One perfect activity is the best bounce house. Even though you can easily rent the bounce house, itâs going to be far better to invest in your own. That way, you have a fun activity for every birthday party or just a good summer evening.
Even if you donât have regular birthday parties like that, a bounce house can be a good way to give active kids a way to focus their energy on something healthy.
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They are great exercise. They also keep kids focused in one area, making it easier to keep an eye on them in the backyard or in the basement if itâs set up inside.
Weâve put together a list of the best bounce houses so that you can make your decision and get to having fun. They were chosen based on durability, storage, speed of inflation, and general fun features. Letâs take a look.
Quick Overview: The Best Bounce Houses
#1. Blast Zone Magic Castle Inflatable Castle – Best Indoor Bounce House For Kids
If you decided to relieve the boredom and get the excess energy off, then the perfect way is the Blast Zone. Castle-style inflatable bounce house comes with a ball pit. The blower is included, and the inflation time is a mere two minutes. It measures 8.5′ W x 11′ L x 8′ H, and max occupancy is 3 at a time. When not inflated, it folds up to sleeping bag height.
The bright colors and playful style are perfect for smaller children who respond well to primary colors.
It can be set up indoors and outdoors and is made with reinforced PVC vinyl. The walls themselves have a safety netting to prevent falls.
The first is to turn the bouncer on. All you do is flick the button, switch it on and it inflates. It is super quiet and it inflates very quickly. The slide in order to gain entry and exit. If you’ve got little ones you don’t have to worry about her tripping or trying to climb into it. Baby is able to go on and off the slide safely and quite honestly.
Another thing is that it’s not super high, but it is definitely large enough for three kids to play in. Itâs highly durable with reinforced stitching, and itâs made to withstand some hard bouncing. There are no holes and no rubbing marks. And it’s a very thick fabric. The netting goes all the way around super reinforced with the yellow on the bottom. And the velcro strips can hold the children in, especially the ninth-month-old that doesn’t know how to open and close.
Itâs recommended to adhere strictly to the 3 child limit in order to prolong the life of your bounce house. So if you don’t want her to go up and down all the time she doesn’t. If you are looking for a bouncer that can fit into your house this might be the best solution.
- Brightly colored and fun design
- Highly durable
- Blower Included
- Blower fan component can malfunction after some extended use
#2. Little Tykes Jump nâ Slide Bouncer – Best Inflatable Bounce House
Green For a good, basic bouncer, the Little Tykes offers plenty of space with an easy slide dismount for kids. Inside bounce area – 84.00 L x 84.00 W x 47.50 H and offers three-sided mesh nets to prevent falls. The primary colors are perfect for younger kids.
The material itself is puncture-resistant, and the blower is a continuous airflow system. The seams are vented for air pressure. The slide is extra wide so that more than one child can slide at the same time.
It doesnât have all the features that some other houses on the list have, but itâs an excellent cheaper alternative without sacrificing quality. If all you want is a basic bounce house, this one is a good start.
It has a heavy-duty blower with a GFCI plug (required by the Children Safety Committee, these plugs will shut off during unsafe conditions to prevent electric shock) and it has a repair kit a four blower stakes, and six bouncer stakes. So you can make sure this is secure in the ground especially on a windy day. It says you can have a maximum of three kids and the maximum weight is 250 pounds. You just have to have some supervision over the kids and make sure they’re not getting too rowdy or anything.
It has a slide. Probably the favorite part of the bouncer is just going down the slides kids love it. It also has a place to put your shoes and a mesh door on the back for easy entrance. This makes it really easy for kids to come through the back and then they can slide down the slide to exit. The recommended age for this is thirty-six months to eight years.
