However, bounce houses can be expensive for most parents. So it's normal to be cautious when setting out shopping for one.
After all, you want your purchase to last a few years and not just two or three play dates.
Little Tikes Jump ‘n Slide
The workhorse of the bounce world, the Little Tikes Jump 'N Slide is currently the most popular bouncer on the market.
Why? The reason for this is simple.
It's incredibly affordable and packed with features both parents and children enjoy. It's also the only bounce house we ever gave a 5 star review.
Large Bounce Area
The Little Tikes Jump n Slide Bouncer has a 7 x 7 feet bounce area making it one of the largest on the market. It's fully padded from the continuous blower (which comes with the unit) constantly circulating air.
The spacious playing area ensures that 3 children can play inside this bounce house comfortably.
Mesh Walls
The walls of this bouncer are made with mesh that is strong enough to hold a bouncing child inside the main area.
Being made from mesh, the walls let air pass through. This keeps the kids cooler than other inflatables that have solid walls.
The other great thing about the mesh walls is that parents can see everything that's going on inside the bounce house from any angle.
Integrated Slide
A large slide lets kids come in and out of the bounce house safely. It's constantly inflated by the blower so it's always safe to bounce on.
What we like is that the slide walls are integrated to the sides of the bounce house. Because there's no gap, kids can't fall out of the bounce house and onto the ground.
Easy to Setup
The whole bounce house is extremely easy to set up. You just need to pull it out of the bag, unfold it, peg it down to the lawn and start the blower.
Even parents who have never owned a bounce house house can complete the setup in under 5 minutes.
Wrap up is just as easy. Let the air deflate, fold it and wrap it up. The bundled unit fits easily in the provided carry bag.
Durable Construction
This inflatable bouncer is made of top quality materials that ensure a durable product. The stitching and craftsmanship is second to none. We're confident you'll be able to resell the unit when your kids outgrow it (provided you maintain it).
Blower
Unlike other brands, this bounce house comes with a blower. You won't have to sift through Amazon product pages looking for the right blower.
Pros & Cons
- Tall walls keeps kids safe
- Integrated slide prevents accidents
- Quality mesh netting walls
- Large jumping area with sliding fun
- Easy and quick inflation
- The blower has to run constantly when children are playing
- No top which means kids will be playing in direct sunlight
- Lightweight unit can't be used on windy days. Proper setup is critical at every play date
Bounceland Castle
Bounceland is a company that's been at the forefront of the affordable inflatables market for a few years. Their products are well-built and extremely affordable.
What sets the Bounceland Castle apart from the rest is the quality that goes in to the unit.
As we'll explore below, this is an incredibly built bouncer that kids love and that doesn't break the parent's budget.
Tough Mesh Walls
The walls of the bounce castle are made with durable and strong mesh netting. These are held to the walls with quadruple stitching.
The design of the product reflects the manufacturer's emphasis on safety.
Like we mentioned for the Little Tikes Jump 'N Slide, mesh walls are great because they let the air pass through (prevents overheating) and parents can see through the walls from any angle.
Safe Slide
The front slide is a great way for toddlers to easily access the bounce area without the help of adults. Compared to other bouncers, the entrance isn't steep making it accessible to younger children.
Bounceland did a great job integrating the slide into the design of the castle.
The mesh netting is stitched to the slide. There's no gap where a kid could fall from the bounce area.
The entrance is also small which means only one child can come in or out at one time. This is a great safety feature that also simplifies supervision.
Integrated Basketball Hoop
After a while, kids get bored of bouncing around. This is where the basketball hoop comes in. Throw in a ball and kids will invent their own games to play.
The hoop is inflated fabric so there's no risk of anyone banging their hands, arms or heads on a hard surface.
It's A Castle!
The fact that it actually looks like a castle is huge.
Making it a shape kids recognize from stories and books invites them to use their imagination. Watch them create games and scenarios on their own!
Inflates In No Time
Setup takes no more than 5 minutes. Like all bouncers this size, the longest part of the setup is securing the unit to the ground with pegs (provided).
