12 Best Towable Tubes for Kids
Older or more adventurous kids, however, prefer a towable that will give them a wild ride with more air, so they need a different tube.
I'll share with you my favorite towable tubes, but first I want to share a few tips on choosing the right towable.
- If your kids are nervous about tubing at all, choose a tube where they can sit down on their bums rather than lying down.
- Nervous kids will also do better on a tube that can hold two people on it so they can go with a sibling or friend.
- If you plan to go fast and whip the boat around for more adventurous kids, please consider the dangers of multi-rider tubes. The risk is always increased when there is the possibility of heads smacking into each other.
- Get a tube with a good quick release. It's no fun to have extra work when you're trying to enjoy the day out on the boat.
- You'll end up spending much more on your tubes over the years if you don't have a high-quality and high-capacity pump! A regular air mattress pump will not work! If the tube is under inflated at all, it will wear out much faster. This is the pump I recommend.
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AIRHEAD Air Pump, 12v, AHP-12H
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- Even if your own kids are very confident in a tube, keep in mind that they will bring their friends and cousins who may be riding for the first time. Don't get an adventurous tube and expect it to work for everyone.
- Don't think you'll buy one towable to use for every situation. It's nice to have 2 or 3 towables in the garage so you can change things up to make it more fun for the kids, or to use a different towable if you'll be bringing newer riders out with you.
- If your pontoon boat has issues getting up to speed when full of people and towing a tube, then I highly recommend buying a booster ball. I was skeptical before I bought mine if it would make much of a difference, but it was a HUGE improvement. The booster ball just gets the tow rope out of the water, and it was excellent for getting the rider outside the wake and going much quicker. So if you have a slower boat but want to use it for towing tubes as well, it's a great buy. You can get one here.
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I've broken down 15 of the most popular tubes available by my rating and which group of kids (little kids, intermediate, or more adventurous kids) they are best for.
5 Best Towable Tubes for Younger or More Timid Kids
For the younger kids, I recommend the cockpit style tubes, or the sit-up tubes, as they give the kids a feeling of being more secure. It also means you can increase the boat speed a bit more to get them used to going faster with less danger of the kids falling off.
I would never recommend a one-person tube for the younger kids. They always seem to prefer going with a sibling, cousin or friend.
1. Sportsstuff Chariot Warbird 2-Person
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Sportsstuff Chariot Warbird 2 | 1-2 Rider Towable Tube for Boating
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This is my favorite towable for the younger kids because it's extremely stable with the wide wings. It has a high back so the kids stand very little chance of flying off, there are convenient grips. Iit fits two kids, which is essential for the newer riders.
All of the tubes on this list are good quality tubes, but I think for this category, this is by far the best tube out there. The reviews from other boaters back that up as well.
I also really like that this tube can be towed forwards or backwards. Sometimes the feeling of kids riding backwards can actually make them feel more comfortable by having the large "wall" of a back seat between them and the water in front of them.
This is the very best tube you can buy if you'll have any newer or intermediate riders on the boat. It's an excellent design and will likely last for many years. It isn't cheap, but it's the best out there.
2. Sportsstuff Big Mable 2-Person Towable
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Airhead Big Mable, 1-2 Rider Towable Tube for Boating
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This towable is very similar to my #1 recommendation, but it takes off the wide wings so it's very slightly less stable if you'll be taking tight corners. It brings down the price by $100 and is still a very well-made durable tube that will last for years.
3. Airhead Mach 2 Towable
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Airhead Mach 2 | 1-2 Rider Towable Tube for Boating , Blue
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I like this towable if you're a bit more budget-conscious and want a good basic tube for beginner or even intermediate riders. Airhead has done a lot of good in the industry by offering lower cost but still quite well made products. I've had good luck with them and have owned a couple of their tubes.
While I really do prefer the Sportsstuff tube ranked at #1, it's a lot more expensive than this tube, so this is definitely the most popular choice.
4. The Old Reliable Hot Dog
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Airhead Hot Dog 3 | 1-3 Rider Towable Tube for Boating, Multi (HD-3)
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The hot dog has been a very popular towable for a lot of years because it allows a lot of riders to enjoy the tow. They're also good for pontoon boats with lower powered engines because their streamlined design makes it easy to get up to speed even with four riders on the tube.
The only issue with this style of towable is that you have to exercise extra caution not to go too wild as you drive.
