The best water guns and Super Soakers are probably going to be wildly popular this year, as kids (and, er, certain adults we know) take any hot day as an opportunity to go wild outside, having been trapped indoors for so long. Even better, you can do it all from a safe distance!
Our guide to the best water guns and Super Soakers has been updated for summer 2021 to help you find cheaper stuff you can distribute across a big group, as well as powerful individual weapons of wet warfare. That said, while we'll pick some favourites in the list below, we know that a lot of people will want to choose based on price and whatever happens to be on offer that day, so here are direct links to browse the current ranges at key retailers.
• Browse all water pistols at Amazon UK
• Browse all water pistols at Argos
• Browse all water pistols at Amazon US
• Browse all water pistols at Target
There are so many great water pistols and Super Soakers now – whatever size and type you can think of is available, and because we're fond of a good water fight here at T3 (though, uh, away from all the electronics generally), we've filtered through the lot of them to deliver you a selection of the absolute best.
If you're wavering about the wiseness of a water pistol, we also have drier pursuits. Our guide to the best Nerf guns delivers plenty of foamy goodness, while we have the best board games and best Lego sets for more indoorsy adventures.
Best water guns & Super Soakers 2021: the list
Sending a steady stream of water up to a satisfactory eight metres or so, this blaster should form the basis of your aqua unleashing arsenal. The pump action gets the flow in motion and with a generous two-litre capacity, targets will get wetter than the average washing machine rinse cycle.
This Super Soaker is also the ideal and highly entertaining method of deterring un-wanted critters from your back garden. No, we’re not referring to BBQ guests. The only downside really is that you might want something smaller for younger kids, and the cap that seals it is quite stiff (which means no leaks, at least). Read more in our full, five-star Super Soaker Floodinator review.
Water fights tend to be more fun with a second participant, so this two-pack makes it more economical to pick up multiple guns at once for a big spraying battle. They should be small enough for most kids to handle, as long as no one minds have unbranded guns instead of 'cool' Super Soakers.
The pistols here themselves are standard pump-action stuff, with a water capacity of 739ml (not bad for the size), and a promised reach of around 36 feet, which is a long way. As starter water gun packs go, it's perfect – as our full JOYIN 2 Pack Water Pistol review will tell you.
Bring Fortnite from the screen to outside! Its a pretty solid design in general, even beyond the branding – it offers a full litre of water to spray through pump action, reaching around 10 feet/3 metres.
This makes it all a bit less extreme than the Floodinator above, which may be very welcome news to parents. Less water is easier for kids to handle as well – this is generally a great middle ground between water pistols and bigger, beefier spraying options.
Taking Super Soaker design off in a new design direction is this interesting looking piece of kit. And, by interesting we’re alluding to things worthy of a double take from others, like quirky headwear or a pair of bright shoes – yes, we just stuck a blaster into a fashion parade.
As well as offering a good stream of water output produced from the handle on top it commands a certain amount of swank. We’ve tried walking normally with this in hand but no, it just gives you the urge to walk with a ten-degree tilt.
After a casual “would you like ice with that” comment from the host of the annual Super Soaker creative team’s BBQ, one attendee still had his work hat on. Within weeks the Freezefire was created, an oversized filler cap in which to stick cubes of ice and the ability to send a shivery stream during water gun wars. It’s a tidy little Super Soaker, and one small enough to conceal into a surprise soaking session. It is the most likely to be turned into a receptacle containing sangria, mind.
Look familiar? The original Super Soaker is back, baby! In a slightly tweaked new form, but still with that all-important green removable bottle. This is also a water gun that doesn't just rely on pumping – you pump to prime it, and then pull the trigger to actually fire, which is more convenient than pumping alone.
It promises decent spraying power, and the capacity of 1.2l is good – plus it's not too large for most kids. There is a bit of a leak issue, but maybe you won't mind that – our full Super Soaker XP100 review explains it all.
If soaking your opponent isn't enough for you, then you should consider the Super Soaker DartFire, which not only can fire jets of water at your foes but also Nerf darts, too. You don't get a lot of darts to fire, just 5 in fact, however you can switch modes on the fly and once your opponent is thoroughly wet through you can finish them off with a foamy coup de grâce.
Best water gun accessories
If you’ve attempted filling regular balloons with water in the past then you’re already halfway to hitting the buy button. Whilst the satisfaction of hearing the drop of a normal latex water filled sphere is satisfying enough, the process of loading it is tedious. Step up Bunch o Balloons, three bunches in each pack, complete with attachment for hose attaching. Just turn on the tap and watch them fill up, get all 105 done in under a minute. This replenishing speed means you can now rely on them as part of your strategic water warfare arsenal. Time to darken the skies and rain down on your recipients with your H20-infused spheres of watery doom.
An update on a classic plaything that has been around a couple of decades, this latest version of Splash Out is the most reliable and compact version yet. In one sub-tenner box you’ve action, suspense and a modicum of hilarity – now that’s value! Stick a water balloon inside, wind the timer and begin the passing around. And so, as the timer counts down the passing will likely speed up, the player holding Splash Out when the ticking has tocked gets a good old soaking. Not a massive soaking, true, but combined with the surprise it feels more tidal like than you would think.
