Looking for ways to keep your kids active and cool during the summer? An inflatable water slide might just be the answer! These slides provide a fun way for kids to exercise while staying refreshed.
It’s no secret that kids love spending time on their phones and devices, but with an inflatable water slide in your backyard, you can entice them to spend more time outside. And why stop at just a water slide? Consider setting up a slip-and-slide for even more fun in the sun!
Inflatable water slides come in a variety of sizes, from small slides suitable for toddlers to giant ones for older kids. Some even have built-in water cannons, bounce castles, and splash pools. In this article, we’ll explore the world of backyard inflatable water slides and provide you with tips on what to look for when making a purchase.
Our Top Picks
- Best Heavy-Duty: Bestway Hurricane Tunnel Blast Inflatable Water Slide
- Best For Toddlers: Intex Rainbow Ring Inflatable Play Center
- Best For 5-10 Years Old: Little Tikes Rocky Mountain
- Best For Portability: Intex Surf ‘N’ Slide Shark Inflatable Water Slide
- Best With Bounce House: Bounceland Jump and Splash
- Best For Groups: Costzon 7 in 1 Inflatable Water Slide
- Best For Safety: BANZAI Sidewinder Blast Water Park
- Best With Extra Features: WELLFUNTIME Inflatable Water Slide
- Best With Climbing: SUNNY & FUN Ultra Climber Inflatable Water Slide Park
- Best For Small Backyards: Little Tikes Slam ‘n Curve Slide
In This Article
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Bestway Hurricane Tunnel Blast Inflatable Water Slide – Best Heavy-Duty
- Blower is included
- Very safe for toddlers
- Easy to inflate and durable
- Can use without water fine
- It takes a minute to figure it out, but after you do it once it’s pretty simple
Climb, slide, and explore your way through this thrilling adventure park. Kids of all ages will love scaling the climbing wall and zooming down the slide into the extra-large splash pool at the bottom.
Safety is a top priority with this water slide, featuring mesh safety fences around the tower and sturdy barrier walls along the slide. But don’t worry, the fun isn’t compromised! Little ones can also enjoy a built-in water cannon to drench their pals, and a surprise water distributor to keep the slide wet and wild.
Keep your shoes dry and close by with the handy mesh shoe storage space. And parents, rest assured that the park is made with durable PVC-coated polyester material that meets all ASTM safety regulations. With the included heavy-duty blower, inflation takes less than two minutes!
- Dimensions: 165.35″L x 125.98″W x 102.36″H
- Age range: 5-10 years old
Intex Rainbow Ring Inflatable Play Center – Best For Toddlers
- Great for small toddlers
- Has two separate sections so you can have different depths for different kids
- Does not require a ton of water
- Small to store once used
- The top part that allows the water to sprinkle over the slide won’t stay up to spray on the slide without lots of adjusting, and patience
With a width of only 6 feet and a length of 10 feet, this park is jam-packed with activities that your toddlers will surely enjoy.
Splash around in the smaller and larger pools, connected by a thrilling slide that lands on a cushioned mat for a soft landing. The slide is kept slippery by a water sprayer that’s held up by an inflatable rainbow arch – how cool is that? And that’s not all, there are also fun games like ring toss and ball roller to keep your little ones entertained for hours on end.
This blow-up pool is specifically designed for small children and is affordably priced, making it a great option if you’re looking to get some outdoor fun with your kids during the hot summer months.
- Dimensions: 117″L x 76″W x 53″H
- Age range: 2+ years old
Little Tikes Rocky Mountain – Best For 5-10 Years Olds
- Very sturdy construction
- Powerful inflation fan
- Bright colors that haven’t faded
- Easy to setup
- The unit takes a very long time to completely dry
This giant inflatable water slide is perfect for energetic kids! The central rock wall is a challenge for children to climb, but once they reach the top, they can slide down one of two colorful slides into a refreshing splash pool. As an extra bonus, kids can also crawl inside the dry bounce house for even more adventure!
One of the most exciting features of this water slide is the secret bucket that spills water down on the climbers, creating a hilarious and exciting surprise. You can rest easy knowing that the top piece of the slide has a safety net to keep kids from falling over.
- Dimensions: 161″L x 169″W x 103″H
- Age range: 5-10 years old
Intex Surf ‘N’ Slide Shark Inflatable Water Slide – Best For Portability
- Heavy-duty handles to make it easy to maneuver for placement
- Nice strong packaging
- Easy to inflate
- Great vinyl material
- Does not come with an inflator
This portable mammoth slide is 15 feet long and features a cushy landing pad to ensure your little ones stay safe and comfortable during their descent. Made from durable 16-gauge vinyl, this slide can handle plenty of wear and tear.
