Last updated on June 23rd, 2023
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Q: What’s better for a child on a hot summer day than splashing around in a paddling pool? A: Splashing into the pool from their own inflatable water slide.
An inflatable slide takes kids’ outdoor summer fun to the next level, adding some excitement (and height) to their water adventures. All the inflatable water slides I review here have at least a climbing tower, a slide and a paddling pool. Many have additional features, including curved slides, water cannons and bouncy castles, that help turn your back garden into a dream of a water park.
In this Top 6 Best Inflatable Water Slides review, we list the pros and cons of each model, before discussing their notable features and giving our recommendation. Our Buyer’s Guide walks you through the general points of an inflatable water slide and discusses what to look (and look out) for.
Please note that all the models I review are for domestic use only. It’s okay to have a few kids over for a water party but don’t use these slides for commercial use – they’re not built to commercial safety standards.
My pick for the Best Inflatable Water Slide is the Tobogani Water Park with Inflatable Slide. This slide is of a size that comfortably fits into most people’s gardens. It looks like a mini water park with its curved slide that empties into the large paddling pool.
My Runner-up is the Bestway H2OGO! Hurricane Inflatable Mega Bouncy Castle Water Park for Kids with Water Slide. This water slide is a similar size to our Best Pick. The slide ends in a squishy water blob instead of in the pool, and there are some additional ways for kids to get wet.
BEST PICK
If you’re looking for a stylish inflatable water slide with a large paddling area, this is a great choice for you and your kids.
RUNNER UP
If your children have differing amounts of enthusiasm for using an inflatable water slide, keep them all happy with this model.
Best Inflatable Water Slides Reviews
1. Tobogani Water Park with Inflatable Slide
BEST PICK
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Tobogani Water Park with Inflatable Slide is a PVC water slide unit that has all the basics, from the curved water slide to the paddling pool. Inflating in only 90 seconds, it’s a quick answer to a plaintive “we’ve got nothing to do” complaint from your children on a warm day. And it’s safe too. The anchor pegs hold the structure onto the ground and the reinforced seams of the fabric are doubly secure. The whole unit is designed so the action happens only on one side, so you can see everything and everyone from a single viewpoint.
As with all inflatable water slides, you need to keep the (included) blower on all the time it’s in use. This Tobogani model has a multi-chamber system that distributes the air evenly so that all parts of the structure inflate equally and remain firm. Children three years old and up can roam around the water slide to their heart’s content. It’s possible to use the water slide without actually streaming water down the slide, but the ride won’t be as fast. Beware of friction burns from the PVC fabric on young bare legs. Note that there’s an area of the paddling pool that’s conveniently away from the landing zone for swimmers who don’t want to get splashed.
Pros
- An all-in-one PVC water slide with a climbing tower, paddling pool and curved slide that exits into the paddling pool.
- Footholds and handles built into the climbing tower make it easy to climb up.
- The curved slide gives a “waterpark” feel to the unit.
- The base of the climbing tower is a bouncy platform.
- Packs conveniently into a storage bag when not in use and deflated.
- Attach a garden hose with Velcro straps to easily and safely direct water down the slide.
- Inflates in only 90 seconds with the high-performance blower.
- Pegs are included to anchor the unit to the ground when it’s in use.
- Recommended for children aged three years and up so your very little ones should use their own paddling pool till they’re old enough.
- Dimensions: 12m2 (footprint); 4m (length) x 3.1m (width) x 2.3m (height).
- Weighs 19kg.
Cons
- Seams are sometimes fragile and may come undone.
Our recommendation
The Tobogani Water Park with Inflatable Slide brings the elements of a fun water park into your back garden. From the curved water slide fed by sprinklers at the top to the large paddling area and the bouncy platform, your child and their friends can safely develop their confidence in the water while having fun. This unit inflates evenly and firmly in 90 seconds and deflates just as quickly at the end of the play session.
We chose the Tobogani Water Park with Inflatable Slide as the Best Pick for our review. We like its water park feel, the ability for kids to stay out of the slide landing zone and still have watery fun, and its quick inflation time.
This is the inflatable water slide for your children if you’re looking for a stylish water slide with many of the features of a real water park.
