IPool toys and gadgets have come a long way.
of ConsumerAffairs
There's just a little time to go until summer hits, which means families will be opening their home swimming pools throughout most of the United States.
And more families using their swimming pools usually means they'll be using toys for their pools too, as kids love to play with things that inflate and use items that are specifically designed for the water.
But today's pool toys have come a long way from the boring inflatable beach ball or the toy snorkel set. Now you can get a host of cool and unique gadgets for the pool that could make swimming that much better.
Pool-sized motor boat
Like what? Well, there's the Motorized Bumper Boat made by the company Banzai.
It allows kids to travel up to two feet per second and they can battle and bump each other all day long. It comes with a motorized water blaster too, so kids can spray their friends while they steer the inflatable boat around the water.
The Motorized Bumper Boat is battery-powered and recommended for children between the ages of 5 through 10. Amazon currently sells it for around $50 and based on reviews, the bumper boat is safe to use and seems pretty durable -- at least for something that's inflatable.
Cleaning your pool
Although the Jet Net Boat Pool Skimmer isn't really a toy, it's a cool gadget for the pool nonetheless.
It gathers and collects all of those things in the pool that you want to get rid of like leaves, bugs and other small items for which people typically use a net.
By remote control you can steer the boat where you want it to go and pick up the debris; everything is collected in the gadget's built-in net. From there you take the net out, empty it and put it back in for another cleaning.
The Jet Net Boat Pool Skimmer goes for a little over $140 on Amazon and it's a great gadget for kids to use. You can get your children to clean the pool and they'll think they're just playing with a remote control boat. It's a win-win for everybody.
For kids of all ages
Then there's the Excalibur Blue Jet Racer for a little under $80. It's an inflatable jet ski for kids, made for the pool.
It's designed for children ages 5 through 15 and there weren't any reviews from parents about their kids getting hurt on it. Apparently, the motor allows kids to move pretty slowly, so they won't be whipping around the pool, which would probably be bad. Still, some reviews say the inflatable jet ski should only be used for kids with good balance.
Just like a real jet ski, the Blue Jet Racer can be difficult to stay on at first and it's not recommended for small children or those who aren't good swimmers.
It's inflatable too, so consumers probably shouldn't expect it to last a lifetime. But kids should still be able to get a lot of use from it.
For gamers
Last on the list is the Floating Pool Pong Table for about $75, letting you and a friend have a serious Ping-Pong tournament without ever getting out of the pool.
The creators of the table say the surface is hard, so you can do a slap-shot successfully. But the edges are soft and won't hurt the user or other swimmers who may run into it.
It can be used outside the pool too, so if you want to move the game onto the deck of the pool or inside the house, you can. A multi-use table, if you will. The table is 27 inches wide and 54 high and recommended for children ages five and up.
Getting new gadgets for the pool doesn't have to break the bank, and the kids should be able to get a lot of enjoyment out of them.