Now that the sun's out, it's time to start thinking about the best water guns. No matter whether you want Super Soakers for your kids or something you can use yourself, striking now helps you avoid the rush – and higher prices – when even warmer weather hits. And because water pistols will be drawn in backyard battles across the land before long, the GamesRadar+ experts and I are on-hand to help turn the tide in your favor.
To help point you in the right direction and save precious time that could be spent messing about with the best water guns, the team and I have rounded up our top recommendations below. Want implements of H2O mayhem that won't break the bank? Try the Hydro Frenzy by Super Soaker. This is far from your average water pistol; while it can fire 'normally' with the usual pump action everyone expects, you can pull back the barrel to reveal two hoses that spray water everywhere when unleased. It's pure carnage and is a ton of fun no matter your age.
This guide will also get plenty of updates as Summer truly begins, particularly with upcoming releases like the bomb-throwing SpyraGravity, so, pop back later if you want up-to-date recommendations. In the meantime, let loose the hounds of (water) war!
Quick list
Keen to cut loose? You can't do much better than this when it comes to water guns. The Hydro Frenzy fires two streams in random directions, so there's no escaping its wrath.
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Buying for multiple children, but hoping not to spend too much? This is a great option in terms of value for money, and it impresses thanks to an ingenious reload system.
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Why limit yourself to water pistols when you can get a blaster that also fires Nerf darts? This option deals in both H2O and darts, making it a great all-rounder.
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For those who like to battle up close, the Twister is ideal - it fires a jet of water in a double helix pattern, so it's near-impossible to keep out of the way.
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If you want to avoid filling up your blaster every few minutes while still laying down the smack, this is a great option that'll serve you well.
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Buying for younger water warriors? This is a great option because it's small and light enough to be used with ease, and it has the Fortnite cool-factor.
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Best all-round water gun
Want to bring a touch of carnage to your backyard battles? Take note of this water gun. Although you can fire it in 'normal' mode, remove the barrel to reveal a secondary fuction – two flexible tubes. The pressure from firing causes these to twist in every direction, and that sends streams of H20 all over the place. It's brilliantly chaotic, utterly random, and impossible to dodge.
The Hydro Frenzy isn't just about mayhem, nor is it a bog-standard water pistol – this is a three-in-one blaster with a couple of very different settings. You can lock the barrel's two tubes in place for a traditional jet of water, or pull the nozzle back to let them loose. Do so and they'll dance all over the place when you fire, shooting at random in practically every direction. Adjust the nozzle again for an even wider blast radius.
In terms of looks, this Super Soaker is pretty classic; it's an in-your-face blend of white, orange, and green, with a sizeable but rounded tank at the back. There are no fancy stocks or triggers here.
I'll admit, I wasn't expecting great things when I first broke it out of the box... but closer inspection revealed how wrong I was. For starters, yes – freeing the two tubes and firing results in a delightfully mad shower of H20 that made me want to cackle. It's one heck of a trump card in backyard battles, because there's next to no way of avoiding it.
However, there's more to it besides the mode listed above. Sliding the barrel forwards secures those tubes and allows you to fire 'normally.' The latter catapults two jets of water straight ahead, and besides being quite accurate, their range is surprisingly good. In essence, this is a great multi-purpose option.
- Read more: Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy review
Best water guns for siblings
The problem with most water pistols is that there's usually only one, and they're often quite expensive. This isn't much good if you have multiple kids, because 'one' doesn't exactly divide very well and stocking up on more can get expensive quickly. That's what's so appealing about these Super Soakers; they come as a pair.
They also fix one of my biggest gripes with the best water guns - the faff of having to wait while your blaster refills slowly from the tap, bucket, or hose. That's precious time which could be spent drenching everyone else, and I'm sure we could agree that's just not cricket. However, the Dunk-Fill sidesteps all that by... well, doing what it says on the tin. You simply dunk the things and off you go.
OK, it's not quite as simple as that. You actually have to make sure they're dunked upright, and you'll need a bucket or something similar so the tank is totally submerged. But so long as you follow that simple rule, it works like magic. No, seriously – it packs an ingenious little door in the canister's bottom that opens when you thrust it into a body of water, loading the blaster in seconds. It then shuts when you lift the blaster up, so none of your precious cargo escapes.
Most importantly, the Dunk-Fill 2-Pack is lots of fun to use as well. It's a good old-fashioned pump-action water gun so is really easy to get the hang of regardless of age, and it doesn't require much strength to activate either. While it isn't going to match other entries on this list at a distance, it'll do the job nicely at short to mid-range. The inclusion of a second blaster makes it ideal for siblings too, so you shouldn't have issues with arguments over who gets what here.
Best water guns for adults
There are water guns, and then there's the SpyraThree. This is the most impressive water pistol I've ever seen, hands down – and it's not even close.
Designed with a "what if we made Super Soakers for grown-ups" mentality, it's a weapon of mass water destruction that is unbelievably accurate, fast-firing, and fun to use. It fills up quickly thanks to a clever retrieval system that's as easy as pushing a button, too, so you'll dominate the game if you bring this to a water fight.
