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No matter how much of a grown-up you are during the rest of the year, there’s something about the hot days of summer that make you want to relax, unwind…and absolutely drench your friends and family with a water gun. Organizing an adult water gun battle royale can be a great way to spend time in the backyard, around the pool, or at the beach—and it's all the more fun if you have kiddos who want to get involved, too. But former children who grew up in the era of neon-colored Super Soakers may be surprised to know there have been some fantastic advances in the water-fighting field. If you’re looking to cool down in a fun way this summer, we’ve rounded up the best water guns for adults you can use to beat the heat.
The Best Water Guns for Adults
What to Consider
If you're an adult, there’s a good chance it’s been quite a while since you went to the store to pick up water guns. Today, these summer staples have been redesigned to maximize enjoyment and cut back on the unpleasantries of water fights, like refilling your tank over and over and carrying an obscene amount of water.
However, it’s essential to remember that no matter how light a water gun may be when it’s empty, a massive, full tank will always make it harder to move around. And if you’re planning for a pool, beach, or lake day, you may want to opt for a model that you can refill by dunking it in water instead of something that needs a hose or faucet. Other features, such as the stream strength and pump-action versus pressurize-and-pull triggers, are a matter of personal preference—and attack style.
How We Selected
To compile our picks, we researched hundreds of the most popular, modern water guns for adults while keeping both price and function in mind. We further narrowed our list by including only water guns that have average customer ratings of 4 stars or higher.
For more ways to level up your summer fun, check out our picks for the best inflatable pools, pool floats, and water trampolines.
Pros
Tank can be replenished in as little as a second- Four types of water streams
Cons
- Heavy for smaller kids
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 1.3 pounds
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 10.6 x 3.3 x 16.5 inches
- Tank Capacity 30 fluid ounces
The worst part of any water fight is spending the entire time by the hose trying to get back into the game. The Zuru X-Shot offers refill times as short as one second—all you have to do is dunk the gun in water, seal it, and get right back to the action. You can also benefit from its classic pump-and-trigger system for firing water at a range of up to 30 feet.
2
Best Budget Water Gun
Nerf Super Soaker Twister Water Blaster
Pros
- High-volume water stream for its size
- Affordably priced
Cons
- Pump action makes accuracy difficult
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 0.9 pounds
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 1.75 x 26.44 x 11.62 inches
- Tank Capacity 37 fluid ounces
Even as an adult, water fights should be simple and carefree. Fortunately, the Nerf Super Soaker Twister allows you to bring some of that childlike effortlessness to your battle with easy-to-use pump blasting and a remarkably light carrying weight.
But don’t let its basic appearance fool you: This model has the benefit of a spinning double helix of water streams that’s certain to douse your opponent.
Pros
- Chamber holds ice water for super chilly blasts
Cons
- Small tank capacity
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 14.4 ounces
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 2.56 x 11.73x 9.84 inches
- Tank Capacity 20 fluid ounces
There are few things that can stop you in your tracks like a blast of cold water. Thanks to the FreezeFire, you can use this tactic to disarm your opponents at your next water fight with a tank that's designed to keep your reserved liquid on ice. This water gun’s pump action also allows you to chill others from afar with a shooting range of 38 feet.
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Pros
- Large, long-lasting tank
- Easy to fire
Cons
- Shorter range of only about 25 feet
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 1.7 pounds
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 2.63 x 20.38 x 9.38 inches
- Tank Capacity 55 fluid ounces
Short of commandeering the hose, the Nerf Super Soaker Soakzooka is the best way to deliver substantial streams of water to your opponents in a water fight. And besides its pump-action firing mechanism that ensures you’ll always be ready when it's time to strike, you’ll also be able to drench plenty of opponents before needing to run back for a refill, thanks to its large holding tank.
Pros
- Easy to fire with a heavy stream
- Long-lasting tank
Cons
- Bulky and heavy
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 2.2 pounds
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 2.64 x 25.98 x 11.26 inches
- Tank Capacity 65 fluid ounces
If you’re going to show up to a water fight, you might as well bring the hardware needed to drench people as much as possible. Just one pull of the Nerf Super Soaker Hydra’s trigger unleashes an endless tidal wave of water on your opponent, using a pump-to-pressurize system that can shoot 50 feet or more. The best part? The deluge still doesn’t deplete the tank too quickly.
Pros
- Easy and fast to refill
- Long range with high accuracy
Cons
- Limited to one shot between refills
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 10.4 ounces
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 12 x 5.5 x 12 inches
- Tank Capacity 16 fluid ounces
The Stream Machine provides the most simple-yet-effective way to drench your opponents, offering rapid reloads and an extended range of up to 70 feet. It’s one of the easiest ways to cool off while spending the day by the pool or at the beach: Just dunk the barrel, pull the handle back, and you're ready to fire.
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Pros
- Light and portable
- Large tank, despite its size
Cons
- Short range
- Weak stream
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 0.5 pounds
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 2.63 x 11 x 9 inches
- Tank Capacity 7.4 fluid ounces
While no one would argue that an all-out onslaught isn’t practical, the best-laid water attacks are arguably those your opponent never sees coming. The small, compact Nerf Fortnite HC-E Super Soaker Water Blaster is as easy to carry as it is to conceal, making it super simple to launch a sneak attack. It also features a deceptively large reservoir for such a small water gun.
Pros
- Foam darts provide another element of fun
- Long water range
Cons
- On the pricier side
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 1 pound
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 2.52 x 20 x 12.24 inches
- Tank Capacity 40 fluid ounces
If recent film reboots and certain rematched celebrity couples have taught us anything, it’s that when two beloved ’90s fixtures come together, the results can be fantastic. If you’re looking for a way to maximize nostalgia, the DartFire combines the summertime fun of a high-powered Super Soaker with the foam dart action of a Nerf gun, making it the perfect throwback mashup for your backyard get-together.
Pros
- Multiple water guns for the price of one
- Large holding tank capacity for both sizes
Cons
- Over-pumping can lead to breakage
Key Specs
- Item Weight: 0.75 and 1.25 pounds
- Item Dimensions (L x W x H): 11.8 x 1.20 x 6.30 inches and 15.7 x 2.76 x 7.48 inches
- Tank Capacity 15 fluid ounces and 35 fluid ounces
Feeling indecisive? You can outfit an entire backyard water brawl with this combo pack, which includes two smaller Aqua Phasers and one larger Hydro Enforcer. Both sizes boast a range of up to 35 feet, are easy to refill, and are durable enough to survive an entire summer of fun.
