Mar 23

Mar 23 The Best Reusable Water Balloons for Backyard Fun

I wish I’d known about reusable water balloons back when my kid was in her water balloon phase and constantly begging me to set her and her friends up with buckets of water-filled orbs. Over the years, I shelled out a pretty penny on latex water balloons, spent what felt like forever filling them up and tying them off — and then spent a bunch more time picking up tiny pieces of latex from the lawn that the kids missed during cleanup. Once I discovered self-tying Bunch O Balloons, my life got a little easier — but refillable water balloons would have been a true godsend back then.

The kid and her friends and cousins are in their teens now, but they still deign to engage in a traditional water balloon fight each year on the Fourth of July. This year, I’m investing in refillable water balloons, and I’m never going back.

Two types of reusable water balloons

Reusable water balloons come in two basic types:

Silicone water balloons with a magnetic seal fill up and close automatically under water. When they hit a target, they explode like traditional water balloons, but without spraying rubber shrapnel everywhere.
Soft fabric balls made of super-absorbent PP cotton or PVA sponges soak up a ton of water. When they hit a target, they sploosh very nicely, but they don’t have quite the same effect as exploding balloons.

Why choose reusable water balloons?

There are lots of benefits of reusable refillable water balloons over their latex counterparts.

They produce less waste. You need a large supply of latex water balloons for a worthy water balloon fight — but you only need a few refillable water balloons per kid for an endless supply of projectiles.

They cost less. The initial investment in reusable water balloons is a bit higher than the price of single-use latex balloons, but they’ll last for years and stand up to countless water balloon fights.

Filling them is easy. The absolute worst part about traditional water balloons is the time it takes to fill them up and tie them, one by one. Refillable water balloons don’t require tying — in fact, they’re so easy to fill and use, the kids can play as often as they want.

Cleanup is a dream. The second-worst thing about old-timey water balloons is picking up the tiny pieces once they’ve all been broken. Once the kids are done playing with reusable water balloons, they can just toss ‘em back in the bag — cleanup done!

They’re allergy-free. Refillable water balloons are safe for kids and adults with latex allergies, since they’re made out of latex-free materials like silicone or fabric.

They don’t harm wildlife. Latex water balloons often explode into small pieces, which can harm pets and wildlife and trash up your back yard. Refillable water balloons stay intact, so if you lose one in the bushes, it won’t pose a risk to critters.

The best reusable water balloons

If you tend to get paralyzed by too many choices, I hear you, and I went in search of the best option for both magnetic water balloons and fabric water balls. If you click on my links and make a purchase, I may get a small commission — but I would never steer you wrong, so you’re welcome! And thank you!

Magnetic self-sealing water balloons

These reusable magnetic water balloons are the best-rated and most economical refillable water balloons I found on Amazon. They’re made of super-soft and durable silicone — use them again and again, year after year. These babies are super easy to fill: just plop them in a bucket of water or in the kiddie pool, and they’ll fill up and close on their own. 4.8/5 stars, 1,527+ ratings.

Reusable PP cotton water balls

These water balls are a great alternative to traditional water balloons. They’re made of ultra-soft, super-absorbent PP cotton and measure almost 2.5 inches across. They hold a surprising amount of water, easily soaking whoever gets hit with them. When the kids are done playing, squeeze out the water balls, set them in the sun to dry, and put them back in the mesh bag they came in so they’re ready to grab ‘n’ go next time. They also make great pool toys, and they’re a fun accessory for running through the sprinklers. 4.4/5 stars, 499+ ratings.

How to DIY your own reusable water balloons

If you’re handy and have the wherewithal, you can make your own reusable water balloons with some sponges and a bit of scrap fabric. Here’s how:

Step 1: Choose sponges made of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), which are a little more expensive but far more absorbent than your run-of-the-mill cello sponge. PVA sponges are hydrophilic and can hold up to 12 times their dry weight in water.

Step 2: Cut the sponges into the shape and size you want your water balloons to be. You can make them round or square — or any other shape you like.

Step 3: Cut out your fabric in the same shape as the sponge, leaving plenty of seam allowance to account for the thickness of the sponge. Choose fabric that’s soft and absorbent, like cotton or rayon. Both of these fabrics are hydrophilic — they attract and hold on to water molecules — and they’re durable, too.

Step 4: Place the sponge in the center of one fabric piece, cover it with another fabric piece, and pin the pieces together around the sponge.

Step 5: Sew the fabric together with the sponge inside. If you’re machine-sewing, use the zigzag stitch for strength and durability. If you’re sewing by hand, use a whipstitch.

What about biodegradable water balloons?

Many brands selling garden-variety water balloons call them “biodegradable,” because they’re made of latex. But are latex water balloons really biodegradable? Not exactly — at least, not as quickly as you might be led to believe.

To make water balloons, pure latex is vulcanized with sulfur, and accelerators are added to speed up the vulcanization process. The latex is synthetically dyed, and plasticizers are added to make the balloons easy to fill with water. Antioxidants and UV light absorbers are added to literally help prevent the balloons from biodegrading too fast.

A recent study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials found that over the course of three months, “biodegradable” latex balloons didn’t meaningfully degrade in freshwater, saltwater, or a compost environment. The study concluded that not only can latex water balloons leach chemicals into the environment, but they also pose a threat to wildlife that ingest them.

Whether water balloon manufacturers call their products “rubber,” “latex,” or “Natural Rubber Latex,” pretty much any standard water balloons you buy will take years to biodegrade in the environment — and in the meantime, they’ll pollute the ground and endanger pets and wildlife.

No shade to you if you’d rather use standard latex water balloons than reusable ones — just be sure to pick up and dispose of all the pieces once the fun and games are over!

Speaking of fun and games…