Imagine a summer heatwave, when all you want to do is to stay in a well-conditioned room and drink iced tea (maybe a Long Island one). But you also have kids, and there’s no way they’re staying inside. You’re starting to feel deflated because of the imminent risk of having to spend half the day in hellish weather. Fortunately, you can inflate your water slide and make this boiling-hot day a bit more pleasant.
During our research of more than 20 different products, we found what we believe to be the 6 best inflatable slides available for purchase. we first looked at the capacity for each slide, since this will tell you how many people can use it at once. We also looked at the recommended age for each slide, so that you can find the one that is right for your kiddos. After carefully examining each model, we firmly believe that the Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer is by far the best that you can buy, so it’s our Editor’s Choice.
More features: comes with stakes, a repair kit, and a storage bag; option with a blower available
If you are in the market for the best overall and durable inflatable slide for your kids and their friends, then this is the one you should check out. For starters, this model has plenty of things for everyone to play with. For instance, it has two different slides for kids to go down, which will let more people get more turns on the slide. This model also has a climbing wall, which leads to the slide, and is tons of fun to climb.
This slide also comes with its own wading pool as well, which is perfect for those hot summer days, encouraging your kids to play more instead of sitting under the pool umbrella. Finally, it even has a refillable bucket that can be dumped on anyone climbing up, which is sure to be a hit with your children.
Something else that really helps to set this slide apart is its much higher than average weight capacity. While many water slides can hold up to 100 pounds at a time, none of them can hold as much as this model. This slide can hold an astounding 350 pounds, which is more than enough for most family’s needs, even if you invite the whole neighborhood.
The only real issue with this otherwise wonderful water slide is that, as you might expect, tearing it down is a long process. You need to make sure that you allow it to dry before you deflate it, which could take most of a day completely. Once it is dry, deflating it isn’t too bad, but getting it back into the provided storage bag does take some practice to get it right.
More features: comes with a case, UL blower, and ground stakes
While you might be tempted to try and save a bit of money on your new slide by getting a model that is on the smaller side and doesn’t come with everything you need right off the bat, this might not be the best idea. Many smaller slides won’t provide enough space for your kids to really enjoy themselves. Besides, many of the pumps/blowers on the market aren’t quite as good as they could be.
For those reasons, it might be in your best interest to get a premium slide that comes with everything that you need and is large enough for a whole crew of kids to have a great time. That is exactly what you will get with this model. It is larger than most models and comes with everything you need to set it up correctly. In fact, not only does this slide come with the compatible blower, but it also comes with all of the necessary ground stakes to anchor it to the ground properly.
Not only that, but this slide also has a very high capacity. That makes it a great option for anyone that has more than one child that wants to go down the slide at the same time. This model also features a water cannon that hooks up with a separate hose. While hooked up, this cannon can be used to blast water at anyone coming down the slide.
It is good, however, that the water cannon doesn’t need to be hooked up for the slide to be operated. It tends to leak, even if you tighten it completely. Thankfully, there are two ways you can alleviate this problem. If you get some sealing tape, you can prevent the leaks, or you can simply turn the water off when the cannon is not being used to conserve water.
More features: comes with a carrying bag; climbing wall; dual slides; comes with a blower
One of the biggest issues with getting an inflatable slide for your kids is that they are going to have so much fun with the slide, it will be very difficult for them to take turns. This could lead to some arguments, which is definitely not what you want. Of course, you could head this problem off by getting a double slide like this model. That way, two kids can ride at once, which is twice the fun anyways.
Another big positive for this slide is that it has a very large age range. Even if you have a 3-year-old and an 8-year-old, they should both be able to play on this slide without too many issues. This is due to the fact that the climber is very simplistic. This will allow your younger kids to climb up to the top of the slide without any issue. Even though this climber is simplistic, it should still be tons of fun for your older kid. The slide is nice and steep, which means that they’ll pick up plenty of speed before they splashdown in the wading section.
As you would expect with a slide of this quality, this model comes with everything that you’ll need to set it up properly. This includes an easy to use blower that will help to keep the slide nice and inflated. It also comes with a carrying bag, which is really nice for keeping the slide organized when it is deflated. This carrying bag also helps to make moving the slide from place to place a lot easier, since it is on the larger side.
More features: puncture-resistant 420D Oxford cloth
If you are worried about your new slide getting a hole in it due to lots of use or from an accident, then you should try this model. It is made out of puncture-resistant Oxford cloth. This cloth will help to keep the slide from getting any unsightly gashes or holes, which, in turn, will help it to last a whole lot longer.
Something else that really makes this a unique model is the size of its slide. While all of these inflatable slides are tons of fun to go down, this one is much longer than average. This adds to the level of fun your children will get to experience and should make them want to keep climbing back to the top for more.
The only real issue with this slide is that it has a very small capacity. It can only hold up to 66 pounds on the slide at once. This weight limit is only high enough for one kid at a time. If you want to have several kids use this model at once, they will need to really understand this rule. Otherwise, the slide will probably not last all that long.
Something else really cool about this particular slide is the depth of its wading pool. Even though most of the slides on our list have some sort of a pool for the children to lounge about in, this model is actually deep enough for smaller children to swim in. Of course, this also means that you need to be extra vigilant when they are using it, especially if your kiddos are at the lower end of the wide age range for this slide.
More features: includes water slide, wading pool, water sprayer, ring toss game
One of the toughest things about getting a slide for your youngster is getting one that you know they can fully enjoy. Many of the different slides on the market are made for much older children, which means that your little one might not be able to fully enjoy all of the different features and functions safely. Thankfully, this slide is an option. It is perfect for younger children, as it is designed with toddlers in mind. Its smaller stature and plethora of activities will make it a hit with your kid.