Read next: Best garden swimming pools you can put up for the summer
2. Bestway H2OGO! Hurricane Inflatable Mega Bouncy Castle Water Park with Water Slide
RUNNER UP
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Bestway H2OGO! Hurricane Inflatable Mega Bouncy Castle Water Park for Kids with Water Slide has some additional features to a regular inflatable water slide. The most notable difference is the landing zone from the curved slide. While most slides deposit the child into the paddling pool, this BESTWAY H2OGO model has a water blob instead at the bottom end of the slide.
The watery blob is a large water-filled cushion that’s beneath a transparent shower tunnel. Sprinklers in the tunnel keep the blob wet, as does the water flowing down the curved slide from the sprinkler system in the tower at the top. The young slider swooshes down and lands on the water blob, with water cascading down on them. So, although they don’t end up in the paddling pool, there’s still enough water action to keep them happy.
The tower at the top of the structure has mesh walls and a roof to keep insects out and children safely in. There’s also an inbuilt mesh shoe holder on the structure that, if used, will keep the kid’s shoes organised, out of the way and easy to find after the fun’s over. Your purchase includes everything, even a repair kit in case a water toy has sharp edges that cut the material.
One important thing to note is that even though the video on the sales website shows a water cannon in use, it’s not listed as a component included with your purchase.
Pros
- Complete PVC-coated Oxford Cloth polyester waterpark for durability to withstand long use.
- Has climbing tower, a transparent mesh hut at the top, a curved slide, a shower tunnel, and a landing water blob.
- The heavy-duty blower inflates the unit in two minutes so (almost) instant fun for impatient children.
- Handles and footholds in the climbing tower for easy reach to the top of the slide.
- The shower tunnel sprays the kids at the end of their ride down the curved slide for an extra hit of water.
- The water blob provides a soft and squishy landing to the fast slide ride.
- Recommended for kids aged five years to ten years; your younger ones should have their own water fun feature.
- Dimensions: 4.2m (length) x 3.2m (width) x 2.6m (height).
- Two year warranty for mishaps and your mind’s comfort.
Our recommendation
The Bestway H2OGO! Hurricane Inflatable Mega Bouncy Castle Water Park for Kids with Water Slide has several features that make it suitable for those children who like water but are hesitant about being plopped into a paddling pool at the end of their slide. The water blob and the shower tunnel provide them with a watery finish to the slide without any of the fear associated with (possibly) putting their face into the water.
The mesh net around the platform at the top of the tower also helps any kids who are hesitant to climb too far above ground level – and also reassures you that they’ll be safe. The separate (but connected) paddling pool is perfect for swimmers who have no interest in sliding or being splashed.
The Bestway H2OGO! Hurricane Inflatable Mega Bouncy Castle Water Park for Kids with Water Slide is the Runner-up in our Review. We like that it has features for those children who may be hesitant at first to participate fully in the adventures it offers, yet can be used from the start as a regular water slide.
If your family has mixed feelings about using an inflatable water slide, this is a good choice to accommodate all their different enthusiasms.
Read next: Keep cool indoors and safely by choosing the best bladeless fans, learn more here
3. BeBoP Wipeout Bouncy Castle and Inflatable Water Slide Combo
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The BeBoP Total Wipeout Bouncy Castle and Inflatable Water Slide Combo is the water slide that most reflects a water park of the models we look at. It’s especially useful if you often seem to have a large group of children playing in your garden. This water slide has dual sliding lanes and an attached bouncy castle area. Add in the included water cannon aimed at the sliders and you have a whole summer’s worth of fun.
The easy climbing wall up to the tower is the width of the two lanes and is wide enough to play on as an additional feature. The dual lanes foster friendly sliding competition and encourage the children to work out more efficient ways to slide down. A water outlet above each lane streams the water down each slide separately. Please note that a maximum of four kids can be on this structure at one time, even if their total weight is under the maximum allowed load. With something this large and with the climbing wall out of sight from the front of the unit, it’s easy to lose sight of children.
Pros
- Combination bouncy castle and water slide with dual side-by-side lanes for competitive or cooperative sliding.
- Constructed from durable and weatherproof lightweight laminated PVC and nylon.
- Suitable for ages three years to ten years old, so a wide age range of children can play together.
