Top 5 Best Pool Slides for Backyard Water Fun [2021 UPDATE]
Adding a water slide to your outdoor swimming pool raises the bar on the amount of fun you and your family will have this summer.
Choose the correct slide and both children and adults can feel the excitement of whizzing down the turret and splashing into the pool.
But what is the best pool slide for the money in 2021? We’ve taken a close look and reviewed 5 top models to bring you the lowdown.
For our findings at a glance, just head to the table below. For a dedicated pool slide buyer’s guide plus full reviews of each of our picks, keep on reading.
Best Backyard Water Slide – Top 5
Best Pool Slides Reviewed
The following pool slides, apart from their attractive looks, also provide a fantastic way to spend time in and around the water.
In our opinion, these are some of the best currently available. Select anyone, depending upon your needs and requirements and you’ll be in for a lot of backyard water fun in 2021.
1. TOP PICK: S.R. Smith 670-209-58223 Typhoon Pool Slide
The S.R Smith 670 Typhoon gets our top pick because it perfectly balances affordability with the size and capacity necessary to provide fun for the whole family.
While it is not the tallest slide in our top 5, it still comes in at a respectable 7’4’’ tall. More than sufficient to feel the wind through your hair as you rush towards the pool.
It has a wide and deep fume, with the capability to deliver 25 gallons of water per minute, (for hook up it also has the provision to be connected to a garden hose which is a great feature).
As long as you switch off the hose after use, the system is also eco-friendly and ensures that not much water is wasted while you play.
The is also salt pool friendly which means that you need not worry about the type of pool you have.
The slide is resistant to corrosion and other atmospheric conditions responsible for shortening the life span of your average pool slide. In short, your initial investment will provide lots of fun for many years to come.
It comes in two earth-toned color variants; Sandstone and Granite Gray.
The slide also comes in either left or right curve designs and can be ordered as per the demands of the consumer.
Ergonomics are good too. The Typhoon water slide has an inbuilt ladder and a molded handrail design for a better and firm grip allowing maximum safety.
It also meets the 16 CFR PART 1207, (guidelines issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Standard (CPSC)) and therefore, is very safe to use.
It has the ability to accommodate adults and children, weighing a total of 275 pounds.
The manufactueres have designed the slide so that you can make the most out of your available garden space and enjoy a high level of fun at a very reasonable price.
- Affordable water slide considering the large size.
- Molded design with some great safety features
- It comes with a 3-year warranty, which covers any exterior damage, or faults that may occur during normal use.
- It is quite easy to install and takes a maximum of 1 hour to complete the entire setup. It offers the least installation time compared to similar products in its range..
- It is Salt pool Friendly.
- Easy to hook up to your garden hose for a wet flume
- The lower price means it is not as high as the larger slides in our top 5.
Bottom Line
To sum up, this is a great pool slide that combines a fun height and size with a smaller footprint to fit most pool sides.
Equipped with a lot of interesting features and also appropriate safety measures, you and your family will get years of fun out of this slide.
2. Inter-Fab ADR1-CR-T Complete Adrenaline Pool Slide
The Inter Fab Water Slide has an interesting design. It is sleek and stylish and has a unique structure to enable greater comfort when you slide down.
It is also designed so that it appears as if it is made from ceramic.
It has high tensile strength and is extra durable, having the ability to withstand adverse climatic conditions.
The dimensions are impressive on this one. Measuring in at 10’ 1” tall, it also has a massive flume length of 16’8”. This is a slide where it is definitely possible to get a swift speed up before hitting the water.
It has a strong ladder for safe climbing to its top and also features a specially designed base for extra stability. This results in a capacity to sustain a maximum of 300lbs to accommodate most adults and children.
It has a pre-launch splash zone, which provides great thrill when you splash into its waters at such great speeds.
It is also salt pool proof with certain components made from Stainless Steel which gives it a long life span, even in harsh conditions and prevents it from corrosion and rusting.
It takes an assembling time of 2 hours and requires a continuous water flow of 15-25 Gallons per Minute while in use
It requires a deck space of 15’ x 8’ for proper installation and comes with a 3 year warranty.
- One of the largest pool slides in our top 5, (very tall with great 300lbs weight capacity)
- Attractive finish, with some nice design touches throughout.
- Durable construction also salt pool friendly
- Comes in two models : Left turn and Right Turn.
- Expensive
- Requires a continuous water flow of about 15 to 25 GPM.
Bottom Line
If high thrills and good weight capacity are what you are looking for, this offering from InterFab is the water slide to go for. It doesn’t come cheap however.