The blower is really powerful. The button where you turn on has a little covering to make it waterproof and it is really durable. Bounce house easy to put away and it’s perfect for playdates which I definitely can say. I love having it out for playdates and it’s always a hit with the kids. A lot of people were saying it was definitely worth the money.The bounce house is wet once. It rained on it. I didn’t realize it was raining and it got wet and it did start to look like it was getting a little bit of mold. So definitely do not let it get wet. Itâs not meant to get wet. Keep it dry and then once kids are done playing in it put away and store it in a not a humid place. Make sure it’s in the dry area that you’re storing it.
One thing I do wish that it had at the back part where opens its velcro was a zipper. Because for little kids or even older kids it makes me nervous that if the velcro wasn’t totally secure that they could fall out of the back and it’s a decent drop. So I kind of wish it was a zipper that you could open up. That would be kind of nice or even a choice if you could use the velcro and then you also consider it up.
It does have a one-year warranty that warns the product of any defects in the material or the workmanship for a year. We really enjoy is definitely a purchase that I do not regret and even on rainy days I will set it up in the house it’s really easy to put away bring out. I have no problem just storing it in the basement or the garage for the winter and bringing it and putting it in a room and setting it up and having kids burn some energy.
- Cheaper without sacrificing quality
- Wide slide and smaller footprint
- Stakes are plastic and can be hard to get in the ground
#3. Bounceland Royal Palace Bounce House – Best Bounce House With Slide
This is a wonderful, large bounce house that can accommodate more children and bigger jumps. It measures approximately 13 ft x12 ft x9 ft H and features a shade roof to keep the sun away. And can withstand up to 500 lbs. of weight.
The bounce house has other features to add to playtime. Not only can kids bounce, but they can slide, play basketball, and climb.
Although itâs more expensive than the other houses on the list, it can withstand a lot of wear and tear and offers more than just bouncing.
- Large bounce area
- Other play features such as climbing wall and basketball goal
- More expensive than others on the list
#4. Big Ole Bouncer Inflatable Moonwalk – Most Durable Bounce House
The Inflatable Moonwalk is a monster of a bounce house designed for slightly older children and to withstand a larger amount of wear and tear. It provides a larger bounce area, measured at 12W x 15D x 7H. It still inflates in a record time of a few seconds.
Kids have plenty of room to tumble around but are kept safe by the safety net features. The colors are more subdued and less elementary, which might please older kids.
It has reinforced stitching and an x-weave style to promote the durability of its commercial-grade jumping surfaces.
It comes with an instructional DVD to make operation easy, and a blower that provides continuous airflow to maintain bounce structure. Some of the air escapes from the seams, which helps to equalize the pressure as children bounce and make breakage less likely.
There’s a slide that kids can go up and down easily. It velcros open and shut. And then you can bounce inside, tons of fun. It is pretty sturdy and durable. It blows up really quick, just in minutes, you plug it in. Don’t forget to tie the other side.
Set it up where you want it (grass recommended) and drive the corner stakes into the ground. Attach the blower to the input, tie it off, tie off the deflation tube, and stake the blower in place. One person can do all this easily by themselves, in under 5 minutes. The floor takes another 60 seconds to fully inflate, once it’s done, the kids can go in and tons of fun.
- Larger jumping area for more fun
- Blower and seam style help to regulate internal air pressure to prevent breakage
- DVD instructions
- More expensive than others
#5. Picasso Tiles Jump and Slide Bouncer – Best Bounce House For Home
This is a fun bouncer with a classic design that includes a slide feature on the front and basketball rim. It’s for ages three to eight years of age and can accommodate three children under 250 pounds. Kids can enter a door in the netting through the back and slide down the front. It has bright, primary colors, and safety netting around three sides to prevent falls.
Inflatable Bounce House comes with a heavy-duty 580-watt blower, four different types of sports balls, six pieces repair kit, and enough stakes to stake down the house and the motor.
This bouncy house is so easy to set up. It measures about 12 x 10 feet, with plenty of space for jumping. Itâs built of puncture-resistant materials and features continuous airflow from the blower and venting in the seams to prevent bursts.
