The short answer
Quick picks
Ranked on published specs, not on play we have not done. Tap any row to jump to the full write-up further down this page.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo GoSports Splash Tower Dunk Tank Game A lightweight PVC dunk tower with three Splash Tower balls, a pump and a carry case, published to set up or break down in minutes — the portable alternative to a rented tank. | Best portable dunk tank | 6.0/10 | |
| 2 | No photo GoSports Splash Tower Burst Water Balloon Dunk Tank Throw a kid-safe ball at the target and it pops a water balloon held above the player underneath — published for ages 8 and up, with 100 water balloons, two foam balls, two frame extension tubes and a filling nozzle. | Best water balloon game | 6.7/10 |
A dunk tank is the one water game adults volunteer for. It is the centerpiece of every school fair and church fundraiser for a reason: people will happily pay to throw a ball at a teacher, a pastor or their own father, and the payoff is instant and visible.
Until recently you rented one. The portable backyard version turns the idea upside down — instead of dropping a person into a tank of water, it drops water onto a person — and that makes it something a household can own.
The shortlist
Two ways to get someone wet
| Splash Tower | Splash Tower Burst | |
|---|---|---|
| How it dunks | Water held overhead | A water balloon held overhead pops |
| Frame | Lightweight PVC | Pre-glued PVC |
| Included | Tower, 3 balls with pump, carry case | 100 balloons, 2 foam balls, 2 extension tubes, filling nozzle |
| Published age | Not published | 8+ |
| Tall players | Not published | Extension tubes included |
| Published setup | Minutes | Quick and tool-free |
| Height / capacity | Not published | Not published |
The balloon version is the better-specified of the two, which is not saying much. GoSports publishes an age floor, what the throwing balls are made of, and that extension tubes are included so an adult can take the seat. For the reservoir version it publishes the contents and the frame material and nothing else — no height, no capacity, no weight and no age floor.
Decision
Which one to buy
The balloon version, for most households
No tank to fill and no heavy water overhead — the reset between throwers is clipping in a new balloon. The foam throwing balls are published, which matters when children are the ones throwing at other children. And the extension tubes mean the adults can take a turn, which is the entire point of a dunk game.
The cost is the balloons. Every dunk uses one, a hundred is a finite number at a party, and a hundred burst balloons are a hundred scraps of latex in the grass for small children and dogs to find. Pick them up. The pet version of this warning is in yard games and pets.
The reservoir version, for events
At a fundraiser or a school field day with a long queue, a reservoir that refills from a hose beats a stack of balloons that someone has to keep filling. It packs into a carry case and sets up in minutes. Buy it knowing that GoSports publishes almost nothing about its size.
Criteria
How we picked
- Verified in stock at the maker, before writing.
- Portable. A backyard dunk game should pack away. Both of these are PVC towers; neither needs a trailer.
- Soft throwing balls. A dunk game is a throwing game aimed at a person sitting still. The balloon version publishes foam balls; the reservoir version publishes balls without naming the material.
We have not used either. Every figure is GoSports' own — how we pick.
Occasions
Where a dunk tank fits
- Community fundraisers — the classic pay-to-dunk game, without a rental.
- Kids' birthday parties — with the birthday child's parent in the seat.
- Dunk tank vs slip and slide — the head-to-head, if you are choosing one big water game for the summer.
The picks in full
Every pick, with its published specs
Best portable dunk tank
GoSports Splash Tower Dunk Tank Game
GoSports
Our spec score
6.0/10
- Spec completeness
- 2/10
- Footprint clarity
- 2/10
- Durability
- 5/10
- Pack-down
- 8/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
A lightweight PVC dunk tower with three Splash Tower balls, a pump and a carry case, published to set up or break down in minutes — the portable alternative to a rented tank.
Skip this if
Skip this if you want to plan it before it arrives. GoSports publishes no height, no water capacity and no weight for a product whose whole job is to hold water over a person.
What works
- Packs into its own carry case — a dunk tank you own rather than rent
- Three balls and a pump included
- A PVC frame light enough for one adult to move
- Setup published in minutes
What does not
- No published height, water capacity or weight at all
- No published age floor on a product that drops water on a person
- Nothing published about anchoring a light frame that holds water overhead
Published specifications
- Frame
- Lightweight PVC
- Included
- 1 Splash Tower, 3 Splash Tower balls with pump, carry case
- Setup
- Stated to set up or break down in minutes
- Height
- —
- Water capacity
- —
- Target size
- —
- Set weight
- —
- Age floor
- —
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
Best water balloon game
GoSports Splash Tower Burst Water Balloon Dunk Tank
GoSports
Our spec score
6.7/10
- Spec completeness
- 6/10
- Footprint clarity
- 2/10
- Durability
- 5/10
- Pack-down
- 8/10
Scored on published specifications only. We have not played this set.
Throw a kid-safe ball at the target and it pops a water balloon held above the player underneath — published for ages 8 and up, with 100 water balloons, two foam balls, two frame extension tubes and a filling nozzle.
Skip this if
Skip this if you hate cleanup. Every dunk is a burst balloon, and a hundred balloons is a hundred scraps of latex in the grass that small children and pets will find.
What works
- Uses balloons rather than a tank, so there is no fill time and nothing heavy overhead
- Extension tubes are published for taller players — adults can take the seat
- Foam throwing balls, not hard balls
- A published age floor of eight
What does not
- Every dunk consumes a balloon, and 100 is a finite number at a party
- Balloon scraps are a lawn and pet hazard
- No published height or weight
Published specifications
- How it works
- Hitting the target pops a water balloon held above the seated player
- Age
- 8+
- Included
- 100 water balloons, 2 foam throwing balls, 2 frame extension tubes, hose filling nozzle
- Frame
- Pre-glued PVC
- Assembly
- Stated quick and tool-free
- Tall players
- Extension tubes included
- Height
- —
- Set weight
- —
- Storage
- —
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Source: GoSports product listing
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Not published by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer listing: GoSports product listing
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Can you buy a dunk tank for a backyard?
How does a water balloon dunk tank work?
Are backyard dunk tanks safe for kids?
Is a dunk tank good for a fundraiser?
Why you can check our work
We have not played these. Every figure above is copied from a manufacturer's published listing or a governing body's published rules, and named so you can verify it. Where a maker publishes nothing, the field is blank rather than filled in. How we pick explains the whole method, including what would change a recommendation.
Read next
Related pages
Picks
Water & splash games
Slip and slides, sprinkler games and the yard games that play fine wet — plus what each actually needs.
Picks
Best sprinkler games for kids
A 12-sprinkler splash station and a splash-mat game with rules — the published sizes, ages and hose needs.
Comparison
Dunk tank vs slip and slide
One is played by the children; the other is played by the children at the adults.
Picks
Yard games for a community fundraiser
Games that take a queue, run on one volunteer, and survive a day of strangers.
Picks
Yard games for a school field day
Fixed rotations and thirty children a station — what resets fast and survives all day.
Picks
Yard games for a kids' birthday party
Twelve children, two hours and no patience for rules — filtered on published age floors.
Sources
Every figure on this page is copied from one of these sources. If you find one that is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.