty fall. There is also a storage area where the kids can keep their shoes without getting them wet.

Bestway Hurricane Tunnel Blast Inflatable Water Park Play Center

• The Bountech inflatable Water Slide can hold up to 4 children with a combined weight of 265 pounds. It inflates quickly in just a few minutes, and collapses down small enough that you can carry it around in a knapsack. It even includes a water cannon and basketball rim! It requires a 750 Watt blower to inflate it--it’s not included with the water slide.

Bountech inflatable Water Slide

• The Bounceland Jump and Splash Adventure Bounce House and Water Slide includes a pool, a bouncing area with a basketball hoop, and a long slide with a climbing wall. It comes with a blower with GFCI protection, to keep the water slide inflated. It can support up to three children, with no child weighing more than 100 pounds, and 300 pounds total. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

Bounceland Jump and Splash Adventure Bounce House and Water Slide

• The Bounceland Inflatable Bounce House and Water Slide is suitable for both indoors and outdoors fun. It includes a ball pit, a bouncing area with a basketball hoop, a water gun, a sunroof, and an 8.5-foot-long slide with a climbing wall. It can support up to 400 lbs and 4 children, ages ranging from 3-10.

Bounceland Inflatable Bounce House and Water Slide