As far as activities go, this model has more than pretty much any other out there. It obviously, includes a slide, but there is so much more to enjoy with this model. For instance, it also has a wading pool, water sprayer, and even comes with an easy to play ring toss game. Your little one will be able to spend hours enjoying this slide, thanks to all of these activities.
The only thing that you will need to keep in mind with this slide is that it is very difficult to drain the water when you are ready to clean it up. This is because the drains are located a bit too high for all of the water to empty once you have them open. As such, you will need to either dump the water or push down a side. No matter which way you choose to do it, be prepared for a long, though not difficult, process.
More features: 5 air chambers; 6 handles; comes with a repair patch
If you are in the market for a good slide to use with your pool but don’t want to spend a whole lot of money, then this is a great option. Since this unit doesn’t have any splash pad or wading pool, it is much cheaper than other slides. It is also much easier to move from place to place since it is extremely compact.
This slide can be placed on the edge of any pool and be used to slide into the water. It has comfortable carrying handles that make the task of moving it from place to place quick and easy. Even if you have to move it on your own, you really shouldn’t have any issue accomplishing it.
Even though this slide is much cheaper than you might expect, it is still surprisingly durable. It is equipped with five different air chambers, which is really helpful if you get a rip or a tear. Since these chambers are independent of each other, the entire slide won’t deflate if there is a hole. If you do get a hole in it anywhere, a simple to use repair kit is provided.
The one thing that is a bit of a downer is that, as we mentioned above, this slide has to be used with a separate pool. Otherwise, it cannot be used correctly, since it is designed to sit in the pool a bit. Obviously, that shouldn’t be an issue if you have a pool already, but it is definitely something to keep in mind before you buy this slide.
In this section, we will go through everything that you need to know to find the best home inflatable water slide for your family to enjoy this summer. We have also taken the time to answer several frequently asked questions, so be sure to read through those as well if you need any more information.
As you can imagine, there are a lot of different functions and features to take into account when you are trying to choose one of the best inflatable water slides for kids. In this section, we will guide through all of the ins and outs of these wonderful play stations, so that you can make an informed purchase.
The first thing that you should figure out is how much space you have in your backyard. That will help to inform your decision about the overall dimensions of your new inflatable slide. If you have a smaller yard, then you should probably go with something along the lines of the Intex Rainbow Ring Inflatable Play Center, which is quite compact in its design. On the other hand, if you have a lot of room in your backyard, then you could easily fit a larger inflatable slide, like the Costzon Inflatable Slide Bouncer.
The next thing that you want to decide when you are looking for a good inflatable slide is the type of design. Now, obviously, all of these inflatables are going to have slides. The question is, how many slides do you want? You could get a one slide model, like the Blast Zone Buccaneer Inflatable Water Park. You could also go for a dual slide model, like the Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide. After that, you need to decide if you just want a basic slide or one that has a climbing station and a swimming pool partition, like the Intex Rainbow Ring Inflatable Play Center. You just have to figure out the features that are important to you and then go from there.
When you are looking for an inflatable for your kids to use, you also want to take their age into account. The last thing that you want to do is get a slide that doesn’t fit their age. If you do, then they might not be able to use most of it on their own, or they might not like it at all. Of course, you could just get a slide that has a wide age range like the Bounceland Inflatable Double Water Slide. This slide is great for children from 3-8, making it a perfect buy for anyone that has a couple of kiddos that are a few years apart in age.
Another key component when it comes to finding the right slide for your family is the maximum capacity. This number will describe how much weight your slide can handle at any one time. Obviously, if you think that a lot of kids will be on your slide, you are going to want one that has a higher capacity, like the Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer, which can hold up to 350 lbs. at once. If you are only going to be having one kid on your slide at a time, then you could probably get one that has a lower capacity and save a bit of money.
Something else to consider is the type of material that your new slide is going to be made of. While most inflatable slides hare made out of a rubberized material, they are not all created equal. Some, like the Costzon Inflatable Slide Bouncer, are made from puncture-proof materials. This is definitely something to keep in mind if you have lots of trees in your yard since any fallen sticks might puncture less durable slides.
Whenever you make any sort of big purchase, regardless of whether it is a washer, dryer, or inflatable slide, it is always a good idea to look for a model that comes with a good warranty. A warranty will help to protect you from having to spend a bunch of extra money repairing your slide if it is damaged through normal use. Just make sure that you read through the fine print as carefully as possible.
However, as many companies that offer them will claim to offer a long warranty, but only actually cover certain parts. By reading through the warranty, you will have a better understanding of what is and what isn’t covered by the company.
Finally, the last thing that you need to think about is whether or not your new slide comes with a blower. While you can purchase a blower separately, this will cost you extra. Plus, you also have to worry if the blower is compatible with the slide or not. As such, it is probably best to get an inflatable slide that comes with its own blower. That way, you can rest assured that you will be able to inflate it each and every time your children want to play on it.
If you are in the market for one of the best overall inflatable water slides, then we highly recommend that you check out the Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer. This inflatable slide has it all: a climber wall, dual slides, a wading pool, and a water bucket to dump. We highly recommend that you check it out!
The Blast Zone Buccaneer Inflatable Water Park is an awesome option if you want a lot of play space for your kids to cool off. It has an awesome slide, a wading pool, and a water cannon to play in on hot summer days.
If you want to make sure that all of your kids will get lots of turns going down, then the Bounceland Inflatable Double Water Slide is the best inflatable water slide for you. This model has two huge slides for kids to slide down so that no one ever has to feel like they missed their turn.
