A lot of people ask me for my opinion on the best bounce house brands. Heck, most people would even be happy to have a complete list of bounce house brands, period!
But first, a quick note: Since I just mentioned it, I'll cut to the chase — do yourself a favor and buy something from Blast Zone or Bounceland, or if you have smaller kids pick up something from Little Tikes.
And the truth is that, today, the bounce house market is exploding. Brick and mortar stores are carrying them more often, and online retailers like Amazon are now booming with off-brand models that leave you feeling uncertain.
Here's my overall list, in order of reputation based on available information on the net. There are a few clear standouts and a few average brands, and one or two to watch out for.
Most people don't buy bounce houses very often. Am I right?
When you first start to look for one, it can be overwhelming to assess the situation and determine which brands are worth the money and which ones are junk.
And it gets worse.
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Finding the best bounce house manufacturer isn't easy -- you've probably never heard of half of the brands. These days it's become very easy to find a generic bounce house from a site like Ali Express, slap a brand name on it and list it on Amazon.
If you have to convince yourself that buying one of the cheaper knock-off brands is a good idea, then you probably know deep down that it really isn't. Trust your gut, and always be sure to read the latest reviews.
There is good news!
After searching the web for hours during my own quest to buy a bounce house, I decided I was going to put that information to work for others. The result of that decision is this website -- but more specifically, this guide.
I'll give you a basic rundown of all the major brands and tell you which ones I think are worth your hard-earned money and which ones you should avoid.
So Which Brand Really is Best?
This is a pretty simple question, in my opinion.
Nobody likes being disappointed with a purchase. Nobody likes feeling like they got ripped off when they open the box.
If you buy a Blast Zone bounce house, I guarantee you will never experience that feeling. With high-quality materials and commercial-grade construction, you can feel the difference with a Blast Zone inflatable versus any other brand.
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Better yet, they offer an iron clad two-year warranty on all of their residential models that is unmatched in the industry.
This quality does come with a cost, as most Blast Zone bounce houses will be priced a bit higher than their competitors. In my opinion, though, you won't regret spending extra.
Actually, the opposite is true. If you go with a cheaper unit from a different brand, you're almost guaranteed to be disappointed at some point. With Blast Zone, you'll enjoy a long product life and, in reality, probably end up being able to sell it for a decent amount after your kids are done with it.
Are there any less expensive options?
The next step down, in my opinion, is Bounceland. While they do actually make a pretty good product, they really leave something to be desired as a manufacturer.
Let me ask you this:
When is the last time you bought a product, only to have it fail right after the warranty expired?
For me, this happens with cars -- almost without fail. The couple times we have bought new cars in our family, something always goes wrong right after the three year warranty expired (or whatever it was at the time).
This can be a big problem for a manufacturer like Bounceland, who offer a lousy 90-day warranty on the inflatable itself and one year on the blower.
/variant/Bounceland Pop Star Inflatable Bounce House Bouncer, Large Bou (B003WY6YQ0)_0-large.jpg "Bounceland Pop Star Inflatable Bounce House Bouncer")
Look, odds are everything will go fine with your unit.
But...
What if it doesn't? Wouldn't you like to have more than a 90 day safety net? I definitely would (and do)!
With that said, people don't report catastrophic failures with Bounceland units very often. And as I've mentioned, they are generally regarded very well in terms of their material and construction quality.
Are there good brands for little kids?
Maybe you're considering buying a bounce house because you've got little ones and you want to keep them entertained.
Let's say, for example, you have a two year old and a four year old, and they're driving you nuts.
Or let's say you're looking for a bounce house to use indoors.
In that case, Little Tikes is your brand.
They offer quality units for smaller kids -- I'd say generally about 6 years and younger. If they get older they start to be a little more rowdy in the units, and you'll find that they won't last too long after a bigger kid gets a hold of one.
Their bouncers and other inflatables are also small enough to use indoors.
Unfortunately, they suffer the same warranty woes as many of their competitors -- only 90 days on the inflatable itself, and a year on the blower.
Folks, let me tell you something:
It won't be the blower that fails. So essentially you're looking at a 90 day warranty for the system.
For this brand in general my attitude is a little more lenient toward the warranty. Like I mentioned for Bounceland, there aren't a ton of catastrophic failures reported with these units. In addition, since they are geared toward smaller kids they take much less of a beating in general and tend to last longer.
This is one you can count on putting in the garage sale in a few years. Between the durable construction and the fact that your kids will grow fast, it'll end up in your garage or attic before too long.
Other Brands to Avoid
There are some other much less common brands out there that I would generally avoid.
Unless you want to buy a product made by a manufacturer that nobody has ever heard of. Some of these guys don't even have contact information for support or troubleshooting.
The brands I would personally avoid include Cloud 9 and Island Hopper, but in general, if it's not one of the three I've listed here I would stay away from it.
Remember, folks. It's easy to sell a cheap chinese unit and make it look legit. Don't fall for it, and you'll be glad you didn't.
Bonus Point: Consider Ordering on Amazon
If you've read any of my other posts you've probably seen me recommend this before, but I just can't help myself. It's considerably easier to get one of these babies delivered right to your doorstep than it is to pick one up in the store. And, spoiler alert, the store isn't going to have a demo model set up out on the floor, so there's really nothing to gain from going to the store. It's not like a new shirt that you can touch and feel and try on, so save yourself the trouble and order it online, get it delivered in a couple days, set it up within 10 minutes and enjoy a day of your kids being both entertained and grateful.
Wrapping Up
That's about it for this summary of the best bounce house brands. If you want more detailed information on the bouncers these guys make, including more about their feature and specifications, check out my bounce house buyer's guide. Otherwise, please share this with your friends, and happy bouncing!