3. BEST PREMIUM: S.R. Smith 688-209-58223 TurboTwister Pool Slide
This elegant water pool slide from S.R Smith has a rotomolded design for increased durability.
It is made from an alloy, thereby giving it a greater tensile to withstand long-term use and exposure to the elements.
It fully complies with Consumer Product Safety Commission standard (CPSC) for swimming pool slides.
Like the other slides in our list, the Turbo Twister is salt pool friendly.
It can hold a total weight of 275lbs meaning both adults and children can safely speed down the flume.
It is quite similar to the S.R. Smith 670-209-58223 Typhoon in design but the increased height (it comes in at 8’ 7” tall) and capacity do mean greater thrills are possible, (it is more expensive, however).
The enclosed ladder design helps ensure safety while climbing to the top.
It has got a high volume water delivery system fetching more than 40 Gallons of water per minute.
A very good feature sees water collected at the bottom of the shute and fed to the top to reduce wastage.
Its construction is such that it offers maximum strength and durability.
It comes in either Sandstone or Gray Granite giving the you the opportunity to opt for a color that best matches your backyard design.
The Turbo Twister also comes with a generous 3 year warranty.
- Tall sepcs with heavy weight capacity of 275lbs (second largest slide in our list)
- It has got a greater rate of water flow and can permit flow of up to 40 Gallons per Minute.
- The same water keeps getting recycled and hence, is environmentally friendly.
- It also comes in two different curve profiles.
- More expensive than the S.R Smith 670 Typhoon with only a few inches extra height.
- Assembly is somewhat complex and may need more than one person to complete the entire assembling.
Bottom Line
Available in two models along with two different variants, this pool slide certianly delivers. Loses out to our top pick Typhoon mostly based on price.
4. Inter-Fab ZM-CR-SS Zoomerang, Pool Slide
This child friendly water slide pool is 3 feet high (37 inches) and offers extra grip support for safety during climbing to the top.
It features an open and airy design for a comfortable ride down the slide.
It meets or even exceeds the US Consumer Product Safety Standard for Swimming Pool Slides ( 16 CFR 1207) and therefore is completely reliable, as far as the safety of the slide is concerned.
Compared to the other slides in our list this is certainly small. It weighs only 67.6 pounds, and of course at 3 feet tall you not going to get a huge speedup.
That being said, it provides ample fun for children and will take the weight of adults too.
One issue to consider is the fact it is only available in the right turn configuration.
It has a deep U-Shaped flume to give greater pleasure when you slide down into the pool.
It offers only 1 year warranty, so that you need to handle the slide with care after the given time frame.
- It has an elegant design, best suited if the available space is somewhat smaller.
- The flume design is neat and will certainly keep the children happy.
- It offers a very short warranty period of 1 year only, after which you are responsible for any damage that may occur to the slide.
- It is not a salt pool friendly
- It comes only in one style, i.e., the right turn configuration.
Bottom Line
This product is somewhat smaller in size, because of which, you should be careful while selecting this.
If there are children in your home, you can definitely opt for it, but it may not be suitable if you are buying it only for adults.
5. S.R. Smith 698-209-58110 Cyclone, Pool Slide
An alternative small scale water slide is this offering from S.R Smith. Measuring in at 4’ 1” tall with flume length of 6’ 10” this will keep both adults and children happy in a pool area of limited space.
It features a reliable rotomolded design for added strength and durability.
It is somewhat compact in size and is perfect if you have a limited deck space available. It also complies with the US CPSC for swimming pool slides.
It is salt pool friendly too.
It has the capacity to accommodate a maximum weight of 175 pounds.
It comes with a wide and deep fume, ensuring the safe exit of anyone slip-sliding on their way.
The slide is available in three different color shades; Taupe, Sandstone, and Gray granite to match the tone of your backyard design.
It comes with a warranty of 3 years.
Its features are similar to those of the Turbo Twister, listed above with the only difference that this one is somewhat smaller in size, and can accommodate in smaller areas too.
It requires an exclusive installation and it can be assembled easily within one hour with minimum workforce and labour.
- It offers all the great features in a smaller and compact area.
- It has high safety features.
- It comes with an enclosed ladder
- The anchor belts may appear a little low on tensile strength.
- Smaller in size and therefore has a lower weight capacity.
Bottom Line
It is a great product, with ample strength and durability in what is a compact design. Highly recommended with those on a tighter budget and limited deck space.
Best Pool Slide Buyer’s Guide
As you would expect there is a wide range of pool slides available. However, it is possible to make your search easier by narrowing down on a few details.
The following points are what you should consider when buying a new water slide for your backyard swimming pool.