Unroll and unfold the bouncy house on a big tarp on the ground, that way it would protect it and keep it nice and clean. Then attached the longer fabric tube to the blower and fasten the velcro strap. Make sure that the tube is not twisted. Tie the drawstrings around the short tube. Plugin the blower and press the start button. It’s incredible how fast this bouncy house fills with air. It is really fascinating to what – every corner and column just fill with air and it’s ready to go. The company gives these states for the house and the blower.
One key point to mention is that you must keep the blower on. You’ll also notice that in some of the scenes that the air might leap a little, but that is normal.The motor is not loud and it doesn’t vibrate. And if the kids go in for lunch – just turn it up, when they’re ready to play again – turn it back on. it has mesh netting on the sides for protecting the kids from falling out. velcro tape covers, so whether you can provide shade when they’re bouncing on their, side pockets for shoes or toys, and a back entry door. Very tough durable material to jump on.
To deflate the Playhouse simply – Â turn off the blower, disconnect the long tube, untied the short tube, fold the sides and then roll the Playhouse. Any leftover air inside just comes out very easy and then store away for the next playtime. Itâs on the smaller side so itâs possible to fit it in a larger area indoors. However, itâs recommended to keep it outdoors.
- Fun colors and smaller design make it possible to use this indoors in larger spaces
- Safety netting with hook and eye closures
- Only three children can bounce at once
- The blower fan component can malfunction after some extended use
#6. Little Tykes Shady Jump nâ Slide Bouncer – Best Bounce House Ever
Green The Little Tykes is an excellent bouncer for your smaller children, particularly if you donât have shade covering the bouncer when outdoors. There are a generous 7-foot jump space and safety netting to prevent falls.
Itâs designed for outdoor use only and for a maximum of three children in the jumping area.
However, the bright colors are a fun addition to a birthday party, particularly for young elementary-age children.
- Shade cover keeps sun away even where no shade is available outside
- Bright, fun colors
- Shade cover prevents bigger jumps and can be difficult for taller children
#7. Bounceland Castle with Hoop – Best Bounce House for Small Yards
Another castle style bouncer is the Bounceland Castle. It has a smaller footprint than the previous bounce house but offers a hoop to play basketball. Bounce house measures approximately 12ft x9ft x7ft H and can accommodate up to 3 children bouncing. It also has safety netting to prevent falls.
It features a heavy-duty blower that provides continual airflow, and the seams vent to maintain internal pressure without bursting. The stitches are triple reinforced to last. The material itself is a durable material meant to hold up.
- Smaller footprint can be used inside
- Also has a basketball hoop
- Weight requirements are more strict
#8. Jump and Splash Bounce House Bouncer – Best Inflatable Water Slide
The Jump and Splash is a combination of splash pool and a bounce house that can be used wet or dry. it features a bounce house on top with a slide that goes into a small pool at the bottom. The total inflated size is 11.5âx9’x6h with a pool area of 78âx58â.
You can use this indoors and out. However, you will need a larger space for indoor use. It takes just minutes to set up and take down, but it is recommended that you dry it completely before storage.
Itâs on the more expensive side, but the investment is a good one if you plan to host summer childrenâs parties. A few uses and youâve made back the money you would have spent renting it.
- Wet and dry use
- Indoor and outdoor use
- More expensive than others
#9. Little Castle Bounce House and Ball Pit – Best Indoor Bounce House For Toddlers
The Little Castle features both ball pit features and bounce features, but unlike the other on the list, the ball pit and the bounce floor are separate areas. This allows children to separate and play where they like.
It can be used indoors and outdoors, but only accommodates two children of up to 75lbs at a time. While this footprint may be easier for some parents, if you plan to use this for parties or other events, you might be disappointed.
This is an economical choice for younger children and smaller space requirements. If parents still have toddlers, this should be plenty for them to bounce and play without danger.
- Economical choice
- Ball pit and bounce house are separate areas
- Only accommodates smaller children
- Accommodates up to 2 children at a time
#10. Mini Crayon Bounce House – Best Bounce House In The World
The Mini Crayon House is a great all around bounce house built for outdoor use. It measures 12 x 9 x 7.5. It has a capacity of up to 300 combined pounds and inflates in minutes for use.