The SpyraThree gets all sci-fi up in the water gun industry, and it almost looks like something you'd find on the set of an Alien movie (if it weren't for the bright blue or red coloring). That extends to a digital display showing how much ammo you have left.
Alongside this fancy tech is an auto-refill feature where you dunk the end of the blaster into water and hit a button, multiple fire modes (single-shot League, Burst, and the spray-n-pray Open), and fast USB-C charging. This does make the SpyraThree kinda weighty, but not to the point it's uncomfortable. Speaking of which, a textured rubber grip helps in that regard.
Time for a little honesty – I was sceptical about the SpyraThree before my review sample arrived. I had my doubts that it could outperform high-end Super Soakers despite the marketing fluff, and it was pricey enough to make me wince. Then I pulled the trigger. Oh boy, was I wrong.
This is the Mona Lisa of water guns; it's a marvel. The accuracy and speed of each shot left me speechless, while the fancy tactical display (not to mention the premium build material) makes it feel every cent of its price. I was able to knock down targets across my garden practically every time, all while being able to tell how many shots I had left in the tank without having to guess. When combined with the drastically different fire modes, this is the complete package.
Reloading is a breeze too, though you will need a larger bucket of water to refill the SpyraThree properly.
Best water guns - short range
This isn't your average water gun; it's precision-engineered to cause delightful carnage on the battlefield. Rather than shooting a single stream, the blaster fires a double-helix of H20 to drench anyone in front of you no matter how much they try and dodge.
It's all down to a spinning cylinder at the end of the barrel. Using the gun's pump will cause that cylinder to whirl, sending out twin jets of water that are almost guaranteed to hit something. That makes the Twister perfect for folks who charge headlong into action - it's capable of blasting multiple people at once.
Although it requires force to activate properly (meaning very young warriors should look elsewhere), this is balanced out by not needing to aim. We're a terrible shot so ended up being grateful for that during our hands-on tests.
- Read more: Nerf Super Soaker Twister review
Best water guns - capacity
If you're keen to avoid refilling your blaster every few minutes, this particular Super Soaker is one of the best water guns there is. It offers a ridiculously large capacity of 65 fluid ounces (1.9 liters), so you're set for the long haul with this one.
Although that makes the Hydra fairly heavy, it's still straightforward for kids to fire if they're strong enough to wield it fully loaded. That's due to an easy-fire mechanism. Rather than a pump system, air pressure, or brute force, it uses a handle that you just pull to unleash a watery deluge.
And we mean deluge. This isn't a dribbling dollar-store pistol. The Hydra means business, and it's capable of utterly drenching your opponents.
Best water guns - for young kids
If you're hoping to get the best water guns without splashing out both literally and figuratively, this Fortnite-themed Super Soaker is a fair place to start. While it isn't as powerful as other blasters, it's cheap and will do the job very nicely. It's a damn sight better than dollar-store equivalents, too.
Plus, few water pistols look this cool. Based on Fortnite's Hand Cannon, it's a pitch-perfect recreation of the gun from the video game (albeit in family-friendly purple and orange). And even though it's prone to some leakage, the HC-E's low cost and awesome design make up for that.
It doesn't require pumping up either - just fill it, aim, and pull the trigger. That makes this one a great Super Soaker for children who want to get into the action as quickly as possible.
Best water guns - FAQ
What is the most powerful water gun?
If you're looking for the best water gun that balances price with power, the Super Soaker Hydra is a front-runner with few rivals. Thanks to a handle pump that unleashes a deluge of water, it'll completely drench opponents in no time at all. Although it'll get through its 65 fl oz (1.9L) tank faster than you'd expect, there aren't many alternatives within the same price range that can challenge it.
More premium options offer an even stronger performance. We've yet to go hands-on with it, but the SpyraTwo has been making waves in recent years (quite literally). Indeed, the company claims that it is the "world's strongest water gun". This is thanks to an electric pump that fires pellets of water rather than the usual stream.
Which water gun shoots the farthest?
After a lot of research, we've discovered that the Stream Machine TL 750 might just have the longest range of all the water guns we've looked at - more specifically, it can fire "up to 70 feet", which is a whole lot more than the majority of the competition. Want a water gun that can shoot the farthest? Take a look at the Stream Machine.
By way of context, your average water pistol can shoot a distance of 5 to 40 feet. The vast majority tend to fall around the mid-30s, and the bare minimum range we'd recommend is 10 feet unless you're opting for power (as is the case with the Super Soaker Soakzooka) or sheer soaking capability.
How much does the most powerful water gun cost?
If you're looking to get your hands on the most powerful water gun to make your friends run for cover, you can expect to pay $20 / £20 as a bare minimum for the privilege (a Super Soaker Hyrda costs roughly that amount, for example). However, top-of-the-line blasters can set you back a fair bit more so we'd expect prices to rise to the region of $30 / £30 at most. Basically, the more powerful your water pistol is, the more expensive it's going to be.
Well, we say 'at most'. There are super-advanced blasters that'll really knock your socks off like the SpyraTwo, but those will put a significant dent in your wallet of $100 / £100 or more.
For more offers everyone can enjoy, be sure to check out the top board games for kids and board games for families. As for other outdoor distractions, be sure to check out the latest offers on Nerf bullets.
