Are you looking for a gift to give your kids or a fun activity for you to use with your friends? Nerf guns are spring powered guns that fire foam darts. These guns– and many other Nerf products– are the perfect addition to any group hangout.
If Nerf guns aren’t what you are looking — either because of function, look, or price tag — there are plenty of other options for you to try!
Below I have compiled 5 of the best alternatives to Nerf guns that will still give you all the fun of the classic foam dart shooters. Keep reading to find out my dart gun recommendations for your next get together with friends!
- Best Choice Products Kids Foam Dart Blaster
- KOVOL Laser Tag Gun Blaster Gun Toy
- POKONBOY 2 Pack Blaster Guns Toy
- Pangding Soft Bullet Toy
- Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt
1. Best Choice Products Kids Foam Dart Blaster
If you are looking to not stand out at your next Nerf battle with an off brand foam dart blaster, then this blaster might be the right choice for you! The Best Choice Products Kids Foam Dart Blaster looks extremely similar to the classic Nerf gun style and functions in a similar way too.
This blaster can hold 20 foam darts at a time and is equipped with an electric reloading system. What this means is that you do not have to take the time to cock the gun between each pull of the trigger. Simply add some batteries, turn on the gun, and pull the trigger! You can even hold the trigger down to activate the blaster’s rapid fire function!
This rifle is perfect for firing darts over long distances to help you come out on top in your next battle. The Best Choice Products Kids Foam Dart Blaster is even equipped with an anti-jamming feature to keep the from firing and pinching your fingers when the gun is open for maintenance.
“Durable, long range, accurate and safe. … I purchased safety glasses for the girls for added protection. The biggest hassle is picking the projectiles up at the end of the day.”
AMAZON customer
Not only does this blaster come with its own 20 darts, but the gun is also compatible with Nerf darts! Keep your Nerf darts from previous guns and use them with this blaster in your next battle!
Ready to win not only the next blaster battle you enter, but every single one after as well? Then get your Best Choice Products Kids Foam Dart Blaster on amazon and start blasting today!
2. KOVOL Laser Tag Gun Blaster Toy
This blaster will not be completely comparable to Nerf guns and their function; however, you are able to play similar games and still lhave lots of fun with friends.
You may have played a fun game of Laser tag with a group of friends at the arcade. Wish you could enjoy the excitement of Laser Tag all the time?
Bring all the fun of a Laser Tag game to your house with this KOVOL Laser Tag Gun Blaster Toy Set!
While this blaster to does not fire foam darts it can be used for tactical missions and team shooting games similar to those played with Nerf guns.
With this Laser Tag blasterset you will get 4 vests and 4 guns. Each gun is equipped with a speaker and lighting system to make your laser tag game totally awesome!
How do you know if you have been hit and are therefore out of the game? When a player is hit by a laser their vest makes sounds and vibrates to let them know they are out of the game.
These blasters are built durable enough to withstand all of your blaster battles and covert missions.
With the KOVOL laser tag blaster set you can break off into 4 teams and start playing!
Watch the following video to see the Laser Tag gun set in action!
Worried the laser are going to hurt your kids’ eyes? No need to stress, these guns fire at less than 1 mW meaning they can not cause damage to you or your children’s eyes.
So get your kids to spend some time either outdoors or indoors getting active! Order your KOVOL Laser Tag Blaster Gun Toy off of amazon by clicking here.
3. POKONBOY 2 Pack Blaster Guns Toy
For the price of one standard Nerf gun you can get two single shooter blasters from POKONBOY.
Not only do you get 2 single shot blasters, but your purchase also includes 60 darts!
These are not 60 of the same darts. The 60 darts you receive are divided equally into two separate types. The first kind are suction cup darts. Draw a dart board on a window or white board and play a game of darts with these suction cup darts.
The second type of darts are low impact, soft tips. These darts are specifically designed to absorb impact and keep all players safe during a blaster battle.
“These are really fun blaster guns. It comes with many bullets, a wrist bullet holder and an extra 2 bullet cartridge that goes on the gun. I like that this is not difficult for my 3.5 year old son to use. It’s made well and is a great price for 2 guns.”
AMAZON CUSTOMER
Worried a simple single shooter will not be powerful enough for your blaster games? No need to stress, the POKONBOY blaster guns can fire up to a distance of 40 feet!
Cock back your gun and then fire! Be warned the slide will not stay locked in place but the gun will still fire!
To make this deal even better, this blaster set is compatible with most universal darts! This also means the 60 darts that come with these two guns should also work in any of your other blasters too!
Perfect for kids (and adults) of all ages the POKONBOY blaster set is a great way to get your kids playing together without worrying about the price tag of purchasing separate guns!