Remember that there is nothing keeping the riders in place and they're tightly packed, so even if the kids don't mind getting flipped off the tube and into the water, heads can easily hit one another and cause very serious injuries.
The other good thing about the hot dog style tube is that it's quite inexpensive compared to some of the other tubes on the list for kids.
The tubes for younger kids are often more expensive because they are much larger and wider to give more stability and to allow for multiple riders.
5. World of Watersports Bingo 1-2 Person Tube
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This is an interesting tube design, but I haven't yet tested this myself. I think it has promise for kids because it can be ridden backwards, which may make the kids feel more at ease.
4 Best Towable Tubes for Intermediate Kids
6. Airhead Mach 2 Towable
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Airhead Mach 2 | 1-2 Rider Towable Tube for Boating , Blue
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This is probably the most common tube out there right now. It fits two riders and will go quickly behind a pontoon boat because of its small/medium footprint, but it's not an adventure tube either.
The cockpit style makes kids steady in the tube and allows them to sit up to give them more confidence. This tube is on both the beginner and intermediate section for a reason. It's a very good all-around tube.
The other thing to like about this tube is the price. It's much less expensive than a lot of the other tubes on this list and is still a high-quality tube that will last.
7. Sportsstuff Frequent Flyer Towable
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SportsStuff Frequent Flyer | 1-3 Rider Towable Tube for Boating
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It's a tough call between #2 and #3 on this list if you're looking for a traditional tube style that can handle two to three riders and will last a long time.
The Sportsstuff brand always gets very high reviews from actual users, so I'm bumping it up just slightly above the Airhead. Also, I like the aluminum quick connect on this rather than the heavy duty plastic on the Airhead.
I've personally never had any issues on my Airhead tube with the plastic showing even the slightest sign of bending or breaking, but having the aluminum is an added benefit.
8. Airhead G-Force 2-3 Person Tube
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Airhead G-Force, 1-4 Rider Towable Tube for Boating, Red (AHGF-3)
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If you're looking for a more traditional tube style for flinging your kids and their friends around the lake, look no further than the G-Force. It's almost a perfectly predictable round tube, but it has a slightly longer shape on the edges to give it a bit more stability for holding multiple riders without dipping down in the front.
9. Airhead Slash 2 Towable
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Airhead Slash II | 1-2 Rider Towable Tube for Boating, Multi (AHSL-32)
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This is a really well made tube with neoprene knuckle guards (nice to have for intermediate and adventurous tubes where you'll be going faster) and really well-constructed outer layer.
The innovative design is excellent for pontoon boaters who are in boats that are generally slower to maneuver and get up to speed. This longer footprint is much more hydrodynamic than traditional donut-shaped tubes. Excellent choice.
3 Towables for Older, Adventurous Kids
For older and more adventurous riders, I only recommend one or maybe two person tubes. Why? Because pontoon boats aren't known for speed and agility, so using a tube that is small will give it more fling in the turns and more speed by reducing drag.
If you want something adventurous but which handles at least three riders, look toward the intermediate tube list above.
10. Obrien Super Screamer
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O'Brien Super Screamer Inflatable Tow Tube, 70-Inch
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This tube is really really well built. The first thing you'll notice is the large patches of neoprene on the top to keep riders from getting rubbed on their forearms after a long day of riding.
The super adventurous can't-go-fast-enough kids may want to look at #2 for just how fast and slim it is, but this Obrien is a little bit better constructed and is thicker so it will easily handle one to two adults or kids, which makes it more versatile.
Obviously you don't want to have to bring two or three tubes to the lake each time, and this one will prevent that problem.
11. Airhead Super Slice (1-2 Person)
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Airhead Super Slice | 1-3 Rider Towable Tube for Boating, Orange, Three person
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This tube is built for pure, unadulterated SPEED! It's very low profile and is shaped from very thin in the front to fatter in the back.
The slim design makes you feel every bump in the water. This is not a great tube for beginner riders because leaning too far forward will absolutely sink the front down. This tube forces the rider to slide back a bit for the ultimate ride.
12. Airhead Blast Tube
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For the very budget-conscious boater - Wait, does that actually exist? Have you seen the price of boats these days!??! - I recommend the Airhead Blast. It's a very traditional donut style tube with durable coverings on it. This tube has sold very well for a few years because of its aggressive price and decent quality.