The real fun begins when the built-in water sprayers are activated. Simply hook up your garden hose and let the good times roll! This slide is suitable for children ages 6 and up, with a maximum weight capacity of 176 pounds. Plus, it comes with two surf riders with heavy-duty grips for added excitement and a repair patch kit to keep the fun going all summer long.
- Dimensions: 181″L x 66″W x 62″H
- Age range: 6+ years old
Bounceland Jump and Splash – Best With Bounce House
- Easy to setup
- Easy to change to wet
- Comes with a storage bag
- Comes with blower
- Drain for pool area small
This incredible inflatable bounce house has it all – a 4.5 x 4.25 ft jumping area, a 6.5 ft slide, a 6.5 x 4.8 ft pool area, a basketball hoop, and even a mini climbing wall! Your kids will be entertained for hours on end with this wet and dry combo.
Made with durable materials, the Jump and Splash Adventure is built to last. The commercial-grade laminated Oxford Terylene flooring provides extra bounce and flexibility for your little ones to jump as high as they can. The climbing wall is equipped with safety steps and handrails, and it leads up to the slide platform with high guardrails and netting for added safety.
The velcro opening ensures that kids can enter and exit the bounce house with ease, and the reinforced stitching and velcro attachments on the second sliding surface make for a comfortable ride.
- Dimensions: 138″L x 108″W x 72″H
- Age range: 3-10 years old
Costzon 7 in 1 Inflatable Water Slide – Best For Groups
- Affordable
- Durable
- Big enough for adults to relax in the pool section while the kids play
- Easy to inflate
- Can’t regulate the water flow to individual water spouts
This ultimate playground features two slides and a powerful splash pool, providing endless hours of fun for your little ones. But that’s not all! This slide also includes a specially designed basketball rim that challenges kids to shift their posture and maintain their balance as they shoot hoops.
Setting up this inflatable water slide is a breeze – it inflates quickly and can be easily deflated using both long and short air outflow tubes. Once deflated, simply fold it up and store it in the included bag.
With a PVC waterproof coating on the pool bottom and high-quality 840D oxford fabric on the slides and climbing surface, this inflatable water slide is durable and wear-resistant. Plus, the bouncer pegs in each corner ensure overall stability and safety.
- Dimensions: 189″L x 165.5″W x 92″H
- Age range: 3-10 years old
BANZAI Sidewinder Blast Water Park – Best For Safety
- The fabric seems very durable
- Easy to set up and take down
- Doesn’t use a lot of water for the size
- Guaranteed hours of playtime
- Give it time to dry completely
With room for up to five or six kids at once, this massive outdoor playground has two slides and even a hidden clubhouse for your little ones to explore. And don’t worry about setup taking forever – it inflates in a mere three minutes thanks to the continuous airflow blower that comes included.
But just because it’s inflatable doesn’t mean it’s flimsy – the heavy-duty Dura-Tech structure ensures that it’s built to last. Once the top-secret agent meeting is over, kids can zoom down the slides and splash around in the water below. And for even more fun, there are two water cannons included so that kids can play games like “hide and seek with a splash.”
- Dimensions: 180″L x 102″W x 125″H
- Age range: 5-12 years old
WELLFUNTIME Inflatable Water Slide – Best With Extra Features
- Drains very well
- The main area holds plenty of water to slide into a splash zone
- Easy setup
- Inflates rapidly
- The top hose spray ports have to be adjusted all times
This inflatable water park features vibrant slides that can be combined with inflatable pools for the ultimate sliding adventure. The shallow pool can accommodate a larger number of people, while the flexible castle allows kids to play wildly. With a variety of modes to choose from, your kids can enjoy adventure, fun, and even competitiveness.
The water slides are packed with kid-friendly fun, including a climbing wall, an arch water spray, a water bucket, a deep water pool, and a huge paddle pool. Simply connect to your garden hose, and the blower will have the park inflated within two minutes for your little ones to enjoy.
Safety and convenience are top priorities with this water park. The continuous airflow blower with a GFCI outlet provides maximum safety and convenience, and piling stakes are included to ensure the park stays secure.
- Dimensions: 191″L x 157.5″W x 100″H
- Age range: 3-10 years old
SUNNY & FUN Ultra Climber Inflatable Water Slide Park – Best With Climbing
- Fairly easy to set up
- Inflates fast and keeps it sturdy
- 3 splashing fun features
- Heavy-duty material
- Takes time to put it away each day
This water slide is perfect for those who love to climb, made of strong and puncture-resistant nylon-synthetic fabric. Reinforced stitching ensures that it can handle all the jumping and sliding that your kids can throw at it, without any fear of tearing.
Thanks to the built-in air pump, setting up the slide is quick and easy – no additional equipment is needed. Just plug in the electric blower and watch as the slide inflates in just minutes, ready for your kids to dive into the fun. With three exciting sliding features included – a climbing wall, blower, and two water slides – plus splashdown pools for a safe landing, this water park has it all!
