The Best Pool Floats for Users of All Ages

Pool days are exciting, but on those days that you aren’t looking to get your head wet and would rather just chill and enjoy some sun, a dependable pool float is calling your name. Pool floats are an essential part of the swimming experience: they let you lay back and soak up your surroundings. They’re especially worthwhile for kids who are still too young to venture out past the shallow side. So, if you’re in the market for a new float for every type of pool bum, then here are a few options that we think you ought to check out.

What to Look for in Your Next Pool Float

Consider these factors when making a selection:

• Floating Style: The biggest question concerning your pool float is what style best fits you or the person you have in mind? Are you seeking something that’s plump through and through to keep you bone-dry for the entirety of your drift, or are you the type of person who enjoys the best of both worlds: the cool sensation of being submerged while floating on by without any effort from your limbs? There’s a pool float for both of those styles and everything in between.
• Safety Construction: What purchasing a pool float can also boil down to is age-appropriateness and how safe the system is for specific user demographics. Naturally, every pool float you come across will have a high degree of buoyancy that makes it easy to move with or push out of the way for other pool users. However, you should also invest in a pool float that’s up to the task of floating into the deeper side of the water because the last thing you want is an inexperienced swimmer to be stuck in the deep end with a quickly deflating raft. Floats designed from nontoxic materials that won’t react improperly to the chemicals in your pool or the heat from the sun are also a top priority.
• Comfort: Finally, it’s always crucial to seek out an option that knows how to provide optimal convenience for your buck. Every pool float knows how to get the job done, but will it do as comfortably as you need? Will your next float feature a headrest or footrest? Will it utilize a soft mesh or fabric surface that makes it easier to climb aboard? And if this is a float for children, what else can it offer in the way of fun or protection from the sun? Weigh your options to find the right balance between personal preferences and must-have comfort.

Best Inflatable Chair: Poolmaster Paradise Water Chair Pool Float

Bringing you upright comfort across its large inflatable profile, this Poolmaster Paradise Water Chair keeps your rear dry but allows your legs to enjoy a good soak while floating around. This floating chair features an ultra-comfortable contoured back and headrest, guaranteeing you a comfortable seat. Additionally, the armrests feature two built-in cup holders for optimal fun under the warm sun.

Best Hammock: Aqua Leisure 4-in-1 Monterey Hammock

Offering a unique way to stay afloat while submerging you in the cool water below, this Aqua Leisure Monterey Hammock is a four-in-one luxury that takes on water in the best sense. Everything you can link to blissful relaxation is exactly what this pool float provides. Its soft vinyl and mesh design easily allows this hammock to become a drifter, a lounger, and even an exercise saddle. While the designated seat portion of the product rests in the water, the inflatable ends remain afloat, providing safety and a cooling sensation.

Best Lounger Float: Aqua Leisure 18-Pocket Inflatable Contour Lounger

If you want to lounge but would prefer to keep your entire body out of the water while doing so, then this Aqua Leisure 18-Pocket Inflatable Lounger has you covered and dry. This is floating lounger is 72 inches long, 30 inches wide, and can accommodate up to 250 pounds at a time. The 18-pocket design its name refers to has literal gaps, or “stay-cool vents,” within the construction of the float to allow you to feel just a bit of iciness on your back or underside.

Best Large Float: Aqua Leisure Aqua Premium Convertible Pool Lounger

Far and away the largest and quite possibly the most comfortable pool float you could relax on, this Aqua Leisure Convertible Pool Lounger is another multifaceted option with some serious heft to its construction. This float, which measures 90 inches long when inflated, can be enjoyed in several relaxation modes: 60-degree recliner, 30-degree lounger, full-recline tanner, and drifter mode with a four-position cushioned backrest. It features a poly-knit fabric surface that’s soft to the touch and provides good traction when mounting and dismounting compared to slick rafts that are far too slippery when wet. Additional features include its buoyant, 20% thicker material, its two-valve locking system to maintain air pressure, and its attachable/detachable footrest and backrest.

Best Kid-Friendly Feature: Swimline UFO Spaceship Squirter

A wildly cool and playful float for kids, this Swimline UFO Spaceship Squirter is the “out of this world” and interactive choice you don’t want to pass up. Modeled in the image of an alien spaceship, this 45-inch single-seat pool float brings a humorously retro design that’s popping with color and detail. It’s crafted from heavy gauge vinyl material to withstand rigorous water combat and features oversized armrests and headrests. Its largest appeal is the inclusion of a built-in water ray-gun that utilizes a constant supply of water, you know, from the massive pool directly underneath your child.

Best for Babies: SwimWays Baby Spring Float Sun Canopy

Ideal for kiddos between the ages of 9 and 24 months old, this SwimWays Baby Canopy is designed for infants and young toddlers to enjoy safe and relaxing fun alongside their parents in water. This pool float provides the perfect introduction to water for babies, keeping them afloat with dual inflation chambers around the sides of the floaties and a soft mesh seat to keep them in place. It also includes a removable canopy that offers UPF 50+ sun protection.

Best for Pets: SwimWays Paddle Paws Spring Float Dog Raft

Looking for a float for your little one? Yeah, the one with the great big smile and four paws. This SwimWays Paddle Paws Dog Raft offers the perfect opportunity to get your pup out on the water with ease and total safety. It’s a large raft (64.5 by. 43.25 by 9 inches) that’s intended to keep pets weighing as much as 65 pounds afloat, so owners with dogs weighing anything less than that can prop them aboard with certainty. Other pet-friendly features include the raft’s scratch- and puncture-resistant construction, as well as its 9-inch high border that aims to keep pool waves from splashing over and into the float.