Size
First and foremost you need to think about the size. If you have teenage children and also want to get some use and excitement from the slide yourself, you will probably want something large enough to gain a little bit of speed before you hit the water.
Conversely, if the slide is for small children a less severe slide will be the order of the day, (in fact you may even want to think about an inflatable slide if your aim is to please the little ones).
For the purpose of this article, we have looked at slides where adults can expect some fun too.
Fortunately, there are a lot of larger pool slides on the market that are designed to accommodate most adults.
A weight capacity of at least 200 lbs is what you should aim for if you want a slide fit for grownups. A wide flume with deep walls is also necessary so that the adult form can comfortably fit.
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Nice & Curvy
Good, twisting curves that will potentially throw you around a bit will also add to the excitement.
Gone are the days where you have to settle for a simple runway pool slide with one curve. Now you can buy fully built, ready to install slides that will actually feature a full 360-degree twist.
Dips, curves, and twists – all you need to do is think about what kind of adrenalin rush you hope to get from your slide, and whether you have the budget and deck space to accommodate it.
Footprint
The footprint is all dependant on the amount of space you have available around the pool.
Some water slides for backyard pools can take up a lot of room to get the curves in. Make sure you measure up around your pool and then check the specifications of the slide.
Manufacturers will provide a schematic that will detail the overall length and width of concrete needed for installation.
You also need to think about space for users behind the slide so that they can comfortably climb the ladder.
Location
Location is very important as most slide manufacturers recommend installation next to a pool depth of at least 44-48″ of water, (a steeper, more severe slide may call for more so check the specs).
This clearly rules out installing the slide by the shallow end of the pool. You do not want the pool users to slam against the bottom of the swimming pool after exiting the slide.
However, it is also advised to leave the deep end alone too. For safety reasons an area where an adult can stand in the water is necessary, just in case an injury occurs.
The CSPC has issued standard safety guidelines for the manufacture of pool slides. These will help you ascertain the risks of owning one.
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Materials & Surface
Materials used to build the slide are important as you should aim to buy the most hardwearing and durable unit you can afford.
Most modern pool slides are designed to last. Fiberglass gel coat or rotationally molded polyethylene plastic are the most popular choices because of the strong, friction-free surface they provide.
Furthermore, they are chemical and rust-resistant and take a long time to fade in the sun.
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Color
There’s no need to have a common pale blue-colored water slide anymore.
Now there’s a range of colors available, your choice is determined by the look of your yard.
White can be a good contrasting color to the pool, (and will not get too hot in the sun). Earthy tones such as brown and grey are also popular as they compliment most garden landscapes.
Water Hookup
Water hookup simply means that running water will slide along the flume when the unit is being used.
Having a wet surface to the slide will increase the enjoyability factor and it is worth the additional cost to have such a feature.
A cheaper way around this is to connect a garden hose to the top of the slide while it is being used.
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Price Range
The price will always be a consideration as people will differ in the amount of money they can allocate to the purchase of a new slide.
The majority of the large pool slides suitable for adults will cost between $2000 and $3500.
For a larger, 360 degrees twister you can expect to pay a little more, however.
Installation
All the slides in our top 5 list can be installed at home without professional assistance.
If you do opt for something larger that requires outside help, it is wise to check with the company selling the unit whether they provide installation as part of the purchase price.
That being said, even the simplest large pool slide installation will require a little bit of drilling.
For a safe reliable installation, stanchion anchors should be drilled and epoxied into the concrete deck. The slide legs are then bolted down into place.
Plumbing the water supply can be a little tricky depending on the source. If the water is being pumped from the pool, you may need a professional to do the job for you.
If the supplier requires a simple hook-up to an outside tap, you will be fine.
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Water Slide Safety
Finally, above all else, you need to consider safety. Thankfully, today’s pool slides have a lot of built-in safety features and are built to be CPSC compliant, (ensure you verify this before you buy).
With a CPSC-compliant pool slide, you can be safe in the knowledge that the product has undergone unique performance tests before it is available on the market.
Other safety areas to consider for peace of mind are features such as wide ladder treads and large secure handrails. High walls on the slide flume will also ensure even the most boisterous of users will not fling themselves from the slide before hitting the water.
Head here for our recent article on poolside safety tips.
Wrapping it up
We are sure that after reading the reviews about the topwater pool slides available in the market, you will have a clearer idea about which one best suits your needs.
Factors such as available space, weight, amount of usage of the slide per day, water availability, and the height you wish to go for, will all play a part.
Whatever your decision there’s no getting away from the fact a water slide is a fantastic addition to any backyard pool. Roll on summer – that’s all we can say.
Image Credits: Pixabay.com