The seams are reinforced but are vented to maintain proper air pressure with continuous blower airflow. This helps keep inner air pressure at the proper measurement to prevent bursting.
- Good all-around bounce house
- Fun design
- None of the extra features available on some of the other houses
Best Bounce House – Buyerâs Guide
Bounce houses come with a lot of different things that range from basic bouncing to climbing walls and splash pools. What you need will depend on what kind of activities you plan to do with your kids. Investing in a bounce house is a great choice if you plan to host regular birthday parties with children involved. Itâs also excellent for children who need a lot of activity. If you are looking to invest in a bounce house, then itâs helpful to know the kinds of things that are available.
Indoor and Outdoor use
Some bounce houses are only available to use outdoors. Although this may be fine for your purposes, if your child has a winter birthday, or you are worried about the weather, then it might be helpful to have one that can be inflated inside as well.
Some things to look for will be a smaller footprint to accommodate size requirements. For outdoor use, it might be helpful to purchase one that comes with a sunshade. If your yard is wide open, then the sun can bake the material on the bounce house and make it uncomfortable for childrenâs skin. A sunshade can offer protection from the sun.
The downside to a sunshade is that it prevents jumping from taller children or bigger children from going as high. This might be a natural safety feature for you, but you should consider who is going to be using the structure regularly.
Wet and Dry
Another feature is the ability to turn the bounce house into a splash house. Even though they are all made of weather-resistant material, not all bounce houses are made to be soaked with water. If you plan to use it in the summer, it might be a nice feature to be able to add water to cool things off.
If this isnât a big deal for you, or your house will be inside a lot, then the water feature isnât as necessary. Wet/dry houses can be more of an investment because of the materials needed to make them durable and safe for children. Be sure the check the safety netting because wet houses are slippery.
Air Leaks
When you first get your bounce house, it can be disconcerting to feel air leakage from the seams. It might seem like something is wrong.
However, a little air should be vented from the seams to accommodate air pressure changes as children bounce. Without venting, there is an enormous amount of pressure on the seams as children jump, and this can cause the seams to weaken over time and burst.
You will want to check for holes larger than a dime as this can prevent proper inflation, but seams that vent a little air are necessary to maintain the life of the bounce house. It is nothing to be worried about.
Blower
The blower is an important part of maintaining air pressure. Because the seams are vented to relieve pressure, the blower must maintain continual air pressure.
Blowers that have longer tubes are better protected from rambunctious childrenâs activities.
You will need to regularly inspect the blower parts to maintain functions. Many of the houses come with their own blowers, but youâll want to check what is included in the package to be sure. If it doesnât come with a blower, this only adds to your investment cost.
Other Features
Bounce houses can be very simple. Four walls, a bounce floor, maybe a slide to make getting out easier on little ones. Others can have a number of features that make them fun to use besides bouncing.
You can find splash houses with pools and sprinklers. Some have climbing walls to make getting into the house a fun, different activity. Many of them include basketball hoops and other such sports activities. Others have ball pits included in the bounce floor or as a separate wing.
Depending on what you need, the basic bounce house might be enough. Keeping the cost low will steer you towards the basic house, but if your budget is bigger, then you might want to go for something fancier to give kids more than one activity to do while bouncing.
How to clean an inflatable bounce house
You will need the following tools: a shop vacuum, cleaning rags, disinfectant, cleaning solution, and slide surface lubricant. Start off by vacuuming debris and dirt from inside the inflatable. Next clean and disinfect the areas that riders have played on with a cleaning solution. Some cleaning solutions that work well are Simple Green, Awesome, Lysol, and OdoBan. Most of these cleaners will need to be diluted with water.
