What is driving water play toy sales growth in 2026?

Water Play Equipment posted 24.0% year over year GMV growth in the trailing 12 months ending July 2026, driven primarily by new product launches. This is roughly ten times the growth rate of adjacent categories, with Water Play Toys growing 2.7% and Water Blasters growing 2.4% over the same period.

Which retailer has the largest share of water play equipment sales?

Amazon held 53.9% retailer share of Water Play Equipment sales in the trailing 12 months ending July 2026, more than double Walmart's share in the category. Amazon also led retailer share in Water Play Toys (43.3%) and Water Blasters (32.2%), with Walmart following in second place across all three categories.

Which brand leads water play equipment sales on Amazon?

Step2 is the leading Water Play Equipment brand on Amazon, holding 17.1% trailing 12 month share as of July 2026, though this is down 3 percentage points from 20.9% in March 2026. Intex holds a steady second place brand position, ranging between 6.0% and 6.6% share over the same period.

What do shoppers buy along with water play equipment on Amazon?

Water Play Toys are the most common attachment to Amazon Water Play Equipment orders, appearing in 5.0% of orders. Water Blasters follow at 0.9%, and Dress-up & Roleplay, Building & Construction Toys, and Bubble Blowing Toys are the most common non-water attached categories, each around 1.0% to 1.3%.

Toys & Games

September 2026

Summer 2026 Outdoor Toy Market: Water Play Equipment Growth & Retailer Share

Q: What are the top selling water play equipment products on Amazon?

Based on trailing 12 month sales ending July 2026, the top 5 Water Play Equipment products on Amazon are the Step2 Rain Showers Splash Pond Water Table, Step2 Rain Showers and Unicorns Water Table, Intex Jungle Adventure Inflatable Play Center, Intex 58849EP Kool Splash Durable Inflatable Play Center, and the Step2 Pump & Splash Discovery Pond Water Table. Step2 holds three of the top five positions, including the top rank.

Alek Sanchez

Senior Go To Market Associate

summary

New product launches are reshaping the water play toy market, with Water Play Equipment sales growing far faster than adjacent categories this summer. This research article breaks down where that growth is coming from, which retailer holds the largest share of the category, and how brand share on Amazon has shifted in recent months. Read on for a data driven look at water play toy sales trends, retailer share, and brand performance heading into next season.

Key Takeaways

Water Play Equipment posted 24.0% YoY GMV growth in the T12M ending July 2026, roughly ten times the growth rate of Water Play Toys (2.7%) and Water Blasters (2.4%).
Amazon held 53.9% retailer share of Water Play Equipment in the T12M ending July 2026, more than double Walmart's share in the category.
Step2 remained the leading Water Play Equipment brand on Amazon at 17.1% T12M share, though its share is down 3ppt since March 2026.
Water Play Toys were the most common attachment to Amazon Water Play Equipment orders, appearing in 5.0% of orders, more than five times the rate of any other attached category.

Water Play Equipment Leads Outdoor Toy Category Growth

Water Play Equipment generated 24.0% YoY GMV growth in the P12M (T12M ending July 2026) compared to the prior T12M, driven primarily by new product launches. Water Play Toys and Water Blasters posted comparable growth rates of 2.7% and 2.4%, respectively, roughly a tenfold difference relative to Water Play Equipment. The gap suggests that new product introductions, rather than category wide demand, are the primary driver of water play toy sales growth this year.

Bar chart showing year over year GMV growth for Water Play Equipment, Water Play Toys, and Water Blasters in the United States, T12M ending July 2026, with Water Play Equipment growth at 24.0%.

Amazon Holds the Largest Retailer Share Across Water Play Categories

Amazon held the leading retailer share across all three water play categories in the P12M (T12M ending July 2026), capturing 53.9% of Water Play Equipment, 43.3% of Water Play Toys, and 32.2% of Water Blasters (Amazon share includes Amazon 1P and 3P). Walmart followed as the second largest retailer in each category, ranging between 13.0% and 24.1% share. For retailers and brands evaluating where to prioritize distribution and merchandising investment, this data indicates Amazon remains the primary sales channel for water play toys.

Bar chart comparing Amazon and Walmart retailer share of Water Play Equipment, Water Play Toys, and Water Blasters sales in the United States, Online and Brick & Mortar, T12M ending July 2026.

Step2 Leads Amazon Water Play Equipment Brand Share, Though Share Has Softened

Step2 remained the leading brand within Water Play Equipment on Amazon at 17.1% T12M share as of July 2026, down 3ppt since March 2026 (20.9% to 17.1%). Intex held a steady second place, ranging between 6.0% and 6.6% share. Among smaller brands, Starocean posted the largest share gain at 1.2ppt, while Wellfuntime, Herokiddo, and Springwater each grew by less than 1ppt. The data shows a leading brand still well ahead of competitors, though its share trajectory has moved lower in recent months.

Water Play Equipment Purchases Extend Into a Broader Active Play Basket

Water Play Toys were the top attachment to Water Play Equipment orders on Amazon at 5.0%, well above the next closest category. Water Blasters followed at 0.9%. Beyond water categories, Dress-up & Roleplay (1.3%), Building & Construction Toys (1.0%), and Bubble Blowing Toys (1.0%) were the most common non-water attachments. This basket composition indicates that Water Play Equipment purchases tend to occur within a broader active play shopping trip rather than as a standalone purchase.

Bar chart showing the top product categories attached to Water Play Equipment orders on Amazon, including Water Play Toys, Water Blasters, and Dress-up & Roleplay Toys, T12M ending July 2026.

Step2 and Intex Hold the Top Selling Water Play Equipment Products on Amazon

Step2 holds three of the top five Water Play Equipment products on Amazon, including the top ranked position, while Intex holds the remaining two. Intex Jungle Adventure posted the largest rank change of the group, moving up four positions to the third rank, consistent with the broader brand share gains noted for smaller Water Play Equipment brands.

What This Means for the Toys Industry

For toy manufacturers, retailers, and investors, this data shows that Water Play Equipment's growth is driven by specific new product launches and brand level share shifts, not broad category demand, that Amazon holds more than half of category sales, and that a leading brand's share can move several ppt in a single season, as seen with Step2's drop from 20.9% to 17.1% since March 2026. Category level headlines can mask this kind of underlying movement, which is why granular, receipt level data like YipitData's e-receipt, in-store receipt, credit and debit card, and web scraped sources is useful for tracking these shifts in near real time.

Methodology

The data in this article is sourced from YipitData's proprietary panel of e-receipt data, in-store receipt data, credit and debit card transaction data, and web scraped retailer data covering the United States toy market. Figures reflect Online and Brick & Mortar (B&M) transactions unless otherwise noted as Amazon specific, growth rates are presented on a year over year (YoY) basis comparing trailing 12 month (T12M) periods ending July 2026 against the prior 12 month period, and retailer and brand share figures represent percentage of category GMV (gross merchandise value) over the stated period, with percentage point (ppt) figures representing the absolute change in share between two periods.

YipitData provides near real-time consumer transaction data and analytics across retail, consumer goods, and e-commerce. For more insights on toy industry trends, brand performance, and category-level spending analysis, visit yipitdata.com.