- Handles and footholds in the climbing tower for quick climbing to the top of the slide.
- Comes with a blower fan, four anchor pegs, the water tube, canopy water spray and a repair kit to get the unit up and running and to keep it in good shape.
- The bouncy castle feature improves your children’s balance and energy while the water cannon lets them target their friends and siblings coming down the slides into the pool.
- The maximum weight load is 152kg for children but no more than 38kg per child, a max of 4 children.
- Dimensions: 5m (length) x 3m (width) x 2.4m (height).
Cons
- Reinforced seams sometimes come apart.
Our recommendation
The BeBoP Total Wipeout Bouncy Castle and Inflatable Water Slide Combo offer wet and dry fun on summer days. Or a combination of the two. While kids are waiting for their turn on the slides, they can play on the bouncy castle. Set up friendly competitions on the dual sliding lanes, or encourage the older kids to slide alongside the younger ones, showing them how it’s done.
We recommend the BeBoP Total Wipeout Bouncy Castle and Inflatable Water Slide Combo as it adds an extra slide, a water cannon and a bouncy castle to the water park experience in your garden.
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4. BeBoP Pirate Boat Inflatable Bouncy Water Slide for Kids
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The BeBoP Pirate Boat Inflatable Bouncy Water Slide for Kids brings role playing into your children’s/grandchildren’s/family friend’s water games. Instead of walking the plank, they slide down the straight water slide into the boat-shaped pool below. With the Jolly Roger flag flying above, the high seas will never be the same.
The handles and holes for feet on the climbing tower give the necessary traction to climb to the top of the tower. The tower has mesh netting as some security around it and on the ceiling. One water outlet cascades water directly down the slide, but another outlet on the upper tower structure releases it into a bucket which, when full, lets it go all at once in an unexpected woosh onto the slide. Another fun feature is the water cannon attached to the side of the pool boat. Invaders use it to target those coming down the water slide.
Pros
- Pirate themed PVC water slide that has a large boat-shaped paddling pool and a Jolly Roger flag to encourage your children’s imagination in role playing as well as playing in the water.
- Extra water features of the tip-and-soak bowl and the water cannon encourage kids to further get each other wet.
- The straight slide comes directly down into the paddling pool for quite a splash.
- Handles and footholds in the climbing tower give easy access to the top of the slide.
- Suitable for kids aged three to ten to a total max weight of 114kg roam the seas in this ship.
- Dimensions: 4.57m (length) x 2.84m (width) x 2.92m (height).
Our recommendation
The BeBoP Pirate Boat Inflatable Bouncy Water Slide for Kids encourages role playing for those kids who love pirates – perhaps you have a young Captain Jack Sparrow at home. The boat-shaped pool sets the scene, along with the Jolly Roger flag. The landing zone for the straight slide is to one side of the pool leaving plenty of room for splashing around and playing water games. The water cannon adds some excitement as to when the next water blast will happen.
If your youngsters enjoy imaginative games and love playing in water, we recommend the BeBoP Pirate Boat Inflatable Bouncy Water Slide for Kids for its creative possibilities and its extra water features.
5. BeBoP Splash Mountain Inflatable Water Slide Bouncy Castle
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No products found.The BeBoP Splash Mountain Inflatable Water Slide Bouncy Castle is billed as the “biggest domestic water slide in the UK.” It’s over 6m long, but not all of that is the slide. The slide length is 4.7m but the manufacturer’s website doesn’t say if this measurement includes the landing area.
The Splash Mountain water slide has two sliding lanes that are separately fed by water from outlets at the top of each lane. The water and sliders end up in a landing area at the base of the slides, but this isn’t a pool as such – it’s just a safe area for the kids to end up in. It doesn’t look possible, or safe, for children to play here as they are in the way of the next slider coming down.
This is a giant water slide, and comes with everything you need to set up and use the structure. Children aged three to ten years old are allowed on the structure but no more than two at a time. The climbing wall at the back is quite tall, so check if your younger children need help to manage it.
Please note that, despite its size, this is not a commercial water slide bouncy castle.
Pros
- Longest inflatable water slide at 6.2m long for the ultimate home water adventure for your kids.
- Dual lane slides for friendly competition or for kids to have more turns quickly.
