The UK may have run out of fans, but these water pistols will keep you cool

There are flashier water guns out there, but this is still one of my favorites years after I reviewed it. That's because it gives you so many options in a water battle; it works as a traditional blaster with two straight streams, or you can move the nozzle back so that both firing tubes flail wildly - soaking everyone in range. It's so much fun, and perfect for a heatwave like this.

Consider this blaster if you want an easy-going, straightforward water gun. While I've yet to go hands-on myself, it's got too good a reputation for me to ignore here; an impressive 70% of its 7,200+ Amazon reviews are a full five stars. These praise its range, durability, and capacity.

This is a smaller version of a water gun I really rated, the Power Drench XL (which you'll find further down the page). For starters, it boasts a quick-fill function where it fills and pressurises incredibly fast once you've placed the nozzle onto the hose attachment. You can then get back into the action with short, more accurate burst shots or a more traditional stream of water - no batteries required. The downside is that it can only be filled via the hose attachment, so bear that in mind before hitting checkout.

This is a great choice for anyone hoping to shake things up or keep their opponent on the back foot. Rather than firing with a traditional spray of water, it fires two twisting streams of water... which means your target will really struggle to avoid your shots.

XSHOT has a well-earned reputation as a worthy rival to Super Soaker, and these popular blasters are a great example of why. Yes, they fire across a good distance, but the real reason to consider them is the fast-fill function. Flip open the tank on the back, dunk them into a water source, and away you go.

Want the ultimate backyard blaster? If the Power Drench I mentioned earlier isn't quite big enough for your taste, this more than fits the bill. It fills and pressurises incredibly quickly once you've put it on the hose attachment, and then unleashes surprisingly accurate bursts of water (no batteries required). However, this power is because of that pressure - which means it can only be filled using the hose attachment.

Of all the blasters I've tested, these might be the most clever. Filling up water guns can take ages, but these fix that issue; simply dunk the tanks down into a water source, and it'll fill up almost instantly thanks to a trapdoor that opens at the bottom. That means you can get right back into action without having to wait at the tap.

I've yet to try this blaster, but its innovative design really stood out to me. All you need to do to refill it is dunk it into a water source, then flip the latch - it'll then open and refill almost instantly. When combined with four unique spray styles, the Flip Fill is surprisingly good value for something under £10. Most people using it seem to agree; it has a 70% five-star review rating at Amazon.