The Ultimate Water Gun! With the SpyraThree, the Grown-Ups Ended Up in a Soaking-Wet Brawl
Hi, I’m Hide — tech journalist and part-time house-husband. Following up on my post before last, here’s more on water guns. I already wrote about the kids’ SpyraGO (“Kids Go Wild for the SpyraGO, the Original High-Tech Water Gun!”), but for adults, the SpyraThree turned out to be the best, so here’s my review.
Third-generation gear from a company that makes nothing but water guns — and it showsYou can switch between modes like rapid-fire and burstLEDs show remaining shots and battery — handyThe power switch and a waterproof USB charging port are on the back of the grip
This water gun is seriously powerful. From water volume to features to impact, it flips everything you think a water gun is. The fact that we all ended up soaked is entirely thanks to how fun this thing is.
Update, Aug 20:
According to the person in charge I spoke with, the SpyraThree offers a different kind of fun from the kids’ SpyraGO I wrote about last time.
The SpyraGO has lots of shots but doesn’t show how many are left. The SpyraThree has limited shots but shows the count, so you can play while thinking strategically: how many shots do I have left to hit them, do I need to stay near a refill point, how many shots does my opponent have left?
I hadn’t noticed, but deciding where to fire each shot and when to use a burst makes you think more, so it could be even more fun for adults.
For my articles, I sometimes receive products on loan or as samples from companies, within the bounds of Yahoo! News’ rules. However, if a product doesn’t meet my standards for writing about it after actually using it, or if its downsides significantly outweigh its good points, I return it and don’t write about it. I don’t receive any payment from companies.
Insanely powerful, which makes it fun
As you’d expect from a third-gen product, the SpyraThree is really refined. Switch modes for a three-round burst or a burst mode that stores up several shots and fires them all at once — the speed and volume are enough to make even adults flinch.
Choose how you fire: three-round bursts in LEAGUE mode, or several shots at once in burst mode — fun
Up close, the impact surprises even grown-ups. It got so fun we kept firing at each other, and I ended up drenched at a friend’s house without even wearing a swimsuit (lol).
The power and volume of each shot are incredibleThree-round bursts seem technically tough to pull off, so I’m impressed Spyra made it work
Every shot feels heavy and has real recoil, so it’s almost too fun — I might use it alone and pretend I’m watering the garden.
Compared to the kids’ SpyraGO, each shot is clearly a thicker stream
Auto-refill is super handy
Besides GAME MODES, the other feature the kids’ SpyraGO lacks is auto-refill.
Showing battery level, burst count, and shots remaining is brilliant
Dip the tip in water and push the trigger the other way, and the water gun sucks up water itself. The LED shows how full it is as a percentage, which is easy to understand too.
Miles ahead of the knockoffs
Since Spyra’s electric water guns took off, there are tons of lookalikes on Amazon. I bought an auto-refill knockoff to try, but the SpyraThree is in a completely different league in features and power.
From top: SpyraThree, SpyraGO, and the knockoff, Superior
The knockoff I bought for comparison is light and can auto-refill, but the power and overall build quality were lacking. Waterproofing especially was basically nonexistent — if you let kids play freely, it’d get flooded.
This knockoff actually stopped working after just two uses, once in the bath and once outside. Its range isn’t great either. If you want something cheap knowing it might break, it could still work
If you just want something cheap to play with for one summer, that’s an option, but personally, if you’re going to buy one, I’d recommend a well-made product like Spyra designed with all kinds of uses in mind.
It’s powerful, so please be careful
This time I played in a river outside for convenience, but because the SpyraThree is so powerful, wearing goggles and using tap water are recommended. The intake has a mesh to keep out sand and stones, but if any did hit someone’s eye, it could be dangerous — hence the warning.
The mesh is very fine, but it’s not 100%, so be careful
That’s also why the recommended age is higher. It’s fun because it’s powerful, but it’s a product to use with some common sense. It’s a trade-off with the fun, so like airsoft, understand that there are risks and then enjoy it to the fullest.
The best entertainment for ever-hotter summers
What struck me most was how adults went “What is this?!” and started playing too. Even people who first reacted with “oh, a water gun” are guaranteed to feel like kids again once they see it in action.
Summer vacation, playing waist-deep in water… the best!
If I had one complaint, it’s the low shot count. You only get about 20 shots, so you need to refill often.
But Spyra has that covered too. There’s a separately sold collapsible bucket called the SpyraBase — fill it with water and battle around it. As I mentioned, debris can be dangerous, so this is the recommended setup.
A collapsible bucket for even more water — and it packs down small
You can easily play in the backyard, and getting soaked is way more refreshing than you’d think, so it’s comfortable even in this heat. Get two and you’ll be counting down to summer every year. Top of my list of summer toys I’d recommend to adults!