- Water streams onto the slide lanes from above each one, wetting the young users as it does.
- Everything for set up and maintenance included – a blower fan, water tube, anchor pegs, repair kit and storage bag.
- Children aged three years to 10 years will have hours (or days) of fun on this water slide.
- Maximum of two children on the unit at once and each weighing no more than 38kg.
- Dimensions: 6.7m (length) x 2.15 (width) x 3.3m (height); 4.7m (slide length).
Our recommendation
The BeBoP Splash Mountain Inflatable Water Slide Bouncy Castle is the largest water slide in our review. It’s only a water slide – the landing area is just for sliders to land safely and then leave the structure. The dual slide lanes make this giant structure even more exciting.
We recommend the BeBoP Splash Mountain Inflatable Water Slide Bouncy Castle for its sheer size and dual lanes. If you already have a separate paddling/swimming pool for water games, this provides thrilling water sliding excitement.
This is the Best Giant Water Slide in our review.
No products found.
6. Bestway H20G0 Splash Tower Mega Water Park
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The Bestway H20G0 Splash Tower Mega Water Park is an inflated water slide with a single, curved slide. It inflates in less than two minutes and is suitable for slightly older children than other models – from five years old to ten years of age. Its price is towards the bottom of the price range we look at, so it’s a more affordable model than most of the others we review.
The H2OGO’s features are pretty standard. It has a mesh netting around the tower at the top of the slide, water is released through a shower head at the top of the slide, and the pool at the bottom of the slide is large enough to hold two children. This model is more compact than some of the others we have looked at and may better suit those with a smaller back garden.
Pros
- PVC-coated polyester construction for this water slide with double stitched seams for strength.
- Features a climbing wall, a meshed hut at the top of the tower, and a curved slide emptying into the pool at the bottom.
- Water fun starts with a spray of water in the hut at the top that also keeps the slide wet and slippery.
- Inflates in less than 2 minutes with the (included) heavy-duty fan.
- Children aged five years to ten years, with a maximum combined weight of 162kg can safely use this water feature.
- Dimensions: 3.66m (length) x 3.37m (width) x 2.41m (height).
- The two-year warranty is standard for this type of outdoor water product.
Our recommendation
The Bestway H20G0 Splash Tower Mega Water Park provides all the basic features of an inflatable water slide at the lower end of the price scale. This model also has a smaller footprint than others so check it out if you don’t have much room in your garden for water activities.
Buyer’s Guide
In researching the inflatable water slides for this review, we found that there aren’t too many differences between them. Choosing the inflatable water slide that the children in your life will love comes down mainly to three key issues: features, size and budget. As well as, of course, safety.
We discuss the first two, plus safety, in this Buyer’s Guide – you’re on your own for your budget!
General features
In general, water slides have the same basic components.
Blower/Fan
The blower (or fan) blows air into the structure to inflate it. As long as the blower is on, the water slide stays rigid and upright. To deflate the structure, simply turn the blower off.
Some models we review state how powerful the blower is, but most don’t. What they do state is how long it takes to fully inflate the water slide. In the units we look at it, this ranges from 90 seconds to two minutes. This isn’t much of a difference (even if the children are jumping up and down impatiently) so may not factor into your purchasing decision.
Water tube and flow
The water tube connects to your garden hose or outside tap to deliver the water to the slide. In some cases the water flow is directed down the surface of the slide and in other models it’s delivered from above.
The water flows down the slide (with the child) and ends up at the bottom. It’s important to know that none of the slide models in our review have the ability to recirculate the water that comes down the slide. It stays at the bottom and wherever it empties.
You also need to fill up the paddling pool before the first slider comes down. You can do this by running water down the slide or by feeding the garden hose directly into the pool.
Climbing tower
The climbing tower is how the children reach the platform at the top of the slide. In all the units we review, the climbing tower has handles and footholds to make climbing easier. Check how the handles and footholds are arranged and decide whether your younger children can manage to scramble up the tower by themselves or whether they will need help.
Platform
At the top of the structure is a platform to stand on before sliding down. In some cases, the platform is open while other structures have an enclosed platform for safety, usually surrounded by mesh netting. In both cases, the platform is formed by inflated “poles” that also serve as somewhere to grab hold of. If the children who will use the water slide are a little unsteady on their feet, look for a model that has the safety netting.