- Dimensions: 157.2″L x 134.4″W x 94.8″H
- Age range: 3-16 years old
Little Tikes Slam ‘n Curve Slide – Best For Small Backyards
- Sets up in a matter of minutes
- Kids can splash around in the pool area or go down the slide
- Compact perfect for small backyards
- Well-designed
- The slide is a bit steep which causes a child to slide down rather quickly
This slide manages to be compact while having a fun curving slide and a spacious wading pool area, making it perfect if you have a small backyard. Plus, it’s super easy to store away when not in use.
Your little ones will have a blast sliding down this exciting water slide and splashing into the refreshing pool. And as they grow older, they’ll love mastering all of its features year after year. With a challenging inflatable rock wall and a twisty slide ending in a cool landing pool, this bouncer is sure to provide hours of fun and entertainment for your kids.
- Dimensions: 168″L x 108″W x 84″H
- Age range: 5-10 years old
How To Choose The Best Inflatable Water Slides for Kids?
- Age-Appropriate: Diverse demographics are taken into account while designing water slides. Younger children wouldn’t be safe on inflatable slides designed for teenagers and older youngsters. Slides have different height and weight limitations, just like standard amusement park attractions. When purchasing one of these, always take the manufacturer’s suggested age into account.
- Size: When choosing an inflatable water slide, purchasers must take into account the size and available space because they have a significant impact on your backyard. The footprint of a larger water slide might be up to 250 square feet. Even a kiddie pool slide that is smaller requires a considerable bit of space. The majority of inflatable slides are around 10 feet long and 6 feet wide.
- Material: Numerous materials, such as PVC, synthetic rubber, neoprene, laminated polyester, and chemical-grade nylon, can be used to make inflatable water slides. The ideal choice is PVC because it is strong, elastic, and puncture-resistant. A similar quality is available in a lesser weight in chemical-grade nylon. The slide could be more robust if certain building techniques are used in addition to the material selection.
- Blower: Blowers allow for quick setup and inflation. One is included with certain inflatable water slides, but not all of them. Choose items that come with the blower included if you don’t want to add another purchase. Don’t forget to purchase a blower when you check out if the slide you have your heart set on doesn’t have one; it’s essential.
- Additional Features: The majority of add-ons for inflatable water slides include cannons, fountains, soaking pools, and basketball hoops. All of these features add to the fun your kid will have.
Safety Tips For Inflatable Water Slides
- Make sure the slide is properly inflated before using it
- Do not use the slide if it is deflated or has holes in it
- Do not allow children to play on the slide unsupervised
- Make sure all children are properly hydrated before using the slide
- Do not allow children to run or play roughly on the slide
How To Maintain an Inflatable Water Slide?
Maintaining an inflatable water slide is important to ensure that it lasts for a long time and is safe to use. Here are some tips on how to maintain an inflatable water slide:
- After each use, make sure to clean the slide with water and mild soap to remove any dirt or debris. This will prevent mold and mildew from growing on the slide
- Before storing the slide, make sure it is completely dry to prevent any mold or mildew growth
- Store the slide in a dry, cool place away from sunlight and heat sources
- Regularly check the slide for any leaks or holes. If you find any, repair them immediately using a vinyl patch kit
- Make sure that children are using the slide properly and not jumping or roughhousing on it. This will prevent any unnecessary wear and tear
Can You Use An Inflatable Water Slide Without Water?
Inflatable slides can be used both wet and dry, as long as they don’t rely on the weight of the water in the splash zone for additional stability. Try to slide while wearing sweatpants and socks to make up for the fact that home-use slides aren’t quite as slippery when used without water. Your kid won’t have to worry about the slide being overly slick, while still being able to enjoy it.
How Do You Keep An Inflatable Water Slide From Molding?
You can keep an inflatable water slide from molding by cleaning it regularly and storing it in a dry, well-ventilated place when not in use.
How Much Water Does An Inflatable Water Slide Use?
A standard inflatable water slide can use up to 20 gallons of water per minute. That means that a three-hour party with 50 guests could use up to 3,000 gallons of water!
Do Inflatable Water Slides Circulate Water?
The air blowers or pumps serve merely to maintain the unit’s inflation. Water is not recycled there. However, if recycling is something you want, you may buy a water recirculation system separately. The equipment transports recycled water back up to the water slide after it has previously been collected in the splash pool. Such kits can even result in significant financial savings, particularly if it is intended to utilize the water slide more frequently throughout the summer.
Do Inflatable Water Slides Have A Weight Limit?
Most inflatable water slides have a weight limit of 200 pounds. Some slides may have a higher weight limit, while others may have a lower weight limit. It is important to check the weight limit of a water slide before allowing a child to use it.