The structure takes under 2 minutes to inflate. As long as the bouncer isn't bunched up, it'll unfold on its own.
Oh by the way, the blower is included in the purchase. No need to run around the internet looking for one.
Fits Almost Everywhere
With a 9 x 12 feet footprint, this inflatable fits in almost every backyard.
The advantage of such a small bounce house is that it also fits in garages and some living rooms or basements.
You read that right: you can use this inflatable indoors.
Rainy day grumpiness is a thing of the past! Just make some space, deploy and watch that energy burn up. Plus, kids will think it's the funnest party ever!
Quality Construction
Bounceland goes the extra mile when it comes to quality. Premium materials and quadruple stitching means that you'll have this bouncer for a long time!
If you follow the manufacturer's instructions (ie taking shoes off, emptying your kid's pockets, no adults allowed) you'll be able to resell the bounce house when your kids outgrow it.
Pros & Cons
- Looks like a fun castle to play in
- Basketball hoop means more playtime options
- Mesh netting walls
- Quality and premium materials
- Easy and quick inflation
- The blower has to run constantly when children are playing
- No top which means kids will be playing in direct sunlight
- Lightweight unit can't be used on windy days. Proper setup is critical at every play date
Blast Zone Superstar
The behemoth of entry-level bounce houses.
The Blast Zone Superstar does away with fancy bells and whistle and gets straight to the point: bouncing... and lots of it!
The bounce floor is the largest in its category. Not to mention that it can accommodate way more kids than the Little Tikes Jump 'N Slide or the Bounceland Castle.
Large Bounce Area
The Blast Zone Superstar doesn't redefine the bounce house. Rather, it brings moonwalkers back to the original: a large bounce area where kids can go wild.
The two bounce houses we glossed over earlier feature standard 7 x 7 feet bounce areas. The Superstar tosses these lightweights out with 10 x 10 feet area. That means going from a puny 49 sq. ft to a whopping 100 sq. ft!
That's right, it's practically double the bounce area!
Accommodates More Kids
Blast Zone figured out that there's no point offering more bounce area if you can't have more kids at once. So what do they do? Double the capacity.
Where most entry-level bouncers will recommend 2-3 kids playing at one time (total weight of 250 lbs), the Superstar can take 5-6 kids!
So double the bounce area, but also double the playing capacity!
Anchor Points
Being such a large bounce house, Blast Zone realized that the structure was susceptible to catching the wind.
The solution?
Tons of anchor points. It may take a few more minutes to setup up the structure than the Little Tikes or the Bounceland, however, this bounce house isn't going anywhere!
- Important: never operate a bounce house in high winds. The anchor points and pegs are to prevent the bouncer from moving from breezes.
No Bells and Whistles
Blast Zone sacrificed features for bounce area. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. With that extra space, kids have more space to play and create games.
Add a few balls or soft toys in there and they'll have a blast for hours.
Durable Construction
This bounce house is manufactured with high strength vinyl and a signature X-Weave - making the product practically tear and damage-proof.
Everything on this bounce house is top notch. From the way the blower fits to the inflatable, to the quality of the stitching. It's a commercial-grade bouncer at residential pricing.
- Largest bounce area in category
- Accommodates 5-6 kids at once
- No bells and whistles: all bounce area
- Mesh netting walls
- Tear-resistant materials
- Tons of anchor points
- No extra features. Slide to get in is basically a step.
- The blower has to run constantly when children are playing
- No top which means kids will be playing in direct sunlight
Final Comparison
As you can see, all three offer distinct advantages over one another. We feel comfortable that one of these three will be the right fit for you. Here's a final comparison comparing the main points of each bouncer:
Little Tikes
- Best value
- Awesome slide
- Kids go nuts for it
Bounceland
- Most features
- Fun shape
- Great price
Blast Zone
- Largest bounce area
- Highest capacity
- Minimalist concept
We hope this roundup article was helpful for you. If you decide to buy a bouncer, please don't forget to clean your bounce house regularly to prevent mold and damage.
