A few years ago I assumed bounce houses were ridiculously expensive. I categorized them with amusement park games that my kids would only be able to experience with tickets and tokens at community events (and really long lines..). I had rented one for a large event I was in charge of years ago and after seeing the set up, motor to keep them filled with air, trailer it came in and final bill just to rent it, I knew it they must cost a fortune!
I was absolutely wrong!
A good quality residential bounce house costs between fifty dollars to a couple hundred. A lot of this depends obviously on the size and kind of bounce house, but also the type of sale or deal you can find. The size and kind you will want depends on the age of children playing on it. Below we outline what you can expect to buy with different purchase prices for bounce houses. We will also reveal our best tips for finding a great deal on a quality bounce house at the bottom of this article.
LESS THAN $50
When you search for bounce houses for less than $50, you’ll most likely find inflatables that you pump up and seal off like a blow-up kiddie pool. This is the best one we found and is currently on sale for $44.00. This one comes with some great reviews and if your kids are young enough and you only plan to use it for one summer, this could work perfectly. We have never had great luck using these inflatables for more than one season though.
Intex Jump O Lene Castle Inflatable Bouncer
These lower end bounce houses are smaller and much more basic but the main thing they lack is the blower. Most of the negative reviews for these say that they lose air or don’t inflate all the way. This can be because the air seeps through the seams if it is not made well or there is a small hole somewhere that the air slowly- or quickly leaks out of. By the time you find the hole and invest the time and hassle into trying to patch the problem, you will have wished you took the leap and got one with a blower. The bounce houses in the next category should all come with a blower or are at least made to be used with a blower. This means that they are made to have a constant flow of air through all the tiny seams and holes throughout the entire bounce house- SO IT WILL NEVER POP!
$50-$100 Buyers Beware
I would be very leery of buying a bounce house from this category unless you know it is a good quality bounce house that has been marked down for a sale or holiday.
Though it IS possible to find a used one for this price, I would not recommend buying any kind of inflatable second hand because so much of their quality comes from how it has been maintained. If it has been left uncovered outside with the elements than it is not worth any price.
You may also find one in this category that is sold without a blower, but if you have to buy the blower separately it normally won’t end up saving you any money.
The BEST way to get bounce houses in this price range is when the higher quality ones are marked down for this price on a great sale. Check out the tips at the bottom to see how to get the best deal on a good quality bounce house.
$100-$200
The higher end of this range is where we have found our favorites at their usual sale price. This is where you can get a good quality, average size bounce house with a bounce area and sometimes a little extra like a slide, attached hoop or set of bounce house balls. Our favorite bounce house by Little Tykes the Jump ’n Slide is often sold between $180-$220. You can also find basic bounce houses with fun designs or character prints are in this category. The bounce houses in this price range that include a lot more than the basic bouncing area normally have few or bad reviews.
$200-300 Sweet Spot
This price range can get you an amazing bounce house! This is where our favorites are when they are not on sale. They normally have a larger bounce area that can support more kids jumping at the same time. There are several options in this price range with really neat additions like attaching all kinds of water features and slides/game areas and separate sections for a ball pit.
(WELLFUNTIME Inflatable Bounce House,Jumping Castle Slide with Blower,Kids Bouncer with Ball Pit)
$300 +
This is where the deluxe- super impressive residential bounce houses are. Obviously you get what you pay for- so these have all the bells and whistles. These bounce houses often have fancy slides that are either huge and tall, or double slides for racing or curved slides, etc. It is also common to see bounce houses with multiple activities built into their structures like basketball hoops, tunnels for climbing through or climbing walls.
These are my two favorites:
The Little Tikes Jump and Double Slide Bouncer has a climbing wall with two large slides with railings and the usual bounce area with a high quality mesh wall for parents to see in while the kids play. It has the best of the things my kids love most about bounce houses- climbing, sliding and jumping. Personally, I like that it is compact into a size I can still fit into my house so we can enjoy it year round. I realize that this is not the case for everyone searching for a bounce house- but for me it’s one of the main reasons we love them.
Obstacle Courses take bounce houses to a completely new level. They are hard to compare with the other bounce houses because they make way for a completely different activity. It is more of a game and adventure. It can be completely fun or very competitive and it is definitely for older children than the bounce houses. While younger children can still have fun- they can’t play as independently on an obstacle course and some of the activities like the climbing wall may be too hard for children under 2 or 3 years old. This is where a little bit of athleticism meets sheer giggles and great memories can be made with family and friends for every kind of party. Although they are in the higher price range, you are getting a toy like no other for this price and you won’t ever have to stand in a ticket line or wait for tokens for this fair attraction in your own home or backyard!
The design of these obstacle courses do not vary much but our favorite has been the Bounceland Bounce House Inflatable Bouncer Obstacle Pro-Racer Combo Slides
How to get the best deal:
We have learned that timing is everything when it comes to getting the best deal on a bounce house. Because bounce houses are not something that you want to get second hand, your best bet is when retail stores are clearing out their stock. Check prices at the end of the summer when they are clearing out outdoor toys and BBQ items. This is especially the case for bounce houses made to be used with water.
Another great time is at the beginning of the summer season when stores are luring people into purchases with summer excitement sales around Labor Day.
However, the very BEST SALES I have seen have been on…. Black Friday! I was in absolute shock this year when Lowes came out with their ad with the best sales price I have EVER seen on OUR FAVORITE bounce house for young kids!! Can you believe that the Little Tykes Jump and Slide was only $50!!! I couldn’t believe this price and it continued through the New Year and END of January! I put a picture below just in case you are as shocked as I was!
I’m convinced that the holidays are the best time to have the best deals on pretty much anything so keep your eyes pealed after Halloween and don’t dismiss any store. I would have never thought to check Lowes for a bounce house but there it was!
However, if you don’t want to wait for the holidays, check your calendar for the next best timing for a sale and then head to our Favorites Site to make sure you get the best bang for your buck!