Order a POKONBOY 2 Pack Blaster Guns Toy set or two off of amazon and get the whole family playing together today!
4. Pangding Soft Bullet Toy
Looking for a realistic looking dart blaster? The Pangding Soft Bullet Toy looks like a real pistol shooter but is marked distinctively with a yellow barrel, trigger, and decals.
This dart shooter is a little smaller than the other dart blasters on the market, the Pangding Soft Bullet Toy’s compact size makes it perfect for kids with smaller hands and easier to store too!
This dart blaster set has one unique twist that you will not find with any other blaster. Not only can the Pangding Soft Bullet Toy fire foam darts but it also comes with the unique water bullets!
Simply place the water bullets in a glass of water for a couple of hours, load the cartridge and start blasting away! These unique and fun water bullets give the sport a cool twist but still give you the ability to fire the classic foam darts.
Watch the following unpackaging video to see what your baster will look like when it arrives and to see how well the darts fly!
In the Pangding Soft Bullet Toy package you will receive one blaster, 3 suction cup tip foam darts, two packages of water crysal bullets, and a cartridge to hold you water bullets.
This gun is built with hard plastic durable enough for the most intense of dart wars. Not only will it last a long time, but this dart blaster is lightweight and easy to use. Simply cock back the gun and start firing your choice of bullet (you can only fire one type of bullet at a time.
Order your Pangding Soft Bullet Toy on amazon by clicking here!
5. Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt
This foam dart blaster is actually an offshoot of the Nerf brand but is built to match the Spiderman Far from Home theme. Not only is the Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt perfect for all Nerf and Spiderman fans, but it is made to attach to your child’s wrist for easy carrying and blasting!
The blaster can fire one dart at a time but is built to hold three for easy reloading. All you have to do is load the blaster, pull back the blaster and pus the trigger to watch the dart fly!
With this foam dart blaster, your kids can pretend they are the Spiderman himself and blast web bullets across the room.
The Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt comes with 3 Nerf darts and is compatible with any of the other Web Shot gear. Purchase the Web Shot gear (twist Strike, disc Slinger, or the scatterblast blaster) attachments separately, connect them to the top of the Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt and watch your kids start to play like Spiderman conquering all the Marvel villians.
“My 2 and 3 year olds are going through a phase of spider-man and [Nerf] guns. …. My only concern was it being too powerful for them … I thought I would give it a try. Sure enough, it’s PERFECT for them!! They are able to pull it back and shoot it themselves, yet it’s not powerful enough to hurt them.”
AMAZON CUSTOMER
An added bonus to purchasing the Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt, is that this blaster uses Nerf darts, this means the blaster can fire most kinds of Nerf darts. Use the erf darts from your other Nerf guns and blast away!
Watch the video below to see the Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt in action!
Because of the smaller size of the wrist attachment this blaster is best used for younger children around the age of 5 or 6.
Order the Spiderman Web Shot Spiderbolt for your child off of amazon today!
Want to add the attachments to your order? The other Web Shot gear includes the twist Strike, the disc Slinger, or the scatterblast blaster. Click on any of the links above to look at each product on amazon!
What to consider when buying Nerf gun alternatives
While there are plenty of wonderful foam dart blasters on the market today, when you are looking to an alternative to the classic Nerf gun there are a few points you should consider.
The first thing one should consider when looking at Nerf gun alternatives is the price. While it is always nice to save money on the toys for either your children or for you and your friends, it goes without saying that a higher price tag tends to mean higher quality.
Average Nerf guns run from 10 dollars to 60 dollars; meanwhile, the more elite dart blasters can cost over 600 dollars!!!
When purchasing an alternative to your Nerf blaster you should spend around 10 dollars less than the closest Nerf model. Anything less than this and you will likely end up replacing the blaster frequently.
Second, you should consider how the Nerf alternative will function in comparison (not in fire power, we will discuss this factor next).
Think about how you intend to use the blaster toy. Are you planning on giving it to your child? Or are you hoping to use the blaster in a more competitive scene with your own friends?
As you decide what the blaster is for, you should also consider what you will need the blaster to do. If you are purchasing the blaster to play competitively with your friends then a laser blaster will not work.
However, if you are just looking for a toy to get your children active than this type of blaster will work perfectly. Do not purchase a blaster if you do not believe it will be able to meet the needs of the activities you hope to use it for.
The next thing to consider when looking for a Nerf alternative is firing capabilities. The ability of the off brand dart blaster should be comparable to the Nerf gun.
A Nerf gun can shoot anywhere from 10 feet all the way up to 100 feet depending on the model. The average Nerf gun can fire darts over a distance of around 20 feet.
