Create Your Own Backyard Water Park Experience With These 7 Best Water Slides For 2024

Inflatable Water Slides Kids Will Love

It’s hot outside – and your kids want their own backyard water park – pronto! But what’s the right one for your family?

After 5 solid afternoons full of research, looking through 20 of the best-selling inflatable water slides, and skipping on taking the dog for her afternoon walk more than I care to admit (sorry honey…), I’m ranking the 7 best inflatable water slides for kids based on size, material, blower quality and price-to-value.

My kids have grown up either playing on a lake or a pool for the entire summer. And I know, hot summer days are made for backyard water slides. But finding the perfect slide is a matter of your family needs and budget.

We’ve made sure only the best of the best inflatables are on this list, so no matter which inflatable water slide you go with, it will be a great choice.

What To Look For When Shopping For The Best Inflatable Water Slide

Parents should consider a few things when looking for a great

Every inflatable water slide has a maximum weight capacity along with a recommended maximum safe number of occupants on the slide at a single time. You really need to heed the weight limit – ignoring it can not only be dangerous but will eventually lead to tears and punctures. You’ll then get up and personal with your slide’s repair kit!

Most slides come with both an individual weight limit – often mapped over to correspond with a certain age – and a combined weight limit. It’s important to follow these recommendations as well.

You’ll be amazed just how much space inflatable water slides can take up behind the house. Some of the biggest backyard water slides take up over 250 square feet of space! For reference, most kiddie pools (66 inch) only take up about 10% of that space.

Make sure you have enough room not only for the slide, but for kids to have a soft landing on your yard as well. They’ll also be running around having tons of fun with wet feet – so take that into consideration as well.

Finally, don’t forget that you’ll need to store this behemoth somewhere when the summer fun is done. See what the dimension are when the water slide is deflated. A sturdy carrying bag is a nice touch – and something you should look for when buying the best water slide.

Forget the foot or hand air pump! You’ll want a water slide with a heavy-duty blower to get your inflatable water slide up and running. An electric air blower can inflate these slides in well under 10 minutes. Most larger slides require the electric blower to be running the entire time. This is done so the slide stays inflated to the proper pressure for a safe, fun experience. Sticking to the weight capacity recommended for the water slide will help the blower do it’s job as well.

If your slide requires a blower, make sure it’s included in the package. Otherwise you might have to go buy one on your own if it is not.

Just like the choices you have in the type of water slide – from mini water slides up to a large double slide – there are a ton of materials to choose from. The best materials for most use cases are PVC and high-quality chemical-grade nylon.

Both materials resist punctures well – PVC is a little stronger but comes at a higher weight than nylon. Equally as important is the type of stitching used at the seams. Most non-preventable punctures will come from seams failing over time. Double stitching and two or more layers will help prevent you from getting out the repair kit prematurely.

Only you know what your budget is for a water slide. If you have more to spend, you can get a lot of additional accessories. There are inflatable water parks with basketball hoops, water cannons, climbing walls, ball pits, water guns, bouncy houses, wading pools – if it involves fun and water, there’s probably a selection for you.

However, you need to stop and think – will your children actually use any of these features? Or will they quickly get bored – and leaving you paying too much for toys your kids don’t use.

Inflatable Water Slides Kids Will Love

	Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer Lowest Price	Check price at
	Blast Zone Hydro Rush Inflatable Water Park Most Popular	Check price at
	Blast Zone Tropical Splash	Check price at
	Crocodile Isle Inflatable Water Park	Check price at
	2-in-1 Wet âN Dry Inflatable Slide and Bouncer	Check price at

1. Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer

Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race Inflatable Slide Bouncer

The Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race inflatable slide will provide hours of wet and wild fun for the whole family. This inflatable slide is carefully designed so that parents can keep a close eye on what’s going on. There are two slides, one on each side of a central climbing wall. Both slides end in a fun splash pool. There is also a central island for kids to rest on, as well as a surprise ‘dump bucket’, which pours water on kids climbing up the central wall.

2. Blast Zone Hydro Rush Inflatable Water Park

The Hydro Rush inflatable water park from Blast Zone is a fun inflatable water slide for kids aged 3 years and above. It is large enough for up to six children and includes one water slide and a sprayer. Kids climb up one side and slide down the other, with a central pool in between, so your lawn should stay intact and you won’t end up having to fish out lots of debris from the water. The climbing section is made from commercial grade vinyl, so it will provide many happy years of service.

3. Intex Surf ‘N Slide Inflatable Play Center

The Surf ‘N Slide inflatable play center from Intex is a simple slide for outdoor play in warm weather. It features a long, inflatable slide with a fixture where you attach a garden hose to keep the sliding surface nice and wet. The inclusive landing mat provides extra padding at the bottom of the slide. A handy repair patch is included in case of accidental damage.

4. Blast Zone Tropical Splash

Blast Zone Tropical Splash Inflatable Water Slides

When it comes to inflatable water slides, you will have a hard job beating the Tropical Splash from Blast Zone. This is a compact, lightweight, and durable water slide for kids weighing up to 75 pounds. It features a slide and a splash pool, and comes with a blower, anchor stakes and carry case for convenient storage. If you don’t have much room in your back yard, the Tropical Splash inflatable water slide is a top choice.

If you are looking for more summer fun choices, we have you covered:

Our top lake toys for kids in a lake or pool
Great picks for the best slip and slides you use on your lawn
Great kid-tested water tables for your young children to explore

5. Double Water Slide from KIDWISE

The Double Water Slide from KIDWISE is a heavy-duty inflatable water slide. Like many larger inflatable water slides, this is a great choice for larger families and kids’ parties. The water slide is constructed from heavy-duty materials. It features a long fill tube, so the air blower can be placed well away from the slide. It takes less than a minute to inflate this water slide, so your kids can be having fun in no time at all. To transform it into a fun water slide, all you need to do is hook up a hosepipe and turn on the faucet!

6. Crocodile Isle Inflatable Water Park

Blast Zone Crocodile Isle Inflatable Water Park with Dual Slides

The Crocodile Isle inflatable water park from Blast Zone is tremendous fun for up to five children. There are two separate water slides each side of a central climbing wall. Kids climb up the wall and slide down into a central splash pool. Your kids can race each other by seeing who is able to hit the pool first! An air blower is included with the slide and it takes less than two minutes from flat as a pancake to fully functional. When deflated, the water slide is around the size of a rolled up sleeping bag.

7. 2-in-1 Wet ‘N Dry Inflatable Slide and Bouncer

Little Tikes 2-in-1 Wet ‘N Dry Inflatable Water Slides and Bouncer

The 2-in-1 Wet ‘N Dry slide and bouncer from Little Tikes is one of our favorite inflatable water slides for kids. This product can be used wet or dry, but when you add water, you end up with a whole new level of fun. The climbing wall leads to a large slide and crawl through tunnel whilst the splash pool provides a soft, wet landing for happy kids. There is also an extra bouncing surface included, with a useful safety net for younger children. Use this inflatable water slide in the backyard during summer or bring it out for kids’ parties on a hot day. Either way, your children and their friends can look forward to hours of fun.

Remember: inflatable water slides are reasonably safe, but you should always supervise younger children.

Feature image courtesy of Flickr, James Mackintosh Photography.

7 of the Best Inflatable Water Slides –