Slide
The slide is the high point of the structure. In some cases it might come straight down; in the more water park-like units, the slide is curved to give added excitement. Check whether the water slide can be used dry as well as wet. But be careful about plastic burns on young legs if the kids come down a dry slide with swimsuits or shorts on.
Not all the slides we review empty into the paddling pool. For those that do, make sure there’s a sufficient depth of water so the slider doesn’t bump uncomfortably on the pool bottom; they need to make an eye-catching splash.
The Bestway H2OGO! Hurricane Inflatable Mega Bouncy Castle Water Park empties the slide onto a soft water “blob” instead of into the paddling pool. This is good if the child is scared of sliding into the water. But it means that all the water flowing down the slide goes straight into your garden outside the slide structure.
Several of the products we look at have dual slides – the slide’s divided into two lanes so two children can come down at the same time. Encourage co-operation or competition with this arrangement or just double up on the number of turns each person can have.
Paddling pool
The size and shape of the paddling pool differ between each unit. Make sure that the depth is deep enough for older children yet not too much for the younger ones. And there needs to be enough area so everyone can splash around at the same time, or stay away from the landing of the person sliding down.
Be aware that, over time and without a water re-circulating feature, the water coming down the slide into the pool will overflow the sides into the surrounding garden. To combat this, some online reviewers report that they’ve installed re-circulating water pumps themselves.
Age range/Maximum weight load/Number of children
Usually in the sales description of the water slides or on the manufacturer’s website, the recommended safe age range of the children is clearly mentioned. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find out the maximum weight that the water slide can hold nor the maximum number of children that can be on the structure at the same time.
The information you need to know is:
- The maximum weight and height per child
- The maximum number of children
- The maximum total weight allowed on the structure
Additional features
Other water features
Here are some possible additional water features we came across in inflatable water slides:
- Water cannon
- Water tunnel
- Water shower
- Water blob
- Tip-and-soak feature
Play features
- Attached bouncy castle
- Pirate theme with boat shape pool and Jolly Roger flag
Size
There’s not much to be said here, except triple-check the dimensions. Online reviewers sometimes complain that the water slide is much smaller than they expected. Here are some things to think about:
- Will the slide fit comfortably in my garden? (check footprint)
- Is the slide steep enough / too steep?
- Is the climbing tower too steep and does it have enough handles?
- Is the pool large enough for everyone to play in at the same time and stay away from the large splash?
Safety
As always, take the same precautions as with any other outdoor water feature and children. Plus these specific ones:
- Use waterproof sun cream on the kids; they’re in, out, and around water, perhaps for hours.
- Choose a water slide designed so that all the action occurs on one side of the structure; you can see it all from one vantage point.
- Adult supervision at all times.
- Check that all the seams in the polyester are double-stitched so they won’t suddenly come apart.
- Check that both UK and EU standards have been met in the construction and materials of the inflatable water slide.
Final Conclusion
Having an inflatable water slide provides many summer outdoor opportunities for physical activity for children. They explore or develop their adventurous side, learn to feel confident and act safely around water, and spend time outdoors in warm and hot weather. (Don’t forget the sun cream!)
Whether you choose a more basic water slide or one that doubles as a self-contained waterpark, the fun lasts all the summers from when your children are age three or five to when they’re around ten years old. That’s many days and weeks of unforgettable watery excitement.
Our Best Pick is the Tobogani Water Park with Inflatable Slide. This is a durable and safe water slide with a curved slide that resembles those found in real-life water parks. It’s easy and quick to inflate – under 90 seconds – and is designed so you can see the children wherever they are on the structure.
Our Runner-up is the Bestway H2OGO! Hurricane Inflatable Mega Bouncy Castle Water Park for Kids with Water Slide. This also has a curved slide and it lands the children onto a soft watery blob rather than into the paddling pool.
If your kids/grandkids/neighbourhood children really love the inflatable slide, perhaps expand the water park in your garden into a fully-fledged adventure park. We have some reviews that will give you some ideas:
The Best Climbing Frames for Kids
The Best Kids Play Swing Sets & Playgrounds
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