When looking at alternative blasters, check to see that the firing range is close to a comparable Nerf gun model. If the firing range does not come close to Nerf standards, trying looking at a different dart blaster model.
The final factor to consider is the look of your blaster gun. Are you hoping to use a blaster more discreet than a Nerf gun or are you hoping to find something that blends in with your friends Nerf blasters.
There are plenty of different blaster guns each with unique appearances. If you choose to go for a blaster that looks more realistic, be sure to keep the colored caps on the barrel so that there is no confusion between your fake dart blaster and a real gun.
How to use Nerf gun alternatives
Most foam dart blaster guns will function in the same way. While differences may arise, the following general instructions will apply to almost all dart guns. For any differences that do appear in the function of your blaster gun, refer yourself to the blaster’s individual instruction manual.
The first step (besides ordering the blaster and then opening the package) is to complete any necessary assembly. This may include attaching the sliding lever and installing any batteries the blaster may require.
Once the blaster is assembled, load as many foam darts as your blaster will take. Single shooter blaster will obviously be easy to load. For guns using clips, you should be able to load anywhere between 12 and 25 darts. Do not try to over fill your dart clip.
Once the dart blaster is loaded, you can start shooting! Simply cock back the slide of the gun (if your blaster requires it) or turn it on. After this step has been completed, you can pull the trigger and watch the darts start flying!
People Also Ask:
Which Nerf guns are the best?
When purchasing a Nerf gun (or any toy for that matter), everyone wants to get the most out of the money they spend. Because of this many find themselves search to find the “best” Nerf gun on the market.
Each and every Nerf product is designed to complete different tasks in their own unique ways. This applies to each of the individual blaster models as well. Because of this, no specific Nerf gun can be labeled as “the best” without first determining what you hope to use the Nerf gun for.
Little kids will not be able to use the larger Nerf guns as easily as they can the smaller guns. Perhaps the best gun for little kids is the Nerf MicroShots N-Strike Elite Strongarm. This gun is a single shooter and simple to use for children under 3 years old. Not to mention that this Nerf blaster is on the cheaper end as well!
Click here to view the Nerf MicroShots N-Strike Elite Strongarm!
Are you trying to identify which Nerf gun is the best to use for personal modifications and customization? Read our article here: Which Nerf gun is best for modifications?
This may lead you to ask which Nerf gun is the most expensive because it may be the best. However, this standard for categorizing Nerf guns has its own flaws as well.
As mentioned earlier in this article, Nerf guns can vary in price from as low as 10 dollars to as high as 600 dollars (these are usually collectibles). While the 10 dollar Nerf blaster may not work for a super competitive Nerfer, it will work just fine for children just looking to have some fun around the house and yard.
If you are looking for an all around good choice in Nerf gun for any activity try the Nerf N Strike Elite Strongarm! This blaster is good for kids to play with and is even perfect for adults to use in their Nerf competitions!
Click here to try out the Nerf N Strike Elite Strongarm!
Can BOOMco use Nerf darts?
Boomco and Nerf were made by the same toy company, Mattel. Boomco was released by Mattel in 2014 and was later discontinued in 2018.
While the two brands of dart blaster look extremely similar in function, there way a crucial difference in their designs. This distinct difference between the two brands is found in the darts. While only certain Nerf darts stick to flat surfaces, all Boomco darts are designed with Smart Stick formula. This means that all Boomco darts only stick to Boomco target surfaces.
Another crucial design difference in the Boomco and Nerf darts is in the body structure. Nerf darts have holes in the back of the body in order to hold them in the gun. However, unlike Nerf darts, Boomco darts are not hollow and are much skinnier.
Because of the vast differences between the two darts, Nerf and Boomco darts can not be used across the two brands. When it comes to Nerf darts, there are several different kinds you can use.
Find out the right type of Nerf dart for your Nerf battle by reading this article: “Which Nerf darts are the best?”
As for using Boomco darts, the only dart compatible with their blasters are the smart stick darts. Because the brand has been discontinued by Mattel, you can no longer get those blasters or darts from retailers. You will have to find a third party source to order more Smart Stick darts for your Boomco blasters.
Order a Boomco refill pack off of amazon by clicking here!
Conclusion
Foam dart blasters are a perfect toy for both kids and adults to use either around the house, in the backyard, or in a competition setting. While Nerf is a reliable brand when it comes to foam blaster products, there are several other options one can try that either serve different functions or come at a cheaper price tag and work just as well as a Nerf gun.
There are plenty of other alternative brands and products to Nerf guns other than the ones listed above. Do not be afraid to try out a new brand in order to diversify your foam dart blaster arsenal.
If the Nerf brand doesn’t meet your foam blaster needs, follow our four factors to consider and you will surely be able to find an alternative foam dart blaster that will!