You may use Steramine stuff and you can get it like the tablets. A whole bottle of 150 tablets for $10 or less than $10 and each tablet will make a gallon. So 150 gallons for less than $10. This is what use in restaurants and stuff to sanitize surfaces. Then you may use a microfiber cheap cloth or whatever rag you have available and then you just spray.
Use a spray bottle. So that’s how you clean them you just spray it everywhere and clean it. I started one area spray it and then wipe it off that way it’s sanitized in that area. And I just go ahead and go through the slide and I like to get all the edges like this and everything and I sanitize the whole slide. It only takes a few minutes and that way I get the whole thing clean and then you can tell that my inflatable unit is pretty clean. I’ve had a slide for two years and it looks amazing because I clean it every time it only takes.
Thoroughly clean the entire inflatable inside and out. If your inflatable consists of a slide use a lubricant wax such as ArmorAll, Pledge, or SlideSlick to keep the surface slippery. Your inflatable should be cleaned after each use.
Are bounce houses safe?
Bounce houses are undoubtedly very fun for children and sometimes even adults. However, they’re very dangerous when misused. Children have a tendency to become overzealous in high action situations such as playing in a bounce house and can easily injure one another if the rules are not followed closely. The rules are commonly just used as a guide and often ignored. Some problems we’d like to point out are the flawed rule of age limits, anchoring the device and wind control, and unsupervised children.
It is also important to be wearing proper attire while enjoying the bounce house – no shoes, exposed zippers, eyeglasses, or anything sharp should be worn in the bounce house. Under the bounce house rules, it states specifically no children over the age of 12. Bounce houses should be limited by a weight limit, similar to how trampolines are limited. However, adults should still not be allowed in the bounce houses, no matter how close to the weight limit you are.
Also, remember to sandbag your bounce house, stakes are not enough. not only are winds a problem, but children who run rampant can be a huge issue. It takes all of two seconds. If a child should get behind the device and cut off the airflow children inside of the house can become trapped and easily panic. If your child is under the age of five the collapse of a bounce house can easily cause injuries. Or potential death if your child should become trapped under the heavy plastic. It’s important that your child is supervised. As always please have fun and remember to be safe in your bounce house.
How to patch a bounce house or inflatable slide DIY
How to patch holes and tears in inflatables? To patch the inflatable you will need vinyl cement in a commercial grade vinyl patch. First, clean the torn area to remove the dust and grease from the surface. Find a matching color vinyl for the patch. Measure a torn area and cut an oval or round shape vinyl patch. Approximately 2 inches larger than the torn area or the cut. Place the patch on the torn area and mark the surrounding area with a pencil.
Make sure the surface is dry before applying the vinyl cement. Apply vinyl cement on the patch and around the torn area. Allow vinyl cement to dry until it fills dried to touch around one to two minutes. Place the patch covering the damaged area and press with your palm for one minute. We suggest having the patch dry for a couple of hours before using the inflatable.
Conclusion
Renting a bounce house might seem like a good idea, but most kids enjoy bounce houses again and again. Deciding to invest in a bounce house is a good idea if you have active children or you frequently need something to do at a birthday party.
Many parents have reported better bedtimes and better-engaged kids when the bounce house is available. It uses all their gross motor skills and provides them with an outlet for pent-up energy. This kind of activity is a great hit with both kids and parents.
Also with the best bounce house, kids congregate in one area. This makes it easier for parents to keep an eye on kids, instead of having them run around in all different directions. Anything that focuses on kids’ energy in one particular place causes parents to breathe a sigh of relief.
Whatever you choose, simple or full features, your children will love being able to bounce and do tricks whenever they want. Renting one time may seem economical, but if you think youâll rent more than once, it might be better to go ahead and invest in something you can use again and again.
Let us know in the comments which best bounce house was your favorite and how it turned out for you. Be sure to share this with any parent you know who might need a little help finding an activity to occupy their active children or something to take the edge off the sugar during that summertime birthday party this year.
