Smoby Funny Slide review: a super water slide for sunny days

Overall ranking: 5/5

Price on writing: £120 | Buy now from Amazon

What we like

• Ergonomic handrails

• Hose attachment

• Sturdy frame and steps

• Easy to assemble

• Anti-UV treated, so it won’t fade in the sun

What we don't like

• Not suitable for very small gardens

• Doesn’t fold up for storage 

Key specs

Price on writing: £120 | Dimensions: ‎189 x 33 x 50 cm | Material: Plastic | Age suitability: 2 years and up

What Mumsnet users say

“Smoby do the best indestructible, safe outdoor toys for toddlers. They are expensive but virtually unbreakable.” Brand recommended by Mumsnetter Pascha

Our verdict 

Bold, bright and virtually indestructible, toy giant Smoby is responsible for some of the best kids slides around.

The Smoby Funny Slide is a great all-rounder for children aged two and above. It has a sturdy frame and gripped steps, with large chunky handles to grab onto at the top. It also has a wave halfway down the slide to prevent things from getting boring.

But the Smoby Funny Slide really comes into its own when you attach a garden hose underneath to turn it into an exciting water slide. My kids spent hours slipping and sliding all around the garden, giggling and shrieking with glee. 

The slide is 1.9m in length - over 6ft long - so it's probably not suitable for gardens that are on the small size. It also doesn’t fold down for convenient storage. But if you do have the room, on a sweltering day during the long summer holiday, I can guarantee that the Smoby Funny Slide will be the best outdoor toy in your garden by a country mile.

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What’s the Smoby Funny Slide like to assemble?

The Smoby Funny Slide was very easy to assemble, with the whole process taking myself and my sister-in-law no more than 10-15 minutes from start to finish. A couple of tools were required for assembly - a knife to separate the pieces, a crosshead screwdriver to secure the supportive arm and a large coin to screw the giant plastic screws in place.

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What’s the Smoby Funny Slide like to use day-to-day?

Once assembled, the Smoby Funny Slide is impressively sturdy. The built-in steps are secure and the whole thing didn’t wobble once, despite the kids repeatedly thundering up the stairs and hurling themselves down the slide. In contrast, the Little Tikes Easy Store Giant Slide, which had served us well for a few summers, always got a bit shaky when the kids climbed the steps, although this could be down to the fact that this slide can be folded down for easy storage, which is a feature missing from the Smoby Funny Slide. Once it’s up, it’s up, but as it’s made of strong durable plastic and had some anti-UV treatment, it’s safe to leave it outdoors over the summer months. This is a tough slide, built to cope with whatever the British weather can throw at it.

The Smoby isn’t quite as tall as the Little Tikes slide, but the slight wave in the middle made for a more satisfying slide. But the Smoby Funny Slide really proved its worth when it was transformed into a water slide.

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How do you turn the Smoby Funny Slide into a water slide?

There is an attachment underneath the slide for a garden hose, which turns the Smoby Funny Slide into an awesome water slide. My five-year-old and six-year-old were shrieking with delight as they took turns whizzing down the slide and skidding along the mud at the bottom. It’s worth checking that you have plenty of room at the bottom of the slide before getting any water involved. Once the kids start slipping and sliding, they need extra space at the bottom to avoid colliding with any fences. Let’s face it, nobody wants a trip to A&E at the start of the summer holiday.

The water comes out of the slide like a fountain, rather than a river. This prevents the water just pooling at the foot of the slide, leaving the garden with a muddy hole. I would advise turning the hose on slowly, finding the water pressure that suits your garden space, rather than turning the tap on full and blasting water in all directions. We managed to fire water over two neighbours’ fences before moving the slide to a more suitable location and lowering the pressure slightly.

Not that the kids cared, of course. Even though it wasn’t a particularly warm day, the two of them were absolutely in love with their new toy and spent hours wearing themselves out on it. 

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Is the Smoby Funny Slide good value for money?

Retailing at £120 on Amazon at the time of writing (May 29th, 2024), at first glance, it does seem expensive for a kids' slide. But just attaching a hose to the underside turned a fairly run-of-the-mill children’s toy into a wet play paradise. Brilliant for keeping cool and keeping boredom at bay during the summer. Worth every single penny.

Looking for inspiration for more outdoor fun? Check out Mumsnet’s round-up of the best trampolines for kids, the best water tables and best mud kitchens.

How we tested

Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and lives in Sussex with her two children, aged five and six. Her children used the Smoby Funny Slide in the back garden, with and without the hosepipe. The Smoby Funny Slide was scored on how easy it was to assemble, store and use.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.