The Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy is goofy in the best possible way. It shouldn’t work; if anything, it looks like its three-in-one features will actually be a hindrance.
But that is not the case. This may be one of the best water guns we’ve tested this year, and it took us completely by surprise. Thanks to an affordable price and great performance, the Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy could end up being our blaster of the summer.
Features and design
essential information
Price: $16.99 / £19.99
Mechanism: Bomb
Ability: 24 fluid ounces (709 ml)
Range: app. 30 feet
Centuries: 6+
I have a feeling someone at Hasbro walked into the Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy design meeting and chose chaos. That’s because this blaster comes with three different firing modes: standard firing, wide radius, and what might as well be ‘totally unhinged’.
His secret weapon is an adjustable mouthpiece that removes to reveal two flexible tubes. While having it extended locks them in place for a classic squirt gun experience, moving it back releases them to varying degrees (you can opt for half or fully triggered). The pressure of the shots spins them in all directions, shooting water all over the place in a rain of carnage.
it’s absolute chaos
Throw in some impressive stats and Hydro Frenzy has a lot going for it. Along with a decent 24 fl oz (or 709 ml) capacity that shouldn’t weigh down smaller water warriors, its “normal” mode has surprisingly good range too. Seriously, this thing will go about 30 feet if it’s in a direct firing position. That’s noticeably better than the brand’s other big release for 2022, the Super Soaker Twister.
Performance
Despite all this pizzazz, the Hydro Frenzy didn’t really impress me at first. For starters, I couldn’t get the tubes to fire as advertised: when released, they just fired forward… not very well, though. Also, the bottommost tube would occasionally leak water or if held at certain angles. Although this is a fairly common problem for water guns due to internal pressure, it was not a good start. Sure, this Super Soaker worked well when the nozzle was fully extended to lock those tubes in place. But otherwise, something was wrong.
And yes, indeed there was a problem: me. I eventually found out that the trick is to pump the Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy slowly. This makes it work as you would expect, allowing the two tubes to spew water Everywhere. It’s absolute chaos, and no one will be able to prevent it (probably not even you, to be honest). While that won’t help you hit targets with pinpoint accuracy, it’s fun and should work exceptionally well with younger fans. This is pure, unbridled chaos.
This is a great three-in-one blaster that will give you (ridiculous) memories
However, because it’s also unexpectedly good as a standard blaster, you’re left with an all-purpose treat rather than a five-minute novelty. I was hoping to prefer the Twister, but the Hydro Frenzy became the one I would recommend after a few days of testing. Add in a very reasonable price tag of around $17/£20 and you have a real winner on your hands.
Overall, should I buy the Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy?
It doesn’t really matter who you’re buying for, or why: If you need a good squirt gun that won’t break the bank, it should be the Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy. This is a great three-in-one blaster that will give you (ridiculous) memories that will last a long time.
Well, there are some weaknesses like a slight dribble when the Hydro Frenzy is held at certain angles. And you can’t shoot too fast if you want it to work well. But for the most part, it’s perfect and exactly the kind of thing you didn’t know you needed.
How We Tested the Super Soaker Hydro Frenzy
To get a feel for how this blaster worked in action, I spent a few days filling and firing the Hydro Frenzy in a variety of conditions. This included measured range tests like we put on the best Nerf guns, leak checks, and how long each reload lasts.