A few friends and I have started a small business and require some bounce houses. This buyerâs guide is by far the best I have found online. Period. I have been looking for days and I am so grateful I found your reviews. I sent it to my buddies and we both decided on getting the best two different types – Bounceland Royal bounce house with slide and Little Castle best bounce house for toddlers.
Very good list. I know Little Tikes makes excellent products that last many years. I still have a few of those hard plastic foot cars from when my brother and I were kids. My daughter gets a kick out of using it. My wife suggested we get the best bounce house for her 4th birthday which is at the end of the month. I am making an options list now and added a few of your recommendations to the list.
These are not typical bounce houses but rather miniature ones. I honestly never knew this was an option! I know ball pits in smaller sizes exist as I have 2, one for my kids and one for our two ferrets. I think both the kids and the ferrets would get a kick out of a bounce house though! I am going to order the best bounce house for kids soon.
I have rented bounce houses for years and never considered buying one even though there are tons of kids on our street and it would get used all summer long. Well, some of the other mothers and I decided to go in on one and keep the best bounce house for kids in my back yard since I have the most space. We all canât wait to surprise the kids!
There are great options if you donât want to rent or borrow a jump house and would rather get tons of use out of one. My wife and I got our two sons the Blast Zone Magic Castle for Christmas. Its the best bounce house for home. And kids have been using it every day since opening it. I love that it provides them with exercise and the wife and I get a kick out of watching them play and hearing the laughter all over the house.
My husband and I decided to get the best bounce house for our 3 kids who are under 5. Now that we have a big backyard and live in the south where it is warmer year-round, we want to take advantage of our time and their time spent outdoors. We plan to surprise them with it next month after the pool is finished being put in. Wonderful list, helped me pick the best one.
My buddy owns a party story and wanted to invest in renting out jump houses since it is the type of thing most parents donât buy. He didnât want to spend the money out of pocket so I agreed to buy them for him but he has to give me 30% of what he makes off them. I just ordered a few from your list and a few others best inflatable bounce houses, I wanted to get at least 4 in total so parents have options.
Hi, I was looking for information on Bounce Houses and found your website. It’s crazy how much to consider when purchasing a bounce house! I am looking for the best indoor bounce house that I could possibly buy. Great reviews, thanks!
Great article, it reminds me of another article I read this morning which covers different types of bounce house rentals for bounce house mental health! I love that it’s so good for kids!
I want to buy an inflatable bounce house with water slide but I wondering – Do the water slides add a lot to your water bill?
And our area has limited summer entertainment options, and a family membership to the local pool is $350 for the summer (you can’t pay as you go; you have to join up) so I’m looking for something fun that the kids can do at home. And since I’m anti-trampoline, I wanted to explore bounce houses as an alternative.
Any thoughts or experiences?
It’s the middle of summer and you’ve just finished setting up my bounce house in the backyard for the kids to enjoy. But then it starts raining and I realize that I need to move the bounce house inside before it gets ruined. How to easily move a inflatable trampoline?
The first step is to find an appropriate place to move the bounce house to. Make sure that there is plenty of space and that the surface is level. Once you’ve selected a spot, unplug the bounce house and deflate it completely.
Next, fold up the bounce house and carry it to your selected spot. Be careful not to damage it while transporting it. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, unfold the bounce house and plug it in. Finally, re-inflate the bouncer and wait for the kids to start bouncing!
Would it be too hot to use a Inflatable bounce house during the summer? We’re in central NC where it gets pretty hot, but then again we could set it up in the evening instead.
If you’re planning on using a bounce house during the summer, make sure to keep an eye on the temperature. Inflatable bounce houses can get quite hot in the sun, and kids could potentially get heat exhaustion.
To avoid this, try setting up the bounce house in a shady spot or under an umbrella. You can also use fans to help keep the air inside cool. Just make sure that any fans you use are pointing away from the bounce house so that they don’t blow directly on it. This will help avoid any accidents due to heat related issues bounce house.
By taking these precautions, you can help ensure a fun and safe experience for all!