I Bought a $200 Inflatable Water Slide from Sam’s Club for My Kids, and I Can Already Tell It Was Worth It

For almost a year, ever since my daughter attended a birthday party with a backyard inflatable water slide (a great way to keep kids entertained at a party!), I toyed with the idea of buying one of our own. My kids are always looking for the next exciting thing to climb, so rather than continually chasing them off things that are unsafe, an inflatable water slide makes sense. 

As a product reviewer and parenting writer, we have way more toys in our home than my kids could ever need, so I was hesitant to purchase such a large toy. For almost a year, I added water slides to my cart but never followed through with the purchases. Because it is a really large purchase, both in terms of storage space in our home and the dent it would make in our savings account, it wasn’t something I wanted to just buy on a whim. 

As you can probably guess where this story is headed, I finally did it. I added a water slide to my cart and checked out. I didn’t splurge for one of the larger and more excessive ones, like this one with a double slide. Instead, I found a reasonably priced one at Sam’s Club for just over $200. Despite its lower price tag, it’s well-made, and it even comes with a blower (something that some of the more expensive slides require you to purchase separately). 

I waited until a hot day to tell my daughter about the slide because waiting is hard when you’re 4. Once we got it up and running, she and her one-year-old twin brothers played on it for hours. Hours! The boys spent most of their time in the splash pad at the bottom, and they enjoyed spraying their sister with the water cannon. 

We also invited my 3-year-old and 18-month-old nephews over to play, and they played for hours on the slide, too. It even prompted their grandparents to buy one for their house. We still have many hot summer days ahead of us, and I can already tell that this slide will afford me many days where I can just sit down and relax in the shade while my kids get their energy out on the slide. 

Of course, with a larger climbing toy like this, safety is always a concern. The slide comes with plenty of stakes to hold it in place, and there is mesh netting at the top to keep kids from falling off. If you decide to purchase one for yourself, always ensure you set it up properly, and never let your kids play unattended. 

I’ve found that the water slide is a good tool for making friends, too. We recently moved to a new neighborhood, and my daughter has been itching to find friends her age. What 4-year-old wouldn’t want to come over after seeing a giant water slide in the backyard? 

A water slide like this is an investment, so it is important to take some time to think before buying one. Here are some questions to consider before making a purchase.

• Is this the type of toy your kids would enjoy playing on? Do they like to climb, slide, and get wet? 
• Do you have a flat grassy area in your yard to put the slide? 
• Do you have adequate space to store the slide when not in use? You’ll need to store the deflated slide and the blower. 
• Are your kids within the age range and weight limit for the slide you’re considering? 
• Is the slide within your budget? Consider whether the cost of the slide might be offset by other savings. For example, will the slide allow you to take fewer trips to the local